WINCHESTER, Ky. (LEX 18) — After receiving a $2.7 million grant, Winchester is moving forward with a major infrastructure improvement project that city leaders say will boost economic development and create jobs in the community.
The project includes installing a new sewer line that will impact businesses at the industrial park, providing increased capacity for both the industrial area and the east side of the county.
"Any time we can increase and better our infrastructure, the better we are," Mayor JoEllen Reed said.
Kyle Raney, general manager of Winchester Municipal Utilities, explained the project's broader impact on the community's growth potential.
"This will allow us to provide more capacity for the industrial park and for the community on the east side of the county," Raney said.
City officials say increased capacity means more jobs, which translates to more people moving to Winchester, buying houses and establishing roots in the community.
Reed, who grew up in the area, emphasized how crucial infrastructure is to the city's foundation and future development.
"Infrastructure is the crux of everything we do. If we don't have water or sewer, then we are lacking, and we can't expect people to come in. We can't expect to grow. We can't expect economic development," Reed said.
While a start date hasn't been set, Raney estimates the project will take six to eight months to complete once underway. The project will not impact customer bills.