The folks at the Fortune Business Centre off Winchester Road are stepping into a "lead-by-example" role in the run up to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010, filling one of the dozens of local needs identified by Games organizers.
"We're going to furnish them 6,000 square feet of offices that they are going to utilize for their staff for their volunteer training, and then also adjacent to that is (a) 10,000-square-foot warehouse for storage and equipment. Like when all the t-shirts come in from the supplier for all the volunteers, they'll be staged there," said Fortune Commercial Properties (FCP) founder John Paul Miller. "We have always had a love for horses. My wife and I have horses. We love Lexington and we love the Kentucky Horse Park, so when you put all three of those together and we get the chance to have the Games here, it's just a tremendous opportunity for the community to embrace this activity."
In addition to the office and warehouse space, which Miller valued in excess of $300,000, Fortune is also contributing $75,000 to The World Games 2010 Foundation. "There are a lot of things that they need," said Miller. "We need a lot of people in the community to be creative and to be assertive and step up and say, 'Look, what do you need and how can I help you get that?'"
The arrangement makes FCP the exclusive Commercial Real Estate sales, leasing and development partner with the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
Fortune Commercial Properties has been constructing class-A offices, showrooms, warehouses, and distribution centers since 1983. The company has built, owns and leases over 750,000 square feet of space. Under owner Miller and property/leasing manager Amy Mellinger, the FCP has become one of the largest commercial property companies in Kentucky.
Tenants include Fifth Third Bank, Graybar Electric, XPEDEX, Tyco Simplex-Grinnell, Fