So with my day off I decided to go out and get some photos for the first time in a long time.

Since we don't get a lot of large buildings going up in the more urban parts of Lexington, rather lots of small ones, I thought I would get some photos of the new UK Med Center as it's the tallest building to go up in a while and the exterior is mostly complete.

Photos partially inspired by the photo from the H-L yesterday with the UK skyline minus the new Med Center.

Here's the University of Kentucky skyline including the new Med Center on the far right.
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Views from the Marriott on Broadway and Red Mile
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I really enjoy tall buildings outside of a CBD like the Highlands in Louisville and the a short distance up 71 in Cincinnati. Until now we haven't had a good one here except POT but even POT is so close that it blends in with the rest of the skyline a lot of time and Kirwan/Blanding are tucked away out of sight for the most part despite their 23 stories. The Med Center is not that great but its a start and visible from as far away as New Circle between Georgetown and Leestown.

These are from various locations on Broadway between Angliana and Waller
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From Virginia Ave.
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Close up from accross the street
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I have realized that the city of Lexington has become more liberal lately but now I hear that there will be a bar for old hookers.

At least that is the name of it, Old Hooker's Bar and Grille. It is located opposite the Soundbar on South Limestone in the space formerly occupied by the tailoring and alteration shop and beside the new location of the "head shop"(formerly the little Irish Shop).

It looks like the roadwork on S. Limestone was a good thing, right?

great news for downtown with this addition. I think this will be a very unique place and should be a cool place with EOP doing the interior design.

Grocery to open on Short Street in downtown Lexington (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/01/05/1588135/grocery-to-open-on-short-street.html#more)

http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2011/01/05/18/110105MARKETdp607.aurora_standalone.prod_affiliate.79.jpg

By Beverly Fortune at 4:54pm on Jan 5, 2011 — bfortune@herald-leader.com

An independently owned grocery store carrying fresh meat, produce and sundries will open downtown at 163 West Short Street in the Traditional Bank building.

General manager Darren Teodoro said Shorty's, An Urban Market, will be a New York-style city grocery to serve people who live and work downtown, which does not have a supermarket.

Edgar Hume, who owns The Clock Shop across the street from the Shorty's site, can't wait. "A grocery store is desperately needed in this area," he said. "I really wish them a lot of success."

Teodoro said he hopes to work with Lexington Farmers Market to carry locally grown produce. He hopes to open a wine shop adjoining the market later.

"We will not try to compete with major markets like Kroger. But we want to be self-sustaining with everyday items people need like milk, bread, paper towels, aspirin and ladies' products," Teodoro said.

"The idea is it will be a market for people who are downtown and want a place to run in and get things without having to get in their car and drive to the suburbs."

Shorty's will offer delivery service and Internet ordering. It is expected to open in late April. If the concept is successful in Lexington, it will be franchised in other cities, Teodoro said.

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, who lives downtown, called the project "a great example of preserving these old buildings and finding new uses for them."

Gray, who had a sneak preview of the work going on in the building Wednesday, said "it's going to be not just a grocery, but a destination, which is exactly what we need."

The market will have on-site parking on the east side of the building. After 4 p.m., a larger adjoining parking lot also will be available. Shorty's will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Chris Estes, principal interior designer with EOP Architects, said the interior will have exposed brick walls and antique wood floors. A large vault door, a holdover from another bank that used to take up the entire first floor, will be a focal point of the 2,500-square-foot space. Grocery shelves will go floor-to-ceiling, and items at the top will be accessible by old-fashioned rolling wood ladders.

Teodoro is a certified public accountant who, in recent years, was comptroller for several Mercedes Benz and BMW car dealerships in Connecticut. His family owned restaurants, delis and gourmet ice cream shops throughout Connecticut and the Northeast. "I come to this with experience in the food business and a strong financial background," he said.

He is also in the horse business. Three years ago, Teodoro came to Lexington to train jumpers for his friends, New York fashion designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka.

Teodoro and his financial backers, several local people in the Thoroughbred industry, have been working on the urban market concept since February.

Harold Tate, president of the Downtown Development Authority, said the opening of a grocery was "a big win for downtown."

"It will be a great asset. A grocery will work well in conjunction" with the farmers market just a block to the west in Cheapside Park, Tate said. "I really hope everybody supports this."

This building and the other midrise on the other corner across Upper are my two favorite midrise buildings downtown!

It looks like this one actually has financing and is more or less ready to start remodeling which is further than the proposed groceries at Main & Rose and Shelbourne Plaza (The Lex) ever got.

Great news!

Retail has been steadily and quietly filling in all over the downtown core which is pretty exciting!

Retail has been steadily and quietly filling in all over the downtown core which is pretty exciting!

Of all the new "retail" that has been opened in the past year, what percentage has been any other than food or entertainment oriented? I am not talking about all new employment, but just storefront retail in the downtown core.

There needs to be a better mix.

There are the three new stores in the bottom of the city parking deck on Broadway, there is the new Joseph A Banks on the corner of Vine and Mill and there is now a new grocery. I am sure everyone wants more but that is pretty good for 1 year in an urban core which has a hard time supporting retail. Add in the CVS if we can ever get it open and you have most of your services covered downtown without having to drive.
I am excited for the grocery and I can't wait for it to open.
Short St has really had quite a run in the last year or two and seems to be where all the action is downtown.
I saw that Mia's closed, anyone know the story on that or know if anything else is going to go in there? It is a prime spot. I know their rent was pretty high, I wonder if that is what got them. It was odd, there was a sign saying they were going on vacation and then that got covered with a sign saying the locks had been changed and that they were in default and they never open again.
Also, does anyone know when the deli/market on the corner of Broadway and Short is suppose to open?

One of the folks from Mia's is the contact person for the Old Hooker's place that I mentioned before and I don't know which "city parking deck" on Main st to which you refer. The new deli across from Sawyer's on Main near Broadway opened this Monday.

The CVS may have waited a little too long. Now that there is a new mayor who could direct that anything short of his acceptance could prevent them from getting further approval. I don't think that he likes it as it is.

By the way, Main and Short don't meet.

sorry, I meant Broadway in both cases. You would think I know that since I live on Broadway.

I know there are always politics involved, but the mayor does not have any say in if a building gets approved or not does he? He is not actually on any of the boards nor does he vote at the council, correct? Obviously that doesn't mean he can't effect what happens, just confirming I am correct that he has no direct power over it.

Do you know what Gray, etc. are upset about at this point? I know the developer said they had done a bunch of designs and that they were being told conflicting things by different people with the city, do you know where it currently stands?

Interesting article in Business Lexington about the facade renovation of the new Jazz Nightclub TrusT at 123 W main st. It looks like theyre doing this the right way and will be another asset to downtown. also heres the website for TrusT
www.trustlexington.com

Peeling Away the Years (http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2011-01-06-96657.113117-Peeling-Away-the-Years.html#print)
GRW uses 3-D laser scanning to restore historic Main Street building façade

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by Ryan Kelly

January 06, 2011

Lexington, KY - A significant piece of Lexington history is being restored at 123 West Main St. in the downtown area, generating a lot of excitement and anticipation. The building at this location is currently undergoing renovation, and GRW Inc., a Lexington-based architecture and engineering firm, is providing design services for repair and restoration of the building's façade. Upon completion, the restored building will begin a new life as a jazz nightclub named "TrusT," in homage to its first occupant.

The building was originally the home of Phoenix & Third National Bank, designed by Richards, McCarthy and Bulford in 1908. GRW's task in this renovation is to restore the façade to its original proportions and appearance, for which they are using 3-D laser scanning technology that enables them to know the exact measurements between any two given points of the façade without doing all the measurements by hand, thus saving time and manpower.

The building has undergone two previous renovations since its original construction more than a century ago. The long-term effects of these renovations are posing some difficulties in the restoration process. Project managers Brooke Parks and Jesse Schook from GRW said that "the lower half of the building was destroyed and replaced with a conventional glass storefront entrance" when a men's clothing store called Angelucci & Ringo occupied the premises in 1938. It was again renovated a few years later upon the occupation of New Way Boot Shop, during which "the column capitals and cornice work were destroyed to accommodate a monolithic brick façade, covering the remaining terra cotta features at the second story level," Parks and Schook said. The last renovation caused the building's upper half to suffer "severe damage," they said, and it required intense repair, while the lower half needed complete restoration.

Knowledge of the building's original appearance is impossible because of the façade's missing pieces and lack of documentation regarding its original design. GRW's goal is to replicate the original façade with as much accuracy as possible with the aid of its 3-D laser scanning technology (LiDAR). Schook said that the reconstructed façade "won't be an exact replica, because we don't have precise information of what it formerly looked like." But with the aid of LiDAR, they can determine what still remains with more precision.

Jeremy Mullins, CP for GRW Aerial Surveys, said that LiDAR has been in existence for roughly 10 years, and GRW has been using it since 2006 in a wide array of areas.

"It has been used for architectural support, engineering projects and for traditional survey projects where a quick collection of a dense and accurate dataset is required," Mullins said.

GRW's first project with this technology "was an extensive scan of Lexington's downtown area (centered primarily on Main Street)," Mullins said. "The data collected was utilized as part of the sidewalk revitalization project currently underway. GRW has also used the scanner to measure deflection in factory piping, to check for adequate clearance after modification to railroad tunnels, and to construct 'as built' plans for electric plants."

A 3-D laser scanner is a device set up on a tripod that can scan any given structure, shooting out thousands of laser beams per second. The absorbed data produces an output called a "point cloud" that includes a network of X, Y and Z coordinates (represented by points on a screen). "With the scanner GRW uses, each scanned point is expected to be accurate within millimeters of its true position on the earth," Mullins said.

GRW subsequently uses the collected points to generate useful data for projects that can range "from simple measurements to full 3-D models," Mullins said. On this particular project, he said, "Thirteen million points were scanned covering the face of the building."

The output of the scan on the façade allows GRW to begin making design plans for its reconstruction.

"Once the points were collected," Mullins said, "cross sections were generated to be used in the design phase of the overall project.

Aside from its other advantages, LiDAR can also scan an object from a distance of up to 300 meters (between 900 and 1,000 feet) with great accuracy. Mullins said that this comes in handy "in situations where hands-on measurement is not possible."

Scanners can also calculate dimensions of structures from moving vehicles, so multiple items can be scanned while moving past them on the road or even in the air.

GRW began working on this project fairly recently, making its first site visit on Nov. 18 to acquire familiarity with the area and begin field measuring. Within just the first three weeks, the team managed to accomplish many necessary preparatory tasks related to the project, such as coordination with different departments within LFUCG's Division of Engineering, compliance with the courthouse area design guidelines, material research, structural analysis, documentation of existing conditions, the LiDAR 3-D laser scan and development of concept drawings. The projected date of substantial completion of construction is set for February.

Restoring the façade presents many challenges. To GRW's knowledge, no original drawings or photos are available, aside from an old black-and-white photo in which cars are blocking proper view of the building. Thus, while LiDAR provides GRW with dimensions for the design process, acquiring other visual details, such as the location of the front door and windows, has become a major obstacle because of the lack of proper source material. In addition, this building, like most older buildings, also has structural challenges that GRW must contend with.

Andy Shea, the project owner, anticipates that TrusT will benefit the Lexington entertainment scene and looks for business to be good.

"As the general manager of the Lexington Legends, I always think about attendance and gauge our success for events based on the number of people who come to the ballpark," Shea said. "I take the same philosophy to TrusT; we plan on having 1,000 people or more every Thursday through Saturday come through our door."

Despite the obstacles that GRW faces with the project, they welcome some of the more interesting challenges associated with their role.

"It has been fun trying to piece the history together and trying to figure out what this used to be," Schook said. "It's kind of like forensic architecture. It's a fun and challenging project."

Parks looks forward to the positive impact that the building's restoration will have on the downtown area.

"We hope to increase (the building's) contributing factor by returning the façade to its original proportions in a manner reminiscent of the original Phoenix and Third National Bank and Trust," Parks said. "This project definitely has great potential to enhance the downtown streetscape ... It is a very exciting project, and we are happy to be involved."

Carto, you're right that most of that surge in storefront space has been nightlife and not a solid mix but i think the surge in nightlife is in response to an abnormally low volume of these establishments in the city as a whole. I think it's a simple correction in the amount of nightlife for a city the size of Lexington.

A grocery though is big news especially a grocery that's not an after thought as part of a larger project never to become a reality, but something like this is really encouraging to me. This will become the closest grocery to my home and could be a really turning point in the residential market downtown.



I love the renovations to the storefront buildings downtown, especially the one's of mill which included housing on the upper floors. I really wish the owners ofmore of these old storefront buildings would restore the housing or office floors above the storefront.

Anyone know what is going in the old FedEx spot at Rose and Vine? I drove by there today and contractors are inside working on it. It is a pretty prime spot since it has parking and is close to downtown and to campus.

seems like carto might have mentioned something about it a while back, maybe he can fill us in.

I've always though that site along with the adjoining lot would make be great location for a slender brick and stone midrise to complement the apartment blocks on Rose and High.

I hate to burst everyone's bubble but the former FedEx/Kinko's location is going to offices for MedPro, a medical billing firm.

Another downtown opportunity delayed.

Image posted are really look great. Nice shots man. More pictures please.

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Women's Sandal (http://bettersandalsforyou.info/Drew_Desiree_Womens__Penny_CalfMesh.aspx)

I hate to burst everyone's bubble but the former FedEx/Kinko's location is going to offices for MedPro, a medical billing firm.

Another downtown opportunity delayed.
Thanks for the info. At least it is more jobs downtown and not just an empty building. Not my ideal tenant but better than nothing.

I hate to burst everyone's bubble but the former FedEx/Kinko's location is going to offices for MedPro, a medical billing firm.

Another downtown opportunity delayed.

While I understand what you're saying, any development downtown is a good thing. For downtown to support restaurants, shops, and services it needs to have people in close proximity. Business provide those people.

While I understand what you're saying, any development downtown is a good thing. For downtown to support restaurants, shops, and services it needs to have people in close proximity. Business provide those people.

Yeah, and if that medical billing firm is renting it, that means less space downtown and more demand. Even though this is probably lower-class office space, every little bit helps. I'm just happy to see firms like this locating in downtown. Seems exactly like the kind of thing that would wind up in the suburbs in most cities.

While I understand what you're saying, any development downtown is a good thing. For downtown to support restaurants, shops, and services it needs to have people in close proximity. Business provide those people.
I don't see this as "development" any more than I would the remodeling of a floor or two of the Vine Center or the Fifth Third building. This is nothing more than rearranging the deck chairs.

This is good news for the economic welfare of Lexington but not something that should be in a Development News forum. It is a development, just not about development.

The Distillery District folks go out of town to bring in some more muscle power.

http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2011-01-13-96709.113117-Lexington-Distillery-District-gains-strategic-partner.html

Will this get things off dead center now?

^^Good news.

PS I like your post about Lexington Mall/Southland on Lexington Streetsweeper

Rail coming to Lexington and others soon!?

Riding the rail: Transit plan unveiled
by Paul Glasser via State-Journal: http://www.state-journal.com/news/article/4963259


If Ralph Tharp, Frankfort’s new industrial recruiter, had his wish, commuters in Louisville, Lexington and locally could be traveling to work next year in double-decker trains with leather seats and Wi-Fi access.

He is championing a rapid transit commuter rail system with 11 stations in Lexington, Louisville, Shelbyville, Midway and Frankfort.

Tharp, executive director of the Kentucky Capital Development Corporation, estimates the project could cost as little as $75 million and be completed by October 2012.

Tharp has been on the job since October and said the proposed rail system would help make Kentucky and Frankfort more attractive to employers and investors. The plan calls for two trains with four cars to travel from Louisville and Lexington three times a day, seven days a week.

It’s called “the Thoroughbred Rail Link,” and the trains would be named Secretariat and Northern Dancer.

The diesel-powered commuter trains would travel the existing rail lines from CSX and RJ Corman at speeds up to 80 or 90 miles per hour, Tharp said. The tracks can’t accommodate high-speed trains like those in Europe that reach up to 180 miles per hour, Tharp said.

He has experience with planning and designing rail systems in St. Louis, Las Vegas, Chicago and Baghdad, Iraq. Normally, a project would cost between $500 million to $1 billion, but much of the equipment and infrastructure is already in place, Tharp said.

It would cost about $35 million to buy the two trains and eight passenger cars and about $40 million to improve the existing railroads and build stations, Tharp said.

A commuter rail system in central Kentucky has long been a pipe dream for regional leaders but Tharp said he’s 98 percent confident his plans will come to fruition.

Using existing rails will not require any land purchases or environmental impact statements, he said. There won’t be any “not in my back yard” obstacles, Tharp said.

Other amenities would include a café onboard each train selling coffee and newspapers in the morning and cocktails in the evening.

“People could sit on the train, use their laptop, drink some coffee or read the paper all in the time they would normally be driving,” Tharp said.

Average travel time would be comparable to driving to Frankfort – about 30 minutes from Lexington and 50 minutes from Louisville, Tharp said.

There’s no hard figure on how much a one-way ticket would cost but Tharp offered a ballpark estimate of $5 to $6 from Lexington to Frankfort. Purchasing a monthly pass could cut that figure in half – less than the cost of commuting by car, Tharp said.

“We would work to keep it very reasonable,” he said.

A small station would be built in downtown Frankfort between the tunnel on High Street and the farmers market at Wilkinson Boulevard, Tharp said. It would include a ticket office, security area, waiting lobby and two restrooms.

Other proposed stops would include Keeneland and Rupp Arena in Lexington and the St. Matthews Mall in Louisville.

A train would leave Winchester at 7 a.m. every day and travel west while another train would depart Louisville International Airport and travel east. The same pattern would be repeated at noon and 6 p.m., Tharp predicted.

The schedule could be adjusted for weekends, he said.

Each train car could hold up to 150 passengers – 75 on each level. Total capacity could be increased from about 600 to 900 passengers by adding two more cars.

If demand increases beyond 900 on each train Tharp said additional trains could be added.

Tharp said he will begin holding public meetings to discuss the project in March. He hopes to apply for federal funding in nine months and to complete construction by October 2012.

It’s important to move quickly because there is only a two-year window of opportunity, Tharp said. President Barack Obama has offered up to $9 billion in federal funds for railroad projects and it’s unclear what will happen to that money after 2012, Tharp said.

“I’m calling it an opportunity surge and to get this done as quickly as possible,” he said.

Federal grants usually require a 20 percent match for state and local government but Tharp said he hopes Kentucky could receive credit for the existing rails and land. He said Kentucky could only be required to contribute $7.5 million.

Despite slow economic recovery and tight government budgets, Tharp said the project is a good investment.

“It’s probably the biggest bargain we will ever have in the commuter rail system anywhere in the world today,” he said.

A commuter rail system would also help reduce Kentucky’s carbon footprint and cut congestion on Interstate 64, Tharp said.

A study will also be completed to determine the exact location of stations and what improvements need to be made, Tharp said. The project got unanimous support from political and business leaders in Lexington, Louisville and Winchester, he said.

It would cost about $8 million to $9 million to operate the rail system and revenue would be generated through tickets, advertising and fees from vendors.

The article sounds good. The devil is always in the detailsand thetimeline isreally really short. I really hope this happens but I'm not going to get my hopes to high just yet.

It sounds like a great idea, but I agree that the time frame seems very tough. In Austin, they had all the rails in place and just needed to build stations, but it was delay for several years due to all the safety test and approvals and local and state government approvals BS. It finally opened last year after a 3 or 4 year delay. It was also half the distance as this one.

Hopefully that's not the case here

Rail coming to Lexington and others soon!

This sounds good actually, somebody does need to do it, but I don't see it by 2012.

Reason 1

This train is proposed to travel along what is called the "Old Road" from Winchester to Louisville. That line is operated as far as a point called HK Tower by R J Corman, under a lease from CSX. Csx then controls and operates the line in Louisville to the Airport area. CSX considers all of theis line to be a freight line and has forbidden Corman any revenue passenger service.

Reason 2

Any action on this series of lines would have to be approved by the Surface Transportation Board after a request from the railroad owner which is CSX.

Additional small problem

This "Old Road" line's closest approach to Keeneland is the crossing at S. Yarnallton Rd., nearly 2 miles from the back gate. Corman does have a rail line which comes closer to Keeneland, but it terminates at a bridge across the Kentucky River. Said bridge is in such disrepair that it would have to be replaced.

One bright spot

Keeneland and The Greenbrier Resort, in West Virginia, are talking about passenger service between those two locations. The route is undetermined at this point, but it would have to use CSX track out of West Virginia and probably Norfolk-Southern through Cincinnati to Lexington. If any of you have been across that route by the Greenbrier, you know that it is very slow going. Roughly 10 hours from Cincy to White Sulfur Springs and then to Lexington would be more.

I wish that there were more rail opportunities in the area, but we should not have let go of what we had or started rebuilding much sooner.

I like the idea of commuter rail in the "Golden Triangle", but I wonder if the ridership is there to support the line. From reading the article it doesn't appear to go through any hubs of employment other than downtown Frankfort. I would think a line going from downtown Louisville, downtown Frankfort, to downtown Lexington would make more sense.

I'm glad the guy is trying, whatever the result. Public pressure and a bit of political arm twisting could losen up that CSX issue, perhaps.

The only necessary parts of this (I would expect from the Obama administration's standpoint) is downtown Lexington and downtown Louisville (especially since the request is so small - $75 mil. is EXTREMELY small, it seems). Downtown Frankfort, Shelbyville and St. Matthews would be a bonus (I hope they don't stop in Midway - waste of time). Louisville's airport and Winchester could be (and probably would be) added later (except Keeneland, just don't see that). I truly think downtown Lexington to downtown Louisville in 80 min. (ending in transit hubs, with busses) would work, both politically and economically.

The hardest part is getting started. Once it is going, it is easier to add on to. It would also provide an impetus for more local, urban oriented light rail (if Winchester or St. Matthew's gets it, why not Nicholasville or New Albany).

Even if this has a 10% chance ... it's something I'm excited about. I would definitely see myself using it 5-6 times a year, easy. Especially if it got close to U of L. A connector between UK and U of L would get quite a bit of university traffic, I think.

I guess my big hesitation would be Mitch and Rand Paul. I really doubt they would help us out in Washington. They both would probably rather not take the money.

I'm glad the guy is trying, whatever the result. Public pressure and a bit of political arm twisting could losen up that CSX issue, perhaps.

The only necessary parts of this (I would expect from the Obama administration's standpoint) is downtown Lexington and downtown Louisville (especially since the request is so small - $75 mil. is EXTREMELY small, it seems). Downtown Frankfort, Shelbyville and St. Matthews would be a bonus (I hope they don't stop in Midway - waste of time). Louisville's airport and Winchester could be (and probably would be) added later (except Keeneland, just don't see that). I truly think downtown Lexington to downtown Louisville in 80 min. (ending in transit hubs, with busses) would work, both politically and economically.

The hardest part is getting started. Once it is going, it is easier to add on to. It would also provide an impetus for more local, urban oriented light rail (if Winchester or St. Matthew's gets it, why not Nicholasville or New Albany).

Even if this has a 10% chance ... it's something I'm excited about. I would definitely see myself using it 5-6 times a year, easy. Especially if it got close to U of L. A connector between UK and U of L would get quite a bit of university traffic, I think.

I guess my big hesitation would be Mitch and Rand Paul. I really doubt they would help us out in Washington. They both would probably rather not take the money.

You do bring up a very good point, the stations would have to have multiple modes of transportation (bus, and room for taxis, and maybe one day light rail). I remember a couple years ago I was in the D.C. / Baltimore area, you could literally hop off the subway and on to an Amtrak train at one station, the suburban stations all seem to have bus service, this would be a must in the system that is being proposed.

Who knows maybe this could turn out to be something, Mitch love earmarks and we'll see how much Rand Paul sticks to his tea party roots with a few years in Washington.

There would be about 40 days a year that the trains would be packed coming into Lexington (basketball and football games). There is a tremendous exodus from Louisville to Lexington for those games and then back again (if you've ever driven on I-64 before or after a game you know what I'm talking about). Having made the trip from Louisville to Lexington before, I would love to take the train to a basketball game and be dropped off right outside the arena if they were timed appropriately.

Day to day usage would be lower and would take years to reach its potential, but I think it would be a great first step for the region. There would be a fair amount of students that would take the train around holidays, and if the airports were easily accessible I think would open up competition between the airports more.

Lots of people use the Louisville airport that live in Lexington and areas in between. Not sure if it enough to fill the train, but I do think it is a fair amount of people. Also, you could start having more people that work in Louisville and live in Lexington or vice versa if this happens. I would like it just as a way to go to Louisville occasionally for the weekend. I don't think the need is incredible, but if you could truly do it for close to what they are talking about I think it would be a home run. The more you can connect the states two major cities the better IMO.

There would be about 40 days a year that the trains would be packed coming into Lexington (basketball and football games). There is a tremendous exodus from Louisville to Lexington for those games and then back again ...
And why do you suppose that those same masses of people don't ride buses in a caravan to the games in these present times? For the same reasons they give today, the scheduling and pricing of such an outing limits their "freedom" to enjoy the game.

And why do you suppose that those same masses of people don't ride buses in a caravan to the games in these present times? For the same reasons they give today, the scheduling and pricing of such an outing limits their "freedom" to enjoy the game.

Certainly some truth to that, but personally I would never consider taking a bus but would love to take a train. It is just a way more comfortable way to travel. The US population has shown a clear preference for using their own cars as opposed to mass transit, but I do think it could work.

And why do you suppose that those same masses of people don't ride buses in a caravan to the games in these present times? For the same reasons they give today, the scheduling and pricing of such an outing limits their "freedom" to enjoy the game.

People around here regularly take buses to away football and basketball games. I don't know if anything like that exists from Louisville. Trains definitely have a different feel and atmosphere than a bus.

I would compare it most to the Nashville Star. While their weekday loads are steadily improving, their Sunday commutes to the Titans games have been a slam dunk since the very beginning. I guarantee they can put 10 times the number of people on the Nashville Star from Lebanon or Mt Juliet when compared to the number of people who would ride a bus from the same locations. They've also added weekend nights to the schedule for people to have a night in downtown Nashville.

