ASHLAND, Ky. (WOWK) — After a decade of discussion, a new conference center in Ashland is inching ever closer to being a reality.
Mayor of Ashland Chuck D. Charles gave 13 News an update on the project.
The $35 million facility will neighbor the historical Paramount Arts Center, also known as the Paramount Theatre.
The city expects demolition work on the buildings currently attached to the theatre to start in November as plans are being finalized, with work on the conference center itself set to begin in early spring.
Some new renderings have been made for the project and while the mayor was not yet ready to release them, he says they look pretty sharp.
“The paramount is just fantastic within itself. But this is only going to complement that,” said Mayor Charles. “I think a lot of people are excited, a lot of people are going to be excited when they see the final renderings of what it’s going to look like.”
It’s been over a decade since city officials began discussing the possibility of a conference center in Ashland.
“It’s been a long time in the making,” Charles said. “My last administration, 2013, we were talking about the hotel with a conference center. And now, it’s starting to [come to] fruition and we’re really excited about that, especially me, to be able to see it happen.”
previous rendering of the conference center
The state of Kentucky has appropriated $25 million for the project. An AMLER grant also kicks in another $1 million.
The city’s website estimates the project completion date as 2027.
Conference Center Committee meetings are held every first and third Tuesday of each month at 12:00 pm in the Commission Chambers at the City Building.
