By T.W. Shortt
Former Radcliff City Council Member, retired U.S. Army veteran, and longtime Radcliff business owner
Many area residents may not fully appreciate that behind the gates of Fort Knox is another thriving economy—one that functions much like a small American town.
Fort Knox has housing, schools, shopping, restaurants, fitness centers, recreation, medical services, churches, public works, police and fire protection, transportation, and maintenance operations.
At times, the installation resembles a movie set depicting small-town America: orderly neighborhoods, public buildings, athletic fields, and families going about their daily lives—without many of the visible street-crime concerns associated with civilian communities.
My connection to Fort Knox is both personal and professional. I served there during my Army career, and today REALTY WORLD® Knox Realty Group, LLC—The Fort Knox Office™ is located just outside the installation, only a few feet from the Wilson Road gate.
From that location, we see the daily movement between Fort Knox and Radcliff. Military families, civilian employees, contractors, and retirees do not operate in separate economies. They rent and purchase homes, eat in local restaurants, buy goods, hire service providers, and support businesses throughout Radcliff and Hardin County.
That is why the recently announced school-renovation project should matter beyond the gates.
According to a November 4 pre-solicitation notice, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to seek bids for a $1 million-to-$5 million renovation of the Fort Knox Vo-Tech building. The project would relocate the Fort Knox Schools Community Superintendent’s Office and renovate approximately 9,594 square feet (about twice the area of a basketball court), associated restrooms and portions of the Middle/High School gymnasium. A short access road is also included. app.prosal.com
The work is expected to take approximately one year and will be offered as a total small business set-aside. It could create opportunities for contractors, electricians, plumbers, flooring installers, equipment suppliers, and other construction-related businesses.
The larger story is what this renovation may enable.
The Community Superintendent’s Office is now housed in the former MacDonald Elementary School building. That building must eventually be vacated and demolished to prepare the site for a proposed new Scott Middle School. www.highergov.com
The fiscal 2027 military-construction budget requests $117 million for a new 113,500-square-foot middle school. The plans include classrooms, science laboratories, career-technical education space, a gymnasium, performance areas, and supporting infrastructure. comptroller.war.gov
That $117 million remains in a budget request—not an awarded contract or guarantee that the full project will proceed.
Still, practical preparations are advancing. Having spent much of my military and business life connected to Fort Knox, I know that decisions made behind those gates eventually affect the economy outside them.
The opportunity may be at Fort Knox, but Radcliff and Hardin County should be preparing to share its economic benefits.
REALTY WORLD Knox Realty Group, 634 Knox Blvd, Radcliff, KY 40160
Sources
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, “Pre-solicitation Notice for Renovation of Vo-Tech—Fort Knox, Kentucky,” Solicitation W912QR-27-B-A006, published November 4, 2026. govtribe.com
- Department of Defense Comptroller, “FY 2027 Military Construction Project Data—Scott Middle School, Fort Knox,” Project ASMSKY01, April 2026. The document identifies a $117 million budget request. comptroller.war.gov
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