Of course, the price has to be right for any of this to happen. For a Louisville to Lexington trip I would think $10-15 would be a pretty good price point while Lexington or Louisville to Frankfort would probably need to be priced in the $5 range one-way.

One of the biggest mistakes the Nashville Star made was to initially be priced way too high. They've since corrected that and ridership responded. You can't base pricing on the $0.40 a mile it supposedly costs to drive a car and then charge a similar price for an equi-distance train trip. People think in terms of gas costs alone and view all other costs as fixed, scheduled costs. That equates to around $.10 a mile for most people.

I love it when folks compare Lexington to cities which are obviously much higher up on the status chart.

Nashville, a consolidated government like ours, is nearly twice the population and its MSA nearly triple that of Lexington and having a train haul the equivalent of maybe a few thousand people, nine or ten times a year for football weekends is hardly a windfall for the rail line. Louisville is probably 4 times the distance from Lex. as Lebanon is from Nashville. We are not even talking about the same league of thought.

I still think that some sort of commuter service SHOULD be run between our two cities, but if it were a real money maker - someone would already be doing it regardless of the obstacles.

I love it when folks compare Lexington to cities which are obviously much higher up on the status chart.

Nashville, a consolidated government like ours, is nearly twice the population and its MSA nearly triple that of Lexington and having a train haul the equivalent of maybe a few thousand people, nine or ten times a year for football weekends is hardly a windfall for the rail line. Louisville is probably 4 times the distance from Lex. as Lebanon is from Nashville. We are not even talking about the same league of thought.

I still think that some sort of commuter service SHOULD be run between our two cities, but if it were a real money maker - someone would already be doing it regardless of the obstacles.

You could say that about everything and if you did no one would ever start a business. Just because it hasn't been done, doesn't make it a bad idea. That kind of thought process is ridiculous. Not saying your conclusion that it isn't a money maker is incorrect, but your reasoning is flawed at best. I don't think anyone has ever thought you could do it for such little investment, and I still am dubious that you can, but if they can in fact pull it off, I think you have to do it.

There is reason to be pessimistic about the commuter rail. It seems stuff like this gets everyone’s hopes up, but always falls short of their expectations. However, if it could seriously be built and operational for $75 million, practically a $1 million a mile, that is, I believe, a reasonable price and should seriously be considered. Given, they haven’t conducted feasibility and environmental impact studies yet which could ultimately make the project too costly. But as a comparison, how much does it cost to add a lane in each direction on the interstate, per mile? Eventually, one or the other will probably need to happen.

I have every reason to be skeptical about this proposal.

Back in '61, when the George Washington train was still making a daily run each way, the top speed allowed between HK Tower and Frankfort was 55 mph. That was with signals in place, which have now been removed. Top speed the east side of Frankfort to Lexington was 45 mph and with slow downs in Frankfort and Midway (street running) along with station time, it was a two hour trip. The track is in much worse shape now and the tight curves are still there. One simply cannot average 80 mph over the existing alignment.

One more thing to consider. Lexington has begun the Town Branch Trail immediately adjacent to the rail line in question, primarily because it was a lightly used line. I doubt that many folks would like to use it with high speed trains zipping past about 30 feet away. This trail is supposed to switch sides of the rail line at the Alexandria Dr crossing.

I do want commuter rail to Louisville as much as everyone else, but I don't see it happening here.

Fair enough

Gray calls for study of possible Rupp Arena renovation (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/01/25/1610839/gray-tackles-development-of-centrepointe.html#more)

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http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2011/01/25/14/110125Mayormc056.aurora_standalone.prod_affiliate.79.jpg

By Beverly Fortune Jan 25, 2011 — bfortune@herald-leader.com

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray called for a study to determine the feasibility of redesigning and renovating Rupp Arena, home to University of Kentucky basketball, and the Lexington Center on Tuesday in his first State of the Merged Government speech.

"There are many people who believe the Civic Center's arena and the convention complex need a total redesign and renovation to bring the facilities up to competitive standards," Gray said. "It needs to be the best -- state of the art. Making it the best is a responsible investment in our Lexington brand."

Gray said he will appoint in the next two weeks a task force to conduct a study "to get our arms around what is possible" at the Civic Center, which houses the arena used by the University of Kentucky basketball team, and the city's convention center.

That study, with a Lexington civic leader as its head, will be financed by private donations, he said.

"The first step should be to examine the existing facility to determine whether it could be utilized or whether it could not be utilized," Gray said after the speech.

University of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd, Jr. issued a statement Tuesday afternoon that said the idea of building a new arena to replace Rupp Arena should not be discarded and that UK "is very interested in being a part of the planning process."

"While past studies of a possible Rupp Arena renovation have identified several challenges, we are open to new ideas and participating in those discussions," Todd said. "We would encourage every idea to be considered, including the concept of a new arena.”

Asked what a renovation might involve, Gray said the KFC Yum Center in Louisville would be the “competitive benchmark” the city would use.

Jim Host, a Lexington businessman who is chairman of the Louisville Arena Authority, said Gray asked him his opinion about what to do about Rupp Arena a couple weeks ago.

“My comment was 'I don’t think there is any way you can duplicate the look of the arena in Louisville in Lexington on that (High Street) site because you don’t have the river, you don’t have the front door, you don’t have the plaza, you don’t have the whole area of Main Street like you have in Louisville,'" Host said.

After saying he hadn’t talked to anyone else about the arena, Host said, “If it were me, I’d make this (Rupp Arena) the Wrigley Field of college basketball. I’d make this the Fenway Park of college basketball. Because already it has a certain mystique about it nation-wide of 'my gosh, I’m going to play in Rupp Arena.'”

Host said he told Gray that he has no interest in leading a new task force but that "I’m more than willing to be an advisor."

The Louisville arena project has been “24/7 for almost six years,” he said. “I’m 73.”

Gray also spoke Tuesday about several other issues facing the city, including the vacant block where the proposed CentrePointe development stalled.

Two blocks to the east of the Civic Center is "a patch of ground with enormous potential," Gray said, referring to the block.

Gray said he has been talking with developer Dudley Webb about a possible reconfiguration of the upscale hotel and condominium project.

As vice mayor, Gray opposed the proposed development.

The city also needs to take another look at plans for a water feature that would connect the two sites, which sit atop the original banks of Town Branch creek, he said.

Trolleys Becoming Fixtures of Downtown Lexington Scene (http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2011-01-25-96892.113117-Trolleys-Becoming-Fixtures-of-Downtown-Lexington-Scene.html#print)

http://www.smileypete.com/placedimages/f189F8KMj1C0DF23.med.jpg

by Kristen Geil

January 25, 2011

Lexington, KY - You may have seen one during a recent trip to downtown Lexington: a humble green trolley chugging its way down Main Street at lunchtime, or perhaps a little later on a weekend evening. The five Colt Trolleys, part of LexTran's transportation fleet, have become popular among downtown visitors for their environmentally friendly power, convenient running times, and easy access to downtown's best attractions.

The opportunity to reinstate the trolley system came at an ideal time for LexTran and the city of Lexington, according to Jill Barnett, LexTran's Director of Community Affairs.

"With the downtown revitalization effort taking place, that was one of the contributing factors in bringing the trolley back. We also got a federal grant and with all those things combined, we couldn't really turn our back on the opportunity," she said.

Public transportation in Lexington dates back to the late 19th Century, according to the LexTran website. "Beginning with city omnibuses in 1874, the mule car days of 1882, the electric streetcar in 1890, the motor bus in 1938, and the trolley bus introduced in 1982, Lexington has experienced a continuing evolution in its public transportation system," the site notes.

Re-introduced nearly a year ago in March of 2010, the Colt Trolleys (two of which are hybrid electric vehicles) were purchased using a Federal Highway Administration CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) grant through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

Barnett believes the Colt Trolleys may be an effective way to attract more citizens to Lexington's public transportation system. The trolley system is primarily aimed at "choice riders," people who have their own cars and don't use public transportation in daily life.

"They could use the trolley to bridge the gap," Barnett points out.

Another appealing feature of the trolley is its running frequency. With a circulation time of roughly ten minutes, waiting is brief, a nod to citizens' complaints about the bus system.

"One thing we hear about using the bus is that you have to wait. People say 'if the bus came more often, maybe I'd be more apt to use it.' With the trolley, we try to keep service more frequent- every ten to 15 minutes," explains Barnett.

Many entrepreneurs have contacted LexTran about the trolley routes, eager to have their businesses included as stops in hopes of increasing foot traffic and sales. Unfortunately, the economic essential of frequent circulation means that LexTran authorities have to be cautious when deciding if and where to add stops to the trolley's routes.

Responds Barnett, "Any time someone contacts us, we have to keep in mind that with every addition, the frequency becomes less and less. In years past when we had trolleys and they fizzled out, it was because the route became longer and longer, so it became no different from the bus.

"We always consider and evaluate any suggestions that are brought to us or changes, but in those evaluations that is one of the main things we consider- how will this impact the customer, how will this increase their wait time, how will this contribute to safety."

However, Barnett also notes that LexTran strives to cultivate relationships with business owners and work with them to attract more customers for the benefit of both. For example, advertising space is available on the trolleys, although in a slightly different format than what appears on the busses. LexTran is seeking businesses along the routes that will advertise in a way complementary to the trolley's aesthetic and will meet the goals of both the advertiser and LexTran.

Marketing efforts are also being directed towards people who are unfamiliar with the trolley system. Areas of emphasis include the Jefferson Street neighborhood and its new restaurants, new students on the local campuses, and other downtown restaurants and hotels.

"We're always trying to get our material in the hands of people who might not have seen it before," says Barnett.

Although the exact impact of the trolley won't be officially assessed until the next transit system analysis in 2014, the hope is that the trolleys are here to stay, and maybe even expand.

"I've had questions about the trolleys being only for the World Equestrian Games.. they were never intended to be temporary. I hope that they're so successful that we're able to win more grant money to get more of them and maybe expand routes to go even further than the downtown area," says Barnett.

Barnett also says she thinks the trolley system speaks to the downtown revitalization. As a former University of Kentucky student who moved away and then returned, she has noticed that downtown Lexington has become a more vibrant and active area that is attracting more young professionals.

"With the downtown revitalization and trying to bring new talent and industry to downtown, I think the trolley complements that and makes it more appealing to people. It enhances the appeal of the convention center, downtown venues, and restaurants."

When we were talking about the rail connection between Louisville and Lexington, one thing no one mentioned was the potential connection into the future Chicago Hub Network (Midwest High Speed Rail Initiative) through Louisville. While the Indianapolis to Louisville leg isn't part of the initial phase of the project, it is being included in discussions for the later phases. A rail connection in this scenario would capture a much wider passenger base.

Apparently, one of the primary entities working on this concept( I hate to call it a project at this point) is an adjunct professor at UK, specializing in transit and rail planning. Check out their web site here http://schimpeler.com/contact.html Notice that they are based in Shelbyville and this would make it easy to get to campus for them.

there seems to be a lot of talk about the new arena or a renovated arena http://kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=70777 . It seems that if the city decides to renovate the arena instead of building a new one UK will most likely build their own on campus. From a development standpoint a new arena would do wonders for downtown. Not only having a new arena but also having a new 2000 to 3000 seat concert hall and more convention space. I think in the end they will build a new one, but if they dont it will be interesting to see.

I think Gray has no idea what he is doing. I think people are attracted to his honesty and go-it-alone nature, which might play well in the papers, but not in the legislature. Running a city takes big time negotiation skills ... which I don't think he has.

On the arena thing, I feel like Gray just gave away the farm. Whether or not UK needs a new arena, and I will grant there is some legitimacy to the concept of Rupp as Wrigley Field, you can't say that publicly because you lose all negotiating power. You also take negotiating power away from UK friendly legislators in Frankfort. A coordinated effort between UK, the city, and the business community, for instance, could have translated putting off the arena project into funding for the new business school.

Whether or not that kind of backroom dealing is a good thing, it is a real thing. Newberry understood this world. Gray just doesn't seem to get it.

Chalk this up to a clean victory for Louisville's team.

Agree on Jim Gray. He talks a lot and doesn't back it up. The way he won the election was pitiful with false negative adds and it's sad to see this city fall for it cause Newberry had us on the right track. Don't want to get into it about that but Something has to be done by 2017 when the Rupp contract expires so I can see something happening sooner rather than later.

East End development plan includes help center for non-profit groups (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/02/01/1619022/east-end-development-plan-includes.html#more)

By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com

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A center to help non-profit groups get started is expected to open in April as part of a larger revitalization project for the East End neighborhood in downtown Lexington, the Kentucky Conference for Community Justice announced Monday.

The KCCJ plans to open The Plantory, described as a social innovation center that would help non-profits collaborate on community improvement projects while lowering their administrative costs by sharing office space, on the first floor of the Community Ventures Corp. building at the corner of East Third and Midland Avenue.

The Plantory is part of a larger proposal unveiled last week by Lexington developer Phil Holoubek. The preliminary plan, called The Incubator, shows a public market and commercial kitchen, a community garden, retail, residential and office space in an area bounded generally by Midland Avenue, East Third Street, Ann Street and East Second Street.

"We're calling it The Incubator because to my mind, this plan is about economic development and creating jobs in the East End," said Holoubek, a downtown developer who worked with urban planner Ed Holmes and EOP Architects on developing The Incubator.

Holoubek said he volunteered his time and experience to come up with a revitalization plan, but that he did not own any of the land involved. There is privately owned land in the designated area, plus city-owned property.

"We are beginning talks with residents to make sure whatever we do is in step with what they want," said Kevin Smith, president of Community Ventures Crop., a non-profit community development organization that works to revitalize low income neighborhoods.

Community Ventures has invested more than $4 million in the East End neighborhood in the past three years, buying several parcels of land and doing two environmental clean up projects.

"We're waiting now for the city to issue a request for proposals for the Charles Whitney Young Center. We would like to develop the land behind the center with other property to have a cohesive unit," Smith said.

The building, which is owned by the city but now sits empty, would be preserved and put to a new use that meets neighborhood approval, he said.

"The neighbors' desires have to be number one in making the decision of what goes in that building," Smith said. "It's imperative, because it's really their building."

Once the building's future is determined, the public market can be designed and fund-raising can begin, Smith said.

A contingent of concerned East End residents showed up at an Urban County Council meeting last Thursday night to talk about the importance of the Charles Young Center and urge stakeholders to seek public input before making any decisions.

Apart from The Incubator project, First District Councilman Chris Ford had said he planned to push a resolution that sought federal funds to convert the Charles Young Center into a Head Start and day care center.

Billie Mallory, president of the William Wells Brown Neighborhood Association, said neighbors agreed with Ford's decision to withdraw his resolution on Thursday.

Holoubek said neighborhood feedback also will be solicited for the entire Incubator revitalization plan.

"We want to know what the neighbors want," he said. "The plan will be revised after we get community feedback."

As for The Plantory, it will be a 5,000 square foot center where non-profits and social-oriented entrepreneurs can rent office space, individual desks, telephones, printers, Internet connections and other modern necessities.

"Sharing space will encourage people to talk together, network and brainstorm ideas," said KCCJ chair Shannon Stuart-Smith.

If the Plantory grows as expected in the next 18 months the KCCJ will either build a 15,000 square foot addition to the back of the Community Ventures building or construct a new 20,000 square foot building, she said.

"We're really trying to break down barriers between non-profits and bring them together so they think of themselves not as individual tenants, but as a community of social innovators who can network, brainstorm and do more by working together," said KCCJ board member Debra Hensley.

I think it looks good aesthetically. Anything will look better than the vacan buildings empty lots there now.

I would like to hear more about whether the developers have taken steps to make sure that this development doesn't price out its neighbors. This is a delicate neighborhood, i lived a couple blocks over for two years, and i would have to see people displaced from an established neighborhood because of increasing gentrification.

I think it looks good aesthetically. Anything will look better than the vacan buildings empty lots there now.

I would like to hear more about whether the developers have taken steps to make sure that this development doesn't price out its neighbors. This is a delicate neighborhood, i lived a couple blocks over for two years, and i would have to see people displaced from an established neighborhood because of increasing gentrification.

How are you displacing people if you build on an empty lot? I agree that I hope they keep the residential relatively affordable, but I don't think it has to be subsidized housing to be appropriate. I like the idea of having an incubator, I hope they are successful. I thought they had pretty much been doing this in that building already? I knew a girl who worked at a non profit who had an office in that building.

Building on an empty lot will not displace any people, but folks DID live here before these lots were aggregated and the houses torn down. I see Ian's position. The success of this project will increase pressure on the adjacent properties to the west to be redeveloped and probably at an overall lower density. That could displace some families.

Carto is correct, but just to expand on what he said...


The pressure to develop is already there and could be felt before the '08 housing crash. I was living on the 300 block of Ohio at the time of the crash and the subsequent foreclosure fallout which hit that neighborhood pretty hard and relieved the development pressure but when the housing market improves it will return.

And while the improvements going on there are great, the Lyric, Legacy Trail, Isaac Murphy, etc., they are also making the East End more attractive to potential developers and also justifies landlords raising the rents on properties they own there.

And while I don't know which is worse for low income individuals in the area, whether it's being priced out by property taxes and new developments or whether it's being prone to abuse by absentee slumlords and decaying infrastructure.

I would, however, like to believe that those aren't the only choices available.

I guess why I asked the question.

Something needs to happen for sure along Midland Avenue, the empty lots and abandoned buildings are not a good introduction for visitor's coming into the city via Winchester Road to downtown Lexington. It's just my hope that the developers who build there are sensitive to the delicate state of established residents in a gentrifying neighborhood.

Understand, but most of that section of third street is empty lots or empty buildings. There is a need for retail in that area as many close by do not have cars. The only way to get some of those services is to improve the area. This will make it more desirable, which I would think would be a good thing. I understand that there are people there that you would not want to push out, but I don't see how keeping a place empty and falling down is a service to anyone. Broken sidewalks, falling down houses and over grown lots will keep rent down, but it won't help anyone and simply encourages crime.

I have always found the fear of gentrification over blown. That area is not going to suddenly turn into Chevy Chase. Maybe if the area gets improved there will be more and better jobs and the people there can both stay and pay more rent. Seems like a better solution than keeping it a slum just so the rent doesn't go up. I own subsidized housing, I understand that people need a place to live and you have to be careful about pushing people out in the name of progress, but not improving an area that has long been ignored is not the way to go about it.

Understand, but most of that section of third street is empty lots or empty buildings. There is a need for retail in that area as many close by do not have cars. The only way to get some of those services is to improve the area. This will make it more desirable, which I would think would be a good thing. I understand that there are people there that you would not want to push out, but I don't see how keeping a place empty and falling down is a service to anyone. Broken sidewalks, falling down houses and over grown lots will keep rent down, but it won't help anyone and simply encourages crime.

I have always found the fear of gentrification over blown. That area is not going to suddenly turn into Chevy Chase. Maybe if the area gets improved there will be more and better jobs and the people there can both stay and pay more rent. Seems like a better solution than keeping it a slum just so the rent doesn't go up. I own subsidized housing, I understand that people need a place to live and you have to be careful about pushing people out in the name of progress, but not improving an area that has long been ignored is not the way to go about it.

I don't think the development is bad or wrong in and of its self, but it could become so if done poorly or without regard for the neighborhood.

No one said allowing the East End to remain as it is with crumbling infrastructure and high crime is a good thing.

But market-driven gentrification isn't the way either unless you have a developer that is sensitive to the established nature of the neighborhood. Time after time, in city after city, if development is not regulated either by community land trusts, other community tools, or the conscious of the developer established neighborhoods are gutted and low income people displaced.

The real tragedy of market-driven gentrification is that concerned citizens band together and do the hard work of demanding better schools, better infrastructure, they stand up to crime in the area, etc. only to be priced out once the improvements are made and middle class citizens become interested in the area.

Gentrification concerns are not overstated. Other metros such as Chicago's metro have seen a vast redistribution of population based on relative wealth streaming out of Chicago and into first ring suburbs because they have been priced out of most of the city of Chicago.

The East End isn't going to turn into Chevy Chase at least not anytime soon but it doesn't have to in order to price out most of the people living there. With so many of my neighbors there living paycheck to paycheck a small increase in property values or rents could serve to displace them.

That's why i pontificated as to whether the developers have considered the potential impact of the development? You've really seized on that comment i made, what's bugging so much about it and maybe we can get to the heart of the disagreement?

Excited by the Distillery story in today's paper.

http://www.kentucky.com/2011/02/04/1622137/distillers-group-opens-to-craft.html

The group itself changing is not that big of a deal, but the expansion of craft distilling, I think, is a good thing.

On top of that, I am just really stoked about the aggressiveness that Pearse Lyons seems to be showing. A new building, multiple new brands, clear upticks in advertising ... the I feel like he is the best chance that Lexington has for a functioning and profitable distillery.

Main Street facades getting a makeover (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/02/07/1626519/main-street-facades-getting-a.html#more)

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By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com

West Main St. from Wrenn Ct. (left) to N. Limestone St., photographed on Friday, Feb. 4, 2011 on the 100 block of West Main St. in Lexington, Ky. On the one hundred block of West Main, from Limestone west to Wrenn Ct., facades on three buildings are being restored. One building is finished. Photo by David Perry | Staff DAVID PERRY | STAFFBuy Photo

When work is completed on the facades of two buildings in the 100 block of West Main Street, all but two buildings between North Limestone and Wrenn Court across from the vacant CentrePointe lot will have been restored.

"This block is going to be amazing," said Anna Marletta, general manger of Bellini's restaurant at 115 West Main Street. "This is the core (of downtown). This is the only intact block (of old buildings) left on Main Street. It's got to look the nicest."

Perhaps one of downtown's most stunning facades was discovered under a plywood and brick veneer at 123 West Main, the old Phoenix and Third National Bank. Beneath the veneer owners found an elaborate beaux-arts facade with four columns, each topped with ornate capitals.

"We had some suspicion that brick facade was covering something magical underneath. We just didn't know what," said Josh Marrillia, owner of Marrillia Design and Construction. His firm is restoring both the facade and interior of the late 19th century building, which will become an upscale lounge and jazz club that is scheduled to open in the spring.

"You have this seamless example of historic facade next to historic facade in this block," Marrillia said. "It's preserving what our streetscape looked like at the turn of the previous century."

Restoration of the limestone and terra cotta facade "is very tedious work" — and expensive, Marrillia said.

Among other things, GRW Architects used a three-dimensional laser scanner to map out details for replacement pieces that were knocked off when the brick facade was erected in the 1960's.

The cost to restore the facade will be close to $300,000, said Kerry Glass, who will be general manager of the lounge.

The other building now undergoing facade restoration is 109 West Main, which houses Sunshine Bakery. Workmen started removing the stucco facade on New Year's Day.

Businessman James Caton bought the building 40 years ago, but he said he only recently thought about restoring the facade at the urging of his daughter, Caren, whom he described as an avid preservationist.

The original windows are being rebuilt and the building's brick front is being tuck-pointed. Caton expects to hold his costs to about $35,000. Fiscally, he said, "I'm a pretty conservative fellow."

This block of West Main lies within the Courthouse Area Design District, an area in the core downtown business district where facade changes must be approved by the Courthouse Area Design Review Board.

The district was created by ordinance in 2000 to encourage growth and redevelopment in the downtown area while preserving its unique features. To date, 41 projects have been completed, said Billy Van Pelt, a staff review officer for the board.

Many of the projects have occurred in the past two or three years.

"Success has a domino affect," Van Pelt said. "Every project that is completed encourages other building owners to make a similar investment."

Projects approved by the review board include renovation of Harvey's and Hugo's on West Main, Mia's and Molly Brooks buildings on North Limestone, and Dudley's, Table 310 and Metropol on West Short.

"Arguably, the one failure was the CentrePointe block," said board chairman Mike Meuser.

The review board gave developers Dudley and Woodford Webb permission in June 2008 to raze the buildings on the north side of the CentrePointe block, which is part of the design district. The entire block was ultimately cleared but a proposed 25-story hotel and condominium project stalled, turning a once bustling block into an empty field.

Design guidelines for the district are fairly flexible and do not require that facades be restored to their original state unless architectural features are found intact. Guidelines do not dictate paint color.

Contemporary interpretations of historic store fronts are allowed. That happened to the building next door to the Phoenix and Third National Bank, where the first floor front had been sealed with concrete block and windows on the second and third floors were missing.

A first-floor contemporary brick facade was added with a modern door and two large windows. Windows were added to the top part of the building, which was then painted blue.

In all, Van Pelt said, "when you walk through the Design Review District now, everything looks pretty good."

UK wants tax breaks for development at Coldstream campus
By Beth Musgrave and Cheryl Truman


FRANKFORT — A measure that would let the University of Kentucky use tax breaks to help spur a multi-use development at its long-troubled Coldstream Research Campus cleared the House budget committee on Tuesday.

Under House Bill 310, university research parks and military bases could apply to receive tax increment financing, commonly called TIF, for development projects. Tax increment financing uses taxes generated from a development to pay for infrastructure improvements, such as new streets, utilities, demolition, landscaping and parking structures.

Democratic Rep. Bob Damron of Nicholasville, the bill's sponsor, said UK would like to add a multi-use development on a 35-acre plot that would include laboratory space, retail and restaurants near the Embassy Suites off Newtown Pike. About 10 acres of the area is parkland and would not be developed.

George Ward, executive director of Coldstream, said in a statement that creating a TIF district would help create high-paying research and development jobs.

"It is highly unlikely that a developer could be found that would be willing to build the laboratory space without an incentive," Ward said.

Tax increment financing is an economic development tool that allows cities around Kentucky to redevelop economically distressed areas. The General Assembly gave Louisville the authority to use TIF in 1988 and added TIF eligibility for other cities in 2007.

If the latest TIF bill is signed into law and UK trustees approve a development project, UK could begin trying to find a developer within 60 days, Ward said.

The university hopes to add three buildings that include laboratories and incubator space for high-tech start-ups. The new development would eventually create between 1,500 and 2,000 jobs, Damron said.

The bill also would allow a TIF development within three miles of Fort Campbell near Hopkinsville. That development — a mix of retail, restaurant and other spaces — would eventually help the state generate much-needed sales tax revenue, according to its backers.

