After 18 years, Central KY city will resume construction of a government center
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AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Nicholasville will build a $17M, three-story Municipal Center by 2027.
- Project restarts this fall, funded via 20-year municipal bonds after delay.
- New center consolidates city services, reduces costs and improves access.
A three-story building for the city of Nicholasville’s new municipal center will be built by 2027, centralizing public services for the growing city 15 miles south of Lexington.
The $17 million building has been in the works for nearly 18 years. It is being financed through 20-year municipal bonds after the project was started, then put on hold, during the recession, according to a news release from the city, which is located in Jessamine County.
“This beautiful, new Municipal Center represents our commitment to providing efficient and accessible services to our residents,” said Nicholasville Mayor Alex Carter. “It’s a significant step forward in meeting the needs of our growing community and giving our dedicated personnel more functional space.”
Construction on the more than 38,800-square-foot building is anticipated to begin later this fall. When the project first started nearly two decades ago, construction crews broke ground but didn’t begin work due to financial uncertainty at the time.
The new building will go beside the existing city hall building and incorporate nearby property, including the site of a former Pizza Hut.
Brett Construction, a contracting company based in Lexington, will demolish an existing utilities building on Main Street to make way for the municipal center. While the new build is constructed, city hall will be occupied by staff. Once the new space is ready, the old city hall will be torn down.
City offices have been spread across several buildings for decades, the release said.
A new building consolidating departments into a single location will reduce maintenance costs, overcrowding and relieve staff from using outdated technology.
The one-stop-shop for city services may also make it easier to interact with local government, Carter said.
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The lower level of the building will have a room for various public meetings accessible from a parking lot on Stratton Drive.
The city’s administration, finance and utility teams will work on the second floor. The public will have access to the floor from the parking lot and a drive-thru window for making in-person utility payments.
The third floor will be dedicated to planning and zoning, engineering and the city’s water and sewer departments.
Lexington-based architecture and planning firm Brandstetter Carroll Inc. has been responsible for the design. The exterior of the building is made of brick with a stone facade.
Carter said design of the municipal center took longer than anticipated because of modifications necessary to keep the cost manageable.
“We are grateful to Brandstetter Carroll Inc. for their patience and creativity as we sought to pack as much into this facility as feasible,” he said.
During the next two years of construction, Nicholasville’s utilities, finance and human resources departments will work from temporary locations.
Nicholasville is the 10th-largest city in Kentucky with nearly 32,500 residents, and since 2000, has had significant population growth, making it among the state’s fastest-growing cities, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
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