The much-anticipated Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting for the new Leitchfield City Hall and Police Department was held Monday afternoon with nearly 200 people in attendance.
Just over two years following the Leitchfield City Council voting to approve the move into the 14,500 square foot facility at the corner of South Main Street and the William Thomason Byway, city, county and state officials gathered to ceremoniously open the sparkling facility.
In a ceremony hosted by Leitchfield City Clerk Lori Woosley, three speakers offered their perspective on the opening, including:
- Former Mayor William Thomason, whose final acts as mayor included promoting and arranging the purchase of the old Rite Aid building with the intent to move Leitchfield City Hall and LPD into a new facility.
- Current Mayor Rick Embry, who initially opposed moving city hall and LPD into the new building, but is now pleased and proud to leave behind for generations to come a state-of-the-art edifice.
- LPD Chief David Riley, who is elated at the prospect of the new police department serving as an ace recruiting tool in an era where fostering young people into a career in law enforcement is a struggle.
The public was offered a tour of the pristine facility, with wide hallways, myriad offices, a significantly improved evidence storage area for LPD, considerably roomier workspace for the various city clerks, and a spacious city council meeting room, highlighting the tour (but let us not forget the excessively popular police department locker room).
Officials said about 9,000 square feet of space is being used for LPD headquarters, with approximately 5,500 square feet designated for City Hall.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
