Kenton County approved the development contract for Cincinnati-based general contractor Dugan & Meyers to construct a large parking garage behind the county government center.
The vote took place at a regularly scheduled fiscal court meeting on Tuesday, July 9. Kenton County first selected Dugan & Meyers as the project’s contractor last October.
“The major terms we have been working on together last week — we did come together on those,” Kenton County Administrator Joe Shriver said. “I’m happy where we’re at with Dugan & Meyers.”
The garage will be constructed toward the rear of the Kenton County Government Center, bordering Main Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, also known as 12th Street. Once completed, it will have 248 parking spaces, most of which will be underground.
Currently, the Kenton County Government Center, located at 1840 Simon Kenton Way in Covington, features a surface parking lot with over 100 spots in front of the building. There are an additional 160 parking spots located underneath an elevated portion of Interstate 71/75.
Once construction on the $3.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project starts, several parking spots underneath the interstate will be eliminated. As such, the new parking garage will supplement the parking lost to construction.
Last September, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray announced that the state would contribute $15 million toward constructing the parking garage. Construction is scheduled to begin later in 2024, according to the county.
A multi-family apartment complex is planned to be built on top of the parking garage. Last December, Kenton County announced that it had selected the developers of the prospective apartment complex, Al. Neyer and Urban Sites.
The two firms submitted a joint bid that envisions the complex including 25% studios, 50% one-bedroom and 25% two-bedroom rental units.
Since its initial approval, Kenton County has greenlit modifications to the parking garage’s design. In late February, the county approved schematic design revisions undertaken by Gresham Smith, the project’s designer.
“They have had to deal with some changes. You know, some changes in design, some curveballs thrown along the way,” Shriver said. “I’m pretty happy with where we’re at in the process.”
In addition to the Dugan & Meyers contract, Kenton County also approved an order for the firm to spend no more than $300,000 on pre-construction services. Shriver said Kenton County originally allotted approximately $133,000 for Dugan & Meyers to spend on pre-construction services. The firm ran over that allotment in May due to a change in the project’s scope.
“They’ve been working in good faith to come to an end,” Shriver said. “I think this is a fair resolution.”
Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann attributed the cost difference of the pre-construction services to the parking garage’s change in design, coupled with other site issues.
“That’s really where the scope changed,” Knochelmann said. “It was not within their (Dugan & Meyers) control.”
Regarding the development of the apartment complex, Knochelmann said he hoped the county would still be able to complete the project. However, they’re still working with the City of Covington and the developers on various aspects of the project, including its financing model.
Ultimately, Knochelmann said the county didn’t want to risk the parking garage getting behind schedule while they sort through the details regarding the development of the apartment complex.
“We don’t want to pause and keep anything behind scheduling any further than it is to make sure that we get the garage part done,” Knochelmann said.
Commissioner Beth Sewell asked if the delays with the development of the apartment complex will negatively impact the development of the parking garage.
Shriver responded that the delays would not impact the garage’s development. He added that the county was moving to a “phased” development schedule for the apartment complex.
“The worst case scenario is that we find out we cannot get the final financing with the developer at this time, and we don’t ever plan to do residential, and we have spent more money with the engineering firm to try and make that available — there’s no question that is a reality,” Knochelmann said.
Knochelmann concluded by saying he hopes the developers and Kenton County can agree on a financing model for the apartment complex.
