Citizens oppose the possible demolition of the Blue Streak Building

The Blue Streak Printers Building is a longstanding piece of downtown Hopkinsville, but it could face demolition if it is found to not be structurally salvageable.

The building sits along East 9th Street and neighbors the Phoenix Building lot. At Tuesday’s Hopkinsville City Council meeting a few folks supported the building’s preservation.

Grace Abernethy is a historic preservationist and a member of the Hopkinsville History Foundation, and she spotlighted some the building’s history. Abernethy says the building was constructed in 1912 and was known as The Rex, one of the city’s first movie theaters.

Abernethy says the building is a part of Hopkinsville’s history and cultural identity, and as older buildings face demolition that identity continues to slip away. She says old buildings can be expensive to maintain, but they can also attract visitors and businesses to the downtown area. She says city officials in Franklin, Tennessee have focused on restoring historical buildings which has led to more visitors coming to the town.

While the city focuses on revitalizing the downtown area, Kate Russell the co-owner of the Hopkinsville Brewing Company, says the preservation of historic buildings support that mission. Russell says she wants the building to get the same restoration opportunity as the L&N Train Depot.

Hopkinsville Mayor J.R. Knight says he would like to see the building be restored and turned into a business with residences upstairs, because it’s located in a busy area of downtown. Before any steps are taken toward restoration or demolition, Knight says the building will be inspected by a structural engineer.

If the building does have to be demolished, Knight says they plan to construct another building in its place that matches the architecture of other buildings in downtown.