Development pauses at former Katterjohn site pending additional environmental review
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
PADUCAH (KBSI) – Development of the former Katterjohn site in Paducah has slowed as state environmental officials conduct additional testing before construction of new homes can continue.
The Paducah City Commission approved a development agreement in March with Westwood Development LLC to build 12 single-family homes on the 3.21-acre property at 1501 Broadway. However, the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection has requested additional environmental review before residential construction moves forward.
Mayor George Bray said the city expected the state to close the environmental review with no further action required but will comply with the additional assessment.
“We certainly appreciate the thoroughness of the state, especially since this is a site where homes are going to be built,” Bray said in a statement. “The city is committed to doing everything possible to address our community’s ongoing housing shortage.”
The site has a history of commercial use. In 2024, a 6,000-gallon underground storage tank was removed along with more than 276 tons of contaminated soil and water from the excavation. A closure assessment submitted to the state in March 2025 recommended no further environmental action.
In May, the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection’s Underground Storage Tank Branch directed the city to install four groundwater monitoring wells near the former tank site. The wells were installed in early June, and the city’s environmental contractor reported groundwater samples were below applicable cleanup standards.
The state has since offered to conduct an additional assessment of the property’s surface soils. Crews will install 18 to 24 passive soil gas samplers, small collection devices placed in the ground for about two weeks to detect soil vapors.
City officials expect the environmental review to take 30 to 60 days. Development is expected to resume after the assessment is complete.
The city purchased the former Katterjohn property in 2023 and demolished the deteriorated building in 2024 before seeking redevelopment proposals.
According to the Kentucky Housing Corporation, McCracken County faces a shortage of more than 3,800 housing units, underscoring the need for new residential development.
