Officials said the city of Morehead and Rowan County are rapidly expanding the services offered to residents and consumers across the eastern Kentucky region.
Jason Slone is the President and CEO of Morehead-Rowan County Chamber of Commerce. He said the organization has been aggressively marketing itself to companies, and their efforts have paid off, as many executives nationwide are learning Morehead’s name.
“What I was probably most surprised about, in all those discussions, was I would say three-fourths of them had already been looking at our community. So, that’s a plus for me. Whether or not that executes over into a finished product being developed, it was nice to know that people know who we are and where we’re located,” said Slone.
Numerous new businesses are moving into Morehead this year. These include restaurants like Fat Patty’s, Tres Hermanos Nuñez, Creole Kitchen, and Burger King, as well as shopping outlets like Marshalls and Five Below. Officials said Eastern Light Distilling, which will break ground once USDA funding is secured, will be another large economic draw for the county.
Slone said the future of investments in Morehead is not completely certain, as officials are watching for interest rate performance. However, he added seasonal trends suggest more companies could be looking to make their homes in the city soon.
“We’re moving into the fall of the year, it’ll get busier. Typically, what you’ll see- as cooler weather sets in and land development type projects start to slow, you see a lot more shopping of communities,” said Slone. “So, we anticipate seeing some of that stuff picking up over the fall.”
The chamber has also invested about $200,000 into two build-ready sites in preparation for more infrastructure.
Some residents and officials have raised concerns about housing and childcare in the region as more industry moves in, bringing with it more people. Slone said Gateway Area Development District is conducting a study on childcare in the region to address the growing need.