CLARK COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — For months on end, downtown Winchester was disheveled; heavy construction equipment beeped, sidewalks were closed, and parking was blocked.
A massive project has been underway since March 2025 to make the area more handicap accessible. It includes ramps, expanded sidewalks, and diagonal parking.
"I think once we're able to have a few festivals down there, people will see that the improvements that we made, and they're going to enjoy them," said Interim City Manager Mike Flynn.
Flynn said the update was desperately needed. However, he told LEX18 that businesses took a hit. The city offered up to $10,000 to those impacted.
"We definitely did the best that we could. Could there have been more, maybe? But, we saw a need," said Flynn.
Local business owner Vanessa Ziembroski said her restaurant Loma's, and the attached Winchester Opera House, were financially impacted. She estimates a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars. She even had to stop serving lunch and majorly cut back hours.
"People just didn't want to come down to Main Street. There was so much going on with the construction or anything and that impacted parking, and everything was in upheaval," said Ziembroski.
Ziembroski said the opera house typically books events one to two years in advance, but with the difficulty of navigating downtown for so many months, they have barely booked any.
"I think we booked three events versus booking 42 events," said Ziembroksi.
The business owner told LEX18 the silver lining will be the future real estate value.
"I think Winchester already is starting to look really great," said Ziembroski. "I love the area in front of the courthouse and the high side Main project."
This phase - phase one - will be completed by late spring. There are two more phases which includes overhauling two more blocks of the downtown area.
"I'll just be glad when it's over," said Ziembroski.