Rep. Arnold Simpson, D-Covington, said he supported the measure but would like to see more done to track whether TIF financing actually works.

Several TIF projects have been built around the state in recent years. In July, TIF financing was approved by the state for a Lexington entertainment/apartment district on Angliana Avenue. TIF financing was also considered for the never-built CentrePointe complex on Main Street.

At Coldstream, UK officials have been frustrated for decades by the slow pace of development. Most recently, the 735-acre campus has been envisioned as a national center of pharmaceutical development.

In 2009, construction of a signature building at Coldstream, the Lexhold International Center for Technological Innovation, fell substantially behind schedule amid claims of unpaid bills and troubles with the building's developer.

The building has since been completed and ground was broken at Coldstream in 2010 for the new 300,000 square foot Eastern State Hospital mental health facility, which will cost $129 million.

Selma Owens, who operates a catering business and cafe in the Lexel building on Bull Lea Road, said that while her catering business doesn't rely heavily on foot traffic, being in a busier neighborhood would be a benefit to nearby businesses such as the Embassy Suites hotel.

"I don't think anybody who runs a business out here would not be happy ... for day-in, day-out business," Owens said. "We love the location. ... It's close to the university, it's close to downtown and it is a good spot."

Ron van Haaren, general manager of the Embassy Suites, said TIF financing will make the area more attractive for relocating companies and regional headquarters.

"The way we have developed Coldstream the last 12, 13 years hasn't generated all that much more jobs," he said.

The TIF bill, van Haaren said, "will be beneficial, not just for us, but for Lexington in general."

Coldstream, he said, is "a piece of land we can do a lot more with than we we have."

Main Street facades getting a makeover (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/02/07/1626519/main-street-facades-getting-a.html#more)

http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2011/02/07/18/110204FACADEdp601.aurora_standalone.prod_affiliate.79.jpg

By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com

West Main St. from Wrenn Ct. (left) to N. Limestone St., photographed on Friday, Feb. 4, 2011 on the 100 block of West Main St. in Lexington, Ky. On the one hundred block of West Main, from Limestone west to Wrenn Ct., facades on three buildings are being restored. One building is finished. Photo by David Perry | Staff DAVID PERRY | STAFFBuy Photo

When work is completed on the facades of two buildings in the 100 block of West Main Street, all but two buildings between North Limestone and Wrenn Court across from the vacant CentrePointe lot will have been restored.

"This block is going to be amazing," said Anna Marletta, general manger of Bellini's restaurant at 115 West Main Street. "This is the core (of downtown). This is the only intact block (of old buildings) left on Main Street. It's got to look the nicest."

Perhaps one of downtown's most stunning facades was discovered under a plywood and brick veneer at 123 West Main, the old Phoenix and Third National Bank. Beneath the veneer owners found an elaborate beaux-arts facade with four columns, each topped with ornate capitals.

"We had some suspicion that brick facade was covering something magical underneath. We just didn't know what," said Josh Marrillia, owner of Marrillia Design and Construction. His firm is restoring both the facade and interior of the late 19th century building, which will become an upscale lounge and jazz club that is scheduled to open in the spring.

"You have this seamless example of historic facade next to historic facade in this block," Marrillia said. "It's preserving what our streetscape looked like at the turn of the previous century."

Restoration of the limestone and terra cotta facade "is very tedious work" — and expensive, Marrillia said.

Among other things, GRW Architects used a three-dimensional laser scanner to map out details for replacement pieces that were knocked off when the brick facade was erected in the 1960's.

The cost to restore the facade will be close to $300,000, said Kerry Glass, who will be general manager of the lounge.

The other building now undergoing facade restoration is 109 West Main, which houses Sunshine Bakery. Workmen started removing the stucco facade on New Year's Day.

Businessman James Caton bought the building 40 years ago, but he said he only recently thought about restoring the facade at the urging of his daughter, Caren, whom he described as an avid preservationist.

The original windows are being rebuilt and the building's brick front is being tuck-pointed. Caton expects to hold his costs to about $35,000. Fiscally, he said, "I'm a pretty conservative fellow."

This block of West Main lies within the Courthouse Area Design District, an area in the core downtown business district where facade changes must be approved by the Courthouse Area Design Review Board.

The district was created by ordinance in 2000 to encourage growth and redevelopment in the downtown area while preserving its unique features. To date, 41 projects have been completed, said Billy Van Pelt, a staff review officer for the board.

Many of the projects have occurred in the past two or three years.

"Success has a domino affect," Van Pelt said. "Every project that is completed encourages other building owners to make a similar investment."

Projects approved by the review board include renovation of Harvey's and Hugo's on West Main, Mia's and Molly Brooks buildings on North Limestone, and Dudley's, Table 310 and Metropol on West Short.

"Arguably, the one failure was the CentrePointe block," said board chairman Mike Meuser.

The review board gave developers Dudley and Woodford Webb permission in June 2008 to raze the buildings on the north side of the CentrePointe block, which is part of the design district. The entire block was ultimately cleared but a proposed 25-story hotel and condominium project stalled, turning a once bustling block into an empty field.

Design guidelines for the district are fairly flexible and do not require that facades be restored to their original state unless architectural features are found intact. Guidelines do not dictate paint color.

Contemporary interpretations of historic store fronts are allowed. That happened to the building next door to the Phoenix and Third National Bank, where the first floor front had been sealed with concrete block and windows on the second and third floors were missing.

A first-floor contemporary brick facade was added with a modern door and two large windows. Windows were added to the top part of the building, which was then painted blue.

In all, Van Pelt said, "when you walk through the Design Review District now, everything looks pretty good."

Is it just me or does this picture look like it's computer generated? I know its not, but it looks like it to me.

Anyway, check out Lexington Real Estate Company's "potential projects" page here:http://www.lrcrealestate.com/bin/web/real_estate/AR54778/NEWSLETTER/Lexington/1293740361.html I don't know what the first two renderings are for, that may be a new project. The third pic, with the two towers I believe was their rendering for their proposal to the city for a project on top of the downtown bus station and parking garage on Vine St.

The last rendering was for the site where they are now going to build a CVS, it's really too bad that one didn't work out. It would have been great there.

Pretty interesting stuff and would love to see "the bridge" happen but don't see it being that radical or cool.

Most of the stuff on the LRC site appears to be renderings from EOP . Last that I heard was the CVS proposal is now officially DEAD, but EOP is pursuing the relocation of the offending KU lines. So maybe the proposal for Main and Vine could be a go again, now that the economy is turning.

So CVS is no longer looking at the site?

The economy was the bigger issue with the LRC/EOP development stalling, but wasn't the city's unwillingness to build/fund a parking garage part of it as well? Will that be an issue going forward?

Not sure why the city should have to build a parking deck for a private office building. I know they have done it before and there are projects it makes sense for, but I don't think this is one of them personally.

The government should not be in the parking business at all. Just when and why did the government, or any public agency, get into the parking business. It should be a private concern. The city should make sure that they are safe and attractive but that ia as far as they should be allowed to go.

Has anybody seen what the Lexington Center Corp. has done to the Rupp Arena lot along the Town Branch Creek? Or what Corman is doing under the bridge? The area should be ready for the dinner train by mid-year I am told.

Read an article this morning about Phase 2 of the 500's being taken over by the bank and a potential developer coming online to finish the project. With the H-L's new format I can't find the article again.

Here it is:

Bank takes over unfinished downtown condo complex (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/02/18/1639676/bank-takes-over-unfinished-downtown.html)

An unfinished portion of The 500s on Main, a prominent development in downtown Lexington that has become a boarded-up eyesore, has been taken over by the lender.
Citizens National Bank of Paintsville hopes to sell phase two of the complex of condominiums and retail space at West Main and Algonquin Streets, which includes 16 condo units, 32 parking spaces and first-floor retail space.

-more at the website-

Well ... a CVS for the old Springs property (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/02/19/1640864/cvs-slated-for-former-springs.html).

Of course [shaking head].

A nice large chunk of land inside the circle ... let's divide it up into parking lots, surrounding brick boxes, containing overpriced crap.

Can someone please explain to me how all these "pharmacies" make it? Are we literally that heavily drugged as a country?

These arent drug stores. They're a middle step between a gas station convenience store and a department store/grocery store. They just happen to have a pharmacy in them. That's why they're popping up everywhere.

Today's version of the "general store" at the crossroads? Plenty of room to hitch the wagons and tie up the mule. That and they got liquor so as you don't have to go to the saloon to drink.

You were right on the comment board on the news website Carto- we do vote with our money, and obviously there is enough support for these pharmacies (by Lexingtonians) to keep building these everywhere (there is one directly across the street from this site).

1.5 acres is a huge lot of land for one pharmacy- this is going to look pretty stupid. I'm glad the property owners were able to sell it, but it sucks it's going to be ANOTHER pharmacy.

Downtown CVS Plan Scrapped, Multi-Use Development Planned (http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2011-02-22-97096.113117-Downtown-CVS-Plan-Scrapped-MultiUse-Development-Planned.html#print)

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by Erik A. Carlson

February 22, 2011

Lexington, KY - The CVS drugstore planned for the confluence of Main and Vine downtown has been scrapped as a result of site difficulties due to an underground electric utility issue.

Property owner and downtown developer Phil Holoubek said Gary Joy, the developer of the CVS project, couldn't make the site work within their plans because of the utility junction buried on the site. Holoubek said KU was fine with the box being moved, but it would have been at the expense of the developer, and the price tag, he said, was approaching the million dollar mark.

"It is my understanding that they could not fit their typical one story building on the site without the KU vault being moved," Holoubek said.

"We were disappointed that they weren't willing to consider anything more than a one story structure," he said.

Holoubek has released renderings for a replacement structure for the site: a three-story mixed-use building. The middle of the building includes a vehicle passthrough to parking. But the passthrough's main purpose is to develop the site without moving the underground utilities, yet still allowing access.

"KU has been great to work with," Holoubek said. "They allowed us to put the building within two feet of the (underground) vault and allowed the building overhead with 20 feet of clearance."

The renderings were the work of EOP Architects, designers of Main & Rose, a Holoubek development across the street from the proposed building site.

"Several similar buildings together can create a feeling of a district," he said.

This three-story building will aim to have retail on the first floor of the entire stretch of the building and offices or other commercial space on the top two floors of the side of the building closest to the point of Main and Vine. The other side of the building toward Rose would allow for office or residential space on the top two floors, he said.

Holoubek said he would like to get a restaurant to take some of the first floor space, and has been in talks with potential tenants to that end. He would also like to see a parking structure built for the site and has talked with both Mayor Gray's administration and the previous administration under Mayor Newberry about the city building a structure on the site that could service the eastern end of downtown like the library and annex garages do for the center of downtown and the Victorian Square garage does for the west end of downtown.

He's designed the site to allow for a three floor, 156 space parking structure that could be expanded westerly if the rest of the block is developed.

"Not having a garage is what killed the original multi-use design for that site," said Holoubek. Three years ago he had hoped to attract a grocery to downtown as well as other amenities to the site that at the time would have stretched most of the block toward Rose. Development agreements for buildings still on the block have expired.

During the summer demolition began on site of the former Integra Bank building and another that housed Heritage Antiques and E. Stephen Hein Florist. The CVS developer, Joy, told Business Lexington that construction was to start on the building in September 2010, but discovery of the utilities derailed those plans.

Though initially announced plans have stalled, Holoubek said he is excited about the opportunity to develop the site himself. "I'm excited to formally step into the role of developer for the site, and work toward producing a mixed use project worthy of our great downtown gateway."

The building as currently designed has a glass wall up the entire eastern side facing the confluence of Main and Vine and Holoubek is planning on putting a signature piece of public art at the point.

also Jefferson st. and Nick Ryan's is really coming along and with another house converted should make the street even better.

Nick Ryan’s Saloon to Expand to Neighboring House (http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2011-02-22-97070.113117-Nick-Ryans-Saloon-to-Expand-to-Neighboring-House-.html#print)

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by Anne Sabatino Hardy

February 22, 2011

Lexington, KY - Nick Ryan's Saloon stands at an address on Jefferson Street that, not long ago, was an empty lot. And now, the restaurant that sprouted from the once-empty lot is about to expand to its neighboring parcel.

Lexington restauranteur and developer Don Wathen, along with his wife, Barb, purchased the lot and intended to built a custom space downstairs that would be fit up for a restaurant and two apartments upstairs. They planned to lease the restaurant space to a local, independent establishment.

"In this economy, the way things have been going, it's hard to find an independent, but I felt that the whole trend was going toward people being for local," said Wathen. "People wanted to support local and I felt that downtown Lexington was sitting there humming and especially Jefferson street and I just looked at her one day and I said, let's just do it ourselves."

In November 2010, Nick Ryan's Saloon opened and began to fill up with diners from downtown and beyond. The restaurant, with its intimate dining room, is often on a wait and the bar has itself become a destination thanks to custom creations and friendly banter from the bartender and managing partner Adam Geissler.

After several months of full house nights at Nick Ryan's, the Wathens decided to expand. A house next door that also was available seemed a logical choice, but there was a lot of work to do and the property needed someone with a vision.

"I always knew I wanted that piece of property, even before I got (Nick Ryan's) open...I'm going to totally restore it: same facade, same everything. It's got a front porch just like (Nick Ryan's), but I'm going to connect the two, make the two lots the same, so everything here will be 157 Jefferson St."

In addition to two apartments upstairs, the property will add some support space for Nick Ryan's: 14 parking spaces, a patio in the back, an additional prep kitchen, an office and another small dining room with about 30 seats. The expansion is projected to be completed by May 1.

"We're getting an awful lot of people asking us about reservations and parties," said Wathen. "I don't want to hurt the integrity of Nick Ryan's, and we will probably try to keep it first come, first served, but the room might end up being for reservations and parties. I guess the business really dictates what I do and we're just stumbling and crawling before walking and running."

Even though Nick Ryan's is making the most visible expansion right now, other businesses on the street are also making changes that indicate the increased traffic in the area.

The Grey Goose, which serves pizza and pub food, is opening for lunch every day beginning at 11:00 a.m. And Stella's Kentucky Deli is now offering dinner Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays until 9:00 p.m.

Though the businesses are necessarily competitors, there is a cooperative attitude between the owners and operators, who all seem invested in the neighborhood as well as their own success.

"We're all in this game together...people will come in and we'll say the wait is an hour and they'll say here's our number we're going up to The Grey Goose and have some drinks and call us when the table is ready," said Wathen. "Or we'll have a group of couples come in and we can't seat the whole group, so they just split up and half went down and had their pizza, and half stayed here and had their food. If that's not teamwork and working together, what is?"

MAIN/VINE - Love the design! Bring in more residents, and you won't need a garage. Your patrons will live next door.

I'm not going to complain too much because the alternative was a suburban pharmacy and I also know the market is not exactly pushing for high density projects. But it just feels like a three story job like this is selling that premium real estate a little short.

That being said, I'm 1,000% more happy with this than the CVS

CVS project, couldn't make the site work within their plans because of the utility junction buried on the site.
These are the key words of this story. They NEVER tried to fit a structure into the existing lot, they HAD to make their corporate design work and existing situations be damned.

To think that any outside forces contributed to the delay (i.e. ProgressLex or the Mayor's office) is just dead wrong.

The guys at EOP are adverse to anything more than 5 floors. Just ask them.

Here is a little more info from the Herald Leader.

Downtown CVS project dead; mixed-used building planned instead (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/02/22/1645133/controversial-downtown-cvs-project.html#more)

http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2011/02/22/20/CVSReplacement.aurora_standalone.prod_affiliate.79.jpg

By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com

Posted on Feb 22, 2011

This building was proposed for the corner of West Vine and Main streets in Lexington on Feb. 23, 2011, after a decision not to build a CVS pharmacy on the property.Buy Photo

A controversial CVS drugstore project in downtown Lexington is officially dead, the project's developer confirmed on Tuesday. Instead, a three-story, mixed-use development is now planned for the high-profile block at Main and Vine streets.

"CVS made every effort possible to modify its store to work within the constraints of the site," Louisville developer Gary Joy, of Joy & Associates, wrote in an e-mail.

Last summer, preliminary work on the property at the intersection of Vine, Main and Midland Avenue, uncovered a Kentucky Utilities junction box with electrical lines that provide service to much of downtown.

As with many downtown developments, he said, "fitting a national retailer on sites that require them to operate outside the norm is a very difficult task."

Phil Holoubek, one of the owners of the site, said on Tuesday that he would be the developer for a new project that would include first-floor retail, apartments, office space and possibly a parking garage.

"We are in active conversation with a drugstore," but a contract has not been signed, he said.

Holoubek, a developer of Main & Rose, a mixed-use condominium and retail complex across the street, said a restaurant and "multiple banks" have expressed interest in the 40,000 square-foot project. Holoubek owns the land with partners Les Kimbrough, Ted Mims and John Papas.

EOP Architects designed the building so it can be built in one or two phases. An entrance in the center goes over the KU vault with 20-feet of ceiling clearance, a stipulation of the utility company.

The project is designed to have either a parking garage or surface parking.

Holoubek said some financing was already in place, and he is talking to banks for the remainder.

Banks today want a project "to be nearly 100 percent occupied before they give you a construction loan," he said, as opposed to 50 or 60 percent before the economy collapsed.

The original plan for a CVS at one of Lexington's most visible entries to downtown sparked controversy because of the store's design. City officials wanted to make sure the store looked more like the multi-story buildings that line downtown streets, and less like a big-box store in a suburban mall.

A local non-profit group called Progress Lex started a petition drive in May to try to force CVS to give the building a more urban look.

I wish them luck, and I really hope they succeed, but I don't like their chances. The finance market for Mixed use is basically dead. As he said, he would need basically all of the space leased before a bank would give him any money. I don't see that happening. I do like this a whole lot better than just a single story CVS surrounded by parking.

Glad to see that Nick Ryan's is doing well. It is amazing what has happened on Jefferson. That street used to be a waste land, but now is one of the more thriving areas with W+M, Grey Goose, Stella's, Nick Ryan's, Cuppa(the tea shop), Green Lantern, etc. It really is great to see since it is more neighborhood type restaurants instead of high end destination places that usually open downtown. It feels like a neighborhood over there now, which is great.

Yeah after sleeping on it I'm pretty happy with the proposal. I didn't see a timeline in either article. Did I miss it or was it just not there?

I think a surface parking lot would have been aesthetically more appropriate for the site than the original CVS proposal.

CVS: Bringing suburbia to a downtown near you!

http://www.lrcrealestate.com/bin/web/real_estate/AR54778/FLEX2/Lexington/1298409666.html

From the company website: Restaurant and retail on first floor, possible rooftop restaurant overlooking thoroughbred park and the area. Same architectural feel as Main & Rose to create a "District Feel" for the Main/Vine area.

I like the idea of a developer creating a district downtown!

I am very pleased with it, if this is what gets built. It is a high profile location, but the lot makes it difficult. The idea of a rooftop restaurant overlooking the park and that intersection, would be superb. That would certainly probably get on my happy hour rotation.

Hopefully the lending will come through.

Good article on commuter rail from Business Lexington.

Time right for commuter rail in Kentucky? (http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2011-03-01-97132.113117-Time-right-for-commuter-rail-in-Kentucky.html#print)
Frankfort city official thinks time is right for regional commuter train system

March 01, 2011

Lexington, KY - A group of business commuters board the double-decker, diesel-powered train in downtown Lexington for the relaxing 50-mile-per-hour trip to downtown Frankfort and the State Capitol. At the station, they had the option of taking trains that make a total of 11 stops, ranging from Winchester at the eastern end of the system to Louisville at the western end, with stops in between at Lexington, Midway, Frankfort and Shelbyville.

Sound farfetched? Not to Ralph Tharp, executive director of the Kentucky Capital Development Corporation, part of the city of Frankfort's economic development and industrial recruitment effort.

Tharp, who came to work in Frankfort last fall, has experience with economic development and rail and transportation systems, having worked on them in Chicago, St. Louis, Las Vegas and Baghdad, Iraq.

"We have existing track and right of way, which is the bulk of any new system," said Tharp. Typically, those items cost $800 million to a billion dollars or more to put in. We just have to upgrade the rail between Lexington and Louisville and buy new, modern trains that are easy to maintain," he explained.

Tharp thinks the region can do that for between $110 million and $120 million. He would attempt to secure what is known as a "small start" grant from the Federal Transit Administration.

"Because we are not asking for a lot of money, I feel we might be pushed to the front of the line, which is why I'm optimistic we can do this in a short amount of time," he said.

How does the end of 2012 sound? That's the completion date Tharp thinks is possible, if all communities buy into the plan.

"In order to market ourselves globally, we need to look at central Kentucky as one region," Tharp said. "Investors from the global economy will look at Louisville, Lexington and Frankfort and the communities in between."

Tharp adds that a commuter line would demonstrate to potential corporate prospects that the region has the amenities to connect communities wherever a company wants to locate along the rail corridor.

President Barack Obama's recently announced 2012 budget proposal includes a major piece for transportation — $128 billion. That figure includes $8 billion in passenger rail funding, a first step toward the administration's desire to see $53 billion in high-speed rail investment.

Various sentiments have been expressed about whether commuter rail, higher-speed rail and high-speed rail systems can affordably be built around the United States. Recently, Florida's new Tea Party-backed governor Rick Scott told Washington "no thanks" to federal grants that could be used for a high-speed rail link between Orlando and Tampa.

Noel Rush, vice president for strategic planning and development for the R. J. Corman Railroad Group, said his company is aware of the research being conducted by Tharp and others on whether the Lexington-Louisville corridor warrants passenger service in the next five years.

"From my perspective, the merits of passenger service of any type are really problematic for the foreseeable future," Rush said. "That's due to the combination of overall cost, the attention to our country's budget deficit and the competing requirements for government funding, whether it's for health care or education."

Rush, who said he is not necessarily against the plan, pointed out several realities.

"Frankly, it's the size of this Lexington/Louisville market, this corridor," he said. "The general size would certainly be among the smaller of the higher-speed rail lines that I'm familiar with. The corridors getting attention are many times larger than the one from Lexington to Louisville."

Rush believes that the price of gas may also factor into this equation. Conceivably, lower fuel prices might prompt people to drive more. Higher prices might make them consider taking a train, if available.

R.J. Corman operates the proposed track, in a long-term lease, from Winchester to the eastern edge of Louisville (Anchorage). Continuing the rail system into Louisville would require using CSX track. Once in place and operating efficiently, a linkage to Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati could be considered. Cincinnati connects by rail to other large cities, like New York, Tharp said.

The first step in the plan is to do a feasibility study to identify how all of the parts would come together, Tharp said.

"We need to fine-tune the numbers to get exact specifics," he said. "I hope it can be done in four months. That's a fast schedule, but I'm calling this an 'opportunity surge.'"

He also needs to determine what any local match for the communities or the state might be.

Tharp has "heard" that there is support for the concept, although he has yet to schedule meetings with Lexington Mayor Jim Gray and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer.

"The mayor of Frankfort (Gippy Graham) and the Franklin County Judge-Executive (Ted Collins) are behind it 100 percent," Tharp said. He also claims support from officials in Shelby County, the City of Winchester and at Commerce Lexington.

"I feel very confident we can get this accomplished," Tharp concluded. "It will determine how we're perceived in the global economy."

This story is not much different from the one we discussed back in January. None of the problems have been solved. None of the major players (railroads) have signed on. Neither have the two primary mayors and the rail is still way too twisty for true high speeds. On the other hand, the estimated price tag HAS nearly doubled.

Look for the dinner train before the end of the year but passenger service to Louisville will be much longer.

I have to give the guy credit, even with all the potential hang ups and problems with this plan, anyone whose willing to put up to put up their own money like that with no real hope of a return on investment, unless there's something we dont know, to make something good like this happen in the region should be applauded.

That was easily the longest run on sentence I've ever written...

I hope that he finds a way to make it work. That it's been published in another journal is eveidence that it's being taken at least a little bit more seriously.

When it hits the courier-journal or the herald-leader I'll start to get more encouraged.

When it hits the courier-journal or the herald-leader I'll start to get more encouraged.

Getting into Business Lexington is no joke. I've been in on their interviews in the past, and they are tough (although I've never been in on a Dan Dickson one). Having worked with the HL also, I'd definitely put Business Lexington as the harder interview. Although I do feel that Business Lexington is not so overtly negative, which the HL tends to be from time to time.

This is still a longshot amongst longshots ... but whatever. Let's have the conversation and have Corman explain why they won't let the track be used for passenger rail, yet dinner trains are fine. Let Abramson have to answer questions about it on the campaign trail. Even if the only thing that comes out of it is a deeper conversation about regional transportation and cooperation, it was worth it.

Newspapers are in business for one reason and that is to sell papers and not just to deliver the news. Their slant maybe pro or con and the more controversial the topic the better, it sells more papers. Business Lexington is decidedly more in favor of stories that promote commercial enterprises and increased business opportunities, thus their name. The Herald-Leader, on the other hand, can print more nebulous, conceptual or opinionated pieces so as to elicit discussion on general topics.

That said, the topic of regional rail here in Lexington is something which is generating more conversation all the time. I cannot speak for Mr. Corman, but I doubt that ANY railroad man will tell you that passenger rail is desirable from a profit standpoint. There is not a regional rail system in the country that is not heavily subsidized, either by the Federal government or other local taxpayers. The big city subways and street railways, though they may be packed to the gills most of the day, still have to have supplemental funds in order to operate. In order for folks in Lexington, or Louisville, to use this service it would have to be affordable. For the number of passengers wanting to go TO Louisville, and the far fewer who would come the other way, there is no way that it can be provided without some kind of massive subsidy. Frankfort may have a draw from both directions but even that will not make it fiscally viable.

Frankly, I still believe that it is CSX who is prohibiting passenger service on the rail line, although, if Mr. Corman wants it to happen, it will.

As an interesting side note, wouldn’t it be possible to place a “static” dining car on the rail spur, being built in the Rupp parking lot, and serve dinner on a non- moving train car until a regular moving meal service could be established? I could go for that on an interim basis.

Whosville, I'm not looking down on Business Lexington, they're a great source of information, it's just interesting to me that the story hasn't made an appearance in either cities major newpaper.

