LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — A series of downtown development projects turning once-historic buildings into off-campus housing for the University of Kentucky has garnered attention from community members who claim there’s far more value to Lexington’s historic buildings than the memories within their walls.
On Oct. 1, Lexington’s Planning Commission approved the rezoning of an entire city block from East Maxwell Street to Rose Street, according to the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation (BGT).
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Advocates calling for protection of the structures, some of which were over a century old, said they were more than just pretty buildings to look at, but were tax credit-eligible assets for the city.
Trust members wrote on social media that there may not be enough data on the impacts of modern student housing units on the communities around them to justify a rezoning on this scale by the Planning Commission.
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“Commissioners Davis and Michler concurred that this unique site was distinct from the neighboring tracts on E. Maxwell that have been or will be razed for The Maxwell and Subtext developments,” preservationists wrote. “They were also concerned that the rezoning was premature, as the traffic and infrastructural impacts of these other massive complexes are not fully known.”
BGT officials asked residents with objections to the rezoning of East Maxwell Street to request a city council hearing and urged them to reach out to councilmembers. More information about the nonprofit can be found here. Local zoning ordinance provisions and other Planning Comission information can be found at Lexington’s government website…