The Works Progress Administration built the A.J. Lloyd Building at 314 Albany Road in 1940 as Wayne County's first consolidated high school. It later became A.J. Lloyd Middle School. The newer building beside it went up in 1989 as a classroom annex. Since then it has served as a soup kitchen, and the city has a plan to make it an office building.
Both buildings are now one construction project, and the plans tie them together on purpose. The public space in the historic school is meant to help sell the office building next door.
Two buildings, one address, two jobs
The City of Monticello held the official groundbreaking on Wednesday morning, August 26, 2026. Congressman Hal Rogers and State Representative Ken Upchurch joined city officials and residents, Z93 Country reported in its coverage of the groundbreaking. Rogers went to school in the building back when it was Wayne County High School, according to Laker Country.
Here's what each building is becoming:
| A.J. Lloyd Building | Project 606 Building | |
|---|---|---|
| Built | 1940, by the Works Progress Administration | 1989, as an annex to A.J. Lloyd Middle School |
| Most recent use | Former high school, later a middle school | Classrooms first, then the House of Blessings Soup Kitchen |
| Planned use | Public community venue for markets, concerts, athletic events and park use | Modern office space for technology company Provalus |
| Who it serves | Residents and seasonal visitors | Room for more than 200 employees |
| Historic status | National Register of Historic Places since 2013 | None noted |
The old school keeps its face and opens up inside
The plan keeps the outside of the A.J. Lloyd Building and changes what happens within its walls. Laker Country describes the finished project as an outdoor community center and farmers market that will also host athletic events and concerts. Z93 Country's summary says the historic exterior stays and the interior gets reworked for modern use. Both descriptions agree on the main point. The façade on Albany Road stays recognizable, and the space behind it becomes public.
Deco Architects, the firm that designed the project for the city, has posted renderings that show how the space could be used:
- A stage for concerts and live music
- An outdoor market setup
- A basketball court
- A volleyball court with a giant chess board nearby
- A site aerial decorated for Christmas
The firm describes the venue as a place for athletic events, concerts, outdoor markets and "general use as a public park," designed for "both seasonal tourists and local residents." In a Lake Cumberland county that gets summer visitors, that pairing is a big deal. A farmers market in a 1940 schoolhouse shell would serve the people who live here year-round and give visitors a reason to stop on Albany Road.
The annex next door is where the jobs come in
Project 606 is the less photogenic building, and it carries the economic half of the plan. The city took steps to acquire the property from the school district, according to Deco Architects. The plan is to turn it into a modern office building expected to bring more than 200 jobs. Laker Country names the tenant as Provalus, a technology company, with space for more than 200 employees.
That number means more once you know the building's past. This was a classroom annex, and then it was home to the House of Blessings Soup Kitchen. Z93 Country presents the redevelopment as part of Monticello's broader plan to attract employers and add community amenities.
Why the venue and the office were planned together
This line on the Deco Architects project page explains why the two buildings are one project:
"The space is designed to serve both seasonal tourists and local residents, and has garnered attention from employers interested in it as an amenity for employees."
So the public venue does two jobs. It gives Monticello a market, a stage and courts. It also gives an employer considering the office next door a reason to say yes. Picture 200 people working in Project 606 with a park, a basketball court and a farmers market right outside. A historic school building that might otherwise have sat empty becomes part of the case for bringing those jobs to Wayne County.
The money follows the same logic. The funding covers both halves, but different pots of money point at each one.
Who is paying for what
Rogers secured $4 million in federal Community Project Funding for the renovations, Laker Country reported. The Provalus side also has support from the Appalachian Regional Commission and Community Development Block Grant funding.
Z93 Country's summary adds a few more details:
- Codell Construction Management is managing the renovation, with several engineering firms involved.
- The work is partly funded by federal grants, including HUD Award B-24-CP-KY-0907.
- The project has to meet Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requirements for U.S.-made materials.
The city is developing the project itself, with a design meant to keep the historic façade while giving the property a new role.
How it got from a council agenda to a shovel
The groundbreaking wasn't a given. Two and a half months earlier, the project hit a snag on cost.
- 2013. The A.J. Lloyd Building is added to the National Register of Historic Places.
- June 8, 2026. Justin Glasscock of Deco Architects briefed the Monticello City Council. He said the A.J. Lloyd project, at over $4 million, and the $6 million Provalus project were each running more than $300,000 over their original cost estimates. The council voted to go ahead with bidding to see what the real costs would be, and members specified it was a vote to bid only, not approval to build, WKYM reported. Z93 Country's recap of the same meeting describes it as a decision to re-bid the two projects.
- August 26, 2026. The groundbreaking at 314 Albany Road began at 11:30 a.m. with remarks, a ceremonial turning of dirt, and a reception at the site.
Between those two dates, a project that had come in over budget made it to a ceremony with a congressman and a state representative holding shovels.
What's still open, and the other ideas from that June meeting
The city hasn't published a completion date for either building or a start date for Provalus hiring. The posted reports also don't name the winning bidder from the bidding round. If you're hoping for one of those jobs or planning a market booth, watch for the next council update.
The June 8 meeting floated two other ideas about how Monticello spends on public space, and both have moved since:
- The 3% restaurant tax. At that meeting, council member Alan Vaughn introduced a first reading of an ordinance to repeal it. A second reading was put on the August 10 agenda. The council later voted 4–1 against the repeal, with Vaughn the only vote for it, so the tax stays in place. That same report says the tax brought in just over $54,000 in June.
- A fairgrounds, amphitheater and Ag Center. Tourism Executive Director Todd McFarland told the council the Tourist Commission was looking at buying 79.5 acres for $1.25 million. The land would be used for the Wayne County Fair, an amphitheater and an Ag Center that could be shared with Wayne County Schools. The commission met in executive session that day and took no action on a purchase agreement. Z93 Country reported that the director asked for the council's blessing to pursue the roughly 79 acres. No purchase or site location has been announced.
Put together, these items show a city weighing more than one place for concerts, markets and gatherings. The A.J. Lloyd site is the only one that's under construction.
If you have memories of the A.J. Lloyd halls or questions about how changes on Albany Road might affect a property nearby, I'm always glad to talk them over. You can reach me through Preston Brainard. Let's Connect.