Carto, I agree that the passenger volume on the line would largely be a Louisville-bound. I see three big potential draws for Lexington...

1. Convention-goers getting off a plane in Louisville, onto a train to Lexington.
2. UK basketball games.
3. Keeneland-bound visitors who come downtown and take a bus back out Versailles Rd.

There are plenty of people who live in Louisville and do business in Lexington. Don't know if they will want to take a 2 hour train, but it is not one way traffic.

I don't think it will be one way traffic and those are what i perceive to be the main draws for a person using the line but certainly not the only ones.

However I do think that if it's built Louisville will be the big winner out of the deal because Louisville quiet frankly has more attractions and more reasons to visit. It doesn't mean Lexington will be a loser on the deal, just not quite as big of a winner.

I think the majority of our traffic, if its built will come from the Winchester-Midway-Frankfort stations. Not necessarily from Louisville.

One way that could boost the regional rail usage could be the delivery of smaller truckloads of freight that come out of Louisville every day.

When I bought our new sectional couch from VCF here in Lexington it was delivered on a truck sent from Louisville. I have a feeling that some of the more specialized items from Lowe's and Home Depot are handled the same way.

Many years ago the interurban trains made freight deliveries to the surrounding towns that it served.

With the rising fuel prices the regional concept could help ease the burden again.

thats a great idea carto!

Okay, so what else is happening?

It was fun talking about train options ... but what real is happening? I have some new university folks moving to town and I'd like to tell them about the new construction projects ... but I don't know the status of all these projects. So, here are some I remember and would love to know what we think the status is:

1. The Angliana Movie Theater, Bowling Alley, etc. project?

2. Newtown Extension

3. The transit center towers.

4. The hotel (was it a Hampton?) by the new hospital

5. Distillery District

6. The Red Mile Redevelopment

7. The South Hill redevelopment around the Reynolds Building.

8. And, in case anyone has heard anything, the redesigned Centerpointe?

And whatever others you all can think of. Those are just the ones high on my list. I would just like to be able to tell our new hires at UK that Lexington is growing and thriving (which I believe it is), but as evidence of that I would like to be able to talk about more than just another box office building in Hamburg. It would be nice if one of these higher profile developments actually did come through.

Its all about the money. When the economy picks up (maybe) we will see more movement.

#1 &2 are moving forward, albeit slooowly

#3, I think is dead in the water. Still.

#4 I never really believed that in the first place. Look for something else of a commercial nature. Hey, maybe CVS will make another attempt at a downtown store.

#5, 6 & 7 It takes money to complete the vision and that is in short supply right now.

#8 Like it or not, I am not sure that this thing is dead yet.

All the other stuff is just piddling things and molehills to make mountains out of.

Census numbers are out. On April 1 2010 Lexington stood at 295,803 a 13.5% increase over 2000. A quick glance at the census map shows the CSA grew to 687,173 a 14% or so increase over 2000.

Census numbers are out. On April 1 2010 Lexington stood at 295,803 a 13.5% increase over 2000. A quick glance at the census map shows the CSA grew to 687,173 a 14% or so increase over 2000.

Is there a link, Ian? I'm interested in the MSA numbers and how close we are to 500,000. I struggle on how to tell people how big Lexington is, but "half-a-million" would be a nice term, I think. I'm just not sure I feel comfortable saying that only based on the CSA, because Frankfort and Richmond are sort of distinct (less so Richmond - I've never understood the Richmond-Berea MSA).

Also, Carto, any word on the hotel that was supposed to be built at the airport? Guessing that is dead too?

Here's the link, i just used a calculator to add up the pops. of the CSA counties. For the MSA counties I got 472,099. If you add Madison but not the other counties in the CSA that number becomes 555,015.

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/

I think that either using the city pop or the CSA pop is the best way to go. I feel like the MSA population, since it doesn't include Madison County is too low. Richmond has something of an identity in its own but it is still very much a part of Lexington's economy and labor pool.

So, we are getting a downtown market to go along with our downtown grocery. They say that it will have a "country store" feel even though it is in a remodeled, modern looking building on the corner of Main and Esplanade, complete with a soon-to-be modern streetscape treatment. I would be looking for something along the lines of a Cracker Barrel structure.

http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2011-03-22-97297.113117-Downtown-Market-with-Country-Store-Feel-to-Open-in-May.html

speaking of the urban market here is a rendering of the inside of Shorty's I found on EOP website (http://www.eopa.com/projects.php?PrjType=On%20the%20Boards&page=6).

http://www.eopa.com/images/portfoliophotos/168009173p2Pa74F5K9W5i.jpg

After years and years of trying to attract a grocery downtown we get two in two months! I we can support both of them. It's great to see some general retail downtown. We have a lot of specialty retail but very little general retail options.


Second grocery announced for downtown Lexington
By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com
Lexington Herald Leader

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/03/22/1681147/second-grocery-announced-for-downtown.html#ixzz1HNUUjswg

A grocery selling food, beverages and sundries will open in May at 233 East Main Street, at the corner of Esplanade.

Plans for Town Branch Market were announced Tuesday by businessman Howard Stovall.

"We're going to try to have the basics for people who work downtown," he said.

Customers may pick up salads, milk, fruit and microwave meals. There will be fresh-brewed coffee, plus pastries, doughnuts and bread made by Lexington bakeries. "We're going to try, whenever we can, to get products from local suppliers," Stovall said.

The market also will stock health and beauty aids, and basic office supplies.

"We're not trying to compete with Kroger," Stovall said. But the selection will more closely mirror a standard grocery than a convenience store, he said.

Stovall owns Signs Now at 365 Southland Drive and is a partner in Kentucky Theatre Management Group, which manages The Kentucky Theatre, across the street from the planned market.

Market hours will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday but will be adjusted when there are special events downtown, Stovall said.

"Our end of Main Street needs a grocery store," said Gene Williams, an owner of Natasha's Bistro & Bar at 112 Esplanade. "We need more neighbors like this in our block. Retail businesses thrive on foot traffic."

The building that houses Natasha's, Town Branch Market and several other businesses is scheduled to be sold April 11 at a master commissioner sale to raise $2.5 million owed to PBI Bank and the Urban County Government.

Building owner Farzin Sadr said in February he was working with two local banks to avert the public sale.

Stovall has a lease with Sadr and said the lease will be honored no matter who owns the building.

The name Town Branch Market comes from Town Branch creek, which flows underground through downtown.

Another independently owned downtown grocery store was announced in January, near the Lexington History Museum. Shorty's, An Urban Market, will be at 163 West Short Street in the Traditional Bank building.



Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/03/22/1681147/second-grocery-announced-for-downtown.html#ixzz1HNTu1UCA

I don't see things happening in that much of a hurry but things will happen


Tax increment financing to accelerate development at Coldstream Research Campus

Plans call for new research laboratory buildings

Gov. Steve Beshear today signed HB 310 into law, amending and expanding the state's Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program. HB 310 extends the window of time Signature TIF projects that received approval prior to Jan. 1, 2008 have to activate, increasing that time from five years to 10 years after the commencement date.
The University of Kentucky will use a new law that permits the establishment of a tax increment financing (TIF) district on the Coldstream Research Campus to help finance much needed laboratory and incubator space. UK will solicit a master developer to build a mixed-use "town center" and use the taxes generated to fund new research buildings and be a catalyst for retaining and recruiting biotech companies to Coldstream. "We need new R&D facilities at Coldstream to keep high-tech spinoffs from UK and other research intensive companies in Lexington," said George Ward, Coldstream Research Campus executive director. "We are currently leasing the last of our wet lab space, and without the TIF incentive, it is highly unlikely that a developer will build laboratory space because it costs three times more than typical office space."
The development plans are also expected to focus recruitment on small to mid-size biotech and life science companies. Ward will market Coldstream to companies interested in working with researchers at the University of Kentucky and companies that want to be located near sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.
A request for proposal will be released within the next 60 days to select a qualified master developer to design and build the town center and restore the historic Carnahan House in a 35 acre TIF district. Ten acres of park land included in the TIF area will not be developed, but will be improved to provide a connection to new research buildings.
It is envisioned that the town center will include several three or four story buildings. The new buildings might house a cafe, sandwich shop, bar and grille, or service amenities on the ground floor, with offices and residential space on upper floors. Service amenities might include a branch bank, day care, fitness center, dry cleaning or overnight shipping. A renovated Carnahan House with public meeting space on the first floor and offices above will be the centerpiece of the new development.
According to Len Heller, UK vice president for Commercialization & Economic Development, "The proposed ‘lifestyle’ development will align perfectly with our mission at Coldstream to cultivate an innovative community by combining UK's research strengths with private enterprise. A town center is necessary infrastructure for us to meet the needs of the new generation of high-tech workers who want this type of community where they can live, work, play and learn.
A June 2009 feature in Business Week titled "Research Parks for the Knowledge Economy" details how research parks around the world are building amenities to gain a competitive edge. "The trend is to nurture living, breathing communities rather that sterile research silos. It means cafes, parks, entertainment spots and social centers where entrepreneurs, engineers, and designers from many disciplines can mingle and network."
Both Heller and Ward have been working with local and state government and local design and development-related professionals on plans for the proposed development. They will continue to seek input throughout the request for proposal process from all groups, including neighborhood associations around Coldstream.
An advisory committee including architects specializing in building design, landscaping and environmentally responsible building practices, and a representative of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government will provide technical assistance during the selection of a master developer.
The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees will have final approval on the agreement with the recommended master developer.

There is a movement about to start a "renovation/restoration" of the Gardenside Bus Shelter on Alexandria Drive in Lexington.

A great photo of it can be seen here: [URL="http://retrorenovation.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/gardenside-018.jpg"]

If you are interested in this project, send me an email -

GG

Welcome to the forum GG, try using the IMG code on your photo-hosting site instead of the URL code.

That is a pretty cool looking, though run down, bus stop. I hope the renovation gets done.
Glad to have more retail downtown, though I wonder if this is a great spot for it. Not a lot of people live near Esplanade. Hopefully the business people can by enough to justify it. It is a very cool space, I just hope this sticks unlike everything else that has gone there.

Mayor appoints task force to study Rupp Arena area (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/03/28/1687802/mayor-appoints-task-force-to-study.html)

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By Cheryl Truman — ctruman@herald-leader.com
Mar 28, 2011

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray has appointed a 43-member committee to study whether Rupp Arena should be renovated or a new arena should be built.

Less than 24 hours after the University of Kentucky nailed a spot in the NCAA Final Four, Mayor Jim Gray Monday announced a 42-member task force to study whether to renovate or replace Rupp Arena.

The group, to be called the Arena, Arts and Entertainment Task Force, will be chaired by Lexington attorney and developer Brent Rice.

The task force will be privately funded with $350,000 in donations. The money has not yet been raised. Gray said the money will be used to hire "the best of the best" consultants.

Gray's announcement drew more than 100 people to the lobby of the current Rupp Arena, where the University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team has played for 35 years.

"We know that this arena needs to be the best, state of the art," Gray said.

Even though the city is now in a budget crunch, the city is responsible for "making investments in tough times," Gray said.

"Lexington Center should get off its island and become part of downtown," he said.

Gray said the committee's work would begin immediately while the funds for consultants are being raised. Rice said the committee should finish its work by January 2012.

Having UK in the Final Four is "a great omen for this task force," Rice said. He said that the only better timing would be to have national and international press back next week "so they can see what this city really thinks of its basketball."

UK president Lee T. Todd Jr., who will retire in June, said that the committee "has got to be realistic, but we've also got to dream."

Former UK basketball coach Joe B. Hall, named to a subcommittee of the task force, said the timing of the committee's announcement was particularly fortunate because the Wildcats beat North Carolina on Sunday: "It would be a downer if we'd gotten beat, but we certainly got a boost."

Census numbers are out. On April 1 2010 Lexington stood at 295,803 a 13.5% increase over 2000. A quick glance at the census map shows the CSA grew to 687,173 a 14% or so increase over 2000.

You are now within 1,000 of Cincinnati's population... Of course, their metro is larger, but that doesn't indicate a higher quality of life or employment gains. That's where Lexington leads.

It sounds like this has transformed into a much bigger project with a much better result.

Redesign of Triangle Park would focus on people (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/04/06/1698799/a-redesign-of-triangle-park-would.html)

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http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2011/04/06/21/03_Entry%20-%20Broadway%20and%20Mai.aurora_standalone.prod_affiliate.79.jpg

By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com

Apr 6, 2011

Downtown Lexington's Triangle Park would have a central lawn, an outdoor café, areas for activities like chess and ping-pong, even a temporary ice-skating rink under a redesign plan released Wednesday by the foundation that built the park.

In addition, a third entry point would be opened on the northwest corner of the park to allow people to move in and out more freely.

The $1.3-million redesign will be paid for with private funds from the Triangle Foundation, which built the park and contributes annually to its maintenance. Triangle Park is owned by the city, but under the care and control of the Lexington Center Corp., whose board would have to approve the redesign.

"We want to make Triangle Park a community place," Steve Grossman, chairman of the private foundation, said in a letter announcing the plan on the ProgressLex blog. "We believe that places matter, not projects, and in order to function as true gathering places, public spaces must be designed with people and uses in mind."

Grossman said the foundation also would like to see the section of Vine Street next to the Lexington Center closed "so the park is better integrated with the convention center. The space between could be a wonderful pedestrian area."

The fountain is designed to have water cascade down both its sides — down the steps and down the side along Vine Street. However, the Vine Street section would have to be closed for that to happen, Grossman said.

The city tried to close the piece of Vine Street that curves around Triangle Park in 2001 when Pam Miller was mayor. The Urban County Council voted to close the curve and create a plaza between Lexington Center and the park.

Several months later, in the face of protests from citizens worried that the closing would "kill downtown," the council reversed its vote, and Vine Street remains open to traffic.

Under the new plan, thornless Imperial honey locust trees would be planted along Broadway and the arc of the cascading fountain to provide shade. Planters throughout the park would provide year-a round color.

In November, the Triangle Foundation agreed to replace the diseased and dying Bradford pear trees and return the downtown park to its "original design."

Asked about shifting the focus from taking the park back to its original design — which mostly involved cosmetic work like planting trees — to a complete redesign, Grossman said that since the park was built 30 years ago, "a lot of work has been done on what makes public spaces successful . . .and not successful."

"You can have the prettiest place in the world, but if you don't have the events and food and things people want," they won't come, Grossman said. The foundation started thinking of the park in a more holistic way "to create a gathering spot for people."

Grossman met with a New York City-based non-profit organization, Project for Public Spaces, which has consulted on thousands of public spaces and is an authority on what makes public spaces work, Grossman said.

The redesign grew out of those meetings, he said.

When representatives of the Project for Public Spaces were in Lexington a number of years ago, they described downtown parks as static, drive-by places that needed to be more engaging.

Dan Rowland, a board member of ProgressLex, a non-profit organization to make Lexington more livable, said Wednesday he was "thrilled" that the foundation had consulted the project in the redesign process. The proposed redesign should "better connect the Lexington Center to the park," he said.

The redesign plans will be presented to the Lexington Center board at its April 21 meeting. The board must approve the redesign and authorize the work.

Bill Owen, president and CEO of the Lexington Center, said he has been working with Grossman and the Triangle Foundation "to refine and develop the plan and Lexington Center's obligations following the renovation that I eagerly anticipate getting underway."

The foundation will attach conditions to its proposal to the Lexington Center before it undertakes the changes.

"We want to make sure the Lexington Center maintains the park, keeps it clean, is responsible for making sure the lawn gets fertilized — whether they outsource it or do it themselves," Grossman said.

I love this design and i hope that we're able to implement it.

I love our pocket parks and i think Triangle Park is definitely the flagship park. With the Hyatt and Hilton across Broadway and Vine Triangle Park is, for many, their first impression of Lexington which up to now I tihnk has been a good one and could become an even better one with the redesign!

My concern with this concept is that it won't get used ... and then will become a hangout for the questionable sort.

Plus, is it really big enough for all that stuff? A cafe area, a games seating area, the ice rink ... where are they going to put the grass? I hope that it does not become a primarily concrete park. The lovely grass and trees were one of the things I liked the best about this one (as opposed to the park space by the Courthouses).

The extra entrance, though, and the water cascading down both sides is a good improvement. Integrating more with Lex Center and Rupp is natural.

I like Triangle park, but I usually just look at it and rarely bother crossing the street to go in it, so I can see why they are trying to energize it and make it where more people will use it. I like the idea. Plus it is all private money, which is great.

I love the ice skating rink idea. I always thought they should have used the centrepointe site to do it this year, but to have a permanent site every year would be a huge addition to downtown in the winter months.

I'm growing fond of CentrePasture...

I definitely think it will get used. As it is it gets used. On Friday and Saturday nights you can't find a seat except for the stairs facing the fountains

Well at least it's something.

Chicago architect to offer ideas for CentrePointe design (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/04/07/1700616/chicago-architect-to-offer-ideas.html)

By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com

Apr 7, 2011

At Mayor Jim Gray's suggestion, developer Dudley Webb has hired an internationally known Chicago architect to propose a new design for the empty CentrePointe block in downtown Lexington.

Jeanne Gang, founder of Studio Gang, was hired in March. She was asked to develop two or three concepts for the block in four to six weeks.

"Our specialty is doing a lot of work with cities and places that are trying to make an architectural design that really emphasizes that special place," Gang said. Her firm has done projects in the United States and abroad. Gang designed the 82-story Aqua Tower in Chicago, selected in 2009 as the best skyscraper designed by a woman.

She has done projects in large cities, such as Mumbai, India, and in smaller communities, such as Greenville, S. C., where her firm is designing a visitors center.

"We're mostly brought in to think about something differently," Gang said.

In Gray's state of the merged government address in January, he said members of his staff had met with the Webbs about a possible reconfiguration of CentrePointe, a proposed high-rise hotel and condominium complex that turned a once-bustling block into a vacant field.

"I am pleased to say a dialog has been opened on CentrePointe between my administration and the developers," Gray said.

The mayor had opposed the design and size of the proposed 25-story building. But he said his administration would work with developers "to help create a project on this unique and historic site" that affirms the city's history while demonstrating creativity and imagination.

Gang has an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and earned a master's degree in architecture from Harvard University.

Gray knew Gang through her connection to Harvard, where Gray had a yearlong Loeb Fellowship. Webb said Gang was one of several architects Gray recommended.

"We want her to give us her fresh thoughts and ideas to make whatever goes on that block the best it can be," Webb said. He also asked Gang to critique the current CentrePointe design.

"We thought the CentrePointe design was the best it could be. But we've had 24 months to reflect on it, and to the extent there are better ways to do it, we certainly want to do it right," Webb said.

Webb said he was "not wedded to the current design of CentrePointe. We are flexible."

Webb does not have funding for the project, but he said two lenders have indicated interest in putting up money once a design has been settled upon.

Gang visited Lexington several times before being hired by the Webbs. She has sat on design review panels at the University of Kentucky College of Design. Her firm was retained to do a master plan for the architecture school for the expansion of its facility.

Gang submitted a design for a new Lexington city hall several years ago when the city was considering building one.

After being hired, Gang came to Lexington with members of her firm and walked through downtown and the CentrePointe site.

Gang said she knew about the controversy surrounding CentrePointe, the demolition of historic buildings and criticism of the scale and design of what was proposed.

"It is a very big block," Gant said. As a result, she is thinking of it as "an urban piece of the city ... so it doesn't feel like one big building. It would be more broken down somehow."

Gang has already suggested to the Webbs that she might search for a way to engage local architects to participate in designing "pieces" for the block.

"The reason why a building feels comfortable and interesting is because there are different buildings lining the street, and not just one big massive thing that is all the same," Gang said.

The Webbs still want a mixed-use development that would bring in commercial, retail, a hotel, restaurants and condominiums, Gang said. "That's the developer's job to find the tenants. Our job is to do an urban design and a plan to accommodate those things," she said.

Aqua became one of my favorite buildings in the country when i saw a thread for it in the Chicago section a few years ago when it was first proposed! So I'm pretty excited about this.

I like her refering to the development as having "pieces", rather than it being one big comple as originally proposed. Our downtown core is too small geographically for something like that to fit in and fit in well.

My question is how does any architect anywhere make a poct in this area fit in with the scale of and style of the buildings across Main and also the scale and style of the buildings across Vine.

I can't even imagine how to make that work but then again, maybe that's why she's one of the best...

I'm glad it is something ... and I am glad Webb is still seeking financing. You have to give him a lot of credit for playing the Mayor's game on this one. He could just as easily sit out this term, wait for the economy to improve and then just force it - with or without the mayor's approval. I would find it extremely difficult to believe that the various boards and officials would vote against a new skyscraper for downtown Lexington - even if Gray was stammering against it ... again.

I actually don't want this broken up too much. I was fine with both designs. Plus, trying to manage development too much (even picking designers) begins to border on the unethical. It is not Gray's money (and, even though he might like to think so, it is not Gray's city). The people with the money, make the decisions. That is how it works in this country.

Even in Mayor Gray's world the client is always right. Design elements and construction costs will dictate just how much radical change may be made. We may see little or no change in the eventual building.

I will wait and see.

One man's train of thought: A Winchester-Louisville commuter line (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/04/15/1709483/one-mans-train-of-thought-a-winchester.html)

By Greg Kocher — gkocher1@herald-leader.com
Apr 15, 2011

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FRANKFORT — Ralph Tharp preaches the gospel of regional commuter trains to those who will listen.

Over the past few months, Tharp has told elected officials, college students and even model-train enthusiasts about his vision for a passenger rail line that would run between Winchester and Louisville, with stops at Lexington, Midway, Frankfort and Shelbyville.

Some people embrace Tharp's message; others are skeptical. That doesn't bother him.

"There's always skepticism about something new," Tharp said. "People say, 'No one is going to ride this.' Well, that's probably not true."

Tharp is executive director of the Kentucky Capital Development Corp., the organization in Frankfort that seeks to bring jobs to that community. As gas prices climb to nearly $4 a gallon, Tharp said it's time to explore the feasibility of bringing back passenger rail to shuttle commuters between cities along the 101-mile corridor.

For ticket prices of perhaps $5 to $6 a person, they would carry passengers to stops along the line.

As Tharp envisions it, the Thoroughbred Rail Link would have two sets of trains: one starting from Louisville and heading east, the other starting west from Winchester. The trains would travel existing tracks owned by CSX Corp., the nation's third-largest freight railroad by revenue. A large portion of the rail is leased to R.J. Corman Railroad Group of Nicholasville for movement of freight.

Unlike commuters traveling alone in their cars, train passengers could read the paper, do work on their laptops and chat with fellow riders. Tharp said a private vendor could sell "coffee in the morning, bourbon in the evening."

Each locomotive could run on liquid natural gas, and each would pull four bi-level cars, each holding 150 passengers, for a total capacity of 600. Tharp thinks some passengers might want to take bicycles along so they could reach their final destination.

These would not be high-speed bullet trains streaking across the Bluegrass. But with improvements to the existing track, the speed might approach 69 mph, significantly faster than the 10 to 40 mph that freight trains travel.

Skeptics say passenger rail is an appealing concept, but it's expensive and fraught with funding problems.

"The key is finding funding to implement it," said John Carr, a former deputy state highway engineer who is now vice president of Wilbur Smith Associates, a transportation consulting firm in Lexington.

Tharp estimates — emphasis on "estimates" — that the locomotives, passenger cars, improvements to existing track and signals could total $120 million or less. Funding for that could come from a federal program called Small Starts, which pays for improvements costing less than $250 million to existing rail lines.

The annual operation and maintenance budget of the Thoroughbred Rail Link would be roughly $7 million to $9 million, Tharp said. Revenues would come from ticket sales, concession contracts and display advertising on the passenger car exteriors, he said.

The first step to make the commuter line a reality would be to obtain about $300,000 to pay for a feasibility study that would explore whether the rail link is a pipe dream or a workable idea. Tharp is vague about where that money could be found.

"We're looking for available funds that we can use," Tharp said. "That's about as far as I can go."

Finding support

Tharp said the reaction from elected officials along the proposed route has been "very supportive."

Shelby County Judge-Executive Rob Rothenburger said he "would support the concept of doing a study, especially right now, with gasoline at $4 a gallon."

"A lot of our residents go to UK ballgames or U of L ballgames. We get a lot of people who go to Lexington or Louisville to do shopping in larger malls that are out there," he said.

Shelbyville civil engineer Charles Schimpeler, who has had extensive experience with railroads, said passenger rails save commuters gas and can save the state the cost of adding new lanes to Interstate 64.

Schimpeler said the upgrade of a freeway mile costs about $10 million, while the upgrade of a track mile costs $1 million. And a freeway lane will carry 2,000 people per hour, but a railway mile can carry 10 times that, he said.

Winchester Mayor Ed Burtner is intrigued by Tharp's idea and said it might dovetail nicely with a project there.

The site of an old L&N Railroad depot, torn down in 1981, could be the eastern terminus for the Thoroughbred Rail Link. The city has a $900,000 grant to rebuild the cobblestone street and other public facilities in the Depot Street area, Burtner said.

"We would hope that if this project ever comes about, that that would be the termination point for this particular service," Burtner said. "I think it's something worth exploring."

Skeptics aren't opposed to looking into the feasibility of a regional commuter line. But they say there are a lot of obstacles.

"If it was a good business decision, CSX and R.J. Corman would already be doing it," said Carr, the Wilbur Smith Associates engineer.

When he was a deputy state highway engineer for intermodal planning, Carr asked for a study in the late 1990s that looked at the feasibility of high-speed rail linking the Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati airports. This would have been a very different proposal than what Tharp envisions. For one thing, it would have meant building new track; Tharp wants to use existing track.

"What we found was you could only recover about 20 percent of the operating cost," Carr said. "That didn't include the capital cost for the track and the purchase of the equipment to run it."

From what he has heard and seen of Tharp's idea, Carr said, "I think the concept is admirable, but I just don't think it will be feasible."

Carr said he doesn't think R.J. Corman will "sidetrack their freight in order to give preference to passenger rail. And in order for passenger rail to be effective, its times have got to be consistent. It's got to leave on time and arrive on time; otherwise people aren't going to want to use it."

