Rich Alexander, a member of the project development board overseeing the construction of a new judicial center in Barren County, listens as a motion is clarified during a meeting of the PDB on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022.
(BRENNAN CRAIN/WCLU NEWS)
BY BRENNAN D. CRAIN, WCLU News
GLASGOW — Funds will soon move to an escrow account for the eventual purchase of three properties where a judicial center will be built in Barren County.
Members of a project development board met Wednesday afternoon to approve the transfer of $1,227,448.94 into an escrow account maintained by Rich Alexander, a representative of the local bar association that sits on the PDB. The total amount will fund the purchase of land owned by the city of Glasgow, the Dollar General Corporation and the Glasgow Water Company.
“I’m just happy we actually have a site the new judicial center will set on,” said Micheal Hale, Barren County judge/executive and chairperson of the PDB.
The parcels of land are situated along West Main Street and are adjacent to a post office and the Glasgow Water Company. The water utility is selling a portion of land home to the building of the former Glasgow Glass Company.
Mark Bannister, manager of Capital Construction with the state’s Administrative Office of the Courts, described while in attendance at the PDB meeting each of the closing amounts associated with the properties.
- $670,000 – City of Glasgow
- $375,000 – Dollar General Corporation
- $175,000 – Glasgow Water Company
The remaining costs within the estimated $1.28 million transfer include fees for wiring the money, deed recordings, transfer and property taxes, and title insurance. The funding will be financed and repaid by the state government.
Among other actions taken Wednesday, the board voted to give the current property owners a minimum of 90 days of continued property possession with a final 60-day notice before they must vacate the properties. The PDB also agreed to add a stipulation that would allow architects to do minimal inspections, among other routine pre-construction procedures.
The measure was put forth mostly for Dollar General who will ideally have to clear their inventory among other closing procedures. Glasgow’s Department of Public Works uses a parking area along West Front Street. It will eventually be vacated, too, since it sets on the land included in the upcoming purchase.
Architects discussed the preliminary design process and the costs associated with it. Hale said plans are underway for the Administrative Office of the Courts – which is responsible for the costs – to approach legislators about appropriating more money for the project.
“The other judiciary projects around the state of Kentucky have gone over budget also,” Hale said. “What’s going to have to happen is when legislators go back into session, they’re going to have to allocate more money. And that’s going to be for every county that has a project so far.”
