The controversy over the proposed CentrePointe development in downtown Lexington is generating more opinions at home and some coverage nationally.
Ned Crankshaw, a professor in UK’s landscape architecture department who specializes in urban design in historic districts, wrote this commentary piece in Monday’s Herald-Leader. He discussed how the building should relate to street activity.
And on Wednesday, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which publishes Preservation magazine, posted this this article about the CenterPointe situation on its Web site.
April 16, 2008 at 7:15 pm
The referenced article makes it appear that the block is currently fully occupied and functioning. They fail to convey the probably 1/3 of the block is already gone and 1/2 of the remaining structures are in a deteriorated state, so much so that if someone wanted to rehabilitate them, the cost would be prohibitively high.
The downtown area was considered for inclusion in a National Register district in 1983 and at that time, while the block was fully occupied, only the other(North) side of the street was nominated to the Register. I don’t know the full details and maybe they will come out in the Court House Design Review process but there was a reason they were left out.
In terms of restoring old buildings I can remember when the Ades Dry Goods building was redone. There were to be condos in the upper floors and retail on the ground floor. I know that the restaurant is successful but I haven’t seem any activity in the upper floors, so I’m wondering how that is going.
One final thought, in the Court House Design area there is a surface parking lot on the north side of W Short St. where there used to stand a building. Said building was modernized and abused to the point, that when the long time occupant moved to a new home, the historic building was in no shape to save. Some of us will remember the ugly blue and white plastic panels that hid the beautiful stone and brick work of the Lexington Leader offices on the corner of Market and Short. Thank you Herald Leader for your effort in protecting and saving the history of the Court House Square area. As a champion of saving the Dame block your track record speaks as loudly as the Webbs in downtown Lexington
April 16, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Peter B — Thanks for the history lesson. The old Herald-Leader building, which had perhaps the ugliest “modernized” facade I’ve ever seen and was torn down nearly 30 years ago, is a great example of foolish “redevelopment.” Today, somebody would figure out a great new use for that building. Smart people, communities and institutions learn from their mistakes; they don’t keep on repeating them.
April 16, 2008 at 10:42 pm
You are so right, tom. The current HL building is SUCH an improvement. i am so glad to know that our beloved newspaper holds architectural integrity in such esteem and does not repeat mistakes of the past. Maybe if they never let you put your biased commentary on the front page again I will believe that….
April 16, 2008 at 10:54 pm
I was in error about the Ades Dry Goods building. The upper floors were to be loft apartments, probably the first proposed in Lexington, when the grant of $1.2 million of federal housing money was approved and presumably use to remodel the building. Thats an awful lot of money to squander on a property that was sold to corporation for offices a few years later. I don’t think that the Herald-Leader ever reported of the money being paid back to the taxpayers.
A smart community would have bought the Ky-American Water Co., would not have dismantled its fixed rail streetcars(in light of Peak Oil), would have encouraged residences in proximity to services(walkable streets), would not have removed our inter-city mass transportation system. Your assumption that we are a smart community filled with smart people and institutions I think falls a little short. Educated? yes Smart? maybe not.
April 16, 2008 at 11:05 pm
let’s get the trolley’s back in lexington!
April 17, 2008 at 9:34 am
Peter B,
Thanks for those facts. Your blog obviously struck a cord with Tom Eblen to the extent that he revealed his clearly biased nature against the Centrepoint project. He is clearly implying that the raggedy block is a better alternative to an influx of energy which will boost the local economy. This project will undoubtedly rely on Kentucky businesses to some extent to provide labor and materials for the job. The income and payroll taxes generated by the businesses and people within Centrepoint will greatly help the community. Tom doesn’t seem to care about the positives.
While Tom chants the preservationist manta and promotes controversy, he insults the other entertainment venues downtown by continuing to imply, through his support, that the Dame, Busters and Mia’s are the heart of the district. The Dame is open three nights a week and couldn’t make it anywhere else downtown because it doesn’t generate enough revenue to pay rent. Tom check the court records, they were being evicted when Joe Rosenberg re-worked the deal to allow them to stay. Not worthy of reporting that though is it Tom? Places like Cheapside, Harveys, Redmons, Mcarthy’s and the Rosebud to name a few are also vibrant places that do well, and pay their rent. The project will benefit these venues as well as downtown restaurants like Bellini’s, which I am sure would be glad to see this project completed. Tom, why don’t you call the owners of Bellini’s and Harvey’s to get their take on this project. Afraid of some positive comments? The bottom line is that Ebelen can use his blog to promote things he likes and use the power of the press to oppress those things he doesn’t. I’m sure the bosses at the Herald love Tom for all his hard work.
April 17, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Tim,
Its not about being for or against any thing or project. I don’t care if he wants to be anti-Centrepointe or not. My beef isn’t even aimed at Mr. Eblen, its against the Herald-Leader and its editorial board. The board represents the voice of the paper and its publisher/owner. When the mouth says one thing and the mind thinks something else and the body does something totally different, then there is something fishy going on. The H-L as a whole seems to egg this on by printing mostly negative appearing articles in order to sell papers while making business decisions exactly like those they seem to be against. They move to the modern and efficient while urging others to hold on to the things that we hope will connect us to the past. I want the Herald Leader to report the facts, just the facts, and let the people argue all they want just don’t take sides on this one.
