IRVINE, Ky. (LEX 18) — The railyard along the Irvine/Ravenna border in Estill County could soon be the place to be, especially during Kentucky’s warm weather months.
“It’s a blank canvas,” said Cassie Bottorff, who, like everyone else involved with this project, is wearing many hats to help get it completed.
“We envision holding concerts here, we would love to collaborate with the local farmers’ market and have them set up here. We would love to hold swap days,” she said of the plans being hatched for this space.
The Kentucky Steam Heritage was recently awarded 1.9 million dollars in federal grant money, and its plan is to use that money (along with donated money) to rehab the area near River Road into a multi-use venue. Last summer, the first concert was held here on the newly completed stage, and another is scheduled for this summer. But the story behind this initiative began in 2015, and it was centered around rehabbing an old steam locomotive.
“Once we have the ability to operate on this line it’ll become the brand icon for a tourist rail operation that runs between here and Beattyville,” Jason Sobcynski said of the locomotive.
Sobcynski is the site manager here, but he too is working several jobs in here where giant sycamore trees covered the miles of railroad tracks that lined this area. Currently, CSX is using it to store old rail cars, and that storage business alone could eventually become a money maker for this group. The tracks have since been removed and the trees taken down. Now, the area consists of a large field, the aforementioned concert stage, and the original office building, which will remain. Other attractions are coming.
“Shovel-ready plans (are in place) for a restaurant and microbrewery to go in,” Jason said, adding that it could materialize in the next five years, if not sooner. Cassie said the area could be used for just about anything. Already, the Ravenna Rail Fest is holding court here.
“We have about 60-70 vendors here every September. We will also have the glass house that people see in Lexington at RJ Corman to house their steam engine. That will be located here within the next year,” she added.
Cassie said the venue(s) can eventually be rented out for parties or just about anything else.
“It can literally be a place for anyone with an imagination to say, “Hey, we could hold an event here,’” she said.
This project will take time, however, because that grant money hasn’t yet been released.
“We are not taking out loans,” Bottorff said emphatically. “The work gets completed as the funding comes in,” she added.
But it’s only taken a year for this place to look very different, and in another year, it’ll continue taking shape.
“A plush lawn with finished walking path around it, up and running with regular events going on,” Sobcynski said of the goal for the next 12 months.
“Most of the money has come from us, or private donations from here and there,” he said, adding that the county has helped in many ways, if not financially. A local farmer is giving up enough land to provide as many as 2,000 parking spaces, which will be needed once a capacity of 4,000 people is permitted.
You don’t have to wait long to visit “The Yard” for activities other than concerts. On May 11, they’ll be hosting a “Be the Engineer” event, allowing visitors to handle a real steam engine locomotive. It’ll run from 8 am until 4 pm.
