By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune managing editor
Covington Economic Development Director Tom West provided an update on city projects at Thursday’s Covington Business Council November luncheon.
West told the crowd at the Madison Event Center that there are a lot of exciting things going on in the city, and he had some news on one of the biggest issues facing dowtown Covington – parking.
Covington Economic Development Director Tom West speaks to those in attendance at the Covington Business Council Luncheon Thursday (photo by Mark Hansel).
“Fingers crossed that all goes well (Thursday) with the inspection by PDS and the Fire Department, the first level of the RiverHaus, also known as 501 Main garage, will be open for free public parking, during certain hours, until construction is done,” West said. “At that point it becomes a pay garage. We will have about 100 free parking spaces in MainStrasse, hopefully starting Monday.”
West also provided some details on the Covington City Commission’s decision to hire Cooper Carry out of Atlanta to develop a vision for the IRS site. A team of national experts working with Cooper Carry will begin work in January on a master plan and conveyance process for the site.
“That’s 23 acre of prime riverfront real estate,” West said. “We don’t believe that kind of property is available anywhere between Boston and Atlanta, so that’s going to be incredibly important to Covington’s future.”
In December, City staff will present a contract to the Commission to hire another national consultant to work on a city-wide ecnomic development strategy.
“So, the businesses in South Covington, Latonia/MLK are are also getting our attention and we are able to direct our resources very strategically, as well as help our partners when it comes to working in Covington,” West said.
Tuesday night, another contract is expected to be approved to rewrite the City’s zoning code.
Pending approval by PDS and the Covington Fire Department, free parking will be available at the RiverHaus, also known as 501 Main, until construction is completed (provided rendering).
West said maybe next to parking, that’s the thing City staff hears the most complaints about.
“We are going to be hiring Kendig Keast Collaborative out of Sugar Land, Texas,” West said. “They are one of the premier…developers in the country, worked all over the nation. They also have two other firms on their team, one out of Nashville and one out of Coral Gables, Florida, all of which have very well-respected national credentials in the space of historic preservation.”
West also provide an update on the Ripple Effect program. The City plans to invest about $300,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding on one small business district or business node somewhere in the city.
“The pre-application deadline was (Wednesday) and I’m very proud to say we got seven areas that have submitted for this,” West said. “This is an experiment in how government works and Covington, I think, is very good at experimenting with things.”
The City also just finished reviewing applications for round two of its small business program, which provides facade improvement grants and rent subsidies.
“We had eight applications this time and we are probably going to be recommending six of those to be funded,” West said.
The monthly Covington Business Council Luncheon provides opportunities for members to interact with each other, as well elected officials and community leaders. Luncheons generally include a presentation or panel discussion on a topic of interest to the community and usually take place at the Madison Event Center in Covington.
Contact Mark Hansel at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com
