Log in | Planning Our World-Class City, Preserving Our World-Class Bluegrass Landscape | Join Today!

Fayette Alliance Blog

Downtown City Owned Parking Garage Razed

By Knox van Nagell | November 3rd, 2011 | See all in Fayette Alliance Blog

photo by Charles Bertram | Staff | Lexington Herald-Leader

Parking garage torn down over safety issues

by Charles Bertram, 1.17.2012, Lexington Herald-Leader

The demolition began today on the Phoenix Parking Garage on East Vine St. in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, January, 17, 2012. In November of 2011. Superior Demolition began taking down the upper deck of the structure this morning. The Urban County Government decided to raze the city-owned Phoenix parking garage, where a 28-foot-long concrete panel weighing 7 tons fell from the upper deck in May…Read more at Kentucky.com

Phoenix parking garage to be razed, Mayor Jim Gray says

By Beverly Fortune, 11.3.11, Kentucky.com

The Urban County Government will raze the city-owned Phoenix parking garage, where a 28-foot-long concrete panel weighing 7 tons fell from the upper deck in May.

It was closed for a few days then put back in service until city officials closed it again last month after a safety consultation with structural engineers. At the time, Tom Wilson, administration officer for the city and manager of parking garages, emphasized that the closing was temporary and “more of a precaution than anything.” Wilson said more tests would be conducted to help city officials decide on the next step…Read more at Kentucky.com


No Comments »

Our 5th Birthday Party: Celebrating a Special Lexington

By Knox van Nagell | November 3rd, 2011 | See all in Community Outreach, Events, Fayette Alliance Blog, How We've Made a Difference, Past Events

On October 6, our supporters packed The Fayette Alliance office to hold our 5th birthday party. Miss the celebration? Catch up with a few photos.

In 2006, The Fayette Alliance was founded by a group of people who loved Lexington and wanted to protect and promote what makes it special.

What makes Lexington special? It’s something a little bit different for every member of our community.

We asked our supporters at our birthday party, What makes Lexington special to you? They responded:

  • The urban area is so close and yet so separate from the rural landscape. It is the best of both worlds.
  • The beauty of the farms.
  • Lexington is the perfect balance between urban and rural. This balance makes for a culture you can’t find anywhere else!!
  • Green & open – beautiful!
  • We have the beauty and peace of farmland mixed with the advantages of an urban area.

Different parts of Lexington may stand out to each of us but they all combine to create a unique place…a community that can’t be found anywhere else.

As we move ahead, we have an opportunity to grow in a way that leverages the very best of what Lexington has to offer…a vibrant downtown, thriving neighborhoods, and beautiful farmland. Through a balanced and sustainable approach, we can create a world-class city in a world-class landscape with a strong economy and healthy environment.

Join us today in advocating for sustainable growth in Lexington…for our town, our farms, and our future. Without your help, we risk losing our special Lexington.

Please consider celebrating our 5th birthday with us by giving a birthday present of $5 a month through our monthly giving program.

Monthly giving is a convenient and effective way to support The Fayette Alliance’s mission of a sustainable Lexington. You’ll know each month you’re part of a special group of Alliance supporters who make our work possible.

Why Give Monthly?

-Your Gift Goes Further
-Simple & Easy
-Year-End Tax Receipt

Thanks to our generous sponsors,


No Comments »

Town Branch Clean Up…What a success!

By Knox van Nagell | November 1st, 2011 | See all in Cleaning Up Our Streams, Events, Fayette Alliance Blog, How We've Made a Difference, Past Events

Volunteer at Town Branch Stream Cleanup

Great volunteer effort

Op-ed, Sam Razor, Kentucky.com, 10.30.11

I was fortunate enough to participate in the 2nd Annual Town Branch Creek Stream Clean-up organized by The Fayette Alliance and The Bourbon Review.

I was astounded that more than 30 volunteers devoted an entire Sunday afternoon to clean pollution and invasive species of brush from the Town Branch of Elkhorn Creek in downtown Lexington.

Town Branch is Lexington’s founding waterway and was diverted, due to repeated flooding problems, into a subterranean channel under downtown Lexington. The creek re-emerges just past Rupp Arena as you head toward Manchester Street.

