PADUCAH — The Paducah City Commission has taken a major step toward reshaping the city’s retail landscape, approving a development agreement and incentive package for the construction of a Bass Pro Shops at 3470 James Sanders Blvd.
The vote came after an executive session during Tuesday’s meeting and marks the first formal approval tied to the highly anticipated retail project.
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“I don't want to get too far ahead of our Bass Pro Shops partners, but we are very excited to have a new retail development out at the mall,” Mayor George Bray said. “All the commissioners here are very excited. It is probably the type of development that can really reshape Paducah retail over the long run.”
Bray said representatives from Bass Pro Shops have already been in Paducah for several weeks, beginning demolition work at the site. However, Tuesday night’s action was the first official move to formalize the partnership.
“We're not sure what the next steps are, but I will tell you this, they want to be open this year,” Bray said. “They came to us less than a month ago and said they had another Bass Pro Shops that was not ready, and they wanted to do a project this year. They came to us and said, ‘If you can get going on this, we will get it open this year.’ We said, ‘Bring it on.’”
Bray confirmed the approved incentives include a rebate of payroll tax along with assistance covering certain development costs. He emphasized that Paducah’s outdoor assets make it a natural fit for the retailer.
“Land Between the Lakes, hiking, anything that you can think about in the outdoors, Bass Pro Shops fits that bill, so we’re in a perfect spot," Bray said.
City leaders expect Bass Pro Shops to release additional details about the store’s design, size and hiring timeline in a forthcoming news release.
In addition to the retail announcement, commissioners passed an ordinance allowing golf carts to operate on city streets with posted speed limits of 25 miles per hour or less.
The original version of the ordinance, introduced in November 2025, allowed golf cart travel on roads up to 35 miles per hour. However, after public discussion and feedback, the revised language restricts operation to streets under 25 miles per hour. Golf carts may cross roads with higher speed limits, but they cannot travel along them.
Drivers must have a valid driver’s license, follow all traffic laws, purchase a one-time $25 permit, display a slow-moving vehicle emblem, carry insurance and pass an inspection conducted by the Paducah Police Department. Operation will be limited to daylight hours, from sunrise to sunset.
“We introduced an ordinance at 35 miles an hour and we definitely got some discussion from folks in the community,” Bray said. “We then reintroduced it at 25 miles an hour. We also have discussed the possibility of doing it neighborhood by neighborhood, but that didn't really seem to be manageable. We believe that this ordinance will serve the purpose that it's intended to in those neighborhoods where people really want to use and operate golf carts, particularly around golf courses, and in neighborhoods that are conducive to their use.”
Bray acknowledged that enforcement will likely place additional responsibility on local law enforcement, particularly regarding underage drivers.
Commissioner Raynarldo Henderson echoed that concern, noting the ordinance could become a “major deal” for police to manage.
“I think that — like you say — a lot of the issues we've had have been underage kids driving them, and that's not supposed to be that way then or now,” Commissioner Buz Smith said. “But the other thing too is they'll have turn signals and slow moving signs on them. I do think it'll be safer, probably, than some of the things being driven by adults on the streets today.”
City officials say the goal is to provide residents with flexibility while maintaining roadway safety standards.
Commissioners also introduced revisions to an ordinance first presented in December aimed at establishing consistent safety standards for single-family rental properties.
“When we had the first reading some time ago, we had quite a bit of feedback from landlords, and so we took that feedback seriously,” Bray said. “Deputy Chief Greg Cherry and myself met with a rather large group of landlords, and we have incorporated a lot of their feedback into this.”
The proposed changes would require landlords with single- and two-family units to register annually with the Fire Prevention office by July 1. The ordinance includes a $50 inspection fee per unit, capped at $500 total per landlord.
Bray said one priority is ensuring all landlords operating in Paducah are properly registered with a business license. The city also plans to integrate a confidential reporting feature into the MyPaducah app, allowing tenants to request inspections if they believe safety concerns exist.
“Our intent is not to penalize good landlords out there, but is to make sure that the folks that are renting places in Paducah are safe,” Bray said.
Commissioner Henderson stressed that accountability should extend to tenants as well.
“I think it is fair that tenants also be held accountable, just as we're wanting to hold landlords accountable, and that translates into taking care of the apartment,” Henderson said. “That translates into calling a landlord when something breaks down, and not six months later. That translates into not putting holes in walls and things like that. This is about the landlords and the tenants.”
Originally reported by Ben Overby, Mason Watkins, Tayjon in WPSD Local 6.
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