Additional hurdles

Noel Rush, vice president of strategic planning and development for R.J. Corman Railroad Group, said "funding is problematic" for passenger rail. Rush also said that the Nicholasville company remains optimistic about someday operating an excursion train between Lexington and Frankfort, as Fred Mudge, chairman of the board for Corman, announced in June 2009. The company operates My Old Kentucky Dinner Train out of Bardstown.

But Rush said, "We have no formal plan to operate a passenger train."

CSX spokesman Bob Sullivan said the Jacksonville, Fla.-based company had not been approached about Thoroughbred Rail Link.

Tharp said he has not approached CSX or R.J. Corman Railroad Group about sharing freight tracks with passenger trains, and he wouldn't, "unless we know that everyone is behind this." (At the time of the interview, he had not yet discussed the idea with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer.)

"Why would we even approach them when we don't have a program?" Tharp said. "First, we've got to get the program. If the cities said, 'No, we're not going to do this,' then we couldn't get any funding."

Still, this regional discussion doesn't even approach the bitter debate in Washington over passenger rail. This month's hard-fought budget resolution cut money from existing programs, including the broader program that contains Small Starts. The debate is likely to intensify as Congress turns its attention to the next budget.

And earlier this month, CSX chief executive Officer Michael Ward told Bloomberg News that he "can't be part of" President Barack Obama's vision of building a national high-speed passenger rail network because passenger trains don't make money.

"I'm a corporation. I exist to make money, OK?" Ward told Bloomberg News. "You can't make money hauling passengers, so why would I do that? That wouldn't be fair to my shareholders."

For his part, Jerry Rose, a civil engineering professor at the University of Kentucky, finds Tharp's proposal intriguing. But he thinks Tharp's timetable of having the commuter rail ready to roll by the end of 2012 is too optimistic.

"It's going to take one of the fastest-track scheduling scenarios that's ever been achieved to get it done by the end of 2012," Rose said. "I don't think it's very realistic, based on past historical examples of other cities that have put this sort of thing in. ... He (Tharp) really doesn't go into a lot of the details" on how it would get done.

Tharp acknowledged that without a feasibility study in hand, "I can't give you all the answers. The most accurate thing to say is we feel a commuter rail will benefit all of us. But until we get a feasibility study ... we don't have the answers yet."

He later said: "If we felt we wouldn't be successful, we wouldn't have started this."

One and a half months from the Business Lexington article and still nothing in the way of an agreement from either CSX or R. J. Corman. It actually looks like they are saying no to the thing as it is. Thanks to the TEA Party and the Republicans, the Small Starts program is toast and the private money that may be available will be fought over for the study on Rupp Arena. So much for the 2012 timetable.

By the time we get around to building it gas will be 6$ or more a gallon.

^^I'm glad this is still making rounds in the media.


Saw a sign for "Jefferson Davis Restaurant and Inn" on the Mark Acre block today and check the planning departments website. Shows a three story structure going up there. I'm wondering if this is actually going to be an inn? If so it will be our second downtown boutique hotel.

Also the white warehouse that has been falling apart for years between Bolivar and Cedar had demo equipment on site today. Anyone know whats going on there?

Not sure if it's going to be a boutique hotel but here is the facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002140496745&sk=wall) for it. Also it looks like they will begin construction in 20 days.

^^I'm glad this is still making rounds in the media.


Saw a sign for "Jefferson Davis Restaurant and Inn" on the Mark Acre block today and check the planning departments website. Shows a three story structure going up there. I'm wondering if this is actually going to be an inn? If so it will be our second downtown boutique hotel.

Also the white warehouse that has been falling apart for years between Bolivar and Cedar had demo equipment on site today. Anyone know whats going on there?

An article appeared in the Courier-Journal this week for the rail line as well. With gas hitting $4 a gallon again this could get some more support. It will be interesting to see the study. My main concern with this plan is that once you get to these cities will there be a good plan for public transit to get you to your final destination, it's essential to make the plan work. I know the plan has the train going through downtown Lexington which would help with that issue, but I don't think it goes into downtown Louisville. If that's the case there needs to be a direct Tarc route going into downtown from the station, even better they could bring it into downtown to Union Station, then have the trolley lines extend their routes during the trains arrival time.

^^I'm glad this is still making rounds in the media.


Saw a sign for "Jefferson Davis Restaurant and Inn" on the Mark Acre block today and check the planning departments website. Shows a three story structure going up there. I'm wondering if this is actually going to be an inn? If so it will be our second downtown boutique hotel.

Also the white warehouse that has been falling apart for years between Bolivar and Cedar had demo equipment on site today. Anyone know whats going on there?

This is good news and exciting for the Broadway area. I wish the Facebook page had more photos. Something to complement the Lex, but also mix in with the South Hill feel would be perfect.

Plus, with it's location close to the University and close to Rupp, it does seem a nice location for such a boutique hotel - if that really is the plan. On the other hand, I could really see a bar/pub/night club called the Jefferson Davis really taking off in that area since there are so many students increasingly living on that side of the University. But, a student oriented bar is not going to mix well with a boutique hotel ... so I'll be interested to see what the plan really is for this.

^^ Agreed. It is an intersting qaundry if the "inn" is actually an inn.

Looks like the CP may be a little less civil this time. Maybe with the hot button issue off the table this time we'll hear more discussion about other issues like transit and pedestrian infrastructure


Boundary for development in Fayette Co. not expected to grow
By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com


The portion of Fayette County available for development isn't expected to expand in coming months as officials update the county's comprehensive land use plan, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray said Tuesday.

With representatives from a broad array of community groups — ranging from home builders to land preservationists — at his side, Gray said Lexington must grow within the existing Urban Service Boundary.

By agreeing to hold growth within the existing boundary, "we are recognizing as a community that building our brand and our economy means that first we preserve what is special and unique and authentic about Lexington — our bluegrass landscape," he said.

Every five years the city updates its comprehensive land use plan and determines its urban services area, inside which city-style development can occur. The process of updating the plan begins this year.

"There is broad agreement among the council, the Planning Commission and leaders in the private sector (that) we don't need to expand the Urban Service Area," Gray said in a news conference.

In the past, the community has frequently fought more about growth than found common ground, the mayor said.

"This is a big step forward," he said.

Although the Urban Service Area isn't expected to expand, the community can grow "by continuing to build our urban core, our downtown and by restoring neighborhoods and commercial areas weakened through the recession," Gray said.

About 6,700 acres of vacant land remain inside the Urban Service Area, which should accommodate another decade of growth, according to the city's planning staff.

That number is down from 8,900 acres of vacant land in 2007, when the city's comprehensive land use plan was last updated. Since then, 1,200 acres have been developed, and 800 were designated as environmentally sensitive and unsuitable for development.

The minimum new lot size outside the Urban Service Area is 40 acres.

The last major expansion of the Urban Service Boundary came in 1996, when 5,400 acres were added to the portion of Lexington where commercial and residential developments are allowed.

Carolyn Richardson, chairwoman of the Urban County Planning Commission, said removing discussion of expanding the city's urban area from the comprehensive update process will allow the planning commission and the community to focus on other priorities that will make the community more livable.

Groups represented at Gray's news conference in the Government Center included the Fayette Alliance, the Rural Land Management Board, Commerce Lexington and the Home Builders Association of Lexington. The city's planning staff and 10 members of the Urban County Council also attended.



Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/04/26/1720180/boundary-for-development-in-fayette.html#ixzz1KfgrX9xH

^^ Agreed. It is an intersting qaundry if the "inn" is actually an inn.

I was assuming it was not an "Inn", but something of an homage or rebirth of the old JDI (Jefferson Davis Inn) pub that was at the corner of Limestone and High several years back before a fire and an Indian Restaurant took its place (Bombay Brazier at one point). There is a historical marker at this point since the actual Jefferson Davis lived at that locale for a time as a Transy student.

I do not think that it will be a real "inn". It will look a bit more like the faux English pub that is out by Fayette Mall and will yet compliment the additional upscale townhouses to be built along side it. More of the same high-end residential that fills in the space of the new "historic" South Hill area.


On the subject of the urban boundary, this will allow the Planning Commission to begin looking at redevelopment of some of the lesser producing parts of our "urban" area. I hope to look at that in a blog piece soon.

On the subject of the urban boundary, this will allow the Planning Commission to begin looking at redevelopment of some of the lesser producing parts of our "urban" area. I hope to look at that in a blog piece soon.

That is a great point. I am really glad they are not extending the boundary. There are still a lot of improvements that we can do within the existing boundary ... plus, there is still a surplus of homes on the market that we should fill more first. This is a good decision.

Even though this article in Business Lexington is about a photography studio opening in the distillery district. It also has some stuff about future development of the distillery district.

Photo Op (http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2011-04-28-97593.113117-Photo-Op.html#print)
Photography studio hopes to help Distillery District project gain momentum

by Abby Laub

April 28, 2011

Lexington, KY - Louisville-based Angela Anderson Photography (AAP) recently opened a studio on Manchester Street in the up-and-coming Distillery District of Lexington, and the Lexington Distillery District's managing member Barry McNees thinks the business will bring a great shot of energy to the funky, burgeoning area.

"Angela's presence is exciting for a number of reasons," McNees said. "She currently operates a successful Louisville studio and is the first of a growing number of out-of-city prospects to commit to the district. She is partnering with Ana Crane-Simpson, a respected professional makeup artist, and their combined following is generating new traffic for Manchester Street while demonstrating the district's commitment to the arts."

McNees said Angela Anderson Photography represents "entrepreneurs whose creative energy will help a struggling economy recover."

"We are taking the long view in nurturing pioneers," he said of businesses like AAP. "If the district can provide tenants with innovative space and creative lease terms today, a foothold is created for shared success tomorrow."

AAP owner Angela Anderson said she chose the location, right next to Buster's Billiards and Backroom, because the unique area of Lexington is reflective of the vibe of her photography business and because she liked its proximity to downtown Lexington.

"I think even though we're a commercial business, we're still a creative business, and I think artists and creatives tend to go to places that are less evolved," she said. "We're not quite as afraid of potential as other business are because they feel like they need to have a little better established area, whereas we're really a destination place.

"I think it's just going to get better and better, and I think that the Manchester area can really be that sort of interesting, artistic sort of area," she continued, adding that she envisioned the Distillery District as becoming a funkier Chevy Chase.

Anderson is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and considers Lexington as the place where she got her start as a photographer before moving the business to Louisville because of family reasons. She is excited to be branching out to Lexington with the studio opening. The Manchester Street location will begin as an appointment-only location, but the hope is that it meets enough growth to be open "full time."

"Another part of it is that I still have a wonderful associate photographer, Amy Campbell, and she lives in Lexington," Anderson said. "She has a 4-month-old right now, and so this gives her an easier place to use and make it easier for all of her Lexington clients. And we always wanted to be involved in Lexington; my heart's still here."

Lexington, in turn, is receiving a unique photography business that includes work like tasteful boudoir photography and very artistic expression in its family and wedding photography.

"I don't (think) that there's a lot of other photography studios, especially studios that do our kind of work," Anderson explained. "We're very rooted in artistic expression, and I think that other studios are more traditional. We're progressive. I think we're a lot more adventurous, and I think Lexington is a very progressive city. They say 'keep Louisville weird,' but I think Lexington has its little weirdness too."

Anderson said her business is continually growing because of that progressiveness, "and we have a great reputation, so we just want more people to experience that."

McNees said he hopes Anderson's business will continue to grow and spur more movement in the Distillery District.

"We are beginning to see significant new tenant interest, thanks to the efforts of recent partnerships with Brennan Investment Group and local commercial brokerages (Haymaker Bean and the Gibson Co.)," McNees added.

He said there are now talks in place regarding a world-class climbing gym, a microbrewery, another Louisville artist, local dance studio, hospitality and a nightclub.

"All of these have been motivated in no small part by anticipation of the city's first infrastructure work — Manchester streetscape design and Town Branch Trail — funded by (city) council last year and now approaching implementation," McNees said. "In realizing the potential economic development of the district, it's impossible to overstate how fundamentally important this priming of the pump is to the project's success."

At this point McNees said adding more dining options is a necessary step to continue priming that pump of success. Perhaps clients of Angela Anderson Photography will need a bite to eat following a photo shoot, and renovation of the area's warehouses and distilleries could provide some off-the-beaten-path restaurants.

"We have stunning historic buildings and creekside settings just waiting for the right restaurateur," McNees said. "And we're willing to share in the pioneer risk to bring the right concept to fruition."

Walked by Shorty's and they are stocking the shelves. Suppose to open in the next couple of days. It looks fantastic. Excited to have a grocery, even a small one, downtown. I hope enough people will go there to support it and not just buy pre-made lunch items.

^^ One of my housemates got a job there. It's supposed to be ready to go on Sunday. I dont know if that means they're opening sunday or finishing work to open monday.

Three corporate expansions in Lexington were announced today.

Local Pharmaceutical company hiring 21 employees
http://www.kentucky.com/2011/04/29/1723017/lexington-biopharmaceutical-company.html

Local video game developer hiring 7 new employees
http://www.kentucky.com/2011/04/29/1722997/lexington-video-game-company-expanding.html

Tempurpedic's corporate headquarters is expanding and they are building a new 100,000 sf building in Coldstream. They plan to hire 65 new employees at the headquarter raising their total headquarters employment to just over 300
http://www.kentucky.com/2011/04/29/1723140/tempur-pedic-expanding-in-lexington.html

Some good news for a friday morning!

Shorty's Urban Market opened in downtown Lexington on sunday. It looks like it will be a great addition to downtown and here a couple of blogs that had pictures and information on the store. Here's the Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shortys/112323915519196?sk=info) and Website (shortysgrocery.com) which isn't done yet.

http://canonchef.blogspot.com/2011/04/shortys-urban-market.html

http://savoringkentucky.com/wordpress/shortys/

I went by and it is great. Much more full service than I anticipated. You could easily do the majority of your grocery shopping there. They don't have everything but they have a very good selection. It is really a fantastic addition and makes it were you can walk to the grocery if you live downtown.

Really glad this is all gonna happen.

New Triangle Park will include cafe, central lawn, ice rink, games area (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/05/06/1732432/new-triangle-park-will-include.html)

http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2011/04/06/15/110406TriangleParkcb052.aurora_standalone.prod_affiliate.79.jpg

http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2011/04/06/21/03_Entry%20-%20Broadway%20and%20Mai.aurora_standalone.prod_affiliate.79.jpg

By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com

May 6, 2011

The Lexington Center board Friday approved renovations to Triangle Park that will include a central lawn, outdoor cafe, activities area for games and ice skating rink in the winter.

The $1.3 million in improvements will be made by the Triangle Foundation, which built the downtown park with private funds more than 30 years ago, and contributes annually to its maintenance. The park is owned by the city but is under the care and control of the Lexington Center Corp.

Work will start Monday. It is expected to be completed in 90 days — all but construction and opening the cafe, which will take a little longer, said Steve Grossman, president of the Triangle Foundation.

"We'll have to do a request for operation to provide food service for the space," he said. "I expect the cafe will open in the fall." A liquor license will be obtained so the cafe can serve wine.

In addition to the construction fencing that now surrounds the park, a wrap will be put around the space while work goes on. At the completion, the wrap will be removed and there will be a re-opening ceremony.

Grossman said he is hopeful the ice skating rink will be in operation this coming winter. "We have been in discussion with people who do that kind of thing. They've already been to Lexington. How to structure it is something we have to work through," he said.

The foundation and the Lexington Public Library have been in discussion to provide free books for people to read while they are in the park. "They have suggested they would have a librarian come out on scheduled dates to do various readings," Grossman said.

Other activities such as showing movies in the park will be coordinated with the Downtown Lexington Corporation.

A goal is to change Triangle Park from a "look-at-me park to a programmable park" with lots of activities, Grossman said.

Grossman told the board me had met with officials of Project for Public Spaces, a non-profit organization based in New York that has consulted on thousands of public spaces and is an authority on what makes public spaces work.

They told him two things are crucial for the success of a park: access to food and moveable chairs and tables so people feel they have control of the space where they sit. In the redesign of Triangle Park, stationary benches will be replaced with chairs and small round tables.

Phil Holoubek, a downtown businessman who sits on the Lexington Center board, said he would like the city to look at closing the small yoke of Vine Street that goes in front of the Lexington Center, separating it from Triangle Park. If it were closed, "It would increase the connectivity of the park to the civic center," Holoubek said.

Everett McCorvey, board member and director of the University of Kentucky opera program, agreed, saying he was "a big supporter of closing Vine Street." He pointed out that the Triangle Park fountain is designed to have water flow over the back of the fountain on the Vine Street side, making it visually attractive on the Lexignton Center side.

The city tried to close the piece of Vine Street that curves around Triangle Park in 2001. The Urban County Council voted to create a plaza between the Lexington Center and the park.

Several months later, a group of citizens protested, saying they feared closing would "kill downtown" and council reversed its vote, and Vine Street remained open to traffic. McCorvey said the Lexington Center should revisit the issue.

The board will lease the park to the foundation during the renovation phase. When completed, the park returns to the Lexington Center's control.

The board also agreed to 14 conditions regarding maintenance of the park including keeping grass aerated and fertilized, planting flowers, removing graffiti, picking up trash and providing security. Board chairman Cecil Dunn said for over 30 years, the foundation and the Lexington Center have worked together to sustain the park, "each respecting the other's contribution."

Grossman said the Lexington Center and Triangle Foundation have never had any written document" that stipulates the expectations. This probably heightens the accountability, more than anything," he said.

sounds like a good project and it will go with the feel for that area.

Pub and townhomes planned for South Broadway parcel, across from The Lex (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/05/06/1732422/pub-and-townhomes-planned-for.html)

http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2011/05/06/15/110505jeffersondavisPA0050.aurora_standalone.prod_affiliate.79.jpg

By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com

May 6, 2011

A pub and 20 townhouses will be built on a prominent vacant block on South Broadway, directly across from The Lex student apartments.

Developer Jeff Morgan will build the project — to be called The Village at South Broadway — on the block where the Popeye Sign Co. once stood.

Ground-breaking is planned for 3 p.m. Saturday, combined with a Derby party with friends and relatives from Louisville.

The parcel makes up an entire city block between Cedar and Vine streets and will more closely link the University of Kentucky to Rupp Arena and downtown. "I've walked that stretch of South Broadway. When the Newtown Pike extension comes in, I think it will fundamentally change the South Broadway corridor," Morgan said.

The Newtown Pike extension is planned to cross South Broadway just a few blocks south of Morgan's planned development.

"The city wants a stronger connection between the university and downtown," with more restaurants, retail and residential, Morgan said. "We see that happening on Lexington Avenue. We see it happening on Limestone. ... I think it's starting to come together on South Broadway. Our project will be a step in that direction."

The Popeye Sign Co. was razed for a boutique hotel that received approval from the Planning Commission, but the project never got off the ground. The land was sold at a master commissioner's sale and was bought by Traditional Bank, which held the mortgage.

Morgan paid $2.1 million for one acre, and he said that the high cost required a mixed-use development. "It's too expensive just for all residential," he said. PBI Bank in Louisville will provide financing for the restaurant, Morgan said. Community Bank and Bank of the Bluegrass will finance the townhouses.

The three-story townhouses will be slightly more than 2,100 square feet, with upscale kitchens, hardwood floors and garages. They will start at $299,000. The target market will be young professionals and university staff and faculty.

The pub will be called the Jefferson Davis Inn after one of Lexington's most beloved music clubs, home to a devoted clientele. Fondly called the JDI, the club closed in the 1980s. "People who drank there in the '50s and '60s and have heard about what we are doing are so excited" that the JDI will be brought back to life, he said.

Morgan wants the pub "to feel like Lexington."

"I'm not building an Irish pub, because I'm not Irish. I'm not building an English pub, because I'm not English," he said. "I want people to go in and know they are in Lexington."

Morgan graduated from Transylvania University in 1996 and immediately went into construction. He has built single-family houses, townhouses and apartments in several locations, including on Red Mile Road.

He is a mason by trade and said the townhouses and pub will have brick detail similar to that found in the Wellington Arms building at East Main Street and Woodland Avenue, plus brickwork that he has seen in Amsterdam, "a mecca for eye-candy masonry."

Morgan's twin brother, Jason, and their mother, Karen Morgan, who owned pubs in Louisville, will own and run the JDI bar and grill.

Morgan said he has worked since spring 2009 to put his project together, including getting financing, securing approval from the Planning Commission and working with a deed restriction put on the land by the adjoining Historic South Hill Neighborhood Association. His parcel is not included in the historic overlay district.

Hayward Wilkirson, president of the neighborhood association, said his group put a deed restriction on the land when it was owned by the former developer. "The neighborhood association created a deed restriction to ensure that the plans the developer presented to us — as far as height and scale and setback — conformed very closely to the development plans they showed us," he said.

Wilkirson said South Hill residents are supportive of what Morgan wants to do.

Sounds great! Both articles are exciting

Skimming through the planning commision's website i found this in the May submissions for the Distillery District Corridor. I think I've seen it before so it might be an old plan that's being resurrected.

http://lexingtonky.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=16028

There was also a plan for a four story hotel in the Townley Center development at Leestown and New Circle. It's pretty suburban and uninteresting but I'm glad something is going to fill in that big open lot.

Here are some pictures from the almost complete lobby of the new UK Hospital. It's pretty impressive and photos really can't capture all of it.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz14/Hallm_7/UKHospital1.jpg


http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz14/Hallm_7/UKHospital3.jpg


http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz14/Hallm_7/UKHospital2.jpg

Nice! But it looks like an airport terminal... I can already hear the automated voice over the PA... "Now departing from Gate B24, flight 1123 with service to Atlanta. We would like to welcome our First Class, Medallian members and passengers seated in Zones 1 and 2 to begin boarding ..."

Skimming through the planning commision's website i found this in the May submissions for the Distillery District Corridor. I think I've seen it before so it might be an old plan that's being resurrected.

If you will notice, the lot at the corner of Manchester and Willard is NEW, with the building remaining as condos. Additional acreage-hence a new plan revision.

^^ That's great news!

The image on the plan looked familiar to me. That's why i thought it was an old project being brought back.

The building in the Distillery District proposal is only Phase 3, so still a long way off I'm guessing. "Existing building to remain as condos" ... really - hard to call this condos: http://goo.gl/LCt5V

Anyway, I'm real excited about the National Horse Show coming yearly to Lexington. It is not an overwhelming draw, but it is a reliable one in a slow time of the year before basketball season gets revved up. Plus, it helps to reinforce our uniqueness with the country - which is always good. Also, it is just another reason for hotels to feel comfortable giving the green light to new projects.

With the development activity really picking back up, I wouldn't be surprised to see a really active summer of new proposals. We are already off to a good start, so I am interested to see what else comes out this year.

The phase three designation is only to keep the timeline of the plans in a logical sequence. It is not done for relationship to when any particular portion is completed. Look at Oliver Lewis Way, the completed part is Phase IV on the original plans.

I don't anticipate many new development announcements this summer, just a lot of nit-picking little things.

Still almost impossible to get financing for projects. I expect things to be few and far between. Surprised they got financing on the townhouses on Broadway, frankly I will believe that one when I see it. Considering there are quite a few of the condos in Phase II of Centercourt, I wouldn't think there would be a huge appetite for townhouses.

Lexington Mall demo could begin next week.

http://www.kentucky.com/2011/05/12/1738951/lexington-mall-demolition-to-begin.html

Still almost impossible to get financing for projects. I expect things to be few and far between. Surprised they got financing on the townhouses on Broadway, frankly I will believe that one when I see it. Considering there are quite a few of the condos in Phase II of Centercourt, I wouldn't think there would be a huge appetite for townhouses.

Is there something particularly dire about the Lexington economy ? Down here, in Orlando, we've got the worst housing market in the nation, yet projects are indeed going ahead.

I just don't think it can be that bad that legitimate projects can't move forward. If Kentucky banks won't lend, then I hope our developers are seeking financing outside of Kentucky.

Those $299,000 townhomes in the Jefferson Davis block I expect to do well. I told a professor friend of mine about them who is renting downtown now, but who is looking to buy within a walkable distance to the Univ., and he is already investigating them as it is at a real sweet spot for faculty and our salaries.

Last thing, so, is the Herald-Leader officially dead? Can't we call a time of death on it yet? The current top stories is that there is a white bird in Winchester and gas is $4.00 a gallon. The race-day medication summit in New York has been on the homepage for 3 days. It feels like they are writing about 1 real story a day, and 1 sports story a day. It is getting very embarrassing. My wife and I tried to subscribe to the print edition (as a donation more than anything), but the paper is just of such low quality that it literally wasn't worth the effort to walk out in our driveway and pick it up and it got embarrassing with the neighbors when 3-4 papers were laying in our driveway frequently.

Why is there no alternative weekly here in town? If there were one of those + Business Lexington continuing to do reporting, we could eliminate the HL altogether.

Open house at the new hospital this weekend from 9-5 on Saturday and 3-7 on Sunday.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i120/Iandependant/110513UKHospitalcb006_aurora_standalone_prod_affiliate_79.jpg

Advances in Newtown Pike Extension project announced (http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2011-05-13-97745.113117-Advances-in-Newtown-Pike-Extension-project-announced.html#222)
Transportation Cabinet authorizing $23.5 million for land, design

by Staff

May 13, 2011

Frankfort, Ky. - A major advance by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) on the two remaining sections of the project to build the Newtown Pike Extension in Lexington was announced by Gov. Steve Beshear and Congressman Ben Chandler.

KYTC has authorized $23.5 million for property acquisition and design work associated with construction of the roadway from Versailles Road to Patterson Street, and design work for the section along a new Scott Street Connector to South Limestone, near the main entrance to the University of Kentucky.

“Nearly 50 years after plans were developed– and nearly 80 years after it was first envisioned – completion of the transformation of Newtown Pike is actually within sight,” Gov. Beshear said.

Of the announced funding, $18 million is for acquiring property between Versailles Road and South Broadway that will include the right of way for Oliver Lewis Way, a boulevard from Versailles Road to South Broadway. The area also includes land for a reconstructed city park and the new Lexington Community Land Trust.

