Benton's courthouse square has storefronts available, and it has business owners who say they would like to be there. Parking is what has kept those two apart. Mayor Rita Dotson told the Tribune-Courier on Oct. 29 that the business people she talks with "would love to be in downtown Benton," and that they also tell her "the parking is just terrible."
The city is now adding spaces through a series of small deals rather than one large project. Some of that land was donated, some was cleared with gas department funds, and one piece would be paved under an agreement with a church. For anyone pricing, leasing or buying commercial space on the square, this changes the math. On the square, rent and foot traffic matter less than how close a storefront sits to the parking that is coming.
What Business Owners Keep Telling City Hall
The parking complaint is not new. At the July 20 council meeting, Dotson said lack of parking came up again and again when businesses were asked whether they would locate on the square, as the Tribune-Courier's account of that meeting reported. Her Oct. 29 comments said the same thing more bluntly:
"I talked to different business people, and they say they would love to be in downtown Benton and they say the parking is just terrible. That will open up a lot of parking around the square."
The square also has to share its parking. Dotson noted that the new lot would also serve county employees who work in the courthouse next door. Downtown workers, courthouse visitors and shoppers all draw on the same supply. A storefront's appraisal can show good frontage and a sound building, and its customers can still have nowhere to park on a weekday morning.
How a $52,000 Demolition Became a Parking Plan
The first new supply comes from the former Benton First Methodist Church at the corner of 11th and Poplar streets, beside City Hall. The building had changed hands several times and sat empty for years. Dotson told the Tribune-Courier that the interior was full of black mold and the roof had leaked for a decade before it began caving in.
The owners offered the property to the city on one condition. "They offered to give it to the city if we would tear it down and put in a parking lot," Dotson said. The gas department set aside money in its budget for the demolition. The bids then came in far below what the city had expected. According to the Tribune-Courier's report on the Sept. 21 council meeting, seven bids arrived, including two from out of state. Siteworks LLC of Almo won with $52,000, while the highest bid, from a Georgia firm, was $331,000. Dotson said the winning figure was well below the anticipated cost.
Area churches held a final service in the church parking lot on Sept. 27, and demolition followed. The site is now an empty lot, and the council has reviewed designs for public parking that would reuse brick from the old church. The city also saved bricks for residents who wanted one to keep.
The table below shows the three sites that now shape parking around the square and where each one stood in the city's most recent reports from October 2026.
| Site | How the city gets it | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Former First Methodist Church, 11th and Poplar | Donated on condition of demolition and parking; gas department budgeted the teardown | Demolished; public lot planned, designs reviewed |
| Gravel lot owned by Riverwoods Church, same block | City offered to pave it in exchange for 10 years of use and a right of first refusal | Memorandum of agreement sent in July |
| Former Memorial Plaza, Main and West 12th | Donated with a requirement that it remain a park | First Responders Park under construction; opening scheduled Dec. 9 at 11 a.m. |
The Gravel Half Is Where the Strategy Shows
The church parcel was only part of the property. In July, Dotson explained that the city would own the portion where the church building stood, while the gravel portion would stay with Riverwoods Church. Riverwoods asked the city to pave the gravel too. The city replied with a memorandum of agreement offering to pave it if Benton could use it for 10 years and keep the right of first refusal if Riverwoods ever chose to sell.
Under that offer, Benton would add public parking on the block without buying the gravel parcel, and downtown businesses would get a defined 10-year window of added capacity next to the square. As of the July report, the terms were an offer in a memorandum sent to Riverwoods. If those terms take effect, a decade of public use next to the square would be a meaningful figure in any lease or valuation discussion for nearby buildings.
Why the Park at Main and 12th Isn't Parking
The plaza at Main and West 12th was considered for parking and set aside for a park instead. At an April 21 meeting covered by the Tribune-Courier, some members raised concerns about parking near the square. Dotson said an engineer had assessed the site and found it would not work well as a parking lot. She added that the property had been donated with the requirement that it remain a park.
At the same meeting, Elena Blevins of the Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau explained that the city's partnership with the consulting firm Retail Strategies had identified the existing Memorial Plaza as a prime place to reinvest. She pointed to Somerset, Kentucky, where she said a single city investment in a theater on the court square had led to more private investment around it. The council voted to move the project to bidding.
So the city has given its two downtown sites two different jobs. The park at Main and 12th is meant to draw people to the square, and the church site at 11th and Poplar is meant to give them a place to park. The Tribune-Courier reported in October that First Responders Park was still under construction, with a grand opening scheduled for Dec. 9 at 11 a.m. and a stage and space for food trucks. We covered how that stage changes the square's event calendar in Benton Built a Stage Across Main Street So the Court Square Can Stop Closing. The parking side gets less attention, but a park built to draw crowds only helps nearby storefronts if those crowds can find somewhere to leave their cars.
The 11th and Poplar Corner Is Already Changing
New businesses have been opening near 11th and Poplar since before the church came down. At the July 20 meeting, a council member noted that several businesses had opened on Poplar Street near that corner, including Semper Sweets, a sweet shop, and Grapple and Grace, a jiujitsu business. The same discussion described more family-oriented businesses and a perceived rise in pedestrian traffic there. 11th and Poplar is the only corner of the court square without a stoplight or crosswalk light. Because Poplar is a state road, Dotson said she would contact state authorities about it.
Put those pieces together and one corner of the square has new tenants, more people on foot, a planned public lot and a pending agreement for more paved space. A pedestrian signal there is also under discussion. For a buyer or tenant, the corner a storefront faces is now a real factor in its value.
The square's calendar adds to the pressure. The City of Benton lists Benton Partnership's Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28 and A Benton Christmas Festival & Lighted Parade on Dec. 12, 2026. Both events bring cars downtown, and in Dotson's description, the church-site lot was also meant to host vendor fairs, concerts and other community events once it is built.
Reading a Court-Square Storefront Before the Lot Opens
For an owner-user, investor or tenant looking at the square this winter, a few questions matter before rent or price:
- Which corner is closest? Measure the walk from the door to 11th and Poplar. The planned public lot and the Riverwoods gravel parcel are both on that block.
- Is the added supply signed or only proposed? The church parcel belongs to the city. The gravel parcel depends on an agreement that was offered in July.
- Who else parks there? Courthouse employees and downtown workers share the same spaces, so weekday demand will look different from Saturday demand.
- How do event days affect the property? A storefront next to a lot that sometimes hosts vendor fairs gains customers on some days and loses parking on others.
- Does the lease or pro forma assume parking that doesn't exist yet? Base the numbers on today's supply and treat the new lot as potential upside.
This is general market information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Lease terms and property agreements should be reviewed with an attorney or another qualified professional for your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is the new parking going? On the former Benton First Methodist Church site at the corner of 11th and Poplar streets, beside City Hall.
Who paid to tear down the church? The Benton gas department included the demolition in its budget, and Siteworks LLC of Almo did the work under a $52,000 contract.
Will First Responders Park add parking? No. An engineer found the site would not work well as a parking lot, and the donation requires it to stay a park.
If you are weighing a storefront, office or mixed-use building on Benton's court square, Sirk & Company Real Estate can show you how parking access, nearby public projects and lease terms affect what the property is worth. Our brokers and certified appraisers have analyzed Western Kentucky commercial property since 1979. Start with a property valuation or contact us to talk through a specific building.
