Heart of Scottsville Announces GM Main Street Grant
Jocelyn Fykes, The Heart of Scottsville board VP, also wrote the grant that helped set Scottsville apart in receiving this award. Not only does this announcement make Scottsville stand out among other Main Street America communities, the project itself is the first of its kind anywhere in Kentucky.
By Chris Cole
Staff Writer
A few months ago, The Heart of Scottsville put in an application for a grant from General Motors that is targeted to help improve and, in some cases, help bring back the Main Street experience of small town America. The grant money specifically, as Hannah Brooks, the director of Heart of Scottsville relates, should they receive it was to go to elevating the crosswalks around the square, making downtown Scottsville not only more accessible to those who might have mobility issues but also safer for pedestrians in general.
On Monday, May 12 at Scottsville’s Lyric Theater, Ada Beth Oliver, on behalf of The Heart of Scottsville, said, “Today, we are thrilled to share that Scottsville has been selected as a recipient of ‘The GM on Main Street Grant Program.’”
The grant itself is a joint venture of Main Street America and General Motors and will infuse $60,000 into providing two elevated crosswalks. The initial goal was to have one and see how that went. The amount of money the grant will be giving will however allowed for two to be made.
“This places us among a small group of Main Street Communities across the country that were recognized,” said Oliver, adding that Scottsville will be the first community in all of Kentucky to have this type of project done on a state route.
Elevating the crosswalks to sidewalk level, Oliver said, “is signaling that people come first” as the crosswalks will force traffic to slow down and drivers to be more mindful of pedestrians crossing from one quadrant of the square to another.
Also on hand to make the announcement was Lindy Casebier, Secretary of Tourism, Arts and Heritage for Kentucky. “I came to Scottsville before in 2013 and 2014 and I knew then it was a special community,” he said. “It’s amazing to see the vision and what can take place (here),” he added noting that Kentucky tourism is up across the board “mostly for bourbon and horses” but that they then discover the small communities “which are the heart and soul.”
Casebier added that, “Those who come to visit Bowling Green will eventually spill over into Scottsville” and that projects like having elevated crosswalks that put pedestrians first is very forward thinking. That, combined with Governor Andy Beshear’s “New Kentucky Home” tourism initiative, “to attract and retain local talent from across Kentucky.
With the grant money coming, the issue becomes getting the contracts signed and figuring out a timeline as to when things can get done so as not to disrupt traffic too much.
Joe Plunk, the chief engineer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, took questions on what kind of traffic disruptions we can expect. He stated, “We hope to do most of the construction at night or on the weekends to minimize disruptions” and added, “We’ll be using concrete instead of bricks” as brick and mortar break down over time.
Scotties is anticipated to be the contractor in all of this and Oliver stated that they’re hoping to have a ribbon cutting for the elevated crosswalks “in the fall.”
Ada Beth Oliver, board president of The Heart of Scottsville and Joe Plunk, chief engineer of The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, were on hand to announce the GM on Main Street Grant being awarded to Scottsville. It is one of only five communities nationwide which is getting this grant and will contribute $60,000 to elevating two crosswalks along the Square.
