On Monday night, the City Commission voted unanimously to move forward with a development partner for the new Meeting and Event Center. We also unveiled the first renderings, giving you a clear first look at what the next chapter of downtown will become.
Equally important was the announcement of new housing at the former YMCA site on Broadway and the extension of Washington Street to Mero. The combination of increased tourism and additional residents in the city’s core will be a powerful boost to our downtown vibrancy and overall image.
This was a significant milestone, not just for a single project, but for the broader vision and step-by-step we have been steadily advancing over the past several years.
The Frankfort Meeting and Event Center
From the beginning, we have positioned this facility not simply as a local event space, but as the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s conference center.
As the state capital, Frankfort hosts legislators, agency leaders, advocacy groups, and organizations from across Kentucky every year. Yet since the demolition of the Frankfort Civic Center, we have lacked a modern venue capable of accommodating statewide conferences, policy summits, and large gatherings.
As proposed, the new Meeting and Event Center will total over 40,000 square feet and cost an estimated $42 million. The state has already pledged $11.25 million toward the project, and the city is seeking an additional appropriation to be included in the 2026 state budget, so that the project is split more evenly between local and state.
We will also aggressively pursue additional funding sources, including grants, tax credits, and private sponsorships, to reduce the amount that must be financed locally. In addition, Franklin County Fiscal Court has pledged transient room tax revenues to support the facility, thereby significantly offsetting the city’s annual obligation.
Our goal is to minimize the long-term impact on local taxpayers. Ideally, we can reduce the annual payment to a level that can be covered from the dedicated Downtown and Parks Master Plan fund, supported by insurance premium tax revenue. If successful, this approach would allow us to move forward without affecting the city’s general fund.
The next step is approval from the state’s Public-Private Partnerships (P3) Committee. Following that approval, we will move into construction. If timelines hold, the center could welcome its first events as early as the summer of 2028.
A Significant Domino
Since I became Mayor, the city has followed a step-by-step plan in pushing the redevelopment of the old Capital Plaza complex. In 2021, the City Commission established a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district to create the financial framework needed for long-term redevelopment. In 2023, we completed the new transit center and accompanying parking structure, and the necessary infrastructure to spur the rest of the development. With Monday’s vote, another domino falls, perhaps the most significant one yet.
Now that the Meeting and Event Center will anchor the site, we can move forward with the next phase: housing. It is just as essential to the long-term strength and vitality of our downtown. Franklin County has one of the largest housing supply gaps in Kentucky. We simply do not have enough units to meet demand. By building infill housing in the heart of our city rather than pushing outward, we reduce sprawl and make more productive use of our infrastructure. At the same time, we bring more daily customers to the doorstep of our small businesses and create the steady foot traffic that downtown needs to thrive. The combination of more residents and more visitors will be transformative for our downtown.
The development strengthens our riverfront plans and our historic downtown district. The extension of Washington Street from Broadway to Mero Street will directly connect the two, improving access and walkability.
Taking Our Rightful Place
Frankfort, the capital of Kentucky, should reflect the stature of that responsibility. Many people visit our city each year, and for them, their impression of Frankfort shapes their impression of the entire state.
By advancing the Meeting and Event Center as the Commonwealth’s conference center, by integrating new housing into the downtown core, and by continuing to invest in quality of life and riverfront planning, we are reinforcing Frankfort’s place at the center of Kentucky’s civic and cultural life.
I am proud and grateful to be a part of this important work.
All my best,