The Land Trust, to be called Southend Urban Park Village, will provide affordable, energy-efficient housing – single-family homes, duplexes and condominiums near the new boulevard – to qualifying individuals. Residents whose homes are being displaced by the roadway project will be given the first opportunity to relocate into the Village.

The remaining $5.5 million will be used to complete construction plans for the roadway; complete the design of Southend Urban Village Park; rehabilitate the Carver Community Center; provide fiscal stability for the Land Trust; and maintain the temporary housing area for residents who are displaced by the project until 2014.

“After around 50 years of planning, we are now entering the home stretch,” Congressman Chandler said in a joint statement with Beshear. “It is all because the local, state and federal levels worked together to make this a reality. The first part of this project was completed in time for the World Equestrian Games and has been a boon for Lexington. I can’t wait to see what this fully completed project will do for central Kentucky and its economy in the future.”

When completed, the Newtown Pike Extension is expected to greatly reduce congestion on Lexington’s downtown streets, which currently carry more than 40,000 vehicles per day.

The new thoroughfare will support the city’s downtown development plan, improve the bicycle and pedestrian environment, and improve access to the UK campus and hospital, Commonwealth Stadium, and other local hospitals.

“As a new gateway for the University of Kentucky and south Lexington, Oliver Lewis Way is very important to Lexington,” Mayor Jim Gray said. "Oliver Lewis Way will one day be a national model for construction of new roads through existing neighborhoods. We are improving those neighborhoods, not paving over them.”

Wow!!! That is all that I can say. $18 million for some run-down shacks and concrete block buildings full of old auto parts. This does not count all the property bought so far. Add to that $5.5 million for completing the plans and other niceties and there is no money to turn the first spade full of dirt.

Yes, the end is in sight but construction is still a ways off and the economic boom is still said to be in the future. The temporary housing will be maintained until 2014 so that is probably near the end of construction.

The wheels of government progress grind exceedingly sloooow.

Is there something particularly dire about the Lexington economy ? Down here, in Orlando, we've got the worst housing market in the nation, yet projects are indeed going ahead.

No, Lexington's economy is probably better than most, but there is very little activity. Lots of local and regional banks still have a bunch of bad or at least troubled loans and are gun shy about making any new loans, especially large ones. If you have a very good project and have lots of outside cash flow you can get financing, but that does not apply to most developers right now. There will be some projects, but not many.

Two grocery stores in the same month!!! The other on e announced a couple months ago opens monday on Main and Esplanade

http://www.kentucky.com/2011/05/14/1740884/second-downtown-grocery-to-open.html

Business Lexington did an interesting piece on the economic impact of the construction of UK's new hospital.

A Healing Economy
Increased payroll, construction at UK Hospital bring fiscal boost
by Margaret Buranen

Lexington, KY - In addition to improving the health of Kentuckians, the new University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital, which will open the final elements of its first phase of construction this month, also promises to offer a significant boost to the local and state economy.

The number of employees in UK's College of Medicine has grown from 3,048 in fiscal year 2004 to 3,989 in fiscal year 2011, an increase of 900 people. In the same seven years, the number of full-time hospital employees rose from 2,562 to 4,722, an increase of 84 percent.

Those employment increases have driven the salary and benefits payroll for UK HealthCare (the hospital and College of Medicine together) to $677 million in FY2011 — more than $300 million above the FY 2004 payroll.

"Salaries and benefits average out to $100,000 per year for nurses with advanced degrees," said Dr. Michael Karpf, executive vice president for health affairs at UK.

The College of Medicine has changed the makeup of its employees in the last seven years. The number of part-time faculty members has decreased nearly one-third, while full-time basic science and clinical faculty members have both increased. The net result is a 21 percent increase in faculty members.

Some of these employees were recruited from other parts of the country. Others have UK ties. One example is Dr. Joseph (Jay) Zwischenberger, who was a student in UK's College of Medicine roughly 30 years ago. Now he serves as the new hospital's chief of surgery and chair of the department of surgery in the College of Medicine.

UK HealthCare employees are not the only ones contributing to the economy through their affiliation with the hospital. Construction of the new hospital has generated a private sector payroll of more than $72 million. The 2.5 million paid work hours needed to build the facility are the equivalent of employing more than 300 full-time workers during the construction.

Local construction companies are not the only ones to receive an economic boost from the hospital. Whenever possible, Kentucky vendors were used for building materials and supplies, according to Karpf. The estimated economic impact of this practice is an additional $88.6 million. That figure does not include out-of-state companies that purchased materials in Kentucky or went through a Kentucky distributor.

And in addition, the economic engine of the new hospital is self-driven, with no federal or state funds having been appropriated and no bonds issued. The entire cost of building the new hospital is covered by revenues generated by the clinical work its employees perform.

The first phase of the hospital's construction includes its 1,600 space parking structure and connecting bridge across Limestone, and the Level 1 Trauma Center and Emergency Department (ED), which opened in July 2010. The ED has separate wings for adult and child patients.

The rest of the first phase of construction, opening May 22, is called the pavilion. It includes public areas (the lobby, chapel, gift shop, coffee shop, 305-seat auditorium, and waiting area for families of patients who are undergoing surgery) and two floors of patient rooms, with a total of 128 beds. This first phase of construction of the new hospital cost $532 million.

"It's on schedule and under budget," said Karpf.

The next phase of the hospital's construction will cost $230 million to $250 million and also be funded entirely by clinical operating revenue. That amount includes $35 million for expansion of the operating rooms and a new hybrid operating room, which only a few other American hospitals have. This construction is expected to be finished in November 2011.

Other economic contributions associated with UK HealthCare will come from start-up companies based on research done by faculty members in the colleges of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and public health. The institution has more than 60 patents. More than 20 start-up companies are in operation.

The hospital has a three-part strategic plan for 2010-2015. Its components are to become a regional healthcare provider, to mature the research infrastructure within the academic departments, and "to continue to be a major economic catalyst for the commonwealth."

Just posted a photo update (the first in a very long time): Lexington's Gratz Park and Northside: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1380955

I think Downtown can and will support both groceries and I think it will make downtown grow even more than it has.

Can downtown Lexington support two groceries? (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/05/16/1742443/second-downtown-grocery-opens.html)

http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2011/05/16/17/110516GroceryPA0119.aurora_standalone.prod_affiliate.79.jpg

http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2011/05/16/22/110516grocerymc069.aurora_standalone.prod_affiliate.79.jpg

By Scott Sloan — ssloan@herald-leader.com

May 16, 2011

It's been a longtime lament: Downtown has no groceries. Efforts to lure them failed for years. Residents went so far as to call for two-way streets because major grocery chains prefer them for sites.

But now, within one month, two independently owned grocery options have opened for area shoppers, Shorty's and Town Branch Market. With so much so quickly, can the marketplace support both?

Downtown residents and city officials firmly think it can, and both owners note they have different target customers.

"Healthy competition can actually add to success and encourage market development," Mayor Jim Gray said Monday morning after cutting a ribbon at Town Branch Market, at Esplanade and East Main Street. "They're both small markets, but they are different."

Town Branch Market, in the space previously occupied by a rug store and an extension of Natasha's Bistro & Bar, is arranged much like a convenience store but offers a small selection of produce, meat, milk and other items not typically found in such a shop.

The store also sells sandwiches and breads that are prepared elsewhere. For instance, Donut Days will provide pastries, and the store will carry Bluegrass Baking's artisan breads.

"If we can get it locally, it's going to come locally," said owner Howard Stovall.

Stovall said his product offerings are geared toward downtown office workers and pedestrians looking to pick up a quick snack.

Close to city hall, the store is already seeing business from government workers, Gray said.

By contrast, Shorty's, which calls itself "an urban market," is a New York-style grocery with a greater variety of produce, meat and other food offerings. The store, in the Traditional Bank building at Upper and Short Streets, has an extensive deli.

"People really like the fresh-made sandwiches and paninis," said part-owner Hannah Goodman.

She said traffic at the store has been good since it opened earlier this month.

Among the customers is Gray, who said that until now he had shopped at the Kroger on Euclid Avenue near the University of Kentucky.

"I'm going more to Shorty's since it's three blocks away from my house," the mayor said, complimenting the store's food selection.

Gray said he feels positive about the future of both markets, citing the increased number of people living downtown.

"Ten years ago, downtown probably couldn't have supported a grocery," said Goodman, who has lived nearby for three years. But now, the void was obvious.

"The fact that there hasn't been a grocery downtown is kind of silly," she said.

David O'Neill, property valuation administrator for Fayette County, said the lack of a grocery was easily the No. 1 complaint from those living downtown.

"We've been hearing for years there's no place to shop," he said.

Councilman Steve Kay has lived downtown for three decades and said the emergence of the stores was the "linchpin" for downtown's growth.

"What makes a downtown viable is if you can get what you need," he said. "It's handy just to be able to come in and get a snack or sandwich."

Town Branch's Stovall said downtown's population probably could support a third grocery-style store on the west end of Main Street. After all, he's focused more on workers and passersby.

Among the first to find his store Monday were Barb Cooper and Ashley Waechter, who produce The Best of Lexington visitor guides and were driving around downtown.

Waechter, who bought organic broth, said, "There's a little bit of everything."

Thanks for the photos Seicer, it's been a while!

Downtown Business Improvement District Plan Introduced to Landowners (http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2011-05-24-97778.113117-Downtown-Business-Improvement-District-Plan-Introduced-to-Landowners.html#print)
Proposed district would use assessment to market downtown as a whole

http://www.smileypete.com/placedimages/b1D6E9ISW1869F49.lg.jpg

by Erik A. Carlson

May 24, 2011

Lexington, KY - A plan that would use a pseudo tax assessment on property in the core of Lexington's downtown to market and beautify the district is being introduced to landowners by the Downtown Lexington Corporation, the proposed administrator of the program.

"Any area can form their own management district. The goal of it is to generate funds to improve the conditions of that area," DLC's VP of Business Development, Kathryn Minton told the first of three informational meetings for the Downtown Lexington Management District, Monday afternoon. "You have the public/private partnership in which property and business owners elect to make a collective investment in their commercial district."

Common around the country, management districts assess an extra portion of property values in a defined area, earmarking the additional revenue for a specific list of needs within the district.

While this type of district exists in every state, according to DLC President Renee Jackson, the only management district in Kentucky is in downtown Louisville. Under state statute, at least a third of property owners in the defined area representing at least 51 percent of the area's value must agree to an added assessment, in this case $.10 for every $100 of property - $100 for every $100,000 of value - before the district can be introduced to the area's legislative body. At that point Urban-County Council would have to approve it and the mayor would appoint a board based on requirements within the state law. That board would choose to hire an administrator or contract within an entity such as the DLC as proposed.

Around a decade ago another management district was proposed for the downtown and quickly dismissed. The reason for that, according to Jackson, was because the area's property owners weren't on board with the "Clean and Safe" focus of the district. Many management districts nationwide use their resources to keep streets cleared of trash and will even clear sidewalks during snowfall, as well as employing social workers that can help identify problems within the area and act as liaisons with law enforcement.

But Jackson said that focus didn't interest downtown stakeholders she talked with to gauge interest for the district. But generating a consistent marketing plan and stylized beautification of downtown did pique the interest of landowners.

"Right now there's not a consistent wide-range marketing plan," DLC's VP Minton said in her presentation. "Here at the DLC our efforts are focused directly on downtown, but our budget decreases and increases with a number of things. We do what we can, but there's just not enough money to do what we need to do and want to do to make it as successful as we could."

As proposed, the district would cover an area from Jefferson Street to just past the Main and Vine intersection in an area about three-blocks wide, and well as both sides of Limestone from Avenue of Champions to Third Street. In that area, according to DLC, there are 398 property owners, that would generate $336,000 per year in assessments. While the average assessment comes to $844 a year per property, Jackson said most would pay much less than that as some properties, like the Lexington Financial Center (the Big Blue Building) would pay $23,000 a year based on it's assessed value of $23 million.

The DLC has held two meetings to discuss and hear ideas on the proposal, Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. The third and final is planned for Wednesday night from 5:30-7.

Property owners at the first meeting Monday afternoon were apprehensive of the plans, expressing concerns that the taxed money wouldn't bring a tangible return to their investment.

"My concern is that there's not a logical connection between the money and where it's being spent addressing actual needs and improvements downtown," said real estate professional and downtown property owner Jamie Schrader. "If you can create a situation where we know the investment makes sense to address a specific issue, I'm all in favor of it. But what I saw today is we can do planter boxes downtown and improve our over all landscape design without a district in my opinion. I don't think that the marketing and the bus signage and the direct mail and things like that would have the desired impact to the downtown area."

Schrader's comments were in reaction to plans presented showing use of consistent planters, newspaper-rack corrals and wayfinding signage, many or all currently in use in other downtowns, as well as a plan to use around 60 percent of the budget on a marketing campaign spanning most media from direct mail to TV, radio and print.

"The marketing initiative in my opinion is not really so much (for) adjoining counties as much as it is (for) adjoining neighborhoods," said Phil Osborne of Preston-Osborne, a marketing and PR form that completed a survey of the downtown in 2008 that helped identify the need for the district. "We need people coming from the south-end into downtown for something more than just to renew their drivers license. It's a public education campaign as much as anything to convince people if they want a nice restaurant, they have plenty of options downtown. If they want a nice entertainment venue, they have plenty of options downtown."

The proposed budget breakdown calls for $336,000 annually from assessments and predicts an extra $100,000 in contributions from non-taxable entities within the district such as city buildings and churches. A Powerpoint slide of an expenditure overview did not take into account money that would come from contributions, but shows around 60 percent of the budget ($200,000 in the case of a $336,000 total) would go to marketing, while $52,500, a little more than 15.5 percent, would go toward beautification efforts in the downtown.

Four percent would go back to the Fayette County Sheriff's office as a fee for collecting the taxes, $50,000 or just under 15 percent, would go toward administration and $20,000, roughly 6 percent, would go toward an ambassador and community relations program, a major function of most districts.

But Jackson, citing Madison, Wisc. as an example, said the proposed Downtown Lexington Management District won't be like most.

In Madison, Jackson said, a kiosk was manned during most months to provide information and literature on the area to visitor and residents who may not be familiar with the center of the city.

"What we saw during Spotlight Lexington is there's a huge volunteer pool of people who are willing to volunteer to do that role if there's somebody to help coordinate it and provide material to them. We would hope that because it is a small allocation that it would have to be done with the help of volunteers," Jackson said in an interview following the meeting.

"Just answering those types of questions is really important, and just having a person they know its safe to ask that question, too, is really big," she added.

But property owners at the first meeting weren't convinced this was the best use of what would amount to a 10 percent increase in their property tax.

"Spending the money to market the downtown, I don't know about that," Schrader said in the meeting. "Spending the money to build a parking garage that's visible and accessible, where people can get to a lot of places, that may be a different thing. Spending money to build some type of venue for events where you have an amphitheater downtown that's brining people downtown, that's a tangible project. But the items on the list that I'm looking at right now, I'm just having trouble seeing that there's a need and that there's going to be a direct benefit for the expenditure of those dollars."

As this process continues, Jackson said she will be listing to the concerns of downtown landowners and the proposal could change accordingly. "We're obviously here to hear what the property owners want. But I know we saw during Spotlight Lexington, and that's the model that we're using, that we had people that wanted to come out and volunteer to do that very task, it was just a matter of getting them in the right spots to do it. I think that Lexington has the pool of people to do it and make is successful without spending a lot of money, but having a lot of impact," she said.

What do you all think about the management district?

I have mixed opinions at the moment. I'd love to hear other's thoughts...

I was under the impression that they were functioning as a business management entity already but imposing a tax, whether you call it one or not, is bad news at this time.

One of the first things that I would like to see is the percentage of government owned property within the proposed district. Likewise, the other "tax free" properties such as churches and libraries, including UK holdings. It also appears to include all the recent condos which would be assessed an additional "fee" for the businesses that should be available to them at present.

I have seen downtown marketed as retail in order to get folks to move there, when that did not happen, they went for the entertainment angle. All of this is directed toward "high end" "high tech" young professionals which my exclude many others who may wish to live and involve themselves downtown. The results are an entertainment laden area desperately fighting to bring in any kind of other retail which could fit in with what we have. And charging a "fee" to fight the fight.

Good luck with that.

Lexington Mall demo has begun.

I don't really understand the management thing. I just don't understand why this is necessary.

If Carto is right and it is aimed at young professionals ... this seems like the wrong group to tax. The young professions are working for the companies that are renting those buildings, not the building owners. The building owners might benefit from a vibrant downtown secondarily, but it is the companies renting those spaces that directly benefit. Tax them.

I also don't get why we need an extra tax. The whole region benefits from a vibrant downtown Lexington, so if they want to make additional improvements, just do it out of general funds. If those are not enough, then raise taxes generally. Breaking off downtown as a separate management unit would actually strike me as a harmful thing in the long run.

And, just because Louisville does it, doesn't mean we need to follow suit. I feel our downtown is just as, or more, functional and/or beautiful than theirs.

More attractive/safer area = more desirable office/retail location = higher rent for property owners to charge, not that hard to figure out.

Good thing is that this is voted for by the property owners( doesn't seem like they are too impressed), which is fair since they will directly benefit if the plan works out. For them to approve it they will have to see that the plan will in fact raise the appeal of their property.

Btw it's not exactly a "Louisville" thing, cities all over the country have done this. But it wouldn't be the first time Lexington has played the "me too" game.

Easy... Lexington has borrowed from Louisville before but it's not as though Louisville has never implemented policies after Lexington. Public smoking ban, merged city/county government, etc. I don't think it matters that much. Both cities have done good things that caught on with the other. Personally I think it's great to look at success stories and explore their feasibility elsewhere.

Let's not bring the whole rivalry thing onto the forum.

BTW, I was in Louisville with my fiance this weekend and we stayed at the Brown. It was the first time I've been down to Fourth Street Live or spent any significant amount of time around Broadway.

I really loved that area!

found this (http://www.gbbn.com/Projects/Community/South_Hill_Group~Gratz_Park_Redevelopment/) on GBBN architects website. Wondering if it's old or a new idea, but has anybody heard about this?

This is an older development and a very good one for the re-development of the Reynolds building area. Part of the site shown here is the new Tolly-Ho location. I think that this is dead in the water for now due to the economic situation of UK.

Move along, nothing to see here.

yeah I know that ones dead I accidently put this link in there first http://www.gbbn.com/Projects/Community/South_Hill_Group~South_Broadway_Arts_District/ accidently and it might still be showing up.

but meant to put this one (http://www.gbbn.com/Projects/Community/South_Hill_Group~Gratz_Park_Redevelopment/) about Gratz Park redevelopment from the South Hill Group. I think this one is new but maybe I could be wrong.

^^On the same block as Gratz Park Inn I can only imagine that this would be the stretch of Upper between Second and Church. Which would be great if it's not dead.

yeah I think it is and you can envision it when looking at this block (http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qb77kf7yrw48&lvl=18.175995628591807&dir=356.46719352472314&sty=b&q=gratz%20park%20inn%20&ss=yp.gratz%20park%20inn~pg.1~rad.0,134016715369153&form=LMLTCC).

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i120/Iandependant/2011-06-01-SGA-massing-stud_aurora_standalone_prod_affiliate_79.jpg
These are some of the site models that Studio Gang was bringing to Lexington for a public meeting on Thursday, June 2, 2011, to show design alternatives for the CentrePointe block. The CentrePointe block is in the middle of the rectangle; the block can be removed and replaced with one of the other blocks on the table


Eblen: Will the saga of CentrePointe have a fairy tale ending?

Keep your fingers crossed. There seems to be a real possibility that the ugly duckling proposed for that vacant lot downtown could be replaced by a swan.

Developer Dudley Webb, unable to finance the 1980s-style tower he proposed to replace the block of old buildings he demolished, has taken a new approach. With help from Mayor Jim Gray, Webb has hired one of the world's best up-and-coming architects to rethink the design of his hotel-condo-office-retail project, CentrePointe.

Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang in Chicago will present her initial site plan Thursday at the first of at least two public meetings in Lexington. Stop by the Lexington History Museum at 4 p.m. to hear from her, Webb and Gray — and contribute your thoughts.

Gang said in a telephone interview Wednesday that her design is rough and flexible at this point because she wants input from more people who live in Lexington. She also wants help from Kentucky architects to give the block variety and local flavor.

I found Gang's concepts for the development encouraging. She wants it to be pedestrian-friendly, compatible with its surroundings, unique to Lexington and "a place that is interesting to be."

Gang envisions a cluster of buildings along Main Street — like there used to be — rather than a single edifice. The buildings would include a variety of locally designed, contemporary architecture that complements in scale and design the 19th and 20th century buildings across the street. "It will give it that authenticity and feel without it being forced," she said.

The new CentrePointe — it really needs a new name, by the way — would have two towers instead of one. The shorter tower would house offices and the taller one would have a hotel and condos. The size of the towers would depend on the tenants Webb secures, but Gang said she would use computer models to show where the shadows would fall to help place the towers so they don't hulk over Main Street or neighboring buildings.

Gang has designed amazing buildings all over the world, so why is she bothering to work in Lexington? Gang said she was familiar with the controversy surrounding CentrePointe from her visits to the University of Kentucky's College of Design, and she sensed a opportunity to create something special.

She was impressed by Lexington's rural land preservation efforts and historic downtown architecture, she said, which together offered the possibility for creating vibrant urban space on the block. "It is truly a livable city," she said. "And this is truly the heart of Lexington."

Also, Gang said, she was impressed by the mayor's commitment to design excellence. "He gets it," she said. "That makes a huge difference in deciding where we want to work. So many places don't get it."

Gang's creativity and reputation may well be the key to Webb securing the financing and tenants he needs to transform CentrePointe from a failure into a success. And for the city, it could mean the difference between another generic concrete box and a landmark Lexingtonians will be proud to have at their city's heart.



Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/06/01/1760405/eblen-will-the-saga-of-centrepointe.html#ixzz1O4dHEYx4

Eblen: Will the saga of CentrePointe have a fairy tale ending? (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/06/01/1760405/eblen-will-the-saga-of-centrepointe.html)

http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2011/06/01/20/2011-06-01-SGA-massing-stud.aurora_standalone.prod_affiliate.79.jpg
These are some of the site models that Studio Gang was bringing to Lexington for a public meeting on Thursday, June 2, 2011, to show design alternatives for the CentrePointe block. The CentrePointe block is in the middle of the rectangle; the block can be removed and replaced with one of the other blocks on the table.

By tom eblen — herald-leader columnist

Jun 1, 2011

Keep your fingers crossed. There seems to be a real possibility that the ugly duckling proposed for that vacant lot downtown could be replaced by a swan.

Developer Dudley Webb, unable to finance the 1980s-style tower he proposed to replace the block of old buildings he demolished, has taken a new approach. With help from Mayor Jim Gray, Webb has hired one of the world's best up-and-coming architects to rethink the design of his hotel-condo-office-retail project, CentrePointe.

Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang in Chicago will present her initial site plan Thursday at the first of at least two public meetings in Lexington. Stop by the Lexington History Museum at 4 p.m. to hear from her, Webb and Gray — and contribute your thoughts.

Gang said in a telephone interview Wednesday that her design is rough and flexible at this point because she wants input from more people who live in Lexington. She also wants help from Kentucky architects to give the block variety and local flavor.

I found Gang's concepts for the development encouraging. She wants it to be pedestrian-friendly, compatible with its surroundings, unique to Lexington and "a place that is interesting to be."

Gang envisions a cluster of buildings along Main Street — like there used to be — rather than a single edifice. The buildings would include a variety of locally designed, contemporary architecture that complements in scale and design the 19th and 20th century buildings across the street. "It will give it that authenticity and feel without it being forced," she said.

The new CentrePointe — it really needs a new name, by the way — would have two towers instead of one. The shorter tower would house offices and the taller one would have a hotel and condos. The size of the towers would depend on the tenants Webb secures, but Gang said she would use computer models to show where the shadows would fall to help place the towers so they don't hulk over Main Street or neighboring buildings.

Gang has designed amazing buildings all over the world, so why is she bothering to work in Lexington? Gang said she was familiar with the controversy surrounding CentrePointe from her visits to the University of Kentucky's College of Design, and she sensed a opportunity to create something special.

She was impressed by Lexington's rural land preservation efforts and historic downtown architecture, she said, which together offered the possibility for creating vibrant urban space on the block. "It is truly a livable city," she said. "And this is truly the heart of Lexington."

Also, Gang said, she was impressed by the mayor's commitment to design excellence. "He gets it," she said. "That makes a huge difference in deciding where we want to work. So many places don't get it."

Gang's creativity and reputation may well be the key to Webb securing the financing and tenants he needs to transform CentrePointe from a failure into a success. And for the city, it could mean the difference between another generic concrete box and a landmark Lexingtonians will be proud to have at their city's heart.

Wow! Beat you by one minute!

I think I'm going to go down to the presentation. Anyone else going? If so do you wanna get a beer or dinner afterward?

haha yep you did

The new CentrePointe — it really needs a new name, by the way — would have two towers instead of one. The shorter tower would house offices and the taller one would have a hotel and condos. The size of the towers would depend on the tenants Webb secures,...
Does anyone see one of those sample blocks with TWO towers on it? Four to six story mixed-use structures at best.

Is this more of Eblen's hack work?

Does anyone see one of those sample blocks with TWO towers on it? Four to six story mixed-use structures at best.

Is this more of Eblen's hack work?

I don't see one as you describe it. I see the one in the center appears to have a tower and a low-to-midrise structure but none without a tower taller than you're describing. I'm not sure if you're asking rhetorically or not though.

Even the boxes look alright, and I'm not much of a box fan...

The article mentions 2 towers. In my opinion, towers are taller than 10 stories.

5/3 tower is 30, Kinkead tower is 25, Vine Center is 22 each, First National is 16. Those are towers, so where is the sample with two(2) towers?

