For Immediate Release
Statewide
Contact: Rusty Cheuvront or Mark Pfeiffer (502) 564-5611

Governor Approves Over $7 Million for Unique Community Projects


FRANKFORT, KY. (Aug. 28, 2000) - More than $7.1 million worth of community projects have been approved by Gov. Paul Patton. Museums, pedestrian walking trails, civil war battlefields and rock fences are just some of the many projects throughout the Commonwealth that will be funded under this federal Transportation Enhancement Program, part of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21).

“This investment will help improve community transportation infrastructure, as well as beautifying our natural landscape,” said Patton.

The following projects were approved: 

·         City of Glasgow -  $100,000 for rehabilitation of the old Kentucky Pants building to be used as the South Central Kentucky Cultural Center

·         Bourbon County - $80,000 for Duncan Tavern Historic Center, phase II, Continued restoration of the Duncan Tavern to include electrical wiring removal and replacement, walls and ceiling repairs and plaster, evaluate water damage on third floor

·         City of Ashland - $500,000 for streetscape project to incorporate many aspects in the redevelopment of downtown Ashland, including new lighting, street furniture, street signage, trash receptacles and the relocation of utility lines

·         Boyle County - $144,800 for reconstruction of 1,700’ of historic rock fence along KY 52, the Danville to Lancaster Road.  The fence borders the William Crow house, the oldest stone house in the state

·         City of Irvington - $80,000 for construction of  sidewalks, curb, and guttering from the downtown area on KY 79 near the local bank to approximately ¾ mile to US 60, and another ¼ mile to Hillview Drive. This will provide pedestrian access to downtown business and government services

·         Clark County - $428,700 for Lower Howard’s Creek Historical Park, acquisition of historic road corridor in Phase II area (101 acres) acquisition of scenic easements for scenic areas visible from road (248 acres), Phase I area acquisition (20 acres), restoration of the historic road, and architectural service for Martin House

·         City of Owensboro - $300,000 for Adkisson Greenbelt Park, acquisition of property and construction of a 2.5-mile segment of the South Owensboro Trail, part of the 15-mile Greenbelt currently under development

·         Elliott County - $300,000 for the Elliot County/Laurel Gorge Welcome Center, construction of a 4,200’ Welcome Center on former Route 7 & 32 overlooking Laurel Gorge, the hub of Elliott County’s Tourism Development project, including parking, walkways, canoe launch, indoor interpretive area and landscaping

·         Franklin County - $24,000 for construction of a pedestrian sidewalk adjacent to US 460 in front of Lakeview Park to extend 1,750’ to the junction of US 460 and KY 2260, extending the sidewalk that runs in front of Franklin County High School and Elkhorn Middle School

·         Hancock County - $123,020 for Vastwood Park Walking Trail, a paved, non-motorized multipurpose trail around a 19-acre lake situated in a 300+-acre public park. The trail will be 6’ wide with 12” shoulders on each side, approximately 1.1 mile long and will include seven small wooden bridges and one 160' bridge over the lake

·         City of Horse Cave - $344,965 for American Cave and Karst Center Museum Renovation Project to renovate two historic buildings, the First National Bank and the Austin Bldg., to expand the Center’s facilities for heritage tourism including exhibit and educational spaces

·         City of Dawson Springs - $147,946 for renovation of the Darby House into a Transportation Museum and Welcome Center

·         City of Louisville - $500,000 for conversion of the trolley barn to an African-American cultural heritage center located in the Russell neighborhood at 1701 West Muhammad Ali Boulevard

·         City of Covington - $400,000 for completion of the Carnegie Arts Center's proposed building connector that would provide accessibility to the historic buildings

·         City of Ft. Wright - $99,520 for pedestrian walk (2,985 feet X 5’) along the west side of KY 1072, Highland Pike, beginning at Reeves Drive, extending northwest to the Ft. Wright Nature Center along the ridgeline overlooking the Nature Center to a connection with the existing sidewalk system at Werner Drive

·         Lincoln County (Ky Dept of Parks) - $212,000 for improvements to the Issac Shelby State Historic Site, including design and construction of a stone entrance gate, perimeter fence, bus turn-around and road upgrade, installation of interpretative signs, develop and implement cemetery restoration, provide accessibility, and conduct historic research at the burial site of Isaac Shelby, first Governor or Kentucky - part of the original Estate known as Traveler’s Rest

·         City of Jenkins - $400,000 to provide pedestrian walkway renovation, a new streetscape, and additional improvements to the Railroad Coal Mining Museum along a section of Old US 23 in downtown Jenkins

·         Mason County - $105,648 for interior and exterior restoration of the Minerva Baptist Church

·         McLean County - $227,000 for acquisition of a historic site where the Civil War Battle of Sacramento took place and to purchase historic buildings near the original site of Camp Calhoun to incorporate into a Civil War Welcome Center

·         City of West Liberty - $198,300 for construction of a concrete walkway from Old Mill Park to Hwy 160, a swing bridge, gravel path and gate at Hwy 460, loop under Hwy 460 bridge, gravel path and bridge over Long Branch, path from bridge to Treadway Park, and restrooms at Old Mill Park

·         City of Pikeville - $500,000 for relocation of utilities

·         City of Pikeville - 149,875 for construction of sidewalks, beautification and greenspace along Division and Pike streets near downtown Pikeville

·         Pulaski County - $500,000 for the Mill Springs Battlefield Project, acquisition of three parcels of battlefield property at risk of development

·         City of Guthrie - $94,000 for Walking/Bicycle trail, one mile of concrete trail within Guthrie in Todd County to link Springmont Subdivision, Pennyrile Village Public Housing to Piggly Wiggly Grocery, the new Dollar General Store, Tiny Town, and the city’s ball field

·         Warren County - $236,500 for to convert the Bowling  Green Historic Depot to serve as the state’s first digital library

·         City of Corbin - $361,800 for the Corbin Creekway project, acquisition, design and construction of a 2,100’ x 6’ wide pathway, landscaping, and five pedestrian plazas

·         City of Midway - $16,000 for a study to facilitate the relocation of existing overhead utility lines underground and to provide plans and cost estimates for improvements to Main Street, an area on the National Historic Register

·         Woodford County - $160,000 to rehabilitate the bridge, construct ADA accessible restrooms, and landscape the site for the Bluegrass Scenic Railroad

·         Larue County - $60,000 to develop a Master Plan for cooperative management of the historic US 31E Heritage Corridor , and to evaluate and inventory sites and develop recommendations for preservation, interpretation and marketing

·         State Government - $80,000 for development and production of a printed driving tour guide accompanied by cassette and/or compact disc, which will introduce the public traveling on US 23 to the surrounding eastern Kentucky communities

·         University of Kentucky - $70,141 to inventory and reconstruct vernacular life and events along the Wilderness and Limestone Road.  The work will include identification of road segments and roadside settlement sites established by the first explorers and surveyors, 19th Century realignments and the toll road era, and extend through the 20th Century by examining several aspects:  A book manuscript, a guide, historic site inventories and descriptions

·         City of Campbellsville - $171,360 for layout, design, manufacture and installation of 35 interpretative signs, 35 destination signs, 220 directional signs,  research,  brochure design and printing for the Morgan in Kentucky Heritage Trail project

Communities receiving the federal funds are required to provide 20 percent matching funds for the projects.  The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet oversees the federal Transportation Enhancement Program and reviews all applications.

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