An Opinion From Glenn D. Denton
Optimistic About 2026 and Our Region’s Prospects Ahead
A friend from Alabama recently sent me the following text. “Driving into work. Got to hear a good segment on NPR about the uranium enrichment plant groundbreaking in Paducah.” That led to a series of texts between us with me boasting about all the good things happening in our region. Rereading that exchange made me realize how optimistic I am about 2026, how 2025 can be best described as “the year of moving dirt,” and how proud I am that our firm played a small part in many of these opportunities for future growth.
Mayfield is a city moving dirt and rebuilding everywhere you look. Government buildings, electric system buildings, churches, banks, professional buildings, and most importantly, homes are coming out of the ground at every turn. This is a point of pride for our firm as Jay Matheny serves as the City Attorney for the City of Mayfield, and our other Graves County clients are important stakeholders in Mayfield’s rebuild. A rebuild that will enjoy ribbon cuttings in 2026.
Paducah and McCracken County have dirt currently moving everywhere. To name a few, here are five significant locations moving dirt: (1) Paducah Sports Park; (2) the downtown Riverfront Infrastructure Improvement Project and the Riverfront Excursion Pier; (3) Greater Paducah Economic Development’s preparatory work at its Triple Rail Site in West Paducah; (4) the U.S. 60 improvement project constructing a new 4-lane corridor from McCracken County into Ballard County and (5) Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital’s new radiation facility to provide additional cancer care services.
Paducah and McCracken County have even more projects in line to begin moving dirt in late 2025 or 2026. In the on-deck circle are (1) Riverport West; (2) a new spec building in Industrial Park West; (3) Global Laser Enrichment’s Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility; (4) General Matter’s uranium enrichment plant; (5) and AES’s McCracken Solar Project. With Lisa Emmons assisting with real estate guidance, our firm is grateful to have had a supporting role in most of these projects, but we are even more grateful for the opportunities they may bring. Will all the projects start on time or successfully finish? We do not know; but to stick with the baseball analogy, we like all the chances our community and our region have at bat.
We must mention the Eddyville Riverport and Eddyville Industrial Park. A Port Infrastructure Development Program grant is on the verge of moving dirt and forever changing the port. Meanwhile, a Kentucky Product Development Initiative grant will serve as the catalyst to construct a new spec warehouse at the industrial park. Holly Homra stands alongside the riverport’s board and management team in these endeavors, and we are confident that these efforts will result in new investment and new jobs.
If you know me, you know I like good debates. The purpose of writing this is to start a debate. “Glenn, you completely forgot to mention (fill in the blank).” “Glenn, you are only half right and should be even more optimistic about 2026 because (fill in the blank).” Notice that I have not even mentioned all the other private sectors, new construction and expansions, and I have not mentioned a site selection for an A.I. Data Center. These will have to wait for another day. What will not wait is my optimism of what may lie ahead in 2026. I hope you agree.
Glenn D. Denton, Partner, Denton Law Firm, PLLC
October 10, 2025