CORBIN, KY—OCTOBER 20, 2017—The Corbin City Planning and Zoning Commission agreed earlier this week to recommend rezoning property where a proposed horse racing facility would be built in Corbin, Kentucky.

Nearly 150 acres of property on the Corbin Bypass, currently zoned as an Industrial Park District, could be rezoned as a Semi-Public District which would allow for construction of a Quarter Horse racing facility.

Keeneland and Churchill Downs announced a partnership in September to build two proposed facilities in the state of Kentucky. One of those, slatted for Corbin, will feature live Quarter Horse racing and historical racing machines.

The proposed property is owned by the Tri-County Industrial Development Authority and Willow Creek Farms, LLC.

A public hearing was held on Tuesday for residents who live near the property to discuss and ask questions regarding the rezoning and how it would affect their property.

Executive Director of the Corbin Economic Development Agency Bruce Carpenter began the public hearing with a presentation explaining they have followed the proper procedures to move forward if the commission approves the rezoning request.

Keeneland President of Bill Thomason and Keeneland Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Vince Gabbert were present to help answer any questions.

Plans for Keeneland to build a Quarter Horse track has been in the works since 2014. The announcement in September of the partnership with Churchill Downs to build the track in Corbin boosted the anticipation of the facility which will be named Cumberland Run.

"One of the obstacles, however, with going forward with this economic development is the fact that the existing zoning doesn't match up with those proposed uses," Simpson said. "This property that's before you today has been zoned industrial for many, many years and unfortunately without attracting a developer to invest to develop it.

"We think that the absence of any economic development on this property in its current zoning makes that zoning inappropriate," Simpson added.

The Corbin City Planning Commission had no objections to changing the zoning of the property with many members indicating they thought the potential facility would be good for the economic development of the City.

The proposed project is expected to create 125 construction jobs and 50 permanent full-time jobs, just at the track itself.

The facility is contingent upon the receipt of an initial pari-mutuel racing license by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. There is a cap of nine racing licenses available in the state and currently there are seven that are in use, so the Racing Commission has two licenses it could award.

Keeneland and Churchill Downs have already filed the required applications to try to get the two licenses, one of those would allow the facility in Corbin to be built. There is no timeline for when those applications could be decided by Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

"We would hope sooner rather than later," Gabbert said.