City Facilities

Objective - City Facilities

city facilities iconFocus on upgrading City facilities to improve functionality and efficiency. Begin planning for new public safety facilities.

Note: This item has been a Priority or Continuous Improvement item since 2021. For 2024, it is an item for Continuous Improvement.

City Facilities Project Details

Expectations and Tactics
  • Prioritize and implement maintenance projects from the facilities maintenance plan.
  • Develop a capital improvement plan with facility maintenance and new buildings to inform funding needs and budget planning.
  • Continue funding long-term capital improvement fund.
Accomplishments - 2021 to present (includes Robert Cherry Civic Center)

Facilities Improvement Trust Fund and Funding  The City Manager’s Office and Finance prepared an administrative guideline for the creation of the City Facility Improvement Trust Fund. In FY2022, the City allocated $800,000 to initiate the fund and provided an additional $300,000 in FY2023 achieving the goal of having $1.1 million to begin facilities maintenance projects. For the FY2024 budget, more than $2 million in facility renovations and new construction has been set aside with an investment of $1.5 million of that total for projects.

Facilities Plan Implementation  The City Manager’s Office, Public Works, and Engineering are working on a facilities improvement implementation plan based on the needs identified in the 2020 Facilities Study. They prioritized the 269 improvement items in the study by safety, functionality, and aesthetics. 

Current projects include the Compost Facility Office Building Design, City Hall basement and sewer upgrades, Commission Chambers upgrade, Robert Cherry Civic Center renovation, Technology Department Renovations, Paxton Park Clubhouse Exterior Project, renovations to the Probation and Parole building, Fire Station 2 exterior improvements, Fire Station 3 improvements, Fire Station 4 apron and sewer improvements, and Fire Station 5 flooring. 

Parks & Recreation Facility/Senior Center  The building located at 1400 H.C. Mathis Drive currently houses the Parks & Recreation Department and the Senior Center. It's an expensive building to maintain in its current state with utility costs around $100,000 per year. The Senior Center reviewed options and decided it would be more economical to construct a new facility. The City met with the PADD office to discuss CDBG grant opportunities with the City applying and receiving a $1 million CDBG grant on behalf of the Senior Center.

Robert Cherry Civic Center Renovation Project

The project includes an updated community center area with a capacity of 256 seated patrons, a catering kitchen, audio-visual connectivity, office space for the relocation of several Parks and Recreation administrative employees, keyless entry, updated landscaping, and a new parking layout. 

The Robert Cherry Civic Center closed to the public in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since that time, the City completed a feasibility study on the building, met with stakeholders to gather input on community civic center needs, and worked to redesign the building. The collision of a truck into the building in September 2022 caused the construction documents to be reworked to account for the structural damage.

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are covering the majority of the project costs.

  • 2020 - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City closed the Robert Cherry Civic Center located at 2701 Park Avenue in 2020. It has remained closed since that time. 
  • 2021 - The Paducah Board of Commissioners discussed at its June 22, 2021, meeting the future of the 9377 square foot facility. Since it operates at an annual loss of more than $35,000, the City is looking at repurposing it to house the Parks & Recreation Department and provide a community banquet hall.
  • 2021 - Peck Flannery Gream Warren (PFGW) completed a feasibility study on the building which was used to create a RFP due September 8, 2021, from architectural and design firms for the project.
  • 2021 - In September 2021, the Board authorized the City Manager to enter into negotiations with PFGW for the engineering design to renovate the Civic Center with the Board approving the contract with PFGW in October.
  • 2022 - In January 2022, PFGW met with stakeholders to gather input on community civic center needs to inform the design of the banquet space.
  • 2022 - After hearing from PFGW in February and March, the Board approved a motion at its March 22, 2022, meeting to move forward with the option that uses the existing building footprint with no increase in square footage.  This option uses approximately three-quarters of the existing building footprint to provide assembly, kitchen, and storage space with a seating capacity for 160 to 256 people at rectangular tables depending upon the table configuration and dance floor space.  The remaining building square footage is designed to provide office and reception space for the Parks & Recreation Department.  It will take nearly four to five months to prepare the construction documents and receive bids.  The construction phase is estimated to take 12 to 16 months.
  • 2022 - At the March 2022 meeting, the Board agreed to set aside $1.8 million of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the project. The City of Paducah is receiving $6.439 million in ARPA funding and already has set aside $4 million for stormwater projects. 
  • 2022 - Due to a collision of a truck into the building in September 2022, the construction documents were reworked to account for the structural damage. At the December 15 City Commission Meeting, the Board authorized the City Manager to issue a request for bids for the renovation project to include repairing the structural damage and the interior renovations. 
  • 2023 - After issuing a request for bids, on March 28, the City accepted the bid from Midstates Construction. This work will repair the facility following the September 2022 traffic crash, rehabilitate the community center area, and provide office space for the relocation of the Parks & Recreation Department’s administrative employees. The notice to proceed was issued in April.
  • 2023 - On July 11, the City approved a contract modification with Midstates Construction. The work began on the project in April, and crews have discovered items that require a contract modification including an undersized electrical transfer switch since the facility is being designed to serve as an emergency operations center when needed. The project remains on schedule with the facility to be completed late this year. The City also is looking at repaving the parking lot before the facility opens.
  • 2023 - On August 8, the Board approved a contract modification with Midstates Construction. Due to manufacturing delays, this modification adds 45 days to the contract with a final completion date of December 28.  
  • 2023 - As of October 2023, the renovation project is 65 percent complete with completion expected at the end of the year. An open house will be held tentatively in January with the rental calendar to accept March 2024 reservations opening soon.
  • 2023 - As of November 14, the project will not be completed by the end of December with a delayed opening expected in early 2024.
  • 2023 - At the December 12, meeting the City approved a contract modification with Midstates Construction to add ADA concrete parking stalls, entry ramps, and parking lot subgrade repairs. The modification also adds 60 days to the contract. The interior should be ready for furniture and fixtures by the end of 2023, but the exterior requires more time with substantial completion scheduled for late February 2024 or earlier depending upon the weather.
  • 2024 - The City of Paducah and the community celebrated the reopening of the Robert Cherry Civic Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony on February 26. 
  • 2024 - Requests for facility reservations for dates of April 8, 2024, and later were accepted beginning March 4.
  • 2024 - Authorized a contract with Jim Smith Construction for the reconstruction and repaving of the Civic Center parking lot at the May 14 City Commission Meeting. 

Commission Priorities

Read all Commission Priorities and Continuous Improvement Items including each action item's objective and expectations by visiting Commission Priorities.