If a state budget proposal successfully makes its way through this legislative session, Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law could be moving to the former IRS site in Covington, according to university officials.
The Kentucky Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Northern Kentucky state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-Ryland Heights), released its state budget proposal on Wednesday, which includes a $150 million appropriation to establish a “Commonwealth Center for Biomedical Excellence,” a cross-institutional collaboration at Covington’s Central Riverfront development site, located at the former site of the IRS.
“Positioning Chase in a brand new state-of-the-art facility with easy access to courts, firms and businesses will be transformational for our entire community,” Chase College of Law Dean Judy Daar said in a statement. “We are grateful to Sen. McDaniel for his support of our program of legal education and its proven capacity to uplift the lives of our students and the people they serve.”
The proposed campus would feature facilities from Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law and the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine, and its work would conceivably dovetail with the life sciences laboratory at the OneNKY Center, which received $15 million in state investment in 2022, and the private biomedical firms in the city, such as CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services, Gravity Diagnostics and Bexion Pharmaceuticals.
“We appreciate Sen. McDaniel’s leadership and hard work in bringing the parties together to make this happen on Covington’s riverfront,” said Mayor Joe Meyer in a press release from Kenton County. “The addition of Chase Law School and the UK School of Medicine will be significant additions to an exciting site.”
“The Senate’s proposed budget, thanks to the work of Sen. Chris McDaniel, aided by Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, is a historic opportunity to diversify Northern Kentucky’s economy beyond its core strengths in industrial, commercial, and residential real estate,” said Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann in the same statement. “Thanks to Senator McDaniel, we can control our destiny by assembling the tools necessary to fully develop the scientific and entrepreneurial talents of our community.”
The announcement goes on to say that the site would have”nearly 600 graduate students, faculty and staff” on campus at a time.
“The establishment of the Commonwealth Center for Biomedical Excellence will further support the existing life sciences community and create new opportunities for innovation and economic development,” the announcement said.
The proposal will now pass out of committee onto the Senate floor, where it will need at least 20 yes votes to move on. If passed, it will then pass to the governor’s desk. LINK nky will report more on this process as it continues.