Couple Has ‘Big Dreams’ For Palisades
Bluegrass Concert Saturday, July 22, On Kentucky River
Photo: Submitted
Kristy and Todd Gooch have big dreams of creating a destination site for anyone who would like to spend some time in one of the most beautiful areas in Kentucky, the Palisades.
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
rmoore@harrodsburgherald.com
The bluegrass band 27 South will play Saturday, July 22, starting at 3:30 p.m. It’s being billed as the first ever Bluegrass River Fest and it’s being held at 6730 Lexington Road, which is on the Kentucky River Palisades near the Brooklyn Bridge.
It’s your first chance to take a look at what Kristy and Todd Gooch are planning for the property. Last year, the Harrodsburg-Mercer County Planning and Zoning Commission approved the reconstruction of the existing store and restaurant and the construction of five addition rental units for AirBnB and public recreational uses.
“We plan to build a place where people can come and enjoy the water and eat a little dinner,” said Kristy Gooch via email. Gooch said they plan to be open weekends, with music on Friday and Saturday. They will start with food trucks nights and hope to start serving hot dogs, hamburgers and pizzas out of the restaurant. Gooch said there is no inside seating but lots of riverfront seating, with plenty of shade.
“We will potentially have areas for tents to allow for primitive camping, tree houses and then larger homes sleeping 6-10,” said Gooch She and her husband currently own and run an AirBnB at the Palisades.
Todd Gooch is a real estate developer and Kristy Gooch is a realtor and owner of RE/MAX Elite Realty, the Gooch Team in Nicholasville. Gooch has been involved in real estate since she was 19. In 2021, she was named president of the Lexington-Bluegrass Association of Realtors.
“We are locals who have lived seven minutes from this area for our whole lives,” Kristy Gooch said. “We have driven by there and watched the decline of the area, saw the opportunity and jumped on making it a place that Mercer County can be proud of again.”
She said it was once a great place to grab food and enjoy an evening out.
“We wanted to make it a place to be proud of again,” Gooch said.
There is also the history of the area. Nearby is Chinn’s Cave House, which was built by Col. George M. Chinn in 1929, according to harrodsburgsestercentennial.com. At one time there were four gas pumps out front and Chinn sold hot ham sandwiches and foot-long chili dogs. He also maintained an indoor shooting range and an underground gambling operation with slot machines. Eventually arrested and charged with running illegal game of chance, Chinn argued his innocence, claiming it was impossible to win, according to Carlton Jackson’s 2015 book, “Kentucky Maverick: The Life and Adventures of Colonel George M. Chinn.”
Live music: 27 South at Bluegrass River Fest (6730 Lexington Road—at the Kentucky River Palisades near the Brooklyn Bridge). Bring your own beverage. 3:30 p.m. to dark. $5 parking pass. For more information, visit their Facebook page @TheVillageAtPalisades.
