The city of Paducah is one step closer to a new downtown hotel. The Kentucky Tourism Development Act Authority Board approved $4.5 million in tax credits to build the Hilton Garden Inn at the pavilion site adjacent to the Julian Carroll Convention Center according to Paducah Riverfront Development Authority director Steve Doolittle.
A state financial analyst told the City Commission the hotel will bring over 200 direct and indirect jobs, $116 million in spending over ten years, and $9.6 million in taxes for Paducah.
“It was not the spending that’s created that, that was just part of the reason they gave the credit they did, but our ability to attract business from out of state,” Doolittle said. “Key to the state’s decision is that we are not just cannibalizing hotels in Paducah.”
A pedestrian bridge will connect the $19.5 million hotel to the Convention Center. Doolittle said the Harrah’s Metropolis Casino’s conversion of ballroom and convention areas to gaming is bringing interest to the Paducah Convention Center. The project is slated to begin construction as early as late summer.
“They (developers) are stating with certainty that they think from a design and quality standpoint they’ll be able to exceed what was done in Owensboro and that’s a pretty nice hotel,” Doolittle said.
Hotel designs will be submitted to the PRDA and could be approved at the July 26th meeting.
