Mayor Tom Watson’s “State of the City” address to the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce on Thursday highlighted the city’s accomplishments and previewed projects expected to be completed later this year.
Watson delivered the presentation by video and was unable to attend Thursday’s event at the Owensboro Convention Center while recovering from an injury.
“This morning, we are tipping our hats to the milestones of 2025 and looking ahead to 2026,” City Manager Nate Pagan said as he introduced the video presentation.
Watson used his address to highlight the city’s acquisition of the “Massie property,” a 120.67-acre site on West Parrish Avenue near U.S. 60. The city purchased the site for $4.62 million.
The property “is now positioned to become the largest publicly controlled industrial site in our community,” Watson said.
Pagan said in the video that “the site is well prepared for future development.”
The city purchased the site at the recommendation of the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp., Pagan said.
The city is anticipating the completion of several projects this year that city officials either undertook themselves or helped fund, including the downtown indoor sports facility and the new Senior Community Center for Owensboro-Daviess County, Watson said.
The sportsplex, dubbed the “Bluegrass Fieldhouse,” will “bring thousands of athletes and families to our city each year, adding even more life to downtown Owensboro and beyond,” Watson said.
The facility is scheduled to be completed in July, with the first events planned for August.
The new senior center is funded by both the City Commission and Daviess Fiscal Court. In addition to funds already committed to construction, the city purchased the property for the facility near the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden. Fiscal Court has also pledged up to an additional $500,000, matching what the senior center board raises through its campaign.
In the video, Shaelie Velez, city communications and marketing manager, said the facility will open to seniors in September.
The city will also complete work on the new Fire Station 3 on Cravens Avenue in the spring and then pivot to building a new Station 1 in the summer. The projects are part of a large Owensboro Fire Department modernization effort, under which all OFD stations will be remodeled or rebuilt except Station 1, which was built in the early 2000s. The city has already completed work on Station 2 and the new fire training center, which was finished last year.
The 18-court pickleball complex at Ben Hawes Park is also expected to open this year, Velez said.
According to the city’s December projects list, the complex is scheduled to be completed in May, though work has been affected by weather.
Among city departments, highlights from last year included the Owensboro Police Department’s latent fingerprint laboratory receiving accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation.
Velez said only two latent fingerprint laboratories in the state have been accredited by the organization.
The parks department also opened new facilities last year at Dugan Best Recreation Center, Moreland Park and Shifley Park, Velez said.
This year, the city’s Community Development Department will focus on the Monarch Neighborhood Revitalization Area, which uses city and federal funds to finance housing and business improvements and to spur investment.
Velez said the previous Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area on the city’s west side used about $4 million in local and federal dollars and generated approximately $9 million in neighborhood investment from property owners.
On the financial side, Velez said the city has increased its general fund balance for eight consecutive years and that the fund grew by $700,000 in 2025. The city’s occupational tax revenue and net profits license fee revenue reached a “record high” last year, according to the video.
Watson said events such as “Illuminate” and other downtown festivals drew visitors to the city. The Owensboro Air Show will return in September, featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as headliners.
“Owensboro is on the rise,” Watson said. “We’re creating experiences people talk about, building projects that matter and investing in a future that other communities are eager to learn from.”
By: James Mayse Messenger-Inquirer