Layne Wilkerson for Mayor of Frankfort, KY

On August 25, 2025, the City Commission unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the Frankfort–Franklin County Economic Development Strategic Plan, demonstrating strong municipal commitment to this effort. Developed by Garner Economics, LLC, this is the most comprehensive and ambitious strategic plan ever undertaken by Frankfort and Franklin County.

The plan brings together three key components: the Workforce Report, the Competitive Realities Report, and the People, Product & Place recommendations. Together, they create a fact-based framework designed to make Frankfort more competitive, more attractive, and better prepared for the future. Learn more and explore the whole plan at www.KyCapitalDevelopment.com.

The Competitive Realities Report provides a clear picture of our current standing. It highlights both the strengths we can build on and the challenges we must address:

• Our assets: Our role as Kentucky’s capital city, our unique bourbon heritage, historic downtown, natural beauty, affordability, and overall quality of life. These advantages position us well to attract residents, talent, and investment.
• The truth hurts: Our business climate scored low, particularly support for entrepreneurs and workforce quality and quantity. Our housing stock is old. Our main corridors are unattractive, with vacant and underused commercial centers. Our population is not growing, and our educational system needs to improve.
• Focus areas to stimulate growth: A new aquatics center, improved riverfront amenities, additional land for commercial growth, consolidating government entities and community organizations, enhancing downtown aesthetics, and expanded partnerships with local and regional colleges/trade schools to strengthen workforce development.
• Industries to target: Tourism (including eco- and ag-tourism), advanced manufacturing, technology, hospitality, and artisan small businesses. Heavy industrial facilities, large distribution centers, data centers, and additional bourbon distilleries were seen as less desirable.

The People, Product & Place Report provides eight specific recommendations to move us forward. I’ve summarized below with my perspective.

1. Explore the creation of a unified economic development entity by potentially merging existing organizations into the Kentucky Capital Economic Partnership, or some other similar name. This approach could streamline efforts and sharpen our focus, but it must make sense within the context of a practical new framework. Most importantly, there will be the buy-in of everyone.
2. Complete a feasibility study for a new aquatic center to expand sports tourism and bring new visitors to Frankfort. This recommendation reinforces what we’ve already heard from the public. To that end, the city and county government staff, in partnership with the school districts, are working on an agreement for us to move forward with analysis and design of a new facility. This is the first step in visualizing what’s possible and garnering support from private donors, corporations, and possibly our state and federal partners.
3. Developing attainable workforce housing to attract and retain essential workers is one of our top priorities, and the city has already taken meaningful steps toward this goal. We created a housing committee to evaluate policies, procedures, and incentives that encourage new housing development. The City Commission also voted to partner with The Banyan Foundation to build 60 new units on a portion of our Schenkel Lane property, with additional phases planned for the future.
   In addition, we made a strategic investment to build parking on the downtown parcels lot, which will accelerate the creation of more market-rate housing in the heart of our city. We’re also partnering with the state on the new Vandalay Drive extension, unlocking additional housing opportunities near Frankfort’s commercial and healthcare hubs. Together, these efforts reflect a coordinated approach to meeting our housing needs and strengthening our workforce.
4. Launching a Gateways & Aesthetics Plan to improve first impressions, enhance property values, and boost community pride is a priority I fully support. Some areas of our city are in need of a fresh look, and I will advocate for a comprehensive plan to enhance our entryways and develop targeted small-area plans to revitalize aging shopping centers and office parks.
5. Conducting Learning Laboratory visits to benchmark Frankfort against thriving peer cities is a valuable opportunity to cultivate fresh ideas. A leadership visit to Auburn-Opelika, AL, has already been scheduled for November, as that community was highlighted as one to study. I also regularly attend local officials’ and mayoral conferences to learn best practices from other cities, and I fully support our community engaging in similar efforts.
6. Studying the feasibility of a city-county government merger to increase efficiency and reduce duplication is worth serious consideration. As mayor, I have a unique perspective on the interlocal relationship between city and county government and see firsthand the opportunities to improve services by working more closely together. I would support exploring a path toward consolidation to serve our community better.
7. Creating a small business incubator downtown to encourage entrepreneurship and support local startups is a strong idea and one I fully support. This initiative may be best pursued through our economic development agency or in partnership with KSU to maximize resources and impact.
8. Strengthen workforce development by forming an organizing council, securing a satellite BCTC campus, and expanding partnerships that improve math and science education. I will continue working closely with KSU and our local school districts to ensure Frankfort residents have every opportunity to be more competitive in today’s rapidly changing economy.

Not all these recommendations carry the same weight, and not all will be equally easy to achieve. Some will require long-term planning and significant investment, while others can be implemented more quickly. The good news is that we’ve already begun making progress on several of these priorities.

I spearheaded this plan because I believe deeply in Frankfort’s potential. A plan without action is meaningless, and real progress cannot be achieved by a few acting alone. With our unanimous vote of support, the City Commission has shown that we are committed to pursuing this vision, but success will depend on all of us working together: residents, businesses, educators, civic groups, and government leaders alike.

Frankfort remains at a tipping point, on the cusp of transformation. Now is the time to embrace a positive, growth-focused mindset and turn strategy into action. Our future is bright, and we are only just getting started.

All the best,