Once a little-known and neglected natural wonder of the Bluegrass, its profile has risen due to the hard work of several local organizations and businesses. From the great work at McConnell Springs to the ongoing endeavors of the Town Branch Trail and the Distillery District, the waterway has become a steady source of exciting news.

The Fayette Alliance and The Bourbon Review have very different missions — one advocates for a balanced approach to development and preservation while the other promotes the bourbon industry.

However, both agree that Town Branch is vital to the community’s economy, quality of life, local agricultural industry and environment.

Having never participated in a stream clean-up, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the dedication and effort put forth by the volunteers was truly an inspiring experience.

Sam Razor

A special thanks to all of our volunteers and The Bourbon Review for making the Town Branch Stream Clean-Up a great success!

Clean streams are essential to our community’s health, quality of life, environment, and economy. As the advocate for a sustainable Lexington, The Fayette Alliance partnered with The Bourbon Review to clean up Town Branch…for our town, our farms, and our future. Thanks to all who came out to help clean-up Lexington’s founding waterway!

Town Branch Stream Clean-Up
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Lexington Distillery District
1151 Manchester St.
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Email charlene@fayettealliance.com  for more information about this event.

Learn More about the Allies of the Alliance.

For information about previous Allies events check out our recent Habitat for Humanity Build!


No Comments »

Renowned Chicago Architect No Longer Involved with CentrePointe Project

By Knox van Nagell | November 1st, 2011 | See all in Fayette Alliance Blog

Architect Jeanne Gang's rendering of the buildings on the CentrePointe block includes a tower of tubes that are arranged to allow sunlight and air flow between them. This view is from Vine Street looking west.

Architect Jeanne Gang's rendering of the buildings on the CentrePointe block includes a tower of tubes that are arranged to allow sunlight and air flow between them. This view is from Vine Street looking west.

Study suggests need for more hotel rooms downtown

By Scott Sloan, 11.2.11, Kentucky.com

A study analyzing how to lure more conventions to Lexington says any such expansion of Lexington Center should be done in conjunction with the construction of at least one additional convention-style hotel in downtown.

The study, which was commissioned by the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau, comes as work continues for Lexington’s Arena, Arts and Entertainment District Task Force, a 47-member group of community leaders exploring the future of Rupp Arena and the surrounding area. It also comes as the CentrePointe project has taken a new turn and once again focuses on building a convention-style Marriott hotel…Read more at Kentucky.com

Study of Lexington Center Calls for More Space, More Hotel Rooms: Report may vindicate CentrePointe developer’s latest decision

By Tom Martin, 11.1.11, Kentucky.com

A comprehensive market and facilities study of the Lexington Convention Center (LCC) concludes that any expansion of convention and meeting space would necessitate a third or even a fourth “convention” hotel in downtown Lexington. The finding, the consensus of national convention and event planning professionals interviewed for the study, may have implications for what takes shape and form in the CentrePointe block and other sections of downtown.

The “Feasibility Analysis of a Potential Expansion of The Lexington Convention Center” conducted by Convention, Sports & Leisure International (CSL) was commissioned by the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau (LCVB). CSL, which has offices in Minneapolis and Dallas is also working with the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau to create a Destination Development Plan for that city.

The 79-page report, ( available here), comes at time when a task force appointed by Mayor Jim Gray is re-imagining the 46 acre LCC footprint in downtown Lexington.

It also arrives in the early pages of the latest chapter in the ongoing story of CentrePointe…Read more at BizLex.com

Architect Jeanne Gang no longer involved with CentrePointe, developer says

By Beverly Fortune, 10.28.11, Kentucky.com

Chicago architect Jeanne Gang, hired in March to come up with a new design for downtown Lexington’s empty CentrePointe block, is no longer involved in the project, developer Dudley Webb said Thursday.

Webb said Gang and her firm Studio Gang Architects were hired to do a master plan for the block “and share her vision of what she thought this project might be.”

