HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – A vacant lot on West Edmunds Street in Hopkinsville has been transformed into a 1,200 square foot home through the Hopkinsville & Christian County Landbank Authority. The lot was purchased in March 2024 by Juan and Salma Hernandez and was completed and sold to residents in just over a year.
“The completion of the home on West Edmunds Street demonstrates how public and private entities can come together and create suitable living environments for our residents,” said Holly Boggess the Assistant Director and Downtown Renaissance Director for Community & Development Services.
The overall goal of the Hopkinsville and Christian County Landbank Authority is to assist with the revitalization of Hopkinsville’s inner city by giving unused properties value and purpose. They acquire and hold available land until it can be sold to new owners or developers at an affordable price. This makes construction projects more feasible and economical while promoting new growth in underserved communities in the city.
“A vacant, non-revenue producing property has been converted into a beautiful living space that is not only generating tax revenue for the City of Hopkinsville and other taxing authorities within this jurisdiction, but it is serving as a catalyst for additional residential development along this corridor. We look forward to continued development and strengthened partnerships,” Boggess added.
Other homes being built, vacant lot problem
In 2024, Lincoln Real Estate Development Group announced the development of a duplex at 341 and 343 West Edmunds Street as part of a continued relationship between the Land Bank Authority and the development group. A multi-family residential home is also being built at 1408-1414 College Street by WB Properties, SE LLC as part of the program.
Demolishing unsafe structures has been the focus of city officials and code enforcement in recent years, which has led to an influx of unused vacant lots. In 2024 alone, 45 unsafe structures were demolished due to code violations, leaving 45 additional vacant lots. At a previous Hopkinsville Committee of the Whole meeting, the topic was discussed as nearly 1,000 vacant lots fill the city, with no specific action taken aside from continuing to support the Landbank.
“The primary benefit of the development of vacant properties is the property tax revenue generated,” Boggess told Christian County Now. “However, there are many other intrinsic benefits such as neighborhood pride, sense of place, community revitalization, neighborhood stabilization and the provision of housing opportunities.”
There are additional properties the Landbank Authority has sold to private developers that are under construction on West Edmunds Street, with others planned for the very near future. Any developer who is interested in receiving notifications regarding the availability of properties through the Landbank Authority may contact the CDS office at 270-887-4285, or visit the City of Hopkinsville website.
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