City Center (Lexington)

Last updated
City Center
City Center Lights 3 RLB.jpg
City Center (Lexington)
General information
StatusCompleting Construction
Type Mixed use
LocationBound by W. Main, W. Vine, S. Upper, and S. Limestone Streets
Lexington, Kentucky, United States 40507
Address100 W Main Street, 101 W Vine Street
Coordinates 38°2′47″N84°29′52″W / 38.04639°N 84.49778°W / 38.04639; -84.49778
Construction startedDecember 2013
Estimated completion2019
Opening2020
Design and construction
Architect(s)Rabun Architects
DeveloperThe Webb Companies
Other information
Parking700 Underground Spaces

City Center, formerly known as CentrePointe, [1] is a residential, commercial, and retail building in downtown Lexington, Kentucky that opened in 2020. [2] The plan consists of a 12-story office tower incorporating premium luxury condominiums in its top three floors, two hotels, retail spaces and an underground parking garage. The parking garage was completed in 2017.

Contents

History

Demolition of former buildings at the City Center construction site in August 2008 CentrePointLex.jpg
Demolition of former buildings at the City Center construction site in August 2008

The project launched in summer 2008, when the designers razed the existing historical buildings on the designated construction site. The original estimated time of completion was in 2010 as it was intended to serve as a centerpiece for business during the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games. Before the construction of City Center began, many local residents objected to the project as it meant the destruction of Morton's Row, a historical row of buildings that were the city's second-oldest historical commercial district, and a local bar, The Dame. Morton's Row's buildings frequently had flooded basements due to Town Branch creek running below the neighborhood. The buildings were 100% occupied and operating as businesses before a local developer was approved to demolish the structures. In July 2008, the Fayette Alliance — a coalition of developers, neighborhood associations, and farmers — revoked its support for the building, due to an apparent reluctance on the part of the developer to work with concerned parties in addressing various issues concerning the development. [3] [4]

In addition to the controversy surrounding The Dame, debate arose regarding the use of Tax Increment Financing for the development. Initially concern centered on the application of taxpayer money without the inclusion of ideas from those taxpayers. This opposition arose mostly from a common misunderstanding of Tax Increment Financing, which utilizes the boom property tax value from a redevelopment project to fund improvements locally. The issue went before the city council in September 2008. The council voted in favor of utilizing Tax Increment Financing for the project due to the infrastructure improvements for the surrounding area including sidewalks and underground parking structures. [5]

On June 25, 2009, the process of seeding and filling the City Center construction site began. On September 10, 2013, EOP, the architecture firm behind the fifth iteration of the City Center design announced they were pulling out of the project. [6] Preliminary construction began in December 2013 and blasting for the parking structure and foundation began on March 17, 2014. [7] The 700-space underground parking garage was expected to be completed by late summer 2014, but was not. [8] Developers then attempted to sell $30 million in bonds solely devoted towards building the parking garage. [9] Though construction on the parking garage was slow, the garage was ultimately finished in late 2017 and then first beam of the above-ground portion of the project was erected on December 19, 2017.

Design evolution

City Center construction progress October 2018 City Center constriction progress October 2018.jpg
City Center construction progress October 2018

The original plan in 2008 called for a 35-story, 550-foot-tall (170 m) high rise which would include a hotel, condominiums, retail and office space. The entire development was estimated to cost $250 million and would have become the tallest building in Lexington upon completion. [10] Three other proposed designs followed. The first two entailed one large building that would have covered the entire block. But after Studio Gang Architects became involved in the project in 2011, the latter two proposed designs have entailed one tower and several low rise buildings. [11]

Jeanne Gang, lead architect of Studio Gang Architects, was hired to draft ideas for the City Center project in 2011. She proposed a 30-story tower which would include a ten-floor boutique hotel, ten floors of apartments, seven floors of condominiums, and three floors of penthouses. Her design also called for an eight-story building on the intersection of South Limestone Street and West Main Street along with a row of low rises on West Main Street. [11]

