Ground breaking ceremony held for Corbin Center expansion, new hotel

Local and state officials came together for a groundbreaking ceremony Monday afternoon at The Corbin Center to celebrate its upcoming expansion and a new hotel to be built on adjacent property.

Conceptual designs for both projects were unveiled just prior to the groundbreaking ceremony during the Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s partnership luncheon held with members of the Knox County and Manchester/Clay County Chambers of Commerce.

The Corbin Center expansion, which was discussed earlier this month during a Corbin City Commission meeting, will renovate the existing space and add an expansion that will increase the building’s square footage by over 12,500 feet. With the expansion, the center’s new footprint will take up over 33,000 total square feet.

The center’s expansion will allow for a much larger banquet room, that will push its existing capacity from approximately 260 people to around 320 people. In addition, the renovation will expand the kitchen so caterers will have more space and an audio and visual component will also be added to the facility.

The adjacent hotel will consist of a dual-branded property with both TownePlace Suites and Fairfield Inn under the same roof. The building will have 113 beds and include a conference room space for various business and association meetings.

The commission previously agreed to sell the 4.29 acres of land where the hotel will sit for $1 million.

Corbin Mayor Suzie Razmus spoke during the unveiling of the two projects, noting that the overall cost for both is estimated to be $15 million. The expansion at The Corbin Center, specifically, is projected to cost right at $3.5 million, which will be paid for through the sale of the adjacent land as well as with city and state funds.

Razmus also thanked Senate President Robert Stivers, who was the keynote speaker during Monday’s luncheon, for his work in the area.

“We are thankful for the vision of our good friend, Sen. Robert Stivers, and for his confidence in our ability to take these investments and multiply them to grow our business and community offerings,” said Razmus.

Construction on the two projects is anticipated to begin in the first quarter of next year.