By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
United States Senator Mitch McConnell came to the Cave Area Conference Center to celebrate the incoming agriculture exposition center planned for Cave City.
“There’s a lot of people all across the state who’d love financial help and, believe me, you have to say no to a lot more people than you say yes to…but this [project] stood out not only because of the outstanding presentation your county judge gave, but also because [of its] merit and potential of what could come out of it,” McConnell said Friday.
Kentucky Representative Steve Riley called the project “an economic boon” for Barren County and surrounding counties.
In February, the federal government earmarked $20 million for the ag expo center during the 2026 fiscal year. Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd explained that the center will be attached to the Conference Center and be a 3,000 seat venue that will be able to hold a variety of events.
The project will be paid upfront through a U.S. Department of Agriculture loan that will be paid back with the $20 million, Byrd said during an interview after the press conference.
With the funding, she hoped to break ground in April 2027.
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