Community Meeting to Provide Input on Old Jail Project

Interim Judge Paul Hays called a community meeting on Wednesday, October 14 in the courtroom of the old Courthouse in McKee to solicit input and provide an opportunity for public participation in the project. The community meeting was very informative and insightful. The architects from Nesbit/JCB presented a conceptual proposal of the building plans for discussion and feedback.

Those in attendance engaged in a great discussion, sharing many valid concerns, thoughtful ideas, and suggestions. One main concern was to make sure the facility was compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

This project presents a unique opportunity to enhance our community by providing space for small business startups, facilities for visitors, and a conference area for community use. Once completed, this project could become a valuable asset to the county’s economic development. Many ideas and considerations were discussed, including plumbing logistics and building entrances.

Judge Hays said, “Community involvement is both appreciated and essential to ensuring this project is successful, meets the needs of our community, and remains within our financial means. We will continue to keep the community informed as new proposals are presented. Working together helps ensure our county continues to move forward in a positive direction. Thank you to everyone who attended, participated, and contributed their ideas and feedback!”

The goal of the “Old Jail” project, (more properly the McKee Business Incubator Project) which was approved in 2023, is to rehabilitate the “Old Jail” into a co-working space and a business incubator/accelerator. The project also had improvements designated for the city block where the “old jail” is located as the budget will allow.

This project was championed by Congressman Hal Rogers and the project is funded as a “line-item” by a Congressional Earmark in the amount of $1,538,000 administered by HUD. The project will not require matching funds and will be “zero net cost” to the county. A congressional earmark is a legislative provision that directs a specific amount of money to a specific project, often benefiting a particular locality or interest. These earmarks are typically included in appropriations bills, allowing lawmakers to allocate funds for projects they support, sometimes with limited oversight or review.

Tal Jones of SKED (selected to administer and oversee the project) told the fiscal court at a much earlier meeting that there had initially been a misunderstanding with the Cumberland Valley Area Development District (CVADD) regarding the requirements for the project's administration. The project was subsequently delayed because CVADD was under the impression that the project administrator had to be a “certified HUD Grant Administrator” to administer the funds allocated for the project. This is often the case for HUD housing projects.

However, this is a line-item project from Congress and does not require a certified HUD Grant Administrator. Jones told the court that he verified this requirement with the HUD District in Louisville. SKED has administered “line item” projects such as this before and were told they were qualified to administer the funds.

The project plans on retaining the exterior of the building so it remains identifiable as “the old jail”. However, the interior will be modified to accommodate a number of rental business incubator compartments (5 or 6) (rent would be paid to the fiscal court), a kitchen area, a communal conference area, a small Tourism Office, a Welcome Center, and showering facilities. The plan is conceptual at this point and will be finalized as the project moves forward. The target completion date for the project is April 2027.