The long-awaited Covington civic center isn't close to being built as the project lacks funding and a firm site, but talks have renewed following the arrival of mega-medical industry Baxter International and a new site option that would also house a proposed agricultural center. A combined $37 million hotel ¬and civic/conference project in downtown Covington was on the verge of being finalized in August 2008, but then the economy collapsed, the lending market dried up and the project was left to lay dormant.Baxter's plans to open a $1 billion plant in Newton and employ 1,500 workers by 2018