The area around Kenton Street and Greenwood Alley in Bowling Green was once a thriving area inhabited primarily by African Americans.
Some of the homes in the area have been demolished in recent years, and many of the remaining ones have fallen into disrepair. Nevertheless, area residents take pride in the areaâs history as an especially close-knit, peaceful place that was the home of many notable African Americans, including doctors, lawyers, teachers and pioneering business owners.
Thatâs why a plan presented in 2019 to tear down the remaining houses and build contractor garages drew the ire of many area residents. Some said they were misled into believing the project slated for the area was new residential development and were surprised and upset to learn of the intended use for the area.
Desmond Bell is wasting no time in rehabilitating a once-thriving African American community between Kenton Street and Greenwood Alley in Bowling Green.
Now that the 1.3686-acre parcel has been approved for a rezoning by the Bowling Green City Commission, Bell is moving forward with his plan to transform the property that had fallen into disrepair and was nearly turned into a business district last year.
Bellâs Bell Vue Properties LLC was successful in getting the property rezoned from two-family residential and general business to planned unit development. Now his plan to develop the property into a 22-unit residential area that includes apartments and houses is taking shape.
The Bowling Green City Commission met via teleconference Tuesday and approved the issuance of $46.5 million in bonds for the Kentucky Transpark in the final meeting for Mayor Bruce Wilkerson and Commissioners Joe Denning and Brian âSlimâ Nash.
Wilkerson dropped his reelection bid in September, citing health concerns. Nash and Denning lost in their reelection campaigns.
The commission unanimously approved on a final reading issuing two bonds for a combined $46.5 million to be used for building infrastructure for an expansion of the transpark. The Inter-Modal Transportation Authority recently purchased nearly 300 acres for an expansion of the industrial park, which opened in 1998 and is near capacity.