Officials from the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) updated the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee on the planned phase 2 redevelopment of the exposition campus, describing current construction activity on phase 1 and the programmatic and economic case for phase 2.

David Beck, president and CEO of the KEC, and David Wallace, vice chairman of the KEC board, told the committee that phase 1 is under way and that phase 1 work will free space and enable demolition of the West Wing to make room for phase 2. Wallace said phase 1 is roughly 20% complete and that demolition on Newmarket Hall would start within weeks; he added the project team has bid packs ready and that some enabling utility work for phase 2 is already underway.

KEC representatives described phase 1 as a roughly 350,000‑square‑foot building that will add exhibition and sporting capacity. The presentation to the committee included economic projections the presenters summarized as approximately $683,000,000 in annual economic impact at stabilization, about $32,000,000 per year in state sales tax and an estimated 850,000–900,000 room nights attributable to the expo center once phase 2 is stabilized. Beck said the center routinely attracts out‑of‑state visitors and that the improvements are intended to keep and grow that business.

Members asked about timing, parking and financing. KEC officials said the planned opening date for phase 1 is in late 2026 (presenters cited a December 2026 opening with construction completion earlier in the fall) and that parts of phase 2 enabling work — notably utility relocations and switchgear procurement with long lead times — should begin while phase 1 is finishing to avoid higher costs later. Presenters said delaying coordinated work could add roughly $10,000,000 in labor costs and that combined phase 1 and phase 2 spending could be on the order of the hundreds of millions (presenters referenced roughly $400,000,000 as an order‑of‑magnitude figure across phases).

On parking, presenters said construction will temporarily use about 10 acres and that the property nominally contains about 22,000 parking spaces with roughly 15,000 estimated as currently usable; they said the project includes additional paving, off‑site shuttles and improved wayfinding (including use of cameras/AI) to improve utilization. The presenters told the committee that they are not relying on federal funding for the project.

Representative Gentry framed the proposal as an investment to increase revenue from non‑resident visitors and said the project supports statewide tourism and hospitality receipts. Representative Lockett raised parking and access concerns after attending the farm machinery show; presenters acknowledged visible parking strain during large events and described options being pursued.

The committee took no funding action during the hearing. Chair Johnny Petrie told members the legislature has not green‑lit money for phase 2 and that any legislative action would be the subject of a future resolution or a truncated discussion at a subsequent meeting. He asked members to consult the presenters and A&R staff if they have follow‑up questions.

Ending: The KEC presentation closed as a discussion item; members were asked to review materials and the committee moved to the next agenda item.