City of Lexington seeks redevelopment proposals for property next to Civic Center
The City of Lexington is looking to find a good fit for a property next door to the Edward C. Smith Civic Center.
During its meeting on Monday, the Lexington City Council approved opening requests for proposal for the city-owned property located at 121 – 213 S. Main Street.
According to Tammy Absher, director of Lexington Business and Community Development, this process is not about getting the highest purchase price for the property but finding a project that is right for the area.
“This is a method for making opportunities available,” said Absher. “It invites development proposals and outlines the expectations. The nice thing about it is its transparent and a fair method and it opens the invitation to anyone who would like to submit a proposal for how they would propose to redevelop the property.”
The property on South Main Street was donated to the City of Lexington in 2021 by the Turlington family. The city converted a small area of the property as an annex space and for expansion of the restrooms at the civic center.
Since then, the city has been looking to develop the remaining part of the building, which is two-stories and is approximately 8,250 square feet. It is divided into commercial retail spaces on the first floor, and the second story could be converted into living spaces.
In February, the Lexington City Council discussed the development of unused city owned property and identified the property as an ideal candidate. Members of the city council toured this property earlier this month.
The city plans on publishing the RFP to the city’s website, social media and other publications, as well as contacting any developers who have asked to be notified of city development projects.
This allows all interested parties an opportunity to submit ideas on how to use the property and outlines expectations concerning the redevelopment. It is not a bid for the property, but a proposal on how it would be developed, according to city staff.
Once all proposals are submitted, the city manager will establish a process to review and rank them, negotiate a development agreement and prepare a recommendation to the city council.
The development agreement would include all terms and conditions including, who retains ownership of the structure, time frames, redevelopment standards, proposed uses, and an economic impact analysis.
“This redevelopment presents a unique opportunity to activate this space on main street, to combine it into the character of the streetscape and surrounding properties, bringing upper story residence usage and supporting other uses already in the area and positioning Lexington for continued growth,” said Absher.
Once a proposal is selected, the city council will vote to approve the development agreement following an announced public hearing.
“This checks a lot of boxes for me,” said Lexington City Councilman Tommy Black. “The fact that we are in close proximity to the civic center, that we can have input to make sure it complies with everything in uptown, that it is compatible and is (about) quality.”
