Ground breaking ceremony held for new Farmer’s Market Pavilion

After a lot of hard work, dedication and planning, ground has officially been broken for what will become downtown Corbin’s newest attraction – the Hometown Bank Farmer’s Market Pavilion.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place Tuesday in the vacant lot at the corner of Main and Monroe streets in downtown Corbin, and Corbin Tourism and Convention Commission Director Maggy Monhollen says that she hopes to see the pavilion fully functional by next spring.

“This was about a $600,000 project that will totally change the landscape of Main Street,” Monhollen said recently. “We are taking a dilapidated piece of property that the Tourism Commission owns, and we are enhancing it in a way that will lead to economic stimulation for the city.”

Monhollen said the new farmer’s market pavilion will feature restrooms, storage space, and washing sinks for the farmers who will be selling their goods. HWC Enterprises of London has been contracted to complete the project, which is mostly being funded by a combination of grant money and a single large corporate sponsorship.

“This project is being made possible though a $100,000 grant from the United States Dept. of Agriculture, a $100,000 grant from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, over $100,000 from the Tourism Commission’s general fund, a $1,500 sponsorship by from the Whitley County Extension Office, and a $250,000 corporate sponsorship from Hometown Bank,” Monhollen explained.

Elaborating on how this new pavilion will help transform the downtown Corbin area, Monhollen said, “We’re kind of anchoring downtown now, with the splash pad that we built two years ago near City Hall on one end, and this new anchor that will be near Sanders Park on the other end. With this, we have effectively elongated the Main Street district, and really tied downtown together.”

“It is amazing what we can do to grow our community when we work together,” Monhollen added.