Paducah commissioners hear update on Hotel Metropolitan project

During Tuesday night's Paducah Board of Commissioners meeting, commissioners heard an update on the Hotel Metropolitan project.

Hotel Metropolitan Executive Director Dr. MarTeze Hammonds showed several images of the work that has been completed this summer including window repairs, exterior siding, painting, and porch stabilization.

Storage space and a restroom facility were added to the iconic Purple Room, which served as a rehearsal space for travelling musicians.

In 2024, the city of Paducah secured a $1.34 million grant from the Mellon Foundation on behalf of the Upper Town Heritage Foundation to invest in the hotel’s future. 

Last year, the city and the Upper Town Heritage Foundation approved a three-year co-stewardship agreement to define the public-private partnership between the entities, including the City’s financial support.

Hotel Metropolitan is a symbol of African American history, resilience, and culture. Built in 1909 , the hotel provided safe lodging for black travelers during the Jim Crow era.

Listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book and a stop on the Chitlin' Circuit, it hosted notable guests including Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Thurgood Marshall, Duke Ellington, and the Harlem Globetrotters.