“She completed her work. She sent her final invoice, and it has been paid,” he said. Webb could not recall the exact date but said that occurred several weeks ago…Read more at Kentucky.com

 

Read more,

“What now for CentrePointe?” Op-Ed, 11.1.11, Kentucky.com

“Belief in a good outcome at CentrePointe requires hope” By Tom Eblen, 10.28.11, Kentucky.com

“CentrePointe architect wins $500,000 MacArthur ‘genius’ grant“  Staff Report, 9.21.11, Kentucky.com

“CentrePointe redesign process points way for Lexington Center redevelopment” By Tom Eblen, 7.17.11, Kentucky.com

“Jeff Ruby’s expresses interest; developer talks strategy at CentrePointe design unveiling” By Beverly Fortune, 7.15.11, Kentucky.com

“New CentrePointe design includes 30-story tower of tubes” By Beverly Fortune, 7.14.11, Kentucky.com

“See Studio Gang’s newest CentrePointe designs” By Tom Eblem, 7.13.11, Kentucky.com

“Chicago architect to present detailed designs for CentrePointe block” By Beverly Fortune, 7.8.11, Kentucky.com

“CentrePointe design: Smaller projects most exciting aspect” Staff Report, 7.28.11, Kentucky.com

“Fresh start on CentrePointe design gets a warm public reception” By Beverly Fortune, 6.3.11, Kentucky.com

“New architect impresses CentrePointe skeptics” By Tom Eblen, 6.4.11, Kentucky.com

“Straightforward on CentrePointe: Questions and Answers” By Tom Martin, 7.05.11, Bizlex.com

“Optimism about CentrePointe; Rifts closing around new approach” Staff Report, 6.16.11, Kentucky.com

“The Promise (and Predicament) of CentrePointe” By Rob Morris, 6.3.11, Under the Hood

“Centerpointe Counterpoint” By Graham Pohl, 6.6.11, Progresslex.org

“Architect set to share preliminary ideas for CentrePointe, listen to public’s input” By Beverly Fortune, 6.2.11, Kentucky.com

“Will the saga of CentrePointe have a fairy-tale ending?” By Tom Eblen, 6.2.11, Kentucky.com

“Chicago architect to offer ideas for CentrePointe design” By Beverly Fortune, 4.08.11, Kentucky.com

“New project plan, little city planning: CentrePointe or not, design rules urgent” Op-Ed, 6.11.10, Kentucky.com

“Dudley Webb submits scaled-down version of CentrePointe” By Beverly Fortune & Cheryl Truman, 6.10.10, Kentucky.com

“New Design for CentrePointe Submitted” By Tom Martin & Erik A. Carlson,6.10.10, BizLex.com

“Developer insists CentrePointe will be built despite death of key financier” Beverly Fortune, 4.10.09, Kentucky.com

The Fayette Alliance’s Position Statement on CentrePointe, July 8, 2008

“Courthouse Overlay Text Amendment” The Fayette Alliance, June 2009

“Financing approved for public projects near CentrePointe development” By Scott Sloan, 9.25.09, Kentucky.com


Tags: , , , , , No Comments »

KY American Water Cancels Billing Contract With City

By Knox van Nagell | October 26th, 2011 | See all in Fayette Alliance Blog

Kentucky American Water Cancels Contract to Collect City Fees

By Brenna Angel, 10.25.11, WUKY

Lexington residents will likely have another bill to keep track of starting next spring. Kentucky American Water informed local government officials this month that its billing contract with the city will not be renewed.

The water company handles the calculation and collection of Lexington’s sanitary sewer fee, the water quality fee, and the landfill fee, and includes those items on a single customer water bill. The fees generate about $65 million annually. Lexington pays Kentucky American $1.6 million a year for the service, but the company has canceled its contract…Read more at WUKY


Tags: , , No Comments »

Page 7 of 60« First...3456789101112...203040...Last »
Who We Are

The Fayette Alliance is your voice at city-hall advocating for sustainable growth in Lexington…to achieve a world-class city in our world-class Bluegrass landscape.

Since 2006, the Alliance has worked with local government to usher over 50 major land-use policies into law that promote farmland preservation and our signature agricultural industries, responsible development, and improved water quality and infrastructure in Fayette County.

We are charting Lexington's future by positively impacting local zoning and policy decisions—the very building blocks of our community. Although many challenges still remain, we are accomplishing sustainable growth in Fayette County for a better quality of life, economy, and environment for all of us.

Recent Posts - Read Blog