Big Rivers waiting for final approval for design of operations center on west end of Owensboro

September 23, 2022 | 12:07 am

Updated September 22, 2022 | 10:05 pm

Rendering provided by Big Rivers

Big Rivers Electric Corp. is awaiting final approval for the design of their Transmission Operations Center that will be located near the west end of the bypass. The site will house office space, a warehouse, and vehicle storage and maintenance buildings. Meanwhile, company’s downtown headquarters is on pace to open in early 2023.

Plans for the Transmission Operations Center (TOC) have been approved by the Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission, but approval by the Kentucky Public Service Commission is still pending.

Jennifer Keach, Big Rivers Director of Communications and Community Relations, said the project is still in its early stages, so the start of construction has yet to be set. However, it would be the final phase of relocating from Henderson to Owensboro.

“When we build the TOC we will not have anything in Henderson,” Keach said.

The TOC will officially be located at 90 Industrial Drive, near where Henderson Road splits into 2nd and 4th streets. The 114-acre property the TOC would sit on stretches from Henderson Road on the north (near the Joe Ford Nature Center) to West 5th Street Road on the south (near Jack C. Fisher Park).

According to the plan approved by OMPC, Industrial Drive would be extended to the south side of Henderson Road (it’s currently only on the north side). A private retention basin would also be built at the north end of the property.

Documents show the TOC building would include a roughly 30,000-square-foot office space that connects to a nearly 23,000-square-foot warehouse. That would then connect to a 33,500-square-foot vehicle storage facility. A detached 12,000-square-foot building would be used for vehicle maintenance.

Keach said the offices would host 65 employees, with most coming from the transmission department. There will also be some personnel from the engineering and information systems departments.

As for the development of the headquarters on Second street, Keach said the property is still advancing on schedule and they plan to move in at the first of the year.

“Big Rivers is looking forward to relocating to Owensboro,” Keach said. “The community has been very welcoming to us and we are excited to be in Owensboro.”

September 23, 2022 | 12:07 am

Share this Article

Other articles you may like