Downtown Master Plan
Defining the vision of what a successful downtown Lexington should and could be
Overview
The Downtown Master Plan (DMP) has been widely accepted
by the public, developers and by the local officials. At the end
of 2006, the Urban County Planning Commission held numerous public
hearings on the master plan and formally adopted the plan into the
2006 Comprehensive Plan. It should be noted, that the Planning Commission
did recommend that three of the 15 recommendations have more in
depth study before being supported.
Recommendation One - Change land use
Recommendation Two - Establish Form-Based Building Guidelines
Recommendation Three - Convert all one-way streets to two way
Development of the study
The relationship between the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods is an integral part of this study. The study area covers 925 acres and is defined by major streets, institutions, and residential neighborhoods. The northern edge of downtown is bound by church properties and Transylvania University, while Midland Avenue and office buildings define the eastern edge. Several cemeteries form the western edge of the study area, and the University of Kentucky campus defines the southern edge.
The Lexington Downtown Development Authority issued a Request for Proposals from nationally known planning consultants who specialize in downtown master plans near large universities. Three firms submitted proposals and were interviewed by the LDDA. Ayers/Saint/Gross (see sidebar to the right), located in Baltimore, MD and Washington, D.C., was selected as the consulting firm for the development of the master plan. Ayers/Saint/Gross completed the Lexington Kentucky College Town Study, a joint study by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, University of Kentucky, and the LDDA. Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government is interested in the downtown master plan outlining specific strategies and recommendations for future transportation and parking development, site-specific recommendations, development incentives, and new management approaches such as possible creation of a Parking Authority.
A steering committee was formed to supervise the development of this study and serves as the principal policy body for the project. Final decisions are subject to the appropriate adoption processes for the study recommendations. Representatives from the consulting firm, Ayers/Saint/Gross, attended selected meetings at appropriate points during the study process, and public meetings were held throughout the process.
Meeting Minutes
Select date to view, save, or print.
2004
August 18
September 22
November 3
December 1
2005
February 3
March 9
April 13
May 25