PAINTSVILLE, Ky. (WCHS) — Johnson County, Kentucky is getting a new entertainment center. It’s called the KP Funplex and it’s being built in Paintsville. A unique partnership has formed to make the project a reality.
The recreation center will be more than 62,000 square feet. It will be built directly behind the Walmart in Paintsville on the site of the new Johnson Central High School building. Officials said the project is being built on land that doesn’t fit into the plans for the new school, so the fiscal court is leasing the land from the school board, which will then lease it to a developer.
“The Johnson County Fiscal Court and Johnson County Schools have not put any money into this project. This is a lease on the land, and he has had it since the beginning,” Johnson County Presiding Judge Mark McKenzie said, noting that the project has not cost taxpayers anything. All of the funding has come from private developers.
“This is the first agreement of its kind in the state, to our knowledge,” Johnson County Superintendent of Schools Tom Cochran said.
The Kentucky Department of Education has approved the project, and a final agreement was signed late Monday afternoon. The facility, which will be open to the public, will be part of Johnson Central High School’s new campus.
“I think it’s great because there aren’t any facilities like this around here. I think it brings the community together,” said Jayden Estep, a junior at Johnson Central High School.
The entertainment center will feature a two-story go-kart track, laser tag, arcade games, axe throwing and other activities. Perhaps the highlight of the project will be the 24 lanes of bowling that will be utilized by the Johnson Central High School bowling team, which currently travels to Prestonsburg to practice.
“For us, it’s a big change for our program to be in a bigger venue where we can host some of our major tournaments and regional tournaments,” Johnson Central bowling coach Todd Conley said.
Construction on the entertainment facility is expected to begin next year.