Fayette Alliance Blog

“Council to consider bonds for Distillery District, other projects”

Excerpt from Kentucky.com, posted Dec. 3, 2009
By Beverly Fortune, bfortune@herald-leader.com

Streetscapes $3.8 million for Main Street $2.5 million for South Limestone $2.4 million for Vine Street, Photo by: David Perry | Staff, www.Kentucky.com

Tough choices face Urban County Council members Thursday when they must decide which of about 90 city projects to finance with city bonds — and which ones to keep on the waiting list.

“These are all projects we have approved. They are all good projects. They will all get done. It’s a question of when,” said 6th District Councilman Kevin Stinnett.

Work has already started on $48 million worth of those projects, including renovation of the Lyric Theatre and the South Limestone streetscape project.

Added to those is a $3.2 million last-minute request from developer Barry McNees for infrastructure improvements along the blighted Manchester Street for his Distillery District…Read more at Kentucky.com

Retail survey to show what downtown needs: group begins inventory of areas’ business needs, obstacles

Excerpt from Kentucky.com, posted Nov. 24, 2009

By Beverly Fortune, bfortune@herald-leader.com

The Downtown Development Authority has initiated a retail survey to find ways to encourage more locally owned businesses to open downtown.

As the first step, “We inventoried what is on the first floor of every building in the downtown core, whether it is food, office, entertainment, commercial or if it’s vacant,” Harold Tate, president of the DDA, told board members Monday… Read more at Kentucky.com

“Lexington sewer rates rise, but few understand the reasons why”

Excerpt from Kentucky.com, posted Nov. 20, 2009
By Andy Mead, amead@herald-leader.com

Photo by Pablo Alcala, Herald-Leader Staff. HERALD-LEADER - Contaminants such as motor oil or anything that spills into a storm drain flows directly into waterways. Wolf Run Creek at Valley Park in Lexington is one such destination for rain and other runoff that gets into the storm-sewer system. Kentucky.com

Paying for sewers is taking an increasing bite out of the wallets of Lexington residents, but most of us are blissfully unaware of what is going on beneath our feet.

A survey commissioned by local officials shows, for example, that three out of four people don’t know the difference between sanitary and storm sewers.

(In the sanitary sewer system, water from a toilet, sink or shower goes into one set of pipes and then to a treatment plant before reaching a creek. Rainwater that runs off lawns and driveways goes into the storm sewer system, then directly into a creek.)  Read more at Kentucky.com

City hears support for two-way streets downtown

Excerpt from Kentucky.com, Nov. 18, 2009
By Beverly Fortune, bfortune@herald-leader.com

Gay Reading, an owner of Greentree Antiques and Tea Room, said converting Short Street and Second Street from one-way to two-way would be a “huge boost” for his shop and nearby businesses.

“We are very anxious to have two-way streets restored to downtown,” Reading said. He described one-way streets as “a nightmare,” especially when trying to give people directions on the telephone. Reading said he was authorized to speak on behalf of L.V. Harkness, Belle Maison and Trillium, whose owners also want two-way traffic… Read more at Kentucky.com