The Paducah Riverfront Development Project can see a finalized completion date in the near future. The long awaited project has cost 8.11 million dollars, which was funded through a series of grants. The city’s public information officer Pam Spencer said she hopes to see luxury boaters come to Paducah and spend time downtown, and says the project should be done just in time for them to do so.
"This is going to take until next spring," Spencer said. "Because once this is finished, boaters will be able to come up to the transient dock, get fuel, power, water, anything they need to be able to dock their boat for an extended period of time."
But the plan for luxury boaters to bring more tourism to downtown Paducah doesn't sit well with everyone, long time opposer of the plan, city commissioner Allan Rhodes said Paducah doesn’t see enough luxury boaters to justify the project. But Spencer said luxury boats are there, they just have no where to dock.
"If you go down to the riverfront, you'll see barges go by, but you'll also see luxury boats go by as well, we just don't have a place for them to stop," Spencer said. "We don't have a place for them to tie up and spend the weekend."
She said the project will change the effect of Paducah by allowing it to be a destination for boaters. And she said she believes that with several projects close to completion, the growing riverfront will contribute to the overall synergy of downtown Paducah.
"The Holiday Inn Paducah Riverfront is going to be finished by next spring, this riverfront project will be finished next spring," Spencer said. "We have a lot of great businesses coming in downtown, and there’s just a lot of activity."
Spencer said more businesses like restaurants and retail shops have moved into downtown over the past year. She said she believes more private development will move into Paducah’s downtown area once the projects are complete.
She said contractors are currently working on the revetment - stone steps that will lead people to a recreation area on the water for fishing and other activities, a small part of a much larger park.
This story has been updated as of 10/12/2016.