Glad to hear some news on this project. :) Studio Gang is an AMAZING architecture firm. They have designed numerous award-winning structures world wide from Aqua in Chicago: http://www.studiogang.net/work/2004/aqua to Blue Wall Center here in Greenville: http://www.studiogang.net/work/2008/bluewallcenter Check out all of their work here: http://www.studiogang.net/work/a-z They'll definitely come up with something great for the Centrepointe site. :okay:

This article from beverly fortune goes more into detail than eblen and mentions that somewhere on the site will be one tower as tall as 30 stories with the hotel (smaller tower if boutique but bigger if major chain) and condominiums and the other would be 8-10 stories with office space.

Architect set to share preliminary ideas for CentrePointe, listen to public's input (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/06/01/1760468/architect-set-to-share-preliminary.html)

http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2011/06/01/22/CentrePointe%20rendering%201106.aurora_standalone.prod_affiliate.79.jpg

By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com

Jun 1, 2011

At a public meeting Thursday, Chicago architect Jeanne Gang will share preliminary ideas for rebuilding Lexington's empty CentrePointe block on West Main Street.

Developers Dudley and Woodford Webb in March hired Gang, founder of Studio Gang Architects, to propose a new design for the block where 14 historic buildings were razed in 2008. Funding for the project collapsed, and the once-bustling block was turned into a field.

The meeting will give Gang and members of her firm a chance to hear public comment about downtown and that particular block.

"It's more about listening to people and hearing what they say is important," Gang said during a telephone interview Wednesday. "And it's also to say, 'Hey, this is a new day because we are starting this again.' It's not going to be the same building that you saw before that looked like it could be anywhere, Atlanta or wherever," she said.

Mayor Jim Gray, who opposed the CentrePointe project from its inception, helped arrange for the Webbs to meet Gang. Gray said in his inaugural address this year that his administration would work with the developers to create a more imaginative project for the block.

Gang will not be presenting final drawings, but rather a series of studies that show ways the block could be developed with buildings of different sizes and shapes. The studies are still in flux, but Lexingtonians will be able to "start to get a sense of what that block could be like," she said.

"The public will really need to see the drawings to understand because it's just massing concepts at this point," Gang said.

Plans show two towers placed somewhere on the block. One would be perhaps as tall as 30 stories with a hotel and condominiums, and the other would contain office space in the range of eight to 10 stories.

"I try to keep a couple of ideas going, so we're developing more than one concept for the tower," Gang said.

The Webbs are pursing two kinds of hotels — one a boutique, the other a major chain. "The tower would be taller if it were the major chain," she said. Parking would be in an underground garage.

Across the street from the CentrePointe block is a row of 19th-century buildings of different sizes, shapes and designs, built over of time. "Our challenge is we have to design this block all at once," Gang said. "But how do you get that texture and variety, that experience that makes a city rich, by doing a complete block all at once?"

The Studio Gang strategy calls for inviting several architects from Lexington and Kentucky to help design the smaller buildings. An advertisement will go onto the American Institute of Architects' Kentucky Web site in a couple of weeks to seek architects who would like to participate in the project.

The Webbs have met with Gang, Dudley Webb said. "She met with folks from the city to get their thoughts and ideas," he said. "The third step is get the public's thoughts and ideas. It's an evolving process."

Webb indicated he was open to changing the name of the block from CentrePointe, but he wanted to wait. "The project needs to evolve, and we'll see if the name's appropriate,'' he said.

Gang said the time line of the project is flexible enough to accommodate ideas for the block that might come up at Thursday's meeting. "We've got to give ourselves time to incorporate anything that's interesting ... and to develop the structural concept of the tower," she said.

At a second public meeting, planned for July, the design of the buildings will be shown and names of the guest architects will be announced.

Gang visited Lexington several times over the years before being hired by the Webbs. She has served on design review panels at the University of Kentucky College of Design, and her firm was retained to do a master plan for expansion of the architecture school.

She called Lexington "a very livable city." In a visionary way, the city put into place a green belt around the city in 1958 with establishment of the Urban Service Boundary, she said; "What that did was give Lexington a chance to have a dense urban fabric."

At the turn of the century, the town was 40 percent more dense with buildings and population than it is today, she said.

"That presents a huge opportunity to repopulate downtown and make it more vibrant," Gang said. "I feel like Studio Gang can be part of something that is really crucial to this city going forward, and we are bringing our skills to bear on it."

To walk down Lexington's Main Street with "our architecture from the 21st century on one side, contrasted with 19th-century architecture across the street, creates an interesting place to be," Gang said. "I don't really know of another place exactly like that."

Good to see the public get some input. Not sure it will matter since I think the financing is going to be super difficult, at least in the near future, but it is interesting and potentially exciting. It would be fantastic if they actually started something on that block in the next couple of years.

It's funny now how a tower that's 30 or so stories tall is okay, but when it was submitted by the non-international architect and the Webbs it was too much and didn't fit in with the rest of the area.

Five of the alternatives look like buildings I've seen in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago, etc... And the other one looks like an apartment building in Singapore. None of them seem unique or distinguishing! I know they are samples and not the final product, but if this is where they're going... I don't like!

I'd think they're just massing models primarily. In any case, it won't be hard to surpass the original design which was fairly banal.

I'd think they're just massing models primarily. In any case, it won't be hard to surpass the original design which was fairly banal.

Yeah the articles state that they are simple massing models.

... I know they are samples and not the final product ...

Read people... however, their models suck! I understand they're models, but they are starting points for future considerations and none of them seem any more appealing than the original.

Read people... however, their models suck! I understand they're models, but they are starting points for future considerations and none of them seem any more appealing than the original.

Probably because they're just crude models.

I went down to the public meeting today and i was very very impressed by the energy and creativity that Studio Gang is putting into this project. Ms. Gang mentioned at one point that the two different general designs as seen in the graphics in previous posts are the directions they are currently pursuing for the tower portion but that most of their attention so far has been developing the low-rise portion of the project, which I thought sounded pretty amazing...

I also went to the meeting and came away with the feeling the we will NOT get something which will compare with some of her other notable work. She has her work cut out for her, by inviting some local talent she will be herding cats - stray cats.

With all the talk of densifying the downtown and growing up, we appear to be designing some Disney-esque faux historical structures to satisfy some ideas of the past. Why can't we move on?

One last question. Why was there no mention of the downtown design standards or the form-based code that the Council is working on?

My two cents....like Carto, I agree we don’t need any fake historic looking buildings just because people want to see that. Disney-esque is exactly what would happen. Build to the pedestrian scale, yes. Various shapes and sizes, yes.

Also, we don’t need any "glass d****s" (I'm sure you've heard the term). I actually like the original design because it was timeless and didn't try to look like it was from the future and not fit in. It could have been improved on, yes, but it wasn't terrible by any means.

I'm sure that Gang Studio is a deer in the headlights and doesn't know its ass from its elbow. :ohno:

Morris Book Shop is moving to Chevy Chase, this will be the greater downtown area's only bookstore selling new books. Though there have long been lots of used book stores around the downtown area.
http://www.kentucky.com/2011/06/07/1766918/the-morris-book-shop-moving-to.html

Some office relocations will bring at least a few BB&T jobs downtown from a Harrodsburg Rd. office.
http://www.kentucky.com/2011/06/07/1765850/pnc-bbt-on-the-move-in-downtown.html

Frankly I always thought a local bookstore on Southland Dr didn't make much sense. This seems like a much better location. I wish them well, it seems bookstores are a dying breed, and local bookstores are nearly extinct.

They seem to have done alright out there. I'm glad they're moving closer into the city though. I think it'll be another amenity for downtown. No one is going to move into the city to be near a bookstore but the bookstore is just one more amenity, like the grocery stores last month, that when bundled together make downtown more attractive.

And personally, I visit Morris every couple weeks and I've been taking the bus more often lately and it's easier to get to Chevy Chase then Southland for me on Lextran.

I heard a rumor tonight that makes me feel that the recent news concerning CentrePointe may not be as earthshaking as some are making it out to be.

Action on the block could begin before the end of the summer(if my source is right) and Ms. Gang and her band of local architects may have to design on the really fast track method. Some Spanish money is or has been making its way overseas as funding for the project and there is more to come.

I realize that there is a need for a healthy dose of skepticism here but I'm told that we all should hear something in the next 2 - 3 weeks.

I am ready, how about you?

^^It'll be nice to see some movement on the site. That will have to be some seriously fast design work.

Just a quick question.

If you were Dudley and you had been waiting for these several years to get started, and the funding became available immediately- Would you go with the delay of getting all the local input, the local design and (what seems like) all the positive feelings flowing through Lexington these days -or- would you go with the old design (any of the three) and risk facing the ire of the community?

I was speaking with somebody tonight who feels that all the local input will be taken in but that the decision will still be made behind closed doors and may have already BEEN made.

Looks to me like the next three weeks are going to be very interesting. Then, after the July 4th festivities I see something happening on the block.

That's a good question...

I think the decision will be one of the value of the Webb company's brand image in their hometown versus the costs of waiting and the additional design work.

I have no idea how to place a value on either of those things so I won't make a fool of myself by trying, but I would like to see more highrise developments in Lexington and I think that, rightly or wrongly, the way Centrepointe unfolds from here on is going to play a roll in public opinion on highrise development in the future.

And if the Webb's want to continue developing in Lexington the young demographic that's agitated by the development are going to be entering positions of influence in city government, media and commerce in five years to a greater extent than they are now.

That brand image is going to matter then, but again how much it will matter is something I don't know how to place a value on.

That would be fantastic. The thing is they are building a parking deck under the whole thing regardless of design, so they can get started on that, which is going to take a while, while designing the rest of the building.
No matter who the developer is and no matter how much public input they allow, at some point the decision on a major project is made behind closed doors because the project has to make sense economically for the developer. I hope that Studio Gang gets the opportunity to put something together just so there is that option. I didn't hate the old design, so I wouldn't be crushed if that was what was built, but I am also open to new, innovative designs, if that is what we get from Gang. I hope something gets done regardless. I am sick of a field in the middle of downtown.
I have a feeling they will go through the process with Gang. These projects take forever anyway and last for a lifetime, so what is a few more months for design. Dudley doesn't care if people like him or not, but I do believe he wants to build the best building he can that makes sense. I have no idea if he believes that involves Gang or not, but I assume he does since he brought them in.

Lexington bringing 195 people to Greenville for a visit: http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/39942-greenville-a-beacon-for-other-communities

Just letting my friends on here know that I am very pleased with the new superintendent hire in Fayette County schools. It is rare that I am the one with the inside information on here, but in this case I am extremely confident that Dr. Shelton will have a very positive impact both on the schools, and on the community. From his work in Owensboro in designing and deploying one of the first 1-1 laptop programs in the county to new "community campus" initiatives, he has proven to be an innovator while also making gains in student achievement. That is a very rare combination, so I commend the Board of Education on the hire (but, I was also happy with the other candidates ... but certainly Tom will bring more innovation to Fayette).

On Centerpointe ... just build it. I don't even care which design gets the green light. That we get shovels in the ground again is definitely the most important thing to me.

I know you guys don't expect to get a post from some guy on the opposite side of the world but I have spent time in Lexington, Kentucky....a nice place.
I walked down Main st almost every day to the Library opposite the Court House. It was hot and humid and I like the Horse statue in Thoroughbred park.
The city had buildings..old and new but not many people about..yeah it was hot ? I went to the Fayette Mall and Best Buys for coffee and to buy a GPS to follow directions to Washington DC and New York.....anyway, The point being. Sure I don't agree with Disneyland buildings but the city centre should have more life with small arcades and alleys with cafes and shops. Apartments should be encouraged down town. I live in Melbourne Australia and our city is alive with so many nooks and crannies...if you know what that means. I like Lexington but it seems kind of sterile.....? Here is a pic of what I mean..It's not manufactured..it just evolved......I say all this just to help..not to knock your wonderful city........Ok none of my pics of my city new or old are remarkable yet people go there. The new one is a refurbish of our department store right in the heart of the city.....so not many people in the pic........it's comfortable and works somehow ?
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/929/35139115659a998f5bffb.jpg (http://img204.imageshack.us/i/35139115659a998f5bffb.jpg/)
http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/3364/5225741851ea6c9ac6d6b.jpg (http://img577.imageshack.us/i/5225741851ea6c9ac6d6b.jpg/)
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/9968/546053868162f35f0b03b.jpg (http://img9.imageshack.us/i/546053868162f35f0b03b.jpg/)

Thanks for the melbourne photos redbaron.

We do have a kind of sterile feel downtown, there are pockets of what you are describing in Melbourne but they are not all day or all week kind of places. For example Limestone is full of people at night from Euclid to Third and the campus area bars around Woodland and Euclid are the same way. Unfortunately we don't have many more spots like that.

UK looks at University Lofts to replace Reynolds Building (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/06/11/1770606/uk-in-negotiations-to-move-fine.html)

http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2011/06/10/18/30/iy8GC.AuSt.79.jpg

By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com

Jun 11, 2011

The University of Kentucky is in negotiations with the owner of the University Lofts on Bolivar Street to purchase the former tobacco warehouse as a new home for the art department, and that would include student and faculty art studios now housed in the deteriorating Reynolds Building.

The Board of Trustees will be asked at its meeting Tuesday to authorize the university to offer up to $6.7 million for the building, renovated about eight years ago by Lexington developer Rob McGoodwin into 86 loft-style rental apartments.

On Friday, Bob Wiseman, university vice president for facilities, said, "I am very optimistic we'll come to terms."

McGoodwin approached Michael Tick, the new Dean of the College of Fine Arts, last fall after reading that Tick said that doing something about the Reynolds Building was a top priority. McGoodwin showed Tick the Bolivar Street building and suggested UK lease it for the art department.

UK was not interested in renting, but it had the building appraised and did "some slight architectural work to make sure the various uses in the Reynolds Building would fit in this building," Wiseman said.

McGoodwin said on Friday he is "cautiously optimistic" that he and his business partners can come to an agreement with UK. "If we can make it work on our side, I think it could be a very, very smart move for the university," McGoodwin said. "We'll just have to see what they offer, and what the terms are."

He turned down a UK offer of $6.1 million, the property's appraised value.

Wiseman estimated renovating the University Lofts into classroom and studio space would cost about $8 million. Part of the cost would include taking down walls that form the apartments. Still it would be cheaper to buy and renovate University Lofts ($14.7 million total) than renovating Reynolds ($17 million).

If UK were to commit to a substantial renovation of Reynolds, space for instruction, studio and faculty offices would have to be leased for a year during construction. That would cost $1 million, Wiseman said.

Also, space UK rents at several locations for storage of records and material for about $150,000 a year would be saved because Reynolds would be converted to storage. "We could consolidate a great amount, if not all, our storage in Reynolds," Wiseman said.

The much-loved but dilapidated Reynolds Building on the west side of campus is home to the art department's faculty and student studios.

The 144,000-square-foot Reynolds Building looks much like the old tobacco processing facility that R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company constructed in 1910. UK bought Reynolds in 1962 and has never been completely renovated.

UK's vice president of external affairs, Tom Harris, has called Reynolds "probably the worst building in higher education in the state."

Yet its large open spaces and high ceilings give students an opportunity to think big and construct art on a large scale, faculty and staff say.

The University Lofts building has the same aesthetics as Reynolds — high ceilings, big rooms, a loft aesthetic. The difference is that it has been reworked and is in good condition, Wiseman said.

"I see a good roof, good electrical system, good windows, an elevator, metal staircases and waste water and storm water piping, Wiseman said. "All the things we were going to have to do in the Reynolds Building we will not have to do in this building."

Plus, it is located on a safe, well-lit major street, across from campus, close to other apartments, restaurants and bars frequented by students. It is on LexTran and campus bus routes. An 85-space parking lot is across Bolivar Street and there is some on-site parking.

If McGoodwin agrees to sell, Wiseman said he will have to go to the General Assembly in January and seek specific authorization to pay for the $8 million renovation.

That money would become available in July 2012. Renovation would take one year. "If all goes through as hoped, we could occupy the Bolivar building in the fall of 2013," he said.

University Lofts has approximately 110,000 square feet. Reynolds has 154,000 square feet, but only about 54,000 of that is usable, Wiseman said.

That additional space would come in handy, Dean Tick said, because starting this fall, all 4,500 freshmen have to enroll in arts and creativity classes. An estimated 1,500 of those students are expected to take art classes.

Ben Withers, chairman of the art department, said the rundown condition of Reynolds has been an impediment to recruiting outstanding faculty and students, and securing endowment funds from major donors.

He called the possibility of moving into the University Lofts building "incredibly good news." At an art department faculty meeting on Friday, the mood was "very positive."

"But it hasn't been officially approved," Withers said. "We all have our fingers crossed, but until it happens, we aren't going to pop that champagne."

Hayward Wilkirson, president of the nearby Historic South Hill Neighborhood, said of the news, "I find it very exciting to know we are going to have an infusion of that creativity and artistic activity almost right in the center of our neighborhood."

McGoodwin bought a tobacco warehouse on Bolivar Street in 1993 and turned it into a retail center with Lazer Quest as the anchor in 1995. He saw potential with it being close to campus.

This is not the building that held Lazerquest. That building sit on the corner of Bolivar and S Upper St. It also was split up into condos a few years back and they are owned by a goodly number of owners. Then known as the South Hill Station complex it never lived up to the anticipated commercial revival for the area. Just once I wish Beverly got all of her facts right.

One good thing, the new Tolly-Ho is just out the back door and available for all those "creative" types.

re: Melbourne. I agree that Lexington could/should do a better job. That said, Melbourne has a population of 4 million while Lexington is 300,000. You can do a lot more things when you have a huge population because even if you have a niche market, you are drawing from a huge pool of people, so if 1% of the people like your idea it can still be successful, where if you pull 1% of Lexington you will go out of business. It is apples and oranges. Doesn't mean we can't try to do things better, but I don't think things that work in Chicago and Atlanta, for example, will necessarily work in Lexington. There are other great small cities we can learn from and should, and we can look at principles of larger places, but a lot of that stuff simply does not translate to a downtown that is essentially 10 blocks.
As to the Reynolds Building replacement, it seems like a win, win, though I am surprised by it. I would think those lofts would be renting really well right now. I guess he is getting enough of a premium that he doesn't mind selling. The lesson as always, it pays to be on the edge of a growing university. It might take a while, but eventually they will want your land and will pay a pretty penny for it.

Melbourne wasn't even equal to itself until fairly recently. Back when I was there, in the early 90's, it's CBD wasn't even remotely as stimulating as it appears to be now. And it was verging on a population of 3,000,000 back then.

Transit News

New Art in Motion stop proposed from Euclid and Ashland
http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2011-06-14-98009.113117-Next-Art-In-Motion-Bus-Shelter-Coming-to-Euclid-and-Ashland.html

New buses, some hybrid, and a new logo for Lextran
http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2011-06-14-98008.113117-LexTran-Rolls-Out-New-Buses-Look.html

pretty interesting that Jeff Ruby's puts an ad in the Herald Leader (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/06/16/1776297/jeff-rubys-steakhouse-wont-discuss.html#disqus_thread) they're opening in Lexington, but wont talk about it to the Herald Leader. Anyone want to venture a guess at where they will open up at?

This is just a guess and I could be totally wrong, but I think it might be in the new High Point at Woodland Park building. I recently drove by there and noticed all the Commercial space signs were down. Im probably wrong but I think that spot would be a nice place. Another potential spot could be the old dudley's building.
http://www.turftown.com/images/1013607_401.jpg

I would guess downtown, though I have no idea where that would be, or the suburbs. Chains tend to go to high profile downtown locations or the burbs and very rarely in anywhere else. There are very few chains in Chevy Chase outside of some things that cater to college students. I could be wrong, but it is pretty rare. They like downtown locations because they get conventioneers on company credit cards plus lawyers, etc are usually downtown and likely clients.

Probably not Dudley's, though I am surprised no restaurant has gone in there yet. It is a little off the beaten path for a chain, but obviously can be successful as shown by Dudley's being there for years.

Honestly, the most likely place if it is happening, and this may explain the secrecy, would be Centerpoint. That is exactly the kind of location a high profile steak house would be looking to locate. I know when they first announced the project they talked about having a high end steak house there. Obviously it would be way premature to advertise for that though because even if they went full steam ahead it would be several years before a place would open.

From looking at their present locations (Google Streetview links available through their website), they seem to prefer the busy downtown corners. Their one suburban location is way back off of the main drag with scads of parking. Their Louisville place is right in the middle of a high pedestrian count between the the Galt House and the Yum Center.

I keep hearing that the corner of Broadway and Short is going to be opening as Shakespeare's (or something like that) but I see no movement in that direction. It would put them right in line with DeSha's and Dudley's and wold probably make everybody "up their game".

The old Mia's building is open and I thought I saw a roll-off on the street. That would be too small unless they took all three floors.

I had a similar thought about Broadway & Short. I don't see activity at that building and it is certainly high profile.

The manager of Columbia's Steakhouse is tweeting that the new location will be the old Mia's and that they will be open by the end of July.

I think that they will need more than one floor of that building for the style of operation that they have.

certainly didnt think it would be that location (still might not be) but if they use all three floors it might work.

Wonder who will take this place if Jeff Ruby's is going into the old mia's location (also something is going on at this location because theres a dumpster out front). Also I guess the owners could re-open with a new concept in this building.

Restaurant/Club Atop Chase Building Closes (http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2011-06-23-98102.113117-RestaurantClub-Atop-Chase-Building-Closes.html)
Baker’s 360 suffered from state laws forcing more food sales than alcohol, owner says

by Erik A. Carlson

June 23, 2011

Lexington, KY - Baker’s 360, the split concept steakhouse and nightclub on the top floor of the Chase Building in downtown Lexington has closed its doors and its owner is looking for ideas on how to reopen with a new concept.

“We seemed to do pretty well as a nightclub when we first opened and there was a lot of traffic, but we’re not allowed to be a nightclub up there without at least 50 percent food sales,” said Steve Taylor, owner of Baker’s 360. “We actually got cited by the ABC (Alcohol Beverage Control) and fined for having more liquor sales than food sales. That was part of the reason we had kind of discourage people from coming to Baker’s for the nightclub and try to enhance the food side.”

State liquor laws forbid establishments off the ground floor to be strictly a bar, or hold a liquor by the drink license. A business operating as a restaurant, such as Baker’s 360, is allowed to go above or below the ground floor, but in order to sell liquor with a restaurant license, an establishment must achieve at least half of their sales from food. Baker’s was never able to balance that in a profitable way, Taylor said.

“It’s a ridiculous law...I think Baker’s location could have made a really, really nice nightclub. For a long time it could be a good downtown place for people to go to see good acts, to dance, whatever. The state won’t let us play that game,” he said, “We’re forced to be a restaurant. We thought the high-end steakhouse was the answer, it clearly was not.”

Taylor said the restaurant, which opened in the spring of 2009, found the summer to be difficult.

“Last summer we stuck it out because we thought the Equestrian Games were going to be so good, of course the Equestrian Games wound up being a big flop (for the business),” he said. “Last summer was just horrible and we had anticipated that we would do better this summer and it was worse.”

The decision to close came this week during a Wednesday morning meeting where Taylor said marketing, menu and concept ideas were discussed. Taylor said he still holds the restaurant license, and a lease on the space that formerly held the Lafayette Club, but he’s not sure despite his investment in the top floor, if he will open his new concept in the same space.

“Obviously we’ve got a lot of money invested in the current location, we just have to got to put our heads together and reevaluate that location and other concepts,” he said.


Herald Leader article mentions reopening as a sports bar which if they did something like harry's it could work.

Bakers 360 restaurant atop Chase tower closes (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/06/24/1787882/bakers-360-restaurant-atop-chase.html)

By Scott Sloan — ssloan@herald-leader.com

Jun 24, 2011

Bakers 360, the restaurant and nightclub on the top floor of the Chase bank building in downtown Lexington, closed this week.

"This is the second year in a row that we hit the summer in Lexington and business just absolutely dried up for us downtown," owner Steve Taylor said.

The restaurant side of the business struggled ever since its opening a little more than two years ago, Taylor said.

"We had a lot of issues early on where people thought of us as more of a nightclub instead of a restaurant, but the whole time we were trying to be a restaurant," Taylor said. "When we opened the doors, 30 people showed up for dinner and 700 showed up to party and drink."

"I talk to people every day, and they say, 'That's where my kids go to party,'" Taylor said. "The parents don't think about coming down here to dine."

That also got the restaurant in trouble with liquor officials, he said. State law requires licensed bars and their entrances to be at street level; Bakers 360 occupied the sprawling 12,500-square-foot 15th floor of an office tower.

Because of that, it couldn't be just a bar. More than half of the restaurant's sales had to be food, and that was always problematic, Taylor said.

"We tried to open for lunch, but we could never get any kind of thing going at that time," he said.

There was an effort made in 2009 to repeal the state law, which dated to the 1940s. The measure was passed by the state Senate but died in the House. One of the proponents of the bill was Vince Carlucci, who has opened Skybar in the penthouse of a building on Cheapside.

Carlucci could not be reached Friday for comment. Liquor authorities declined to say whether they were investigating Skybar as they did Bakers 360.

But Bakers' problems extended beyond the liquor issue to just a steady amount of foot traffic, Taylor said.

"We had to invest almost $200,000 just to get through the summer last year," he said. "We did it last year because we were anticipating the (Alltech FEI World) Equestrian Games and the Christmas season. Both of those wound up being just mediocre at best.

"If I had to do it all over again, we would have closed last summer."

Taylor said the restaurant's ownership has the space as part of a 10-year lease, which he called "fair." "The lease was never the problem," he said.

In the meantime, the ownership plans to "catch our breath" and perhaps rework the restaurant to "be something completely different, ... maybe going to something a little lighter, like a sports bar," he said.

Taylor has experience in that concept, having started Arnie's in Northern Kentucky. He later sold it to his partner in the venture.

"We just don't have all the answers for what's going to work in this particular space," he said of the venue, which has panoramic views of Lexington in all directions, "but it's a beautiful space up here."

I think it is tough to be up there out of site. I tend to agree that it makes more sense as a nightclub than a restaurant. I wonder if Skybar has enough food sales. It does not really seem to be a restaurant in any practical way. I know they were trying to get that law changed, I wonder if they are still trying to do that.

