This presentation will mark the final scheduled update in a year-long process that began in January. If adopted, this would be Lexington's new framework for determining how and if to expand the Urban Service Area
In a Tuesday, December 2nd meeting, Council narrowly advanced a public-private partnership (P3) proposal to build a new city hall on Vine Street.
The 8-7 Council vote in favor of the proposal was contentious. Opponents questioned whether Lexington should commit $152.5 million over the next 35 years given uncertainty at the federal level and other pressing needs at home. Supporters argued that a new city hall has been delayed for decades and that waiting longer would only make the project more expensive.
Councilmembers supporting the proposal were: James Brown (At Large), Chuck Ellinger (At Large), Hannah LeGris (D3), Lisa Higgins-Hord (D6), Joseph Hale (D7), Whitney Elliott Baxter (D9), Jennifer Reynolds (D11), and Hil Boone (D12)
Councilmembers opposing the proposal were: Dan Wu (Vice Mayor), Tyler Morton (D1), Shayla Lynch (D2), Emma Curtis (D4), Liz Sheehan (D5), Amy Beasley (D8), and Dave Sevigny (D10)
What happens next?
Now that the ordinance has been advanced, the deal may have to go before the state's Local Government P3 Board for final approval. You can learn more about P3s here or here. If approved, the administration and the Lexington Opportunity Fund would move into the final negotiation and contracting phase.
Once all remaining approvals are secured, the project would move into detailed design, financing, and pre-construction work, including planning for how and when existing city offices will transition into the new facility. According to the city, construction could begin in 2026 with an anticipated opening in 2028.
You can learn more about the project through our coverage below
This presentation will mark the final scheduled update in a year-long process that began in January. If adopted, this would be Lexington's new framework for determining how and if to expand the Urban Service Area
While this ruling blocks the proposed eight-story, 322-unit apartment complex, the developer could still demolish the existing buildings and construct a new four-story, 75-foot structure under the site’s current R-4 zoning without any additional public input.
Richard Young
Richard Young
