The Kenton County Fiscal Court accepted the joint bid from Al. Neyer and Urban Sites this week to build residential housing on top of the Kenton County Government Center’s planned parking garage.
As a result of the vote, Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann is now authorized to negotiate a contract for the project, including but not limited to its scope and density as well as financial components.
“Al. Neyer and Urban Sites were great partners to Kenton County when they converted our former administration building in Covington into a marquee example of quality urban living in Northern Kentucky,” Knochelmann said in a statement. “We look forward to partnering with them again on a project we believe can further fuel the work being done to bring new life to the 12th Street Interchange.”
Concept drawing provided/Covington Business Council
Kenton County previously selected Al. Neyer and Urban Sites as the development team for The Hayden, which transformed the county’s former administration building at 103 E. Third St. into 133 units of market-rate housing and 4,000 square feet of retail space. That project was completed in early 2023, and is approximately 90% leased.
The garage, which will be located behind the Kenton County Government Center, is designed to replace employee parking that will be absorbed by the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project. In September, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet entered into an agreement to reimburse Kenton County up to $15 million to cover associated costs.
At an Oct. 31 special meeting, the Kenton County Fiscal Court selected Dugan & Meyers to serve as construction manager for the parking garage portion of the project.
Work on the garage portion is expected to be complete by spring 2025.
The project builds on Kenton County’s work to support economic development in Covington, both residential and commercial. That work includes:
• Signing nine PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreements in Covington since 2016;
• Deferring nearly $1.4 million to the Covington TIF District to support economic development initiatives;
• Providing $10 million in construction bonds to build the OneNKY Center to house the region’s growth organizations as well as a $15 million life sciences lab;
• Committing up to $3.6 million to support job training at the Enzweiler Building Institute location in Latonia; and
• Using $3 million in site development funds to purchase the Sims Furniture Building to create Northern Kentucky’s first entrepreneurship hub.
Kenton County Fiscal Court
