Boone County buying 296 acres from CVG for park, new animal shelter
Boone County is poised to close on the purchase of a nearly 300-acre property owned by the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, county officials said.
The Boone County Fiscal Court unanimously approved the $1.18 million deal during a meeting Tuesday evening, according to County Administrator Jeff Earlywine.
Earlywine said the county is purchasing the 296-acre property on Idlewild Road to ensure its continued use as England–Idlewild Park and for the construction of a new animal shelter.
The airport acquired the land in the 1990s as part of a runway extension project, Kenton County Airport Board documents state.
As a result of a 1994 agreement between the county and CVG, Boone County has been maintaining the property and developed it into a community park, according to the documents.
The documents say CVG no longer needs the land for future development. The airport board approved the sale during a July 18 meeting, according to CVG spokesperson Mindy Kershner.
Earlywine said the county plans to construct a modern animal shelter on a small parcel of the property.
Funds for the project have been appropriated to the county's fiscal year 2023 budget, he said, adding that $2 million in private donations have been raised as well.
While Earlywine didn't say when exactly construction will begin on the new shelter, he said he expects work to move forward in the "very near future."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Boone County buying 296 acres from CVG for park, new animal shelter
