Paducah introduces South Side Revitalization Plan, city to return with incentives after public hearings

The Board of Commissioners introduced an ordinance to adopt the South Side Revitalization Plan and designate the Urban Renewal and Community Development Agency of Paducah (URCDA) to implement it. The plan covers roughly 3.3 square miles and 3,678 parcels across eight neighborhoods identified in the draft: Walter Jetton, Uptown, River Park, Cobb Park, Farley Place, Littleville, Dolly McNutt, and Elemenau. Planning staff summarized a multi-year outreach and drafting process that included a public hearing on June 9 with about 40 community attendees, door-to-door housing inventory work covering hundreds of parcels, and a unanimous recommendation from the planning commission and URCDA to forward the plan to the commission. Planner Palmer described a “I am Southside” educational and marketing initiative to celebrate local history and to promote the plan. Staff announced a financing agreement with a local lender, CFSP, which agreed to provide up to 100 percent financing for single-family residential construction loans in the phase 1 area. “They have agreed in the phase 1 area to do up to a 100% financing on single family residential and on construction loans,” staff said. Commissioners asked about community engagement and continued resident involvement; staff emphasized ongoing public meetings, neighborhood assignment and door-to-door campaigns, quarterly newsletters and in-person workshops, and suggested partnering with churches and realtors to broaden outreach. The ordinance introduced the plan document; staff said the next, separate step will be a follow-up ordinance containing the financial incentives and program rules and that staff is coordinating with legal and the city manager to finalize that language for return to the commission for adoption.