McCracken Fiscal Court celebrates first reading of sports complex agreement

The biggest piece of business on the agenda for the McCracken Fiscal Court was the first reading of the sports complex ordinance.

The ordinance reflects the county's portion of the agreement with the City of Paducah and the Sports Commission to allow the design and construction process to begin on the Greenway Sports Complex.

Commissioner Bill Bartleman commended Commissioner Edwin Jones for his work laying the foundation for the project with his study on the transient room tax and Judge Executive Craig Clymer for getting the former Bluegrass Downs property donated to the county. With that property adjacent to Stuart Nelson Park, it provides an ideal location for the city/county joint venture.

Judge Clymer noted that in the master plan, the grandstand structure from Bluegrass Downs would remain, creating a centerpiece to the complex, making Greenway unlike any sports complex in this part of the country. He also said there would be special recognition of Dr. Stuart Nelson, for whom the city's park is named. 

The City of Paducah will take up the issue Tuesday at the regularly scheduled city commission meeting.

Judge Clymer suggested that with this agreement being such a big deal for both the city and the county that they may not wait for the next scheduled meetings for second readings and adoption of the ordinance.
Clymer said there could be a special joint meeting, as early as next week, to adopt the measures.