Residents urge city to save Blue Streak building; mayor says structural review under way

Several residents urged Hopkinsville City Council on Sept. 16 to halt plans that could lead to demolition of the historic Blue Streak (Blue Street Printing) building downtown, saying preservation would aid economic revitalization and heritage tourism.

Grace Abernethy, a resident who described the Blue Streak as a 1912 theater linked to local journalist Ted Poston, told the council the building is “part of our cultural identity” and said historic buildings can attract visitors and businesses. “Old buildings are expensive but they’re also part of what gives Hopkinsville a sense of place,” Abernethy said.

Kate Russell, co-owner of Hopkinsville Brewing Company and a downtown property stakeholder, asked the council to treat the Blue Streak similarly to other rehabilitated landmarks and to involve the Kentucky Heritage Council, the state historic preservation office, in planning. “The preservation of downtown’s historic buildings is key to the revitalization and economic success,” Russell said.

Tammy Van Buren, treasurer of Hopkinsville Historic Community, said the neighborhood nonprofit can assist with fundraising and outreach and urged the council to pause demolition. She described the group’s work to expand preservation efforts beyond residential historic districts into downtown.

Mayor Knight told the council the city owns the Blue Streak building and nearby properties, including lots where the Phoenix Building and Holland Opera House once stood, and that the city has spent roughly $1 million on that stretch of property. “We give $500,000 for the Blue Street Building. It’s public record,” the mayor said.

The mayor said the city has hired a structural engineer to evaluate the building. Officials will use that report to determine whether rehabilitation is feasible or whether demolition is necessary. “If he says it’s a tear down, then we will have to step back and look at it as a tear down,” the mayor said, adding that demolition itself could cost “another $100,000 or so.”

The mayor described a preference for replacing the building with active uses — “residential upstairs on the second and third floor” and ground-floor commercial — rather than creating green space or a parking lot, but he repeatedly said the final decision depends on the structural assessment.

What happened: The council did not vote on the building’s fate at the meeting. Both public commenters and council members asked for options beyond demolition; speakers encouraged city staff to explore preservation grants and rehabilitation tax credits. Citizens mentioned the Kentucky Heritage Council and federal/state rehabilitation tax-credit programs as possible funding paths, but no formal grant application or commitment from the city was announced.

Why it matters: Downtown rehabilitation decisions affect the city’s long-term economic strategy and the built environment along Ninth and Main streets, which the mayor identified as one of Hopkinsville’s highest traffic-count intersections.

Next steps: The mayor said staff — including the city’s chief of code enforcement, Chief Futrell — are awaiting the structural engineer’s report to estimate repair costs and to recommend whether to pursue rehabilitation, seek private buyers, or proceed with demolition. Preservation advocates asked the council to allow time for fundraising and to consult the Kentucky Heritage Council on options and tax-credit programs.

Clarifying details: The mayor said the city has invested roughly $1 million on several downtown parcels (demolition, code enforcement, other costs) and that the city’s initial outlay specific to the Blue Street property was $500,000. The mayor estimated demolition would cost about $100,000 if required. Those cost figures were stated by the mayor during the meeting and were not accompanied by a written breakdown provided at the meeting.

Speakers quoted in this article spoke during the public-comment period and during the mayor’s remarks; the council took no final action at this meeting.