New three-story development planned for downtown Lexington — if it can find enough parking
A planned new development in downtown Lexington was sent back to the drawing board recently over concerns about parking.
Property owners had hoped to add a new three-story retail space and events venue to the corner of Butler and Church streets, according to plans submitted to the town planning commission. That corner sits a block back from the heart of Lexington’s increasingly bustling Main Street and is mere feet away from a vacant lot that is the site of a proposed hotel that would sit along the town’s central thoroughfare.
But those retail and venue plans hit a speed bump last week, as they were withdrawn after commissioners questioned if enough parking had been set aside for all the visitors expected to be drawn to the new facility.
Town staff said a development of this size would need an expected 50 parking spaces, but only 12 were identified on the site plans submitted with the proposal. One commissioner said he only counted 11 on the sketched plans.
The developer will have the option to resubmit the project once the remaining parking spaces are identified, said Frank Berry, the chairman of the planning commission.
“11 or 12 is not going to be enough for your employees to park,” said board member Jarrett Harrelson. “We want parking for the patrons who are going to go there.”
Shawn Mosteller, whose family owns the site, said they had verbal commitments from neighboring properties that additional spaces could be made available once the project gets off the ground. But the planning commissioners said they wanted to see more concrete commitments before the project gets underway.
“We would like to see a more permanent solution before we move forward,” Berry said.
Plans call for a 10,654-square-foot ground floor with two retail spaces, a 9,837-square-foot second floor that will host a private sports club with lounge space, pool tables and five golf simulators. The building would also include a 4,389-square-foot event space on the third floor, topped off by a 4,651-square-foot rooftop terrace.
Architect Dale Marshall said the building was designed to be a “street edge” building with a minimal parking pad. “Most of the parking will be taking place off site, so it’s not just a parking lot,” Marshall said.
Angelle LaBorde, the president of the Lexington Chamber, said a facility like this is needed to create a “vibrant downtown” that will aid the area’s economic growth.
“The companies coming here want space where employees can live, work and play,” LaBorde said. “We need a space for parties, receptions and business meetings. We rent out our space now, so we know people are eager to have a space.”
She hopes the new building would generate foot traffic and support surrounding businesses, and complement the hotel planned to open in downtown Lexington nearby. That proposed Courtyard by Marriott, the look of which was approved by the town’s board of appearance last year, has been presented as including more than 100 rooms along with a bistro and bar.
Ashley Heyl is the owner of StrongHer gym which currently sites on the site. She told the commission she’s supportive of the new building, even if it means her business will have to move.
“We want to put up walls and complain about parking,” Heyl said, but “what that does is inadvertently gives way to corporations that don’t even exist in Lexington, have never set foot in Lexington, to come in and occupy this space ... I’m dismayed at how many franchises are coming into the area.”
But commissioners raised concerns about the venue’s capacity, with an estimated maximum of 75 people in the sports club and slightly less than 200 in the event space, plus two as-yet unidentified retail businesses.
“If you have maximum occupancy on the second floor at the same time as the third floor, you’re close to 300 people,” said Berry, the chairman. “Just show us you can meet the capacity needs.”
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