Lexington looking for developer to plan new city government center in downtown.
BY BETH MUSGRAVE
UPDATED NOVEMBER 14, 2023 2:27 PM
Lexington is on the hunt for a new city hall. Again. On Tuesday, the city released a bid or request for proposals to developers for at least 166,000 square feet in the city’s downtown core — roughly between Midland Avenue and Jefferson Street, Church and Barr streets and Maxwell Street.
The bid said the city has a strong preference for the new building or buildings to be located along a downtown corridor including Main, Vine, Broadway or Midland Avenue. The site requirements also include at least 130 parking spaces on or close to the site. In addition, there needs to be 500 parking spaces within walking distance of the downtown property, according to the request for proposals.
The proposal is for a private-public partnership. That means a private developer would develop or renovate a property and the city would lease it. The city would own the property after 35 years.
The new facilities would replace the city’s three main downtown buildings: the former Lafayette Hotel at 200 E. Main St., the attached Switow building at 212 E. Main Street, and the Phoenix Building, which is on Vine Street. The city is not proposing using those buildings for a new combined city government center. The bid allows developers to develop proposals for use of city’s downtown properties. Those buildings could be sold to help pay for a new government center.
“A primary objective is to minimize upfront capital costs for the LFUCG while ensuring that we ultimately gain full ownership of both the land and the structure(s) within an agreed upon timeframe,” according to the request for proposals. All proposals are due by Jan. 12.
