14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-More stimulus money comes to Owensboro

More stimulus money comes to Owensboro

By Ben Garbarek - bio | email | Twitter
Posted by Natalie Yarbor - email

OWENSBORO, KY (WFIE) - Governor Steve Beshear announced on Thursday $3.4 million in stimulus money will complete the final two floors of a downtown parking garage.

"This is really important for our community," said State Rep. Tommy Thompson.  "It's going to allow us to finish a critical piece of the infrastructure that's going to be a great facilitator for the downtown redevelopment that's going on."

"Elsewhere in Kentucky, I can tell you what's going on here in Owensboro and Daviess County is the buzz," Beshear said.  "It's an exciting thing that's happening here. The revitalization of downtown is at the forefront of conversations in other areas."

The new garage will add 200 parking spaces in the heart of the downtown revitalization plans.

The city took the money from the project to help purchase the Executive Inn.

Local leaders said projects like this are exactly what the stimulus money is for.

"This is a project that is ready to go," said Thompson. 

Thompson went on to say, "It's probably going to save 50 construction jobs that otherwise would have been lost so it'll put those people back to work. That money will be spent in our community. We'll be giving people local jobs and the result will be an asset."

Both Judge Reid Haire and Mayor Ron Payne say the downtown development is going to be like an avalanche, in which one project will continue to lead to another.

"It's going to give it a new face," said Beshear.  "It's going to stimulate the economy here and you watch, this place will really take off as this revitalization occurs."

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