PADUCAH - The waters of the Ohio River are a soothing sound for Billy Kirkpatrick.
"Love it. Wouldn't live anywhere else," he said with a smile.
He also loves the view from his riverfront bench - he's a regular to downtown. "Around 20 years. Pretty close," Kirkpatrick said confidently.
But Kirkpatrick's view is about to change, and he welcomes it. Paducah's Riverfront Project calls for an expansion of Schultz Park into the Ohio River. The park will house a new marina and dock.
"I like where they're going to put it. I think we need it. I've been to Nashville. They have a public dock there and I think it will work really nice here," he said.
Kirkpatrick also favors the city's plan to build a five lane boat ramp downstream from the Expo Center. An access road will be built up and over the floodwall, eliminating the need for boats to launch at the current site.
"I think it will help Paducah. I think the view here is beautiful. You don't get any better than this," he told Local 6.
Even with the changes, Kirkpatrick's view might be compromised slightly, but with the tourism and economic development he hopes the project will bring, he said it's money well spent.
"You can't beat it. I haven't been any place that was better view wise or people wise."
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