By Gage Wilson
For Glasgow News 1
The long-planned Boys and Girls Club of the Caverns remains about $800,000 short of what is needed to move forward with construction, but officials working on the project have said they have not given up on bringing the youth center to downtown Cave City.
The latest hurdle follows a second round of construction bids received in February for the renovation of the former Houchens grocery building at 101 N. First St. Publicly available bid information lists the rebid at approximately $1.97 million, substantially more than the funding currently assembled for the project.
Matt Pedigo with the Barren River Area Development District said BRADD and Cave City are now looking for additional money to close the gap.
“Regarding the Boys and Girls Club, we haven’t given up yet; we (BRADD and the City of Cave City) are pursuing other funding sources that I can’t lay out the details of at this time,” Pedigo wrote. “We do need about $800,000 to cover the gap between the most recent construction bids (from February 2026) and the CDBG grant/local match budget that we have.”
The February bids were the second attempt to find a contractor for the project after an initial round opened in November 2025 came back well beyond the available budget. At the time, Pedigo told the Cave City Council that the lowest of four bids was approximately $700,000 over budget. The city opted to rebid the project in hopes of attracting additional contractors and potentially lowering the cost.
Instead, the funding gap remains.
The Boys and Girls Club of the Caverns has been years in the making, with plans calling for the former 11,000-square-foot Houchens building to be renovated into a youth center. Cave City received a $750,000 Community Development Block Grant for the project, while additional matching funds have been provided through the Boys and Girls Club of Glasgow-Barren County. State records describe the grant specifically as funding to renovate the vacant grocery store for the club.
By October 2025, approximately $1.1 million was available for the project, which calls for extensive interior and exterior work including electrical, HVAC, roofing, masonry and other improvements. After years of delays involving design work and other administrative requirements, officials had hoped putting the project out to bid would mark one of its final major hurdles.
The continued delay has also renewed discussion about the vacant building itself.
Cave City Councilman Clifton Parsley, who is running for mayor, recently pointed to the former Houchens property while criticizing the length of time the project has remained unfinished. Parsley questioned whether the city should continue pursuing the project if the funding gap cannot be overcome and suggested the property could instead be cleared for additional downtown parking.
Pedigo’s comments indicate officials have not reached that point.
“Any decisions on the future of the project would be up to Cave City and/or the Boys and Girls Club of Glasgow/Barren County,” Pedigo wrote.
For now, efforts remain focused on finding the additional funding. Pedigo said BRADD and Cave City hope to meet with state officials soon, although he could not provide details on what funding sources are being pursued.
“Unfortunately, I can’t offer you anything more definitive at this time,” Pedigo ended. “We are hoping to meet soon with state officials, and maybe we’ll know more after that.”
Key Facts
– Boys and Girls Club of the Caverns is about $800,000 short of construction costs
– Second round of bids in February came in around $1.97 million
– Project would renovate former Houchens grocery at 101 N. First St.
– Cave City has a $750,000 CDBG grant plus matching funds from the Boys and Girls Club of Glasgow/Barren County
– Officials with BRADD and Cave City say they are still pursuing additional funding
– Some local leaders question whether the city should keep the project or repurpose the property
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