Note: Mayor George Bray was unable to attend this meeting.
Hotel Metropolitan Update
Hotel Metropolitan Executive Director Dr. MarTeze Hammonds provided an update on the construction projects at the historic museum located at 724 Oscar Cross Avenue. Dr. Hammonds was named by the Upper Town Heritage Foundation as the Hotel Metropolitan’s executive director in June. The newly created Executive Director position is part of a transformative initiative to expand staffing, enhance programming, and strengthen the hotel's role as a cultural landmark and a driver of tourism and educational opportunities.
Dr. Hammonds showed several images of the work that has been completed this summer at the Hotel Metropolitan including window repairs, exterior siding, painting, and porch stabilization. Storage space and a restroom facility were added to the iconic Purple Room, which served as a rehearsal space for travelling musicians.
In 2024, the City of Paducah secured a $1.34 million grant from the Mellon Foundation on behalf of the Upper Town Heritage Foundation to invest in the hotel’s future. In 2025, the City and the Upper Town Heritage Foundation approved a three-year co-stewardship agreement to define the public-private partnership between the entities, including the City’s financial support.
Located in Paducah, Kentucky’s historic Upper Town neighborhood, the Hotel Metropolitan is a symbol of African American history, resilience, and culture. Built in 1909 by Maggie Steed, an African American entrepreneur, the hotel provided safe lodging for Black travelers during the Jim Crow era. Listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book and a stop on the Chitlin' Circuit, it hosted notable guests including Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Thurgood Marshall, Duke Ellington, and the Harlem Globetrotters.
Contract Modification for City Hall Stabilization Project
The Paducah Board of Commissioners approved a contract modification with PFGW Architects for the City Hall Stabilization Project. In June, the Board approved a contract with PFGW in the amount of $842,500 for a project to address the structural deterioration of the porch canopy and support columns, the porch (podium) understructure, and the building’s external water drainage system. This contract modification adds $14,920 to the contract for the preparation and submission of historic tax credit applications to the Kentucky Heritage Council and ongoing historic preservation consultation. City Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2025, deterioration of the underside of City Hall’s concrete cantilevered porch canopy became evident. In addition, City Hall has experienced ongoing water intrusion issues in the basement. The project includes removing the heavy concrete canopy and support columns and replacing them using modern materials and construction techniques that will closely resemble the existing structures. Improvements to the porch area, known as the podium, will include removing the existing concrete slab to provide access for framing repairs, installing waterproofing, upgrading lighting, and construction of a new surface. The building’s external drainage system also will be evaluated and redesigned with appropriate upgrades.
The design phase and construction bidding process are expected to take at least one year, followed by approximately one year of construction. City Hall will remain open to employees and the public throughout construction. To protect the building and allow continued operations, plywood window coverings, construction debris netting, and a scaffolding/shoring system will be installed.
This project represents another phase in the effort to extend the life of the building which was constructed in the mid-1960s. Between 2017 and 2019, City Hall underwent numerous repairs and improvements including concrete repairs and replacement; stabilization of the roof cantilever with steel beams; replacement of the roofing membrane and skylights; replacement of exterior doors and windows; and replacement of HVAC equipment.
Additional Meeting Information
- Municipal Order approved authorizing the application for a Kentucky League of Cities Liability Grant in the amount of $3000. This grant will be used to reimburse the City for expenses related to the replacement of equipment at Noble Park’s Music Garden, certified playground safety inspector certifications, and motor vehicle record monitoring.
- Municipal Order approved authorizing the Declaration of Trust and Trust Partnership Agreement for the Kentucky League of Cities Workers’ Compensation Trust.
