BURLINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's Boone County recently approved a $1.18 million deal to purchase about 300-acres owned by the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
The airport acquired the land in the 1990s as part of a runway extension project that is no longer needed. As a result of a 1994 agreement, Boone County developed the property into England–Idlewild Park and has been maintaining it. The 296-acre purchase will ensure the park's continuance and also provide space for a much-needed new animal shelter, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Boone County's current animal shelter was built in the 1960s, and a recent evaluation found that it had outlived its useful lifetime, according to the county website. The county has been raising private funds for the new shelter, with $2 million in donations raised so far. The county has also appropriated public funds for the project in its 2023 budget.
County Administrator Jeff Earlywine said he expects work to begin on the new shelter in the very near future.
