City Hall – I Prefer Option 3

Like most Paducah residents, I have been following the analysis and decision making process concerning Paducah City Hall. I have discussed this issue with a number of residents and city leaders.  Recently I attended the public meeting hosted by Ratio Architects.  As you probably know, Ratio Architects is an Indianapolis based architectural firm who has been hired to help the city analyze whether to build a new city hall or to renovate the existing city hall.  The projected cost of both options is approximately $18.5 million.

I have a strong preference for a third option which follows a path of progressively repairing, maintaining and renovating the present city hall.  It seems apparent to me that the first items of repair should include the outside roof canopy.  It is my hope that the mission of Ratio Architects can be clarified and/or modified to ultimately provide the City with firm plans consistent with Option 3.  In other words, we don’t want to get to the end of the Ratio Architects work and find out we need more architectural work to pursue Option 3.

By | 2017-12-26T00:41:13+00:00 March 31st, 2016|City Hall|15 Comments

About the Author:

Eddie Jones is a candidate for Commonwealth Attorney. Eddie began his legal career as a prosecutor in the United States Army JAG Corps. Presently, Eddie Jones is a practicing attorney in Paducah, Kentucky at the law firm of Boehl Stopher & Graves and also serves as a County Commissioner in his community of McCracken County, Kentucky. His background includes service in the United States Army and an undergraduate degree in Public Administration from Evangel University along with a Law Degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Eddie is interested in working to make Paducah and McCracken County more sustainable through bikeable/walkable neighborhoods, tourism including sports tourism, and the development of public/private partnerships including a focused, transparent plan for regional economic development.

15 Comments

  1. Ronald Warf March 31, 2016 at 10:21 pm

    I agree with you.but you’ve got to rember in my opinion the present city commission and mayor will most likely want a,new,one.but at 18.million.then what 2_million guessing to tear present one down,then millions to tear down 911_buildin.city doesnt have the money to do that.hopkinsville has,a,newcity hall which cost 8.5=million.its nice looking serves a city of over 32000.also hopkinsville is financially sound.they only owe 18_million.paducah owes28 million.also they have,over 8*millionvcash reserve.paducahs will be soon gone.

  2. Ronald Warf March 31, 2016 at 10:25 pm

    Everybody is getting more jobs.Benton,just announced 48,Mayfield’s lot of new u jobs.all paducah gets is retail or fast food.

  3. Ronnie Goode March 31, 2016 at 10:30 pm

    I believe and new or newly renovated City Hall would be nice BUT……… 18 1/2 million is too much money to be spent on administrative offices! New administrative offices will do nothing to promote growth and jobs in our area. Millions of tax dollars have been spent on consultants and projects that in my opinion will have VERY little impact on the tax base of the city. Every dollar of our money that is spent needs to be done considering what the benefit is to growing our tax base within the current structure, similar to what a private business would do. What is the return on that investment going to be? If we had a growing city and a growing tax base, spending that amount of money on a new or newly remodeled City Hall MIGHT be easier to stomach. There are several vacant buildings in the city (Vanguard, Pebco, Guthrie and corner of 13th and Jefferson) that could be remodeled for a fraction of the 18 1/2 million. There have been some very questionable decisions made in the past several years that have thrown good money at projects with very little return. I am not saying that all of the decisions have been poor but considering the current stagnant or decreasing tax base we can’t afford to stump our toe again. Adding additional taxes will continue to drive businesses and residents from the city. We need a new City Hall and I wish we could afford one that was a show place, but we can’t. Let’s remodel a building for now and concentrate on growing business. Just my opinion!

    • Ronald Warf April 2, 2016 at 12:02 am

      I agree with you.

    • Paul Rikel April 24, 2016 at 9:21 pm

      Well said Ronnie!

    • julie.m May 31, 2016 at 4:15 pm

      well said Ronnie. I highly agree with you!

  4. Renee' March 31, 2016 at 10:41 pm

    I agree not that it matters I am not a resident of Paducah but I agree completely with you.

  5. Buzz vontesmar March 31, 2016 at 11:06 pm

    Good job

  6. Steve W March 31, 2016 at 11:43 pm

    I just wonder why we do not use local architects. Has anyone considered pursuing the old post office building, between 3rd & 4th street, for additional City Hall space ? Since postal sorting and most services have moved to Evansville, the POSTAL SYSTEM may be looking to downsize.

    • Ronald Warf April 2, 2016 at 12:05 am

      Yes why do we pay 1.6 million to outcof town architects.

  7. Chris McCutcheon April 4, 2016 at 1:23 pm

    In my opinion, we don’t need a new city hall building. Does it need to be updated and renovated absolutely, but I also believe in spending less money on something that just needs some TLC instead of buying and building a whole new building. We are constantly opening restaurants and Paducah doesn’t bring enough business to pay for that kind of money unless you raise the taxes to an astronomical price. There are so many vacant buildings in Paducah it isn’t even funny. What about the Katterjohn Building on Broadway? Those would be wonderful apartments or maybe even a great building to set up flea markets and shopping centers. The vacant hotel off of the belt line going to south side. Those are just a few and yet these places we are still getting taxed for the buildings being there and we aren’t even using them. I need help renovating my house but i dont see any tax dollars helping me do it. Let’s be smart about it. Work with what we have and fix it really nice. And another thing BRING BACK THE DAMN WATER FOUNTAIN IN FRONT OF THE CITY HALL. Since the fountain has been empty there are infestations and nests upon top of nests of black widows.

  8. Carolyn Henderson April 21, 2016 at 3:04 am

    All of these suggestions suppose the action will consist of honest and sensible participants. Duh. Folks, you are observing a political situation and expecting a sensible, practical, and honest outcome. Yeah , and I’m expecting to win the lottery. Whatever action they take, if any, you can expect to be scr——-.

  9. Ronald Warf April 24, 2016 at 5:22 pm

    Eddie hope you get in and stop the madness.there out of hand they don’t have money far a city hall.they should have known that before they spent 1.6 million.they have no where to raise taxes.the payroll tax is at. ,2 percent,insurance tax at 6,your only allowed to raise property so much.no where to even raise money

  10. Paul Rikel April 24, 2016 at 9:23 pm

    How about we relocate city hall to duck island in Noble Park?

  11. […] believe, spending $1.5 million on an out-of-town architect to ponder solutions to the “City Hall Question” is. . . . Well . . .  (trying to mimic a Ronald Reagan type pause here)  that just might […]

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