CAVE CITY, Ky. — A planned Boys & Girls Club facility in Cave City will not move forward after construction bids exceeded $2 million, according to the Boys & Girls Club of Glasgow-Barren County.

Mallie Boston, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Glasgow-Barren County, said the organization’s board of directors made the decision to end the project. The lease termination has been formally submitted to the City of Cave City.

The project called for renovating the former Houchens grocery store at 110 N. 1st St. in Cave City, which is owned by the city, into a full Boys & Girls Club facility for local youth.

Funding was structured as a partnership between Community Development Block Grant dollars administered through the Barren River Area Development District and a matching commitment from the Boys & Girls Club.

Boston said the project faced significant delays during the design and architectural phase. Because the building is historic, the scope of work needed to bring it up to standard was extensive.

The largest cost drivers were foundation repairs, structural and masonry work, and the age and condition of the building, Boston said.

The delays also occurred as construction costs increased.

“The final bids exceeded two million dollars, more than double what had been projected before the architectural delays,” Boston said.

A new roof was not included in the final bids and would have required additional funding.

“That would have been an additional cost for the community to carry after the doors opened,” Boston said.

The original funding was designed specifically around the combined CDBG funding and the Club’s matching contribution. By the time the bidding process concluded, Boston said there was no realistic way to reconcile the costs with the available funding.

Efforts to keep the project moving

Boston said Mayor Dwayne Hatcher, Matt Pedigo, BRADD and the Boys & Girls Club continued working together after the bids came back, including taking discussions to the state level and exploring alternatives.

“We left nothing on the table,” Boston said.

Ultimately, the Boys & Girls Club board determined the project could not move forward.

“This was a group decision made by the Boys & Girls Club board of directors, and the lease termination has been formally submitted to the City,” Boston said. “What I need the community to hear clearly is that this outcome is not a reflection of anyone failing Cave City.”

Boston said ending the project was difficult.

“As CEO, I will be honest that closing this chapter is genuinely hard,” she said. “This ending was not in our hands, and it is not the outcome any of us worked toward.”

She also praised those who worked on the project.

“The dedication Mayor Hatcher and Matt Pedigo brought to Cave City youth through this process has been unmatched, and I am grateful for every bit of it,” Boston said.

What comes next?

As for the $750,000 Community Development Block Grant awarded for the project, BRADD said the funds will have to be returned to the state.

Matt Pedigo, BRADD’s lead community development specialist, said Cave City did not receive the funding directly. Instead, the mayor will need to formally notify the state that the project is no longer moving forward.

There is also no timeline for a new Boys & Girls Club facility in Cave City.

“We are not in a position to announce next steps because we do not have them yet, and I would rather say that plainly than suggest otherwise,” Boston said.

The organization remains open to hearing from community members who may have a space, resources or an interest in helping bring a Boys & Girls Club to Cave City.

“What I will say is this: if anyone in the community has a space, a resource, or a heart for what this could look like, we welcome that conversation,” Boston said.

Boston said the organization does not want to bring a limited version of its programming to Cave City simply to establish a presence.

“We will not bring a diluted version of what we do to Cave City just to say we showed up,” she said. “These kids deserve the full weight of this mission, and that standard is not something this board is willing to compromise.”

Sustainability was part of the board’s decision, Boston said.

“A Club that cannot sustain itself cannot serve kids,” she said.

Boston said the organization remains committed to finding a way to serve Cave City youth.

“When the Club comes for Cave City youth, it will come right,” she said. “If anyone in this community has a space, a vision, or a passion for seeing this move forward, we genuinely want to hear from you.”

The bottom line

The planned Boys & Girls Club renovation in Cave City has been terminated after construction bids exceeded $2 million.

The organization does not currently have another project or timeline in place, but Boston said it remains open to finding a sustainable way to serve Cave City youth.