LexRides

catamount · townie Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 163 Location: lex

In today's paper - Divided over downtown
http://www.kentucky.com/454/story/335504.html
_________________
"The path of least resistance is what makes the river crooked!” - Utah Phillips

brokebike · cutter Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: local

charlenemingus · hipster Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 50

We expect a major public announcement of development plans for the "Dame" block some time this week. Now is the time to let Mayor Jim Newberry know how you feel about preserving this block. We urge you to immediately e-mail Mayor Newberry at mayor@lfucg.com and express your support for creative infill that co-exists with and complements the historic buildings and the pioneering entertainment district that already exist on this block.

We encourage you to mention any or all of the following points in your e-mail. We suggest that you adopt a positive tone at this time, and that you avoid demonizing any of the players. There is still ample time for productive dialogue with the developers and the city. Remember, "we can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar".

Thank you for your efforts.
Hayward Wilkirson
Board Member, Preserve Lexington

1) This a win-win situation. A great, contemporary infill project can co-exist with and complement the historic buildings and the pioneering entertainment district that already exist on this block. These things are not mutually exclusive. "We can have our cake and eat it too".

2) The majority of buildings are historically significant, eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, and eligible for state and federal historic preservation tax credits, according to The Kentucky Heritage Council.

3) We have a pioneering entertainment district in the heart of downtown. To move this district outside of the downtown core is to defeat the purpose. To attempt to relocate it downtown is to risk the demise of these pioneering enterprises. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

4) Legal guidelines are in place that encourage contemporary infill, so long as that infill respects the existing architectural and historic context of this block. And these same LFUCG-authored guidelines place significant legal hurdles before any attempt to demolish the existing historic buildings.

5) A development that respects the historic, cultural and economic context of this block will be welcomed by all of Lexington. A development that fails to include the preservation of this historic block and its much-loved entertainment district will lead to a protracted and very public debate over the future of this city. A debate of this nature may have unforeseen consequences for downtown revitalization efforts, and may tarnish the city's image as the World Equestrian Games approach.

seicer · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 3:32 pm Post subject:

Add to that, 85% of the block is within the sensitive Courthouse Area Design.

I can't make it to the meeting tomorrow Sad

_________________
Sherman Cahal | Cincy Rides

jkizzle · cutter Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 519 Location: I.L.L.

brokebike · cutter Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: local

yet this is precisely what is going on now that could potentially set Lexington back another 15-20 years if something isn't done to curb this irresponsible development.

two words:

speculation.
greed.

things get torn down, stuff gets built too quickly with little to no foresight, and then no one buys into it because it's too expensive.
_________________
------------[] O

bryant · hipster Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Posts: 111

i still say f lexington.
between now and 2010 its only gonna get worse.

seicer · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:24 am Post subject:

Well, the reason most are so pricey is that the cost of land in an urbanized area is often two or three times as much as suburban land. It's vastly cheaper to buy up farmland and build a faux urbanized area and leave it be, but when a parcel in downtown can run $200,000+, either sacrifices need to be made or prices need to be raised.

To investors, especially before the housing meltdown, they were seeking only buyer-oriented developments so they could recoup their investment quickly. Sell and run. Some rental properties, especially in Florida, were converted to buyer units. And converting rentals to buyer units isn't nearly as difficult as going in the other direction -- because some hold this belief that renters are lower-class, attract more crime, etc., and that investors will not recoup their $$$ as quickly.

Well, some units at Main and Rose and Kimball Square are now open for one-year leases... I guess they have a few unsold units.
_________________
Sherman Cahal | Cincy Rides

alex · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:01 am Post subject:

who would want to buy a "loft style" apartment under an overpass, next to a RR track for 170G when there's a whole neighborhood on the northside where you can buy a completely renovated house for under 100 and a house that needs some work for much less. You get more square footage, yards, a neighborhood & neighbors. a neighborhood association, community garden, and parks. Plus you can drink at al's. Lorrilard is the apex of the "let's capitalize on this loft thing" mentality that plagued lexington in the past few years. fuck developers and the suburban shitboxes they live in. I know of at least 6 friends who've moved to the north side in the past few years, and I don't know anyone who's regretted it.

the real idea behind "NY style lofts" is about young resourceful people finding affordable places to work & live well. so i'd say that a house on the northside is lexington's true loft.

Christopher · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:17 am Post subject:

An article and artist's rendering are up at the H-L. It's pretty awful.

And the name, gah. "Centrepointe?" That's almost self-parody.
_________________
http://www.lexingtonbikeracecalendar.com

brokebike · cutter Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: local

they just showed coverage of the press conference on the noon news.

yep... that is everything that I had expected it to be... monstrous, imposing, ugly, and all set to make our downtown absolutely SUCK and continue to suck between now and 2010 and beyond
_________________
------------[] O

DHB · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:39 am Post subject:

alex · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:44 am Post subject:

politicalhero · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:59 am Post subject:

Not trying to hijack this discussion but make sure you get input on the 2040 plan. Hopefully this document will adequately speak for the people's needs and help drive business and policy decisions for lexington.

Here is the link to Roscoe's post.
http://www.catamountgeographics.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=226

Come prepared to talk about the lexington you want to protect and the lexington you hope to see in the future.

elzie5000 · cutter Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Posts: 1177

Any indication that the 2040 process will actually be listened to?

Whenever I've been involved in things like it in the past, it has generally been a smokescreen to keep concerned parties distracted while the real decisions have already been made behind closed doors.