Richmond mayor touts growth, contingency funds and plans for new regional sports complex

Mayor Robert Blythe said Richmond is experiencing sustained population and development growth, a contingency fund of more than $23,000,000 and multiple infrastructure projects, while acknowledging traffic and workforce challenges.

In a state-of-the-city interview on WKYT, Mayor Blythe said the city is receiving more revenue than expected and spending less on capital projects than budgeted. "Continual growth. For one thing, as we continue with our building, our construction, those taxable properties, and then, we've been able to come in under budget on several of the projects that we are working on, capital projects," Blythe said.

The mayor said Eastern Kentucky University recently announced it is now Kentucky's largest regional university and that residential and commercial construction are contributing to the city's tax base. Blythe told the interviewer that Richmond currently has about 3,000 housing units under construction, including single-family homes, duplexes and multifamily units.

Blythe said the city holds a contingency balance "of over $23,000,000," and that one-time federal COVID-era funds have influenced recent finances. "We did make some commitments... such as a fire truck, which could not be delivered in less than 18 months. So we had to commit those funds nevertheless before December 31," he said, referring to American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) spending deadlines.

Addressing traffic, Blythe said increasing congestion has moved beyond traditional peak periods and affects roadways near the interstate. He said the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the city have worked for several years on proposals to alleviate congestion at Exit 87 and nearby corridors, and that the cabinet has proposed measures including roundabouts and targeted widening near constrained locations such as the White Oak Pond Church intersection.

Blythe described a planned regional sports complex on a 289‑acre parcel near Goggins Lane and Tates Creek, visible from the interstate. He said the project will include 12 pickleball courts (in addition to six already opened), baseball and soccer fields, a football field with seating, walking trails, a dog park and a memorial feature honoring Kit Carson. He said grading for the first phase pads had been completed.

On local economic disruption, Blythe acknowledged potential job losses tied to the completion of a local chemical demilitarization project and said the city has worked with contractor Bechtel Parsons and others to survey affected employees and plan supports. "We think we can" address job losses, Blythe said, adding the city has engaged the contractor and conducted surveys to identify workforce needs.

Blythe also described outreach to younger residents and schools, inviting students into commission chambers and hosting interns in the mayor's office to encourage civic engagement. "I want them not to see what I do... as the connotative politics. I want them to understand that you can be an honorable public servant and elected official," he said.

The interview was discussion-focused; no formal city commission votes or ordinance adoptions were reported in the interview.

Notes: The interview identified Eastern Kentucky University as "EKU," referenced ARPA funds and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and named contractor Bechtel Parsons in the context of workforce planning. Timing and dates for the regional sports complex and transportation projects were discussed in general terms but no formal project approval dates or funding breakdowns were specified in the interview.