COVINGTON, Ky. — Kenton County is looking for developers to build an apartment building atop a newly planned parking garage.
To accommodate the expanded interstate needed for the Brent Spence Bridge project, the state announced a property agreement with Kenton County.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will give the county $15 million to create a new underground parking garage for the county's government center. It'll replace parking spots that currently sit beneath a bridge on the elevated I-71 and I-75 interstates.
The county plans to build the new market-rate apartments on top of the garage.
“We want [developers] to bring the best use of this,” Judge and executive Kris Knochelmann said.
“The whole idea is to make a win-win out of this thing,” he said. “We need to add parking that we’re losing.”
Knochelmann hopes the complex breaths life into the space outside of working hours. The hope is that the area surrounding the garage would be vibrant around the clock when someone is living above it.
He also pointed to recent studies that show entry-level housing in the county is needed, and he said this complex is one portion of that.
The current renderings show the apartment building over Shaun Kelly’s home. He said he doesn’t want to sell “plain and simple.”
The house, built in 1870, is steps from the county building.
“If they come up with the right of money, everything’s for sale,” Kelly said. “But I’d rather not sell it.”
A county spokesperson said they are working with neighbors to secure the necessary property rights for the apartment complex.
