Posted November 4, 200717 yr You can find my newest downtown photos at my web-site, UrbanUp, here. 1. Central Business District, looking west towards Lexington Financial Center. 2. A view of the northern Lexington region. The street running northeast is Limestone and has seen an uptick in building restorations and investments. 3. Looking towards the Vine Street corridor, which consists primarily of newer office structures. This was formerly the Chesapeake and Ohio rail line, which were removed in the late 1960s. Hundreds of structures that would have been adaptable to lofts today were demolished, and has been called the city's "biggest regret." 4. Central Business District. 5. Old Fayette National Bank Building. Was the city's tallest for many, many years. 6. A void created by the demolition of Woolworth's. The store closed in the mid 1990s after being restored in the early 1990s (...), and was demolished ~2003. The lot (and the bottom right corner store and attachments) are owned by The Webb Cos., the city's largest developer (they developed the Lexington Financial Center). Most of the remaining buildings are vacant and are not that historical, and will most likely be demolished in a few years for a new development project. 7. Our Courthouse complex takes up two blocks and has a nice plaza with water features. 8. Rupp Arena/Lexington Center. The massive parking lot to the south now qualifies for TIF so it stands to be redeveloped. 9. My downtown, looking east, from my apartment complex. It is one of the tallest buildings in the city :) Many more photos coming later this week! Stay tuned to this thread!
November 4, 200717 yr good work. it nice to see whats up in lex, esp from some of those great viewing advantages.
November 5, 200717 yr Bah! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
November 5, 200717 yr Northside area has some great older housing. A mix of no-kidding southern plantation style mansions, victoriana, shotguns, etc. Architecturally an interesting place. #7 is sort of disappointing to me as I recall that big plaza area, from Main to the old PO/Federal bldg as being filled with those little commercial buildings and walk-ups, like on the left side of Limestone. It had an interesting feel as the place was pretty solidly built up, but in small scale buildings. That could have been an interesting place for loft conversions and in-town living. #9. The white high rise at far left was the tallest thing downtown in 1977-78. The parking garage in the foreground was originally the site for Lexington Union Station (before my time). #6 What is that hulking white monstrosity betw Main and Vine across from Courthouse Square!? Looks like a parking garage. That woolworth site I think was the site of a nightclub in the early 1990s? #7 ..it was also the L&N that came down Vine, including a small rail yard for the station. A lot of loft buildings were demo'd in the vicinity of Rupp Arena and the parking lot behind it, and by the Radisson. This was going on as late as the late 1970s. One was an old hemp bagging/rope works.
November 6, 200717 yr #7: That was before I could remember. I came to Lexington before the plaza was completed, but if the buildings on the left matched what was on the right of Limestone, that would have been sad to have seen go. The city lost a _lot_ of excellent warehouse to loft conversions in the late 1960s when the slum clearance and railroad removal was taking place along what is now Vine, and the only remnants of the past is along Old Vine and its two warehouses... that are superb examples of what could have been done. #6: That is a parking garage that is actually smaller than I thought. I had to park there today on business but its only a few levels that needs to be much higher. Business as in, climbing to the top of World Trade Center for more photos. It's hideous and its a huge detractor from the streetscape, but quite necessary for the World Trade Center/Radisson complex.
November 6, 200717 yr I planned to grab one from The Woodlands, which would have provided an expanse view towards the east, but I can only grab it in the morning and the building manager was not available for today. I did grab some from the World Trade Center complex, which I'll post in a short bit.
