HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The fate of the 113-year-old Blue Streak building in downtown Hopkinsville is still up in the air, as an evaluation of the building revealed the extensive repairs that would have to be done if the city does not follow through with demolition. The building used to neighbor to the Pheonix building and Holland Opera House, both of which have been torn down. When discussion was initiated in September for Blue Streak, the community quickly spoke up against tearing it down.

Kelly Gardner with Gardner Engineering & Consulting PLLC presented a structural condition assessment of the building to the Hopkinsville City Council during the Oct. 21 meeting. In summary, the assessment noted severe issues with the roof, walls, and floors that would require extensive repairs.

Photos shown by Gardner reveal areas where the slab has settled so much that the floor is separating from the walls, along with significant drops in the roof. On top of this, loose bricks cover the exterior with ongoing water damage warping walls.

“You’ve got two options; fix it, or tear it down,” said Gardner during his presentation. Based on this information, he added that building presents immediate structural hazards and is unsafe for occupancy. Following questioning from Councilmember Chuck Crabtree, Gardner recommended that the sidewalk around the building should be blocked off due to the potential safety issues.

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“We have a blueprint of how to save buildings in this town,” said Councilmember Travis Martin during the meeting, citing the investors that came in to restore the deteriorated L&N Train Depot. “The citizens in this city don’t have the appetite to tear down another 100-year-old building.”

Community conversation around preventing demolition has been driven by the desire to preserve the building’s history. Located at 116 East Ninth Street, it opened as the Rex Theater in November 1912, later reopening as the Kentucky Theater from 1937-1956. It was later a locally operating commercial printing business called Blue Streak Printers.

“If anyone wants to buy it, I’d be happy to sell it because that means I don’t have to be out $60,000 or $100,000 to tear something down,” said Mayor Knight. He added that they do not have an exact estimate of what the cost of demolition would be, since they would have to factor in the cost of asbestos removal.

According to Gardner’s assessment, if a rehabilitation of the building is pursued, the owner would have to perform a comprehensive structural review of the roof framing by first removing the entire ceiling. The parapets on the exterior would have to be repaired or replaced, they would have to repair all load bearing walls, and level the settled floor slabs.

Similar discussion is being had on the county level by the Chrisitan County Fiscal Court, who decided not to demolish the Weber Building in downtown Hopkinsville after evaluating community input. The next step for the city would be to declare the building a surplus. This would release them from ownership and make way for either a private investor or for the city to move forward with demolition.

No action was made during the meeting about the Blue Streak building.

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