The Dunlap

The Dunlap will be an innovative approach to affordable housing and economic development, incorporating art and music to enrich Paducah’s creative culture and economy. It will create a community for living, learning, and working inside the historic schoolhouse.

The Dunlap, a $14.6 million development project by Louisville-based Marian Group, will be a community of artists, individuals, and families housed in the historic Walter C. Jetton Middle School located at 401 Walter Jetton Boulevard. This project is named after one of Paducah’s most important daughters, Mollie E. Dunlap. The project includes rehabilitating housing units, restoring the concert hall for the Paducah Symphony Orchestra, and creating a conservatory for music training and education. Construction is expected to take approximately 18 months.

The Dunlap preserves 21 residential units and adds 21 new units of affordable housing to fit the housing needs and enrich the artistic culture of the community. The Dunlap will also offer a Community Service Facility (CSF) operated by the Paducah Symphony Orchestra in the attached symphony hall and part of the original library. Artists, aspiring artists, and innovators will use the spaces and affordable services to hone their artistic skills, learn how to expand or start a creative-based business, and enjoy the arts. The proposed renovations are pictured.