A new twist has evolved in the quest to get the downtown park project underway. Last night’s Glasgow city council meeting agenda contained an ordinance that would allow advertising of design and build proposals to be distributed to potential contracting firms. However, also on the agenda was a request to speak from County Judge Executive Michael Hale. He was speaking in the capacity of Chairman of the Judiciary Committee which works with the Administrative Office of the Courts in providing for the county judiciary facilities. Hale acknowledged that the 2020 legislature authorized the construction of a new courthouse in Barren County. That committee is making progress toward building the courthouse, having secured Baird Financial to issue the bonds, Alliance Corporation as Construction manager and Silling Architect firm. Judge Hale told the council he was presenting a “Concept” on how two things the community needed could happen.
“Now just so everyone knows, Mr. Simpson and I have been in conversation. We’ve been trying to find a way to make this work. Do we always agree? No. But we kept going back to the table and kept going back to the table until we agreed I want to show you a concept tonight for your consideration. I believe that these two projects will work for our community.” according to Hale.
Hale asked Downtown Park Steering Committee chairman Wes Simpson to speak up about his take on his proposal:
“As one member of my committee I don’t want to speak for anybody else on the committee but with these two projects going, I absolutely believe that this is something that we can work with. I think there’s tweaks and things that we’ll have to talk about, but yes from a “Wes Simpson” point of view I think that this is something that is very very workable. It looks beautiful! The 3D Concepts there on the sides are beautiful. I’d like to put it in front of the committee. But in my opinion, I think that’s something that we could definitely work with” Simpson said.
Tom Potts, the Judiciary project Architect brought sketches of two similar projects they have completed in Pike County and Pulaski County where green space and court facilities were built to complement each other.
And Danny Rose from the Administrative Office of the Courts confirmed to the council the AOC’s willingness to work with the county to facilitate a new judicial center.
So what’s next? In two weeks, Judge Hale and the Judiciary Committee with return to the council with a proposal on the particulars of such a project, and by then the Downtown Park Committee will have had time to review the proposal. The two could decide to work together or go on about the two projects independent from each other.
