BROADWAY THE 100 BLOCK OF

The hotel complex occupied a quarter of the full block. On the Jefferson Street side, the Western District Warehouse Company stored mostly tobacco. Friedman, Keiler & Company operated what was called a bourbon distillery although they were actually rectifiers. Central Kentucky bourbon producers floated full barrels on rafts down the Ohio River to Paducah where the company blended and mixed to create specific flavor profiles.On the Broadway side, next to the hotel, were a cobbler, a cigar factory, another small hotel, and a laundry, among others. The 2nd street side of the block housed mostly wholesale grocers and liquor dealers.

By the late 1930s, times had changed for Paducah. Larger, more grand hotels had been built to accommodate a growing population and more visitors due to an increase in national travel. During the Depression, the hotel became the first official home in Kentucky for out-of-work transients as established by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. In May 1940, a new owner of the property tore the hotel down with no plans for the site. In remembering the hotel in its heyday, Fred Neuman, columnist for The Paducah Sun-Democrat wrote that “the large building stood out like a diamond stud in a red flannel shirt.”

The Push Toward Tourism

By the 1970s, little had changed along the 100 block of Broadway. Nothing had been erected where the old hotel had been. The lot was used for parking and, in its later years, open storage. Businesses lined the remainder of the block on around to 2nd Street. The International Shoe Company, which was located in the 100 block of Jefferson, had been torn down. The company began operations in 1919 in the old tobacco warehouses, which had also been a brewery and distillery before Prohibition. But after closing down, the building decayed, and its destruction in 1973 was considered a “mercy killing.” Downtown remained an increasingly untenable mix of industrial and retail properties. chose to move my business to Paducah because of the life that is here. I chose Paducah because I saw the potential this city holds. The sense of community that overflows form the people here is truly beautiful. It is so refreshing to be a part of such a sense of community among the small businesses in downtown Paducah. I believe Paducah will flourish and reach its greatest potential if we are willing to embrace change. We need positive economic growth and prosperity for the city and for its citizens. We have an amazing opportunity to watch something take shape in downtown Paducah that will impact our lives and our families for decades to come. Let’s grow Paducah!” aducah is on the cusp of growing into something fantastic laid from the groundwork of many previous generations. 2020 to me is shaping up to be one of the single greatest years of development this city has ever seen at one time.

In the late 70s, city planners proposed a convention center and hotel be built in the 100 block between Broadway and Jefferson Streets with a parking lot to be located on the other side of Jefferson. That property was the home of the Federal Materials concrete plant.

Businesses such as Grief’s Restaurant, Troutman Signs, and Warden Electric Company, would be required to sell their buildings. It is estimated that 11 businesses were located in that block in 1978. The city worked with developer Bob Green who had built the Executive Inn in Owensboro. City leaders secured state and federal grants, the block was razed, and in May 1980, a groundbreaking ceremony was held with Governor John Y. Brown and former Governor Julian Carroll in attendance. There was just one problem—negotiations on Federal Materials had not started. Not only would there be the cost of purchasing the property, but there was also the cost of relocating the business. Green balked immediately at the price tag and threatened to pull the entire project out of Paducah. Within a few days, Green unveiled his own plan, which put the hotel and convention center at Barkley Park on the other side of the floodwall. He touted the ability to add playgrounds and other public amenities. He even talked about building a mall. Rumors swirled about Green’s motives, and the project drew controversy throughout its duration.

The original site for the convention center remained desolate— an empty block of gravel. When the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society (now The National Quilt Museum) opened in 1991, a renewed sense of downtown’s possibilities developed. A plan emerged that included a river heritage museum, a floating dock with offices and meeting rooms, additional floodwall openings, and a 281-car, treelined parking area in the gravel lot. Some of the ideas came to pass, some did not. The parking lot did. And that move was credited for the receipt of a state re-development grant that helped spur the slow revitalization of downtown.

While parking lots, in and of themselves, are not exciting, great thought went into how to make the surface fit within a historic, downtown context. The finish resembled concrete from the mid-century when gravel aggregate was often used. Planners also included a gazebo and horse path.

Since then, nothing has changed. What would probably be considered the most valuable piece of property for a river town has, historically, been largely lifeless. With the loss of the hotel and later, the International Shoe Company, the entire block, for most of its life, served neither tourism nor industry.

Many people from the outside see our great potential and are willing to invest large sums of dollars to help us achieve that greatness. My only wish is that local citizens will open their arms up to the progress we are seeing come to life before our eyes.

There is no reason when people think of Kentucky, that we should not be in the same conversation as other great cities like Lexington and Louisville. Big picture and out of the box thinking grew those places and Paducah is a special place that is getting its latest, and deserved renaissance.”