Barren County cuts the ribbon for new development center

GLASGOW, Ky. – After months of planning and renovations, Barren County officials opened the doors to the new Barren County Development Center on Tuesday morning.

The project has been in the works since 2023, when county leaders purchased the former U.S. Bank building in downtown Glasgow for $1.1 million. The goal was to create a centralized location that brings together multiple county departments under one roof.

The three-story facility now houses offices for the Barren County Health Department, Planning and Zoning and the county’s Information Technology systems.

Judge executive Jamie Bewley Byrd said the center will make it easier for residents and business owners to get everything they need in one place—cutting down on trips between separate government offices.

“To be able to build a building, to have access right here at a one-stop shop, and knock all that out in one trip versus going to the health department, then the city building, and so on—it just makes everything easier,” Byrd said. “My biggest goal is just to make things easier—to grow and develop businesses in Barren County and expand buildings. If we want to grow, we have to grow development and industry, and we want to make that process as smooth as possible.”

Officials say the center is just one step in a larger effort to modernize how Barren County supports local development and economic expansion.