Kentucky Brownfields offers help Last updated: November 14. 2014 2:53PM - 1174 Views
By Nola Sizemore - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Nola Sizemore | Daily EnterpriseChad Carter, with Kentucky Brownfields Redevelopment and Real Estate in Lexington, attended a meeting of the Tri-Cities Heritage Development Corporation on Wednesday where he offered his help in ways to use abandoned or under-utilized commercial property for commercial investment and redevelopment in the Tri-City area.
Looking for ways to use abandoned or under-utilized commercial property for commercial investment and redevelopment, members of the Tri-Cities Heritage Development Corporation (TCHDC) heard from Chad Carter, with Kentucky Brownfields Redevelopment and Real Estate in Lexington, during a meeting held on Wednesday.
Carter told members of the TCHDC he would like to see a documentary done highlighting buildings and facilities available for investors who might want to relocate to the Tri-City area, along with showcasing the positive aspects of the region.
"We will see if there are funds available through the Promise Zone to pay for costs of preparing this video," said Carter. "We want to present the documentary as a basis to preserve the way of life, but use technology to integrate future endeavors. I've been studying coal trends, and this may not be a surprise to any of you all, but it's not that coal is necessarily dead, it's just that it's so much cheaper to produce elsewhere. It's $12 a ton less in western Kentucky than in eastern Kentucky and $45 per ton less in Wyoming.
"Accepting that coal is probably not going to be something that can be reclaimed for positive use is something we'd like to work with the coal mines to come up collectively with a plan."
Carter also expressed an interest in the old Cumberland High School building saying he felt it would be a great building for an assisted living facility, which would in turn create jobs for the county.
"We could work with Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College and their nursing program...we think that could be the start of something positive," said Carter. "This is something that has been kicked around and the state is interested in this. We think this building might have possibilities for something like this. Locating the funds for the retrofit on it might be available through some private and public investments we believe."
Carter said using the building "for educational purposes" might attract more funding.
Cumberland Mayor Carolyn Elliott told Carter she feels the old Cumberland High School building is "much too large" for this type of project and a smaller building would be better for an assisted living facility.
"We already have nursing homes here in Cumberland and in Harlan and we have the Laurels in Harlan, which is assisted living," said Elliott. "I agree with David (Kennedy) the old high school would be better as a multi-purpose building and part of it could be used for assisted living. It's a real big building."
Carter added the old Victory Road Christian School building was also being considered, along with the high school, for an assisted living facility.
He encouraged everyone to pick out projects they'd like to work toward and get that list to him. He added there needs to be some "youth" input also.
"We can help get the word out for you," said Carter. "We can help get exposure to the area. We can help get entrepreneurs to the area. We really need, collectively, for the entire area to be on the same page as what fits for all."
He assured those in attendance that buildings will only be renovated when an investor is found for the site. Adding the county needs to work as an urban county government and needs to consider a wet vote countywide to lure restaurants and other businesses to the area.
He also recommended a Tri-City Facebook page for entrepreneurs, using Twitter and Instagram and a blog as a means of showcasing the area.
"In beginning to establish those resources is a way to build this up," said Carter.
Reach Nola Sizemore at 606-573-4510 or on Twitter @Nola_hde
