Pieces of the transient dock, which has been a controversial part of the Paducah Riverfront Development Project, were delivered to Paducah Thursday to begin construction.
The goal of the dock, as outlined by Public Information Officer Pam Spencer, is for boaters to get fuel, power, water, and other things while docking their boat for an extended period of time. The dock has been one of the most debated parts of the PRDP.
City commissioner Allan Rhodes has said Paducah doesn’t see enough luxury boaters to justify the project.
But Paducah Riverfront Development Authority Commissioner George Sirk Jr. says that those who oppose the dock just can’t see it’s potential.
“I think the people who are critical of that don’t know that there are a lot more boats going down the river than they probably think. And I’ve talked to several boaters, in fact I have a boat at KY lake and there’s a lot of people up there that would come down and spend the night, go to a restaurant, come down and see a show.”
Sirk says the dock has been designed to not obstruct regular boat traffic, even while under construction. The dock is just one part of the PRDP, which as a whole has cost $8.11 million dollars.