In 2012, the Webb Companies released a design that resembled that of Studio Gang Architects. The proposed design included a 28-story hotel-condominium tower at the intersection of West Vine Street and South Upper Street, four smaller buildings on West Main Street, and a low-rise office building at South Limestone Street and West Main Street. [12] [13]

A revised 2013 plan downsized the main high rise from 28 to 19 floors. It included a 286-room hotel along with 96 apartments and 10,700 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. The office building was planned to have 157,710 square feet of offices as well as restaurants and retailers. The development was estimated to cost US$393.9 million. [14]

The hotel-condominium tower was modified by architectural firm Rabun Rasche Rector Reece in 2014. A terrace on the twelfth floor of the tower was added along with a contemporary glass facade. The first eleven floors will serve as a 205-room Marriott hotel while the remaining seven floors are reserved for condominiums and penthouse suites. The plan for the apartment complex, originally to be seven floors, was revised to include twelve floors with retail on the first floor, 100 extended-stay suites on floors two through five, and apartments on floors six through twelve. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">731 Lexington Avenue</span> Office skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

731 Lexington Avenue is a 1,345,489 sq ft (125,000.0 m2) mixed-use glass skyscraper on Lexington Avenue, on the East Side of Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Opened in 2004, it houses the headquarters of Bloomberg L.P. and as a result, is sometimes referred to informally as Bloomberg Tower. The building also houses retail outlets, restaurants and 105 luxury condominiums. The residence section of the building is known as One Beacon Court and is served by a separate entrance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OneEleven</span> High-rise luxury rental apartment tower located in downtown Chicago, Illinois

OneEleven is a luxury rental apartment tower located in downtown Chicago, Illinois. The building is located between LaSalle Street and Clark Street, adjacent to River North and directly on the Chicago River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville Museum Plaza</span> Defunct U.S. skyscraper proposal

Louisville Museum Plaza was a 62-story skyscraper that was planned for Louisville, Kentucky, United States. By August 1, 2011, despite the expenditure of public funds on its behalf, its developers had officially announced that they were abandoning plans to build it. The 703-foot (214 m) tall skyscraper was projected to cost $490 million and contain a 1-acre (0.40 ha) public plaza and park, condominiums, lofts, a hotel, retail shops and a museum. If built, it would have replaced the AEGON Center as the tallest building in Kentucky. The avant-garde design of the skyscraper was chosen by New York City REX architect Joshua Prince-Ramus. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 25, 2007, and construction at that time was expected to be complete by 2010. Delays disrupted the project. Prior to announcing that the project had been abandoned, Craig Greenberg, one of the project's four developers, had stated that he was "hopeful that construction will start this year [2010]" and that he also expected the project to be completed by late 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cityscape of Lexington, Kentucky</span> Architecture and urbanism in Lexington, Kentucky (USA)

The urban development patterns of Lexington, Kentucky, confined within an urban growth boundary protecting its famed horse farms, include greenbelts and expanses of land between it and the surrounding towns. This has been done to preserve the region's horse farms and the unique Bluegrass landscape, which bring millions of dollars to the city through the horse industry and tourism. Urban growth is also tightly restricted in the adjacent counties, with the exception of Jessamine County, with development only allowed inside existing city limits. In order to prevent rural subdivisions and large homes on expansive lots from consuming the Bluegrass landscape, Fayette and all surrounding counties have minimum lot size requirements, which range from 10 acres (40,000 m2) in Jessamine to fifty in Fayette.

The Lexington Transit Center is a two-story public transportation facility utilized by Lextran and other regional transit services with a five-story underground parking garage along East Vine Street and East High Street east of South Limestone in Lexington, Kentucky. It features twelve bus stalls on E. Vine Street, four bus capacity on E. High Street, two indoor waiting rooms with restrooms and vending, and three clerk booths for ticket sales and customer service, with buses running every 35 minutes for much of the day. Completion of the transit center occurred in 1990 and was completed in conjunction with the Harrison Avenue viaduct reconstruction.

Chevy Plaza and Chevy Chase Center was a proposed two-building, nine-story residential and commercial development in Lexington, Kentucky. It would have been located at East High Street and Euclid Avenue and at East High Street and South Ashland Avenue.

GameDay Center was a planned 15-story residential condominium at the corner of Broadway and West High Street in Lexington, Kentucky. The 188-unit project was planned by Gameday Centers LLC who had hoped to construct the tower to give University of Kentucky basketball fans a residence near Rupp Arena. Retail stores would have occupied the first floor, with a sports-themed restaurant on the second. Parking would have been located in an underground three-story garage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panorama Tower</span> Skyscraper in Miami, Florida, USA

Panorama Tower is a mixed-use 85-story skyscraper in Miami, Florida, United States. Located in the Brickell district of Downtown Miami, it is the tallest building in Miami, and the tallest building in Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brickell City Centre</span> Shopping and mixed-use project in Miami, Florida

Brickell City Centre is a large mixed-use complex consisting of two residential high-rise towers, two office buildings, a high-rise hotel, and an interconnected five-story shopping mall and lifestyle center covering 9 acres (36,000 m2) located in the Brickell district of Downtown Miami, Florida. Situated at the junction of Miami Avenue and Eighth Street, it spans up to five blocks to the west of Brickell Avenue and to the south of the Miami River. Contrary to the name, the development is not in the traditional downtown Miami city centre, but in the more recently redeveloped financial district of Brickell. The retail shopping and lifestyle center is operated by Simon Malls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton (Philadelphia)</span> Luxury residential skyscraper in Center City in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton is a luxury residential skyscraper in Center City in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At 518 feet (158 m), the 48-story skyscraper is the 12th-tallest building in Philadelphia, and the tallest residential tower in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murano (skyscraper)</span> Residential skyscraper in Center City, Philadelphia

The Murano is a residential skyscraper in Center City Philadelphia. Part of a condominium boom occurring in the city, the Murano was announced in 2005 and was developed jointly by Thomas Properties Group and P&A Associates. The building, named after Murano, Italy, was completed in 2008 at a cost of US$165 million. The site, previously occupied by a parking lot, was the location of the Erlanger Theatre from 1927 to 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creekside Gahanna</span>

Creekside Gahanna, more formally called Gahanna-Creekside, is a mixed-use development located in downtown Gahanna, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shangri-La Toronto</span> Luxury hotel in Toronto

Shangri-La Toronto is a luxury hotel and residential condominium building in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was designed by James K. M. Cheng and built by Westbank Projects Corp.; they also designed and built the Living Shangri-La in Vancouver. The building is 214 meters tall and is one of the fifteen tallest buildings in Toronto. The hotel component is run by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts and has 202 guest rooms and suites. The condominium portion occupies the upper floors of the building and consists of 393 units. Excavation of the site started in 2008, and work on the parking garage began in early 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skye (Charlotte)</span>

Skye, formerly known as The Park, is a 22-story building at Caldwell and Third Streets in Charlotte, North Carolina that includes a 172-room Hyatt Place hotel opened October 15, 2013, and a 69-unit condominium development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4/C</span> Proposed supertall skyscraper in Seattle, Washington

4/C, also known as 4th & Columbia, is a proposed supertall skyscraper in Seattle, Washington, United States. If built, the 1,020-foot-tall (310 m), 91-story tower would be the tallest in Seattle, surpassing the neighboring Columbia Center, and the first supertall in the Pacific Northwest. The project has been under development by Miami-based Crescent Heights since 2015 and undergone several design changes and modifications under three architecture firms. As of 2023, 4/C is expected to have 1,090 residential units—apartments up to the 64th floor and condominiums from the 65th to 90th floor—along with several coworking and retail spaces. The latest version was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helios (building)</span> Residential skyscraper in downtown Seattle, Washington

Helios, also known as 2nd & Pine, is a residential skyscraper in downtown Seattle, Washington. The 40-story tower is 440 feet (130 m) tall with 398 luxury apartments. Plans for the project were first proposed in 2013 and construction began in late 2014. It is located at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Pine Street near the Pike Place Market and the city's retail core.