April 17, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Peter B,
Somehow I think our paths, however ultimately going in different directions, crossed in a moment of agreement regarding the media coverage on this issue.
April 19, 2008 at 8:24 am
I’m pleased the National Trust is giving the proposed CentrePoint development the publicity it deserves. They will be able to speak up for this historic block and need not worry about offending the parvenu developers.
Because the Whitesburg developers are such powerbrokers in town, because one of them sits on the board of the Lexington Historical Society, I think it will be easier for the National Trust to address the issue. Unlike our historical preservationist leaders who must interact with the developer in social and political settings and are worried about offending him, the leadership of the National Trust probably has few ties to Lexington, and they definitely are not worried one man’s repuation, money ,or his power.
Sadly, in their efforts to be conciliatory, PreserveLexington and the FayetteAlliance have sent their supporters, what I and others continue to believe, are mixed messages on the subject of development.
April 19, 2008 at 3:45 pm
bfrn,
Looking at the Nation Trusts list of restored buildings, many of them were at one time public or governmental buildings. However there is an interesting mix of other truly historic commercial and residiential stuctures that deserved to be restored. Some of these remind me of the African-American Church that was LEVELED near campus in favor of a Raisin’ Canes chicken finger restaurant. We will never truly be able to appreciate the history of that building and of those that worshipped there. I think that church probably had more tradition and folklore than the Dame and Mia’s buildings which have been modified over and over again since they were built. Unfortunately, the Bluegrass Trust and Preserve Lexington did nothing to preserve that building. No articles, no meetings, no nothing! Why didn’t someone inform the National Trust of the destruction of culture in that case? Perhaps not enough controversy?
Also consider the scope. I would think the African American church to be much more highly prized as a historical asset than the chicken joint would be a boost to the economy. However the preservationists did nothing. Conversely, the buildings on main street have insignificant historical value, especially due to the alterations, but Centrepoint will have a greatly increase the economic value of business downtown. In this case, the preservationists thought it wise to fight tooth and nail. It doesn’t make sense. This crusade against progress seems to be more about the Webbs and personal vendettas than fighting for a just cause. Also, have you noticed that Preserve Lexington is taking donations? Traditionally, 75% of donations to organizations are used to pay “administrative costs” i.e. salaries. I wonder where that money is being spent by Preserve Lexington.
April 19, 2008 at 4:22 pm
hurah, peter b! you are so right. it is a sad thing when a good majority of this city finds the herald to be an embarrassment. an opinion poll of the HLwould be interesting and fun- do you think they would print it?tom, why don’t you write an editorial on the african american church (cum raisin cane’s chicken house)? do you not feel that worthy of at least ONE column, in the name of preservation for goodness sakes! let’s combine just a touch of investigative reporting with your lopsided commentary and see what people think about that. how embarrassing for preserve lex that nothing was mentioned or written about that! maybe they would at least have some street cred then…sort of reminds me of graham pohl’s 2 cents.
April 19, 2008 at 8:59 pm
all,
the sad facts are these: lexington has encircled itself with sprawling mcmansion blight, separated by a meandering slice of billboards and strip malled cutouts. what passes for a local intelligentsia jollys itself with quixotic water campaigns. meanwhile, tennessee, ohio, and missouri march forward with smart growth. smart is growing downtown, promoting a baseline of urban growth at the center. what passes for a newspaper is an almost laughable combination of passed over lefty cliched writers and young nobodies from the national owner who pass through town with no knowledge of the area and even less respect for anything other than knee jerk blather. wake up and smell the faux fountain air from rabbit run or {enter horse theme} acres. a vibrant downtown may actually lead to something. restaurants that dont fry everything, an eclectic arts base, and a street life that ventures beyond fried twentysomethings looking for a burger at 1 am. the endless navel gazing and fear mongering is what got you here. venturing something different, now that’s smart.
April 20, 2008 at 10:37 am
As an outsider looking in…
What an opportunity to allow Lexington and the state of Kentucky to GROW! It floors me each time I visit Lexington at how the downtown is dismal at best. You call that a farmers market, PLEASE!
I will be asked at least two times “what high school did you graduate from?” WHO CARES! I graduated from a college that the motto was FORWARD THINKING!
STIMULATE ECONOMIC GROWTH! Get over it! Build the building, get ready for the equestrian games and move forward!!!!! I know I will be in Lexington and would like some cool places to spend my hard earned dollar!
August 11, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Yes I agree with many that the CentrePoint project will LOOK good, but keep in mind the entire point in the building, lodging for the 2010 Equestrian Games. We are building a giant skyscraper like this city has never seen before, and for only a couple weeks. Even IF people stay in it, it won’t be used after the games! If we don’t need it now, we won’t need it in the future! We are wasting money and destroying downtown by building this structure! Some people want to see Lexington become a big city, but seriously…thats never going to happen and we know it. Face the facts and realize Lexington is a beautiful small town in Kentucky, so keep it that way! Lexington will not be growing by this building, yes we will have another giant building to associate with the “Big Blue Building” but like I said…it will NEVER be used after the games! We do not need to spend this money for a short event that will take place 2 years from now. Just because we CAN build this doesn’t mean we NEED to.