HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Tyler Young with the Small Business Commission in Hopkinsville shared updates about the commission’s goals during the Oct. 17 Committee of the Whole meeting.
He said the commission has taken a step back to flesh out their priorities and goals, while also adding Carlos Duran and Russ Guffy as additional board members. Young noted that they are continuing to discuss policy and fee changes, while focusing on solidifying regular attendance to help pass votes.
During the meeting, Committee of the Whole Chairman Steve Keel inquired about the potential impact second story apartment developments would have on small businesses downtown. Young said that continued development would have a significant impact on small businesses downtown, and it is something he is particularly passionate about.
“It could absolutely change the landscape of downtown,” said Young. “You start getting people living in the second stories, you start seeing businesses want to come down here when you’ve got people to frequent those businesses, and I think that would be absolutely tremendous.”
Mayor JR Knight added that Young has supplied information about this topic, and he along with Holly Boggess and Troy Body have been working on establishing necessary regulations to make it a reality. Their biggest obstacle is funding, as Keel pointed out.
“We are looking at it per door, not just per building, and we are working on it money wise,” said Knight during the meeting. He added that he and Keel have been brainstorming ways to get the funding to kick off the project. Once they have a solid plan, it will be brought to the Hopkinsville City Council for approval.
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