Here's a release from UK about looking for proposals for a lifestyle center at Coldstream (http://www.econdev.uky.edu/News/news-CRC-towncenter-11.aspx). Here is the RFP (http://www.uky.edu/Purchasing/bidlist.htm) from UK (scroll to the bottom)

The Coldstream RFP look pretty good if it pans out.

Why wouldn't Coldstream incorporate a UK owned and operated conference center for the state? I really thought that would be part of the RFP, but I didn't see it.

I was up at NKU's METS Center (http://www.themetscenter.com/center/default.aspx) the other day right by the Airport, and I was really peeved that UK didn't have something similar at Coldstream. It was fantastic for a conference and a place I will personally probably use again because UK has nothing to match it (and, no, the student center sucks).

Also, why not put some classrooms out there? Midway College is leasing space in the Hamburg Office park and teaching courses out of there, why wouldn't UK use that easy access (and parking) right off the Interstate to teach some programs? Pheonix and Indiana Wesleyan and others keep building teaching facilities right by interstates ... makes me think there is probably something to that.

Instead, UK's plan? ... let's develop another "town center" ... even though it is not the center of the town. Why are we trying to do condos in Coldstream? That's ridiculous. We can barely make condos work downtown.

UK has a real asset in Coldstream that it could use for it's core mission (teaching, research, service), but instead is trying to play real estate developer.

Sounds like a great idea and the type of projects that need to happen in Lexington. Let's hope this gets started before 2013.

'Radical' changes at Kroger? (http://www.bizlex.com/Articles-c-2011-06-27-98105.113117-Radical-changes-at-Kroger.html)
New Euclid facility could be extended to sidewalks, have rooftop parking

by Robbie Clark

June 27, 2011

Lexington, KY - A representative from the Kroger MidSouth Division, which handles the grocery chain’s business in the Lexington area, recently met with members of the Chevy Chase Business Owners (CCBO) association to discuss potential changes in the Euclid Avenue location and to address rumors surrounding the project. (Disclosure: this magazine’s publisher Chuck Creacy serves as a CCBO board member.)

While any plans regarding the Euclid Kroger are in the preliminary stages, Danny Lethco, a real estate manager for the company, told the group the store needed more square footage to address customers’ requests and recommendations. Currently the structure has 38,000 square feet of retail space, which could ultimately be extended to 70,000 square feet.

“We’ve done about as good as we can with the box that we have,” Lethco said. “That additional square feet allows us to have ... better items, things that people are asking for.”

Lethco told the group that the preliminary plans were “a little bit radical” for Kroger and could include building an entirely new structure which would extend all the way to the sidewalks along Euclid Avenue to the north and Marquis Avenue to the west. To compensate for the lost parking spaces, a one-level parking lot could be installed on the roof of the new facility, with a ramp to access the area placed toward the rear of the structure. Lethco said if this design were to occur, the rooftop parking area probably would not be covered, to help assuage any apprehensions customers could have to using a parking garage.

Kroger purchased the adjacent vacant lot on Marquis Avenue behind its Euclid facility in October 2009. While other neighboring and nearby property owners had been conferred with regarding the future project, Lethco said that with the way things are situated on the preliminary plans now, no additional property would need to be acquired.

“Everything fits within our existing property today,” he said, “without getting any other property.”

One of the chief concerns expressed by CCBO members – many of whom own businesses in the nearby vicinity of the grocery – was the possibility of a Kroger gas station being included in the expansion. They worried that such a service could disrupt the integrity of the neighborhood and commercial district, as well as thwart recent initiatives to make the area more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Lethco said that while adding a gas station is always an attractive addition to any Kroger remodel project, within the current property framework, such a service would not be attainable. The preliminary plans, however, do include a drive-thru pharmacy toward the rear of the facility.

The new structure’s design and building materials were also a concern among CCBO members, especially since the preliminary plans call for long, street-side exterior walls. Lethco said Kroger management was “very conscious of the area,” but, regarding the style of the future building, nothing would be determined before the preliminary plans were even approved by Kroger corporate offices. Lethco hopes to present the plans to the corporate offices before the end of this year.

Pending corporate approval, Lethco said the plans would then be scrutinized by the staff of the city’s Division of Planning – a process he said that could take six to eight months. He said because of the magnitude and scope of the project, and the rigorous approval process, Kroger wouldn’t anticipate any construction to take place until 2013.

Prior to presenting the final preliminary plans to Kroger corporate offices for approval, Lethco said his preference was to solicit feedback on the plans from neighborhood groups and leaders to mitigate any potential community resistance.

“Whatever the neighborhood groups are that have an interest in this – we’ll meet in smaller meetings, [or] we can meet in bigger meetings,” Lethco said.

If you read the legal notices in the Herald-Leader today, you will find an intent to apply for a Retail liquor license for the property at 2326 Nicholasville Rd. This is the site of the former Joe's Crab Shack and the subject of a recent Development Plan.


Best news of all... Its for Trader Joe's

WOW that sounds great just wish it was for downtown... haha but that is a cool building and it will do well there. cant wait until it opens.

It will be all new construction. The side facing Nicholasville will be a false facade while the building entry will be off the internal circulation. Not and urban friendly environment at all, in my opinion.

^^Excellent News!

In other news there are more details out today on Neogen's expansion in Lexington. It sounds like they'll be building a new plant on Mercer Rd. and adding 75 new jobs.

http://www.kentucky.com/2011/06/29/1792647/neogen-reveals-more-on-lexington.html

Whoa!

'Radical' changes at Kroger?
New Euclid facility could be extended to sidewalks, have rooftop parking

Lexington, KY - A representative from the Kroger MidSouth Division, which handles the grocery chain's business in the Lexington area, recently met with members of the Chevy Chase Business Owners (CCBO) association to discuss potential changes in the Euclid Avenue location and to address rumors surrounding the project. (Disclosure: this magazine's publisher Chuck Creacy serves as a CCBO board member.)

While any plans regarding the Euclid Kroger are in the preliminary stages, Danny Lethco, a real estate manager for the company, told the group the store needed more square footage to address customers' requests and recommendations. Currently the structure has 38,000 square feet of retail space, which could ultimately be extended to 70,000 square feet.

"We've done about as good as we can with the box that we have," Lethco said. "That additional square feet allows us to have ... better items, things that people are asking for."

Lethco told the group that the preliminary plans were "a little bit radical" for Kroger and could include building an entirely new structure which would extend all the way to the sidewalks along Euclid Avenue to the north and Marquis Avenue to the west. To compensate for the lost parking spaces, a one-level parking lot could be installed on the roof of the new facility, with a ramp to access the area placed toward the rear of the structure. Lethco said if this design were to occur, the rooftop parking area probably would not be covered, to help assuage any apprehensions customers could have to using a parking garage.

Kroger purchased the adjacent vacant lot on Marquis Avenue behind its Euclid facility in October 2009. While other neighboring and nearby property owners had been conferred with regarding the future project, Lethco said that with the way things are situated on the preliminary plans now, no additional property would need to be acquired.

"Everything fits within our existing property today," he said, "without getting any other property."

One of the chief concerns expressed by CCBO members – many of whom own businesses in the nearby vicinity of the grocery – was the possibility of a Kroger gas station being included in the expansion. They worried that such a service could disrupt the integrity of the neighborhood and commercial district, as well as thwart recent initiatives to make the area more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Lethco said that while adding a gas station is always an attractive addition to any Kroger remodel project, within the current property framework, such a service would not be attainable. The preliminary plans, however, do include a drive-thru pharmacy toward the rear of the facility.

The new structure's design and building materials were also a concern among CCBO members, especially since the preliminary plans call for long, street-side exterior walls. Lethco said Kroger management was "very conscious of the area," but, regarding the style of the future building, nothing would be determined before the preliminary plans were even approved by Kroger corporate offices. Lethco hopes to present the plans to the corporate offices before the end of this year.

Pending corporate approval, Lethco said the plans would then be scrutinized by the staff of the city's Division of Planning – a process he said that could take six to eight months. He said because of the magnitude and scope of the project, and the rigorous approval process, Kroger wouldn't anticipate any construction to take place until 2013.

Prior to presenting the final preliminary plans to Kroger corporate offices for approval, Lethco said his preference was to solicit feedback on the plans from neighborhood groups and leaders to mitigate any potential community resistance.

"Whatever the neighborhood groups are that have an interest in this – we'll meet in smaller meetings, [or] we can meet in bigger meetings," Lethco said.

It will be all new construction. The side facing Nicholasville will be a false facade while the building entry will be off the internal circulation. Not and urban friendly environment at all, in my opinion.

well at least were getting one so I wont complain much. Also In comparison Louisville's Trader Joe's will be going in a shopping center on Shelbyville Rd which is very similar to Nicholasville Rd in my opinion.

Whoa!

'Radical' changes at Kroger?
New Euclid facility could be extended to sidewalks, have rooftop parking

Lexington, KY - A representative from the Kroger MidSouth Division, which handles the grocery chain's business in the Lexington area, recently met with members of the Chevy Chase Business Owners (CCBO) association to discuss potential changes in the Euclid Avenue location and to address rumors surrounding the project. (Disclosure: this magazine's publisher Chuck Creacy serves as a CCBO board member.)

While any plans regarding the Euclid Kroger are in the preliminary stages, Danny Lethco, a real estate manager for the company, told the group the store needed more square footage to address customers' requests and recommendations. Currently the structure has 38,000 square feet of retail space, which could ultimately be extended to 70,000 square feet.

"We've done about as good as we can with the box that we have," Lethco said. "That additional square feet allows us to have ... better items, things that people are asking for."

Lethco told the group that the preliminary plans were "a little bit radical" for Kroger and could include building an entirely new structure which would extend all the way to the sidewalks along Euclid Avenue to the north and Marquis Avenue to the west. To compensate for the lost parking spaces, a one-level parking lot could be installed on the roof of the new facility, with a ramp to access the area placed toward the rear of the structure. Lethco said if this design were to occur, the rooftop parking area probably would not be covered, to help assuage any apprehensions customers could have to using a parking garage.

Kroger purchased the adjacent vacant lot on Marquis Avenue behind its Euclid facility in October 2009. While other neighboring and nearby property owners had been conferred with regarding the future project, Lethco said that with the way things are situated on the preliminary plans now, no additional property would need to be acquired.

"Everything fits within our existing property today," he said, "without getting any other property."

One of the chief concerns expressed by CCBO members – many of whom own businesses in the nearby vicinity of the grocery – was the possibility of a Kroger gas station being included in the expansion. They worried that such a service could disrupt the integrity of the neighborhood and commercial district, as well as thwart recent initiatives to make the area more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Lethco said that while adding a gas station is always an attractive addition to any Kroger remodel project, within the current property framework, such a service would not be attainable. The preliminary plans, however, do include a drive-thru pharmacy toward the rear of the facility.

The new structure's design and building materials were also a concern among CCBO members, especially since the preliminary plans call for long, street-side exterior walls. Lethco said Kroger management was "very conscious of the area," but, regarding the style of the future building, nothing would be determined before the preliminary plans were even approved by Kroger corporate offices. Lethco hopes to present the plans to the corporate offices before the end of this year.

Pending corporate approval, Lethco said the plans would then be scrutinized by the staff of the city's Division of Planning – a process he said that could take six to eight months. He said because of the magnitude and scope of the project, and the rigorous approval process, Kroger wouldn't anticipate any construction to take place until 2013.

Prior to presenting the final preliminary plans to Kroger corporate offices for approval, Lethco said his preference was to solicit feedback on the plans from neighborhood groups and leaders to mitigate any potential community resistance.

"Whatever the neighborhood groups are that have an interest in this – we'll meet in smaller meetings, [or] we can meet in bigger meetings," Lethco said.
The final decision on the Euclid Kroger has NOT been made. The rooftop parking is a major problem as is the limitation of 40,000 sq. ft. in a B-1 zone. There will be something done to improve the site as a grocery and there is an opportunity to continue the more urban feel of the Chevy Chase business area.

One rumor that I have heard bandied about is to place all the coolers, deli prep space, restrooms and mechanical equipment in a basement and allow all the ground floor to be sales space. It wold be nice to see all the parking relegated to the rear.

How about we incorporate the "art stop" that they want into the facade of the new building? Kill two birds with one stone. There would be a reduction in parking requirements then.

Trader Joe's might be coming to Lexington (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/07/01/1796772/trader-joes-may-be-coming-to-lexington.html)
two spots considered

By Scott Sloan — ssloan@herald-leader.com

Jul 1, 2011

Trader Joe's, a popular gourmet grocery, appears to be eyeing a location in Lexington.

A notice published this week in the classified section of the Herald-Leader stated that the company intends to apply for a retail liquor sales license no later than July 11. The notice mentioned two possible addresses for stores. The first is Regency Center along Nicholasville Road, and the other is the former Joe's Crab Shack across the street.

A representative with NAI Isaac commercial real estate, which represents both properties, could not be reached, nor could a spokeswoman for Trader Joe's.

If the deal comes together, it would be Kentucky's second Trader Joe's. The chain announced recently that it will soon open a store in Louisville at 4600 Shelbyville Road. That store's existence also was first disclosed through a liquor license notice, in The Courier-Journal newspaper.

The nearest location of the chain already in operation is in Cincinnati, at 7788 Montgomery Road.

Trader Joe's, which is known for many private labels and for its inexpensive Two Buck Chuck wine, has long been the object of affection of many Lexington residents, area developer Tim Haymaker said.

"People have wanted them out here forever," the Beaumont Centre developer said. "We know there's demand for Trader Joe's.

"All you have to do is look at the success of The Fresh Market in town, and see what Trader Joe's saw in looking at how well they've done."

Leave it up to the H-L to not even read their own copy. The legal ad only gives one Lexington address and that is for the Joe's Crab Shack location. This has sat in their office for nearly a week and they had to get it off my blog.

Long live the Herald-Leader.

Leave it up to the H-L to not even read their own copy. The legal ad only gives one Lexington address and that is for the Joe's Crab Shack location. This has sat in their office for nearly a week and they had to get it off my blog.

Long live the Herald-Leader.

haha here is there updated article with the Joe's Crab Shack location as the only one now...

Trader Joe's taking steps to open in Lexington (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/07/01/1796772/trader-joes-may-be-coming-to-lexington.html)

By Scott Sloan — ssloan@herald-leader.com

Jul 1, 2011

Trader Joe's, a popular gourmet grocery, has quietly taken multiple steps to open its first store in Lexington.

A notice published this week in the classified section of the Herald-Leader stated that the company intends to apply for liquor licenses no later than July 11 for a store on Nicholasville Road at the former Joe's Crab Shack.

According to the city, a development plan has been submitted and approved by city planners for the Crab Shack site. The plan does not specifically name Trader Joe's, but city planners were told it was a national grocer that is not presently in the Lexington market, said Chris King, Lexington's director of planning.

A representative with NAI Isaac commercial real estate, which represents the property, could not be reached, nor could a spokeswoman for Trader Joe's.

The development plan calls for more than 12,000 square feet of retail space in one building and an attached 3,038-square-foot building.

That's in line with what grocery stores often do locally to comply with a state law that prohibits groceries from selling wine and spirits. Chains Kroger and Meijer have smaller stores next to their grocery stores that sell only wine and spirits. Among the most well-known products of Trader Joe's is its Two Buck Chuck line of wine.

The site would have fewer than 90 parking spaces and would be accessible from Nicholasville Road. The developers also plan to add a connection to nearby East Lowry Lane, King said.

If the deal comes together, it would be Kentucky's second Trader Joe's. The chain announced recently that it will soon open a store in Louisville at 4600 Shelbyville Road. That store's existence also was first disclosed through a liquor license notice, in The Courier-Journal newspaper. The nearest location of the chain already in operation is in Cincinnati, at 7788 Montgomery Road.

Trader Joe's, which is known for many private labels, has long been the object of desire for many Lexington residents, area developer Tim Haymaker said.

"People have wanted them out here forever," the Beaumont Centre developer said. "We know there's demand for Trader Joe's.

"All you have to do is look at the success of The Fresh Market in town, and see what Trader Joe's saw in looking at how well they've done."

haha here is there updated article with the Joe's Crab Shack location as the only one now...

Did you guys doubt me?

This made the H-L website about 1 hour AFTER they hit my blog which pointed out that they had all the information to do their investigative reporting.

After talking with some real estate folks, I have realized that this was not news.

Jeff ruby said today he is looking at three locations in Lexington. I guess he hasn't settled on a place just yet which to me makes it more and more likely it could be the Baker's 360 spot.

(scroll to the second to last paragraph)
http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20110706/ENT01/307060055/Jeff-Ruby-plans-expand-Precinct?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|communities|s

You all are in for a treat with Jeff Ruby's, best steaks I've ever had.

^^ Thanks Card! Looking forward to it.

Anyone planning to go to the next Centrepoint hearing tomorrow at the KY Theater?

What time is that meeting? I might stop by. I wonder if they will announce they have funding? I wonder if they do.

^^ 4pm. At the last one she presented an overview of the lowrise portion of the block and said that hadn't started serious design work on the tower yet. I'm anxious to see if they've progressed on the tower in the meantime.

New centrepointe rendering of the two towers with the tallest being 388 ft! http://tomeblen.bloginky.com/2011/07/13/see-studio-gangs-newest-centrepointe-designs-here/#lexky

http://tomeblen.bloginky.com/files/2011/07/centrepointe1.jpg

http://tomeblen.bloginky.com/files/2011/07/centrepointe2.jpg

Actual Herald leader article.

New CentrePointe design includes 30-story bundle of 'tubes' (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/07/13/1810725/new-centrepointe-design-includes.html)

By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com

Jul 13, 2011

Chicago architect Jeanne Gang released renderings of a new concept for the CentrePointe block in downtown Lexington that show a 30-story tower accompanied by an 8-story asymmetrical office building.

The taller structure, which would be slightly shorter than the blue Financial Center building, has the appearance of a bundle of tubes arranged to let air and sunlight flow between them. It would include a 10-story hotel, 10 stories of apartments, seven floors of condominiums and three floors of penthouses.

"The benefit of the tubes is you can go inside and on top of them and have public spaces," Gang said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

Gang, of Studio Gang Architects, will present the designs at a public meeting at 4 p.m. Thursday in the Kentucky Theatre. She also will announce five architectural firms selected to collaborate with her design team on a cluster of smaller buildings on the block that will front Main Street.

Developers Dudley and Woodford Webb hired Gang in March to propose a new design for the block where 14 historic buildings were razed in 2008. The Webb's initial plan for the block — a single building with a tower that would house a hotel, condominiums and a retail complex — stalled because of a lack of financing. Critics said the plan did not fit the scale of downtown Lexington.

The original CentrePointe plan showed "a big slab building right on top of Main Street," she said. "We broke that into two volumes to give us more elegant proportions and to avoid putting shadows all over Main Street and the courthouse."

In the latest design, the tower will front Vine Street and the asymmetrical building will front Limestone. All retail spaces and the hotel lobby will open onto the street.

A gallery space will cut through the block where there might be a sculpture garden, Gang said. The cluster of buildings along Main Street will likely be similar to ones that used to be there, she said.

When in Lexington in early June, Gang said she wanted different architects to design the smaller buildings to give the block variety and local flavor.

Twenty-five firms applied to work with Gang. In selecting architects, she looked for ones with design qualifications, experience and past collaborative efforts. Some will be from Lexington, others from out in the state.

Very nice, even though it wont be a new tallest this is a very attractive building especially for a city the size of Lexington. I know the Webbs have received some heat, but you have to admire their willingness to redesign the building(s). I think this is the 3rd different proposal I have seen for the site and it is definitely the best yet so hopefully this one takes off.

Now I just wish the Museum Plaza people in Louisville would take notes and not be so attached to their current design.

I love this design! I hope Carto is right about financing coming through.

Impressive! This would the best building built in Kentucky since the Ascent in Covington. The good thing about having two buildings is that it opens up a lot of space for the public vs. just one building on the block. I'm not sure how big this block is or how the retail is set up in this new plan, but it could potentially be the focal point for pedestrians in Downtown Lexington.

I knew Studio Gang would design something great looking. :okay: Very nice.

I like it. Much more modern, obviously, which is in pretty stark contrast to what is there already, but I am fine with that. I hope they can get it built.

Spectacular! :eek:

I love the new design!! I was ok with the previous ones, but this actually makes me excited about the project and what it can do for downtown and I think it is great to retain some of the open space!! I hope they can start before the end of the year...fingers crossed!

That looks awesome! I like it much better than previous designs. I also like that there will be apartments for rent in the building now. I would love to live there!

Found this in the comment section of that article, a reply from Tom Eblen about where the parking is: Doug, The plan is for two levels of underground parking, with the garage entrance off Vine Street, between where the two contemporary buildings are shown in the rendering.

Just got home from the public meeting and I liked what I heard. The model they had in the lobby looked great! I honestly think the height of the building is absolutely perfect in scale to the LFC across Upper and Park Plaza across Limestone.

Any indication as to whether funding is in place ?

Any indication as to whether funding is in place ?

From the Business Lexington article:

Developer Dudley Webb, asked if under current economic conditions the project, estimated at $250 million, he anticipates financing of the project any time soon, noted, "It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark."

Can someone tell me what that actually means, can he be any more ambiguous? I truly hope he gets funding for this; that block would look stunning at the center of Lexington.

I would think that could be good news in regards to Webb's comment.

I take it to mean the following... Noah built the Ark when there was no rain and Webb will build this project when it isn't raining money in terms of lending. Maybe I am wrong, but it seems he is indicating he has financing or some plan to get this built.

Very nice looking building. I hope it does not change in design or scale. :okay:

There were no comments made on financing during the public meeting.

That comment is a bit ambiguous. I can see where George is coming from but I can also read it as blind optimism, which doesn't strike me as their stance after three years of stagnation but who knows for sure.

I guess all we can confirm is that he's not making an on the record confirmation or denial at this point

Link to a skyline sketch with the new tower incuded

http://www.smileypete.com/LargeImageWindow.lasso?-token.largeimage=/placedimages/327AE0NKy2C99EA9.lg.jpg

Link to a skyline sketch with the new tower incuded

http://www.smileypete.com/LargeImageWindow.lasso?-token.largeimage=/placedimages/327AE0NKy2C99EA9.lg.jpg

Very nice. :yes:

looks like lexington green then centrepointe for jeff ruby's.

Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse expresses interest, developer talks strategy at CentrePointe design unveiling (http://www.kentucky.com/2011/07/14/1811986/five-lexington-architectural-firms.html)

http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2011/07/14/18/50/AJ0TZ.AuSt.79.jpg

By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com

Jul 14, 2011

As several hundred people warmly received a new design for Lexington's CentrePointe at a meeting Thursday, the downtown block's developer revealed some strategy about financing, and a steakhouse owner expressed interest in building a restaurant there.

In addition, Chicago architect Jeanne Gang, whose firm came up with the design, announced the names of five Kentucky firms that will participate in the project.

Gang unveiled a plan including a 30-story tower to include a hotel, apartments and condominium; an eight-story office building; a pedestrian passway through the block; and several small buildings, including five that would face Main Street. The taller building is made up of a bundle of tubes of different heights, arranged to allow sunshine and air to flow between them. Roof gardens would top several of the tubes.

Local photographer Guy Mendes said he was surprised at his own positive reaction, calling the design "the most exciting thing that has happened in Lexington in a long time."

Lexington architect Richard Levine said Gang and her team from Studio Gang Architects had delved into Lexington's history and gained a real understanding of the city. In June, Gang held a public meeting to solicit ideas from the community. "Now we have enormous amount of public enthusiasm" for the project, Levine said. "They have done a fantastic job of bringing the community into the process to have an emotional ownership" in whatever is built.

Whether the project ever gets off the ground depends on whether developers Dudley and Woodford Webb find financial backing.

The original CentrePointe design — one large building that filled the entire downtown block — failed because of a lack of financing. The block has been vacant since 14 buildings were razed in 2008.

Dudley Webb said on Thursday he was not trying for traditional bank financing but was looking to other sources. He declined to elaborate.

Webb said he was optimistic because of strong community support for the new design and because the latest design has about 15 separate pieces that could be developed in phases. "It's a little easier with this concept to get financing, because you can find investors to do smaller buildings, unlike finding one investor for one large building," he said.

Mayor Jim Gray has offered his help to find financing. Gray, one of the fiercest critics of the Webbs' original CentrePointe project, arranged for the Webbs to meet Gang. The Webbs ended up hiring Gang to do a new design for the block.

"I will do all I can, whenever I can, to help this project," Gray said on Thursday. "If I can make a phone call, go see somebody, I'll do it."

Jeff Ruby, owner of Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse restaurants in Cincinnati and Louisville, attended Thursday's meeting — sitting with Dudley Webb — and said he wants to put a restaurant on the CentrePointe block. But he said he doesn't want to wait for the rest of the project to get started.

"I told Dudley we want to go ahead and do the restaurant now. Dudley agreed, " Ruby said. Ruby took the Webbs to eat at his Louisville restaurant earlier in the week.

Webb said he and Ruby are in the midst of negotiations. The two will meet again next week. Ruby has run full-page ads in the Herald-Leader saying he was opening a steakhouse in Lexington, but he has declined to give a location.

Gang announced Thursday the five architectural firms that will collaborate with her design team on several small buildings on the block. Their designs would be shown at a public meeting sometime before the overall design goes to the Courthouse Area Design Review Board for approval in the fall.

The firms are:

■ J. Quintin Biagi PSC, the firm of David Biagi, who is director of the school of architecture at the University of Kentucky.

■ CSC Design Studio, with Richard S. Levine.

■ EOP Architects, with Rick Ekhoff and Richard Polk and Brent Bruner.

■ Omni Architects with Michael Jacobs and Eric Zabilka.

■ Ross Tarrant Architects, with Martha Tarrant, and Pohl Rosa Pohl, with Graham Pohl.

The five firms were selected from among 25 applicants.

Ekhoff said his firm was "overwhelmed" at being selected. "This is one of the most significant things to happen in downtown in a long time, and we're happy to be a part of it," he said.

Jacobs said the excitement he saw at Thursday's meeting and a public meeting Gang held in June "is unlike anything I've seen in Lexington in 25 years." Of the proposed project, Jacobs said, "We need this right now because the economy is so flat. The jobs it would create would have a big impact on our economic recovery in Lexington."