New Development In Rural Kentucky Promises ‘Safe Space’ For Conservatives To ‘Disappear From The Cultural Insanity Of The Broader Country’

A residential development known as the “Highland Rim Project” (HRP) in rural Kentucky promises a community aligned with the conservative values of the far right. 

Joshua Abbotoy announced the project on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Abbotoy promised right-wingers the chance to “disappear from the cultural insanity of the broader country” and “spearhead the revival of the region.”

A venture fund and a real estate startup with links to far-right organizations have been promoting the new housing development in rural Kentucky. 

Abbotoy leads both companies. He mentioned that the community would be led by Protestant Christians and aimed to gain local political influence and expand.

“The aspiration is that long-term down the road, 20 years from today, we continue to do this,” he said. “We’re regionally focused; we can expand from there to states.”

The promotion of the project has caused concerns for many local residents. 

The project has been criticized as an effort to establish geographical enclaves, such as the American Redoubt movement that encouraged the “political migration” to areas in the interior of the Pacific Northwest.

Experts believe this is part of a larger trend of religious conservatives withdrawing from a broader society. 

The development’s finances suggest that buyers will pay a steep premium for their stay in the community. The promoters are looking into collecting profits after making improvements to the land. 

According to its website, the developers aim to support companies aligned with American ideals and oppose specific social initiatives. The venture fund features the HRP on its website, describing it as a real estate project developing aligned communities in Appalachia.

Kentucky Ridgerunner, established in 2022, is the primary entity behind the HRP and is owned by Abbotoy and his father, Mark Abbotoy. The company holds most of the land for sale and is led by the Abbotoys and Lazar Lazarovski.

The project advertises two developments near Burkesville, Kentucky: Longhollow Acres and The Bend at the Cumberland River. Longhollow Acres offers 17 lots ranging from $39,900 to $399,000, while the Bend offers smaller lots priced between $35,000 and $60,000.

Kentucky Ridgerunner purchased the “Bend” property from a pastoral land company for almost $1.03 million. The owners divided the property into two halves and then subdivided the eastern half into 50 small lots for sale. The pricing strategy for both developments indicates potentially significant profits for the joint venture if the land sells at the listed prices. 

The Bend development, for example, could yield $2.05 million for the sellers if the buyers meet the asking prices on the website, which is a considerable markup compared to the original purchase price.

At the Longhollow development, sellers stand to collect at least $2.27 million on 550 acres of land they acquired for $900,000, representing a significant profit margin. Kentucky Ridge Runner purchased the land for just over $1950 an acre. Current asking prices reach up to $10,327.30 an acre.

Katherine Stewart, an expert in Christian nationalism, said the move tracked with the preferences of the contemporary far right and their “emotional need” for a “safe space.”

“It’s not just that some members of this extremist cohort disagree with liberals, feminists, or any number of people who don’t share their views,” Stewart told The Guardian. “It’s that they really can’t stand having those people anywhere nearby. The mere existence of people not like them counts as an insult.”