For the last six-plus months, Christian County officials have been meeting with community stakeholders and JRA Architects — working toward a master draft of historic downtown renovations meant to revamp and revitalize key community properties in Hopkinsville.
Tuesday morning in fiscal court, those detailed renderings were revealed to the public — setting the stage for what could be a 10-to-15-year timeline of anticipated repairs, restoration and development in and around the courthouse district.
JRA Architects Vice President Tim Graviss called the experience “rewarding,” and confirmed the project’s full scope has the following attachments:
+ A new, two-story parking garage with accessibility compliance behind the Alhambra Theatre, including an elevator
+ A hybrid Court Street, which could be opened to thru-traffic, closed for community events, or closed altogether and assimilated into the local landscaping
+ A new Court Street stage and Court Street market plaza
+ A refreshed courthouse square and building, which would include added green space, a refreshed first floor and a throwback to the original courtroom on the second floor
+ A new clock tower added to the courthouse
+ A spruced “Chapel of Love,” complete with reception space in its rear and repaired parking to its side
+ A new Chapel Garden near some additional parking opportunities
+ And general improvements to South Main Street, allowing for outstretched public gatherings in the area
Graviss and JRA’s Evan McDaniel said the eventual goal is for the entire block to become highly-functional, user-friendly and more of a pedestrian paradise — which will require some creativity.
McDaniel added there is budding hope for refitting to allow expansion of the annual events often held along Little River and the Christian County Justice Center.
Magistrates Phillip Peterson and George Barnett noted that if any state, federal or historic appropriations were going to be sought in this endeavor, some sort of vision and plan had to be in place.
Officials said cost estimates aren’t expected for “at least” the next two weeks, and anything more would be speculation. However, it was indicated that while a lump-sum effort would be welcomed, this could become a phased project — with the parking garage likely of utmost priority, followed by major remodeling of the courthouse.
Two schools of thought, however, also exist for the project. And, as such, there are two separate renderings.
In one universe, the long-argued Weber Street building gets purchased from the county by a prospective developer — and is, perhaps, turned into a significant business or meeting space, and becomes part of this proposed historic profile.
In a parallel version, the structure — which has essentially been condemned by local authorities — gets razed, and more parking is created for this district plan.
In other court news:
+ Gilliam confirmed Christian County will have a busy Tuesday, December 9. The Chamber breakfast begins the day at 7:30 AM, followed by the Toyota Boshoku smart-plant ribbon cutting at 10 AM, and as such, fiscal court will convene at 1 PM.
FULL DISCUSSION:
