Tag: walkLEX

UK giveth to Eastern State. Eastern State giveth to BCTC. BCTC giveth to UK. Albeit not entirely arms length nor transparent, this land swap will change the face of Lexington.

Bluegrass Community & Technical College 20 Year Plan

On May 14, Bluegrass Community and Technical College (“BCTC”) unveiled its 20-year master plan highlighting its plans for the old Eastern State Hospital on Newtown Pike. Pictured above is a map of the several phases of construction to occur at BCTC with buildings in brown being historic hospital buildings that will be preserved and adaptively reused. The hospital is being relocated to a more modern, to-be-constructed facility on UK’s Coldstream Campus (further out Newtown Pike). Construction is expected to begin on the new hospital later this month with an opening slated for 2012.

Meanwhile, the renaissance that will be brought to near-northeast Lexington will be underway. Beginning in March 2011, BCTC is expected to break ground at the 48-acre Newtown Pike campus with a $28.2 million dollar facility. The facility should be complete by the end of 2012 with students arriving for the spring semester of 2013.

A Now-n-Later of Fourth Street and Newtown Pike, Lexington

Ultimately, a revitalization can be expected along the Newtown Pike corridor near Fourth Street, Loudon Avenue and Georgetown Street. Pictured immediately above is a picture of the current and a rendering of the proposed intersection at Newtown and Fourth. This area is immediately adjacent to several historic areas of Lexington; hopefully, the renaissance will incorporate architecturally significant buildings with character to create a beautiful gateway into Lexington.

Adam Rankin House

Erected in 1784, the Adam Rankin House is Lexington’s oldest house (though it is no longer in its original location). The House stood at 215 West High Street from the time it was built until the early 1970s when space was needed for “urban renewal.” The result of the “urban renewal” was the parking lot behind the PNC Bank (Gold Bank) building (another story).  Fortunately, a few wise minds prevailed (here and here) and the home was relocated to its present location on S. Mill Street.

This log house with clapboard siding was originally a two-story, three-bay home. The addition on what is now the home’s east side (pictured at right) is an addition which was erected within ten years of the original structure. It was at that time that the log home was first covered by clapboard. There is a very good architectural write-up on the house in Antebellum Architecture of Kentucky by Clay Lancaster (Univ. of Ky. Press, 1991 e).

I’ve always loved this house. It seems to have plentiful natural light (look at all those windows) and I’ve always loved the shutters on one side. *

The Fifth Third Bank Pavilion at Cheapside Park

Saturday was a beautiful day to be at the Lexington Farmer’s Market. My son and I also ventured down to Mayfest in Gratz Park. Of course, Farmer’s Market is vastly different as it now has a formal home in the Fifth Third Bank Pavilion. I’ve tried to follow the erection of the glass and steel structure in Cheapside Park, but I realize now that I haven’t posted on the final product.

While certainly not architecturally significant, it works and it provides a wonderful venue in central Lexington for events like the market and Thursday Night Live. Check out my older posts on the construction of the Pavilion:

• from October 16 – the proposal
• from January 26 – the Breckinridge statue is moved!
• from February 6 – Breckinridge statue captured in film by Jamie Millard
• from March 22 – the structure takes its form

The eastern entrance to downtown Lexington, to become a CVS pharmacy.

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Brick sidewalks in Lexington’s downtown are disappearing. In their place will be concrete (bad, ugly) and rain gardens (good). A little of all three. Currently work is occuron on the north side of Main between Limestone and Broadway, with work to follow on the south side of Main and on both sides of Vine. All is to be complete by the WEG.

Oh, and the same thing is also happening on Short in front of the Security Trust Bank Building, only without the “good” of rain gardens.

A beautiful spring day in Lexington. Stopped and smelled the dogwood blossoms.

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A rainy day; I thought we could all use a double-post Monday. A lot of progress at Cheapside Park in downtown Lexington:

Again, thanks to Jamie Millard of the Lexington History Museum for documenting the move of General (CSA) and Vice President (USA) John C. Breckinridge (or, at least the statue of him being relocated within Lexington’s Cheapside Park):

As previously posted, Cheapside Park is undergoing a lot of change. Although the Fifth-Third pavilion is not yet taking shape, the statute of General John Cabel Breckinridge was today on the move:

[photo by PJWB from the Courtyard Deli]

[photo by Jamie Millard of the Lexington History Museum]

Oddly, in my picture you can see Jamie; in Jamie’s you can see me. This is a really neat project to watch. It is scheduled to be completed by April 9 – the day before the opening of Lexington Farmer’s Market.