Bulfinch Crossing is a redevelopment project currently under construction in Downtown Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It will consist of two skyscrapers, a smaller residential tower, a low-rise office building, a hotel, and a low-rise retail building. Site preparation began in late 2015, and construction officially commenced on January 24, 2017. Construction on the residential tower completed in 2020. The high-rise office tower, One Congress, commenced construction in 2019 and topped off in July 2021; after an announced plan to open in 2022, it officially opened in September 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Emerald (building)</span> Skyscraper in Seattle, Washington, U.S.

The Emerald is a mixed-use 40-story skyscraper in downtown Seattle, Washington, United States. The tower includes 262 luxury condominiums, retail space, and amenity spaces on outdoor terraces. It began construction in July 2017 and was completed in October 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spire (Seattle building)</span> Residential skyscraper in Seattle, Washington

Spire is a 41-story residential skyscraper in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. The 440-foot (130 m) building sits in a triangular block adjacent to the intersection of Denny Way and Wall Street, roughly between the Belltown and Denny Triangle neighborhoods. It has 343 condominiums, retail space, and a rooftop terrace. The building has an automated parking system in its underground garage with capacity for 266 vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">138 East 50th Street</span> Residential skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

138 East 50th Street, officially named The Centrale, is a residential building in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building consists of 124 condominium residences and 7,500 square feet (700 m2) of ground-floor retail between Third Avenue and Lexington Avenue in Midtown East. The developers planned to sell the condominiums for a total of $535.7 million, or an average of $4.3 million per unit.

References

  1. ↑ Musgrave, Beth (April 19, 2018). "Lexington's CentrePointe is now City Center". Lexington Herald-Leader . Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  2. ↑ WDKY Staff (1 Jan 2020). "Marriott Hotels at City Center officially open in Lexington". WDKY Fox Lexington. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  3. ↑ "City council creates panel that will deal with CentrePointe funding". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  4. ↑ "Statement on CentrePointe" (PDF). Fayette Alliance. 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  5. ↑ "CentrePointe". FreedomKentucky.org. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
  6. ↑ "Architectural firm involved in City Center design pulls out". WKYT.com. September 10, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Blasting to begin at CentrePointe location in downtown Lexington". WKYT.com. 2014-03-10. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
  8. 1 2 Musgrave, Beth (2014-06-03). "New CentrePointe designs include five more floors for apartment building". Lexington Herald-Leader . Retrieved 2014-06-06.
  9. ↑ "CentrePoint developers hope to sell $30 million in bonds for parking garage". Kentucky.com. January 2, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Centrepointe Project Gets Green Light". WKYT.com. 2008-06-25. Archived from the original on 2008-09-19. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  11. 1 2 Fortune, Beverly (2011-07-14). "New CentrePointe Design Includes 30 Story Tower of Tubes". Lexington Herald-Leader . Retrieved 2013-01-05.
  12. ↑ Fortune, Beverly (2012-03-28). "Design For Lexington's CentrePointe Project Gets Board Approval". Lexington Herald-Leader . Retrieved 2013-01-05.
  13. ↑ Fortune, Beverly (2011-02-15). "Architects Present New Preliminary Design For Lexington's CentrePointe Block". Lexington Herald-Leader . Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  14. ↑ Ward, Karla (2013-07-09). "Lexington Council Approves New CentrePointe Development Agreement". Lexington Herald-Leader . Retrieved 2013-07-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.