November 9, 200717 yr Links provided go to the building or district at UrbanUp. 1. National City Bank taken from the Lexington Downtown Corporation roof. 2. Main and Rose Lofts, taken from the roof of the Lexington Downtown Corporation. I will gather more photos in the evening that will better represent the width of the structure. This was originally planned for seven stories but was constructed as four -- but it's enormous size is still a tremendous asset. Crews have completed most of the work on the building -- including the city's first "back in" parking spaces. I assume those are for those who want to load groceries from a planned urban corner market. I personally love the industrial design of the building. They did this very well and it resembles the building stock that once existed along Vine Street. 3. And to think, Main and Rose was once a giant surface parking lot. 4. Christ Church Apartments for the elderly. This is where I voted :) 5. The modern front to the Lexington Center. This was recently rehabilitated from a 1970s glass-box design to one that is more harmonious to the streetscape. The big box in the back is Rupp Arena, which could be replaced by 2012. It was not renovated with the Lexington Center project and it is showing its age. 6. The old front was HIDEOUS. 7. Hyatt, which is undergoing interior renovations. 8. Victorian Square, which has fine dining, shops and art galleries under one roof. It is a series of restored Victorian-esque structures combined into one. 9. The Kincaid Towers is a 22-floor high-rise in Lexington, Kentucky. It is located along Vine Street between Broadway and Mill Street. Its exterior is polished buff concrete with blue tinted glass, with terraces on the 5th, 10th, 14th, and 21st floor. 10. Phase one of the 500's on the Main project, adjacent to Victorian Square and the Lexington Center. 11. The spire and additional buildings will be constructed soon in phase two. 12. Ah... where I live. Downtown Lexington. Looking west along Main Street in downtown Lexington. 13. I fucking hated getting up to the top of the World Trade Center. Ladders suspended many, many feet above a never-ending staircase. And I'm afraid of heights. One building was a ladder... the other was a staircase. Go figure. From left to right: Lexington Center, 500's on the Main, and Victorian Square. 14. Looking along South Broadway. The massive parking lot on the right is part of Rupp Arena and it replaced hundreds of homes from the historic South Hill district. It is slated for redevelopment eventually. 15. Looking along Vine Street at the haphazard building styles. Vine Street was once a railroad corridor for the city, and when the tracks were removed, major urban renewal began that removed most of the historic and warehouse-styled buildings that are so very much desired today. That white stub of a building houses U.S. Attorneys offices. It is a POS and was just a basic steel frame (suburban buildings are built better than this) with a faux "stone" facade that was prefabricated and placed by a crane. 16. Triangle Center is in the foreground and was a planned shopping center. 17. More coming next week!
November 9, 200717 yr enough with the cats already Randy! If you can't play nice with the kitty, just leave it alone! I luv kitties! They're so soft and warm and nice to have snoozing/purring on my lap.
November 9, 200717 yr enough with the cats already Randy! If you can't play nice with the kitty, just leave it alone! I luv kitties! They're so soft and warm and nice to have snoozing/purring on my lap. love is spelled love
November 9, 200717 yr Don't get uppity with me, young whippersnapper! :whip: I LUUUUUV kitties! :wink:
November 9, 200717 yr They can't replace Rupp fast enough for me! From the college hoops poll on Cincinnati.com: You would be happy if which of the following arenas burned to the ground (assuming no one was injured, of course)? Venue/# of votes/percentage UC Fans: Cintas Center, Cincinnati / 410 / 17.2% Freedom Hall, Louisville / 426 / 17.9% [glow=yellow,2,300]Rupp Arena, Lexington / 1036 / 43.5%[/glow] Schottenstein Center, Columbus / 410 / 17.2% Other / 99 / 4.2% http://desktop.websurveyor.net/wswebtop.dll/WSPubReport?esid=198357&subaccountid=89350
November 9, 200717 yr HAHA That does not surprise me. But while it's old, it's not in obscene condition! :)
November 9, 200717 yr i am so glad to hear that news about rupp being replaced. you can't add just malls and hotels to a barn and make it better....maybe hide it a bit at best. love that 500 on main apt building, very sharp. the additions look good too, except for that cheeseball clocktower. makes it all look like an outlet mall - it's gotta change or go away! we'll see.
November 9, 200717 yr The Lexington Center features high-end shops and typical fast-food fare, and was completed as part of the overall Center project that included Rupp Arena and the Hyatt Hotel. The clocktower will stand several stories above the general building and will be of some high quality, from what the developer said. The clock face alone is nearly one-story high and it's gotta be better than an outlet mall. But given that the use of silver was replaced with painted black (much better), the clock face and design should be much more striking. The 500's on the Main and the Main and Rose project have industrialized appearances to them, which is very nice. Pays homage IMO to the former Vine Street corridor.
November 10, 200717 yr Damn, Lexington looks larger than Toledo. Where is this "500" that you guys are speaking of??? I combed this thread with my hawk eyes and didn't see anything?
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