Last Friday, July 25, Corbin Economic Development Director Bruce Carpenter welcomed several dignitaries, including Senate President Robert Stivers, to a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the official start of the Corbin Center expansion project.
Once complete, the expansion will connect the Corbin Center to the new dual-branded TownePlace Suites/Fairfield Inn by Marriott hotel that is currently being constructed next door.
“At one time, this was a space that was basically rented out for birthday parties, baby showers and small weddings,” Carpenter said of the Corbin Center at a reception following the groundbreaking. “And those things are great, but with this new addition the average number of attendees will have increased from between 20-to-100 folks per event to 150-to-350-plus. That is phenomenal, and is bringing into our community a lot of out-of-town folks who are staying here.”
Carpenter thanked several people during his presentation, including Senate President Stivers, 82nd District Representative Nick Wilson and 86th District Representative Tom O’Dell Smith.
“What folks need to realize is that this group, both of our representatives and our senator, are doing a lot for our region,” Carpenter said. “Through their efforts, we are getting a lot of things accomplished in the state of Kentucky, which helps everybody. My hat’s off to those folks for what they’re doing. It’s been great.”
Carpenter also thanked his staff – On-Site Manager Whitney Powell, Operations Specialist Doug Taylor, Sales and Marketing Manager Lisa Harrison, and newcomer Chris Lester, saying, “I push them a lot. We have so many great things going on, and trust me, none of it would happen without them.”
Finally, Carpenter thanked the members of the Corbin Industrial Development Board for their continued support throughout the planning phase of this expansion project.
Stivers also spoke at the reception, commending Representatives Wilson and Smith for their help in making projects like this a reality, saying, “Nothing happens in Frankfort without our colleagues in the House. I can’t say enough about the working relationship with my House colleagues.”
Stivers then spoke about the overall vision for growth in the Corbin area, mentioning the fact that the state has recently greenlit a nearly $150 million road widening project that will add lanes to I-75 from Exit 29 all the way down to mile marker 21, just north of Williamsburg.
“When you start thinking about occupational taxes and the people who will be working here for the next 3-4 years, those are the things that we need to do in this region to make things happen,” Stivers said. “Because we are in a unique place [here], along one of the most heavily traveled interstates in the United States.”
Stivers expressed his excitement about the Corbin Center expansion, saying that when paired with the brand new hotel facility, the town will feature a “mini convention center” that is unlike anything else in the region.
Corbin Mayor Suzie Razmus also offered some comments, saying, “Over the next few years, Corbin is going to be on fire. We have cast the vision, and [Senate President Stivers] has caught that vision. We are going to be great stewards, and really turn this facility, which is already so amazing, into something that is going to catapult Corbin into a whole new arena that we’re not used to. I’m really excited for that.”
Carpenter echoed those sentiments by saying, “We are getting prepared for the future. Not just of this facility, but what it is going to hopefully bring to us, as well as the new hotel and all of the surrounding businesses in this community.”
For more information on the Corbin Center, visit the facility’s website at www.thecorbincenter.com.
