LEXINGTON, Ky., Sep. 11, 2019 — During a special meeting of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council today, Principal Kevin Gough, AIA presented EOP’s evaluation of the exterior envelope of LFUCG’s 100-year-old Government Center. Repair costs top $5 million for the entire exterior as some of the limestone and other materials are beginning to pull away from the building, allowing water inside and causing problems on the interior.
“While there are significant issues with the building, a private developer can make the repairs with the benefit of tax credits not available to municipalities,” explains Gough at the council meeting. “By selling the building and returning the property to the tax roles, Lexington can benefit from Federal dollars that would otherwise not be spent here.”
As the Lexington Herald-Leader reports, Jamshid Baradaran, the city’s director of facilities, said, “We’ve reached a critical point where we can no longer kick this issue down the road.”
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said the city may not have a choice on some of the exterior problems highlighted in the EOP report. “Some of the issues are health and safety problems,” she said. “So some need to be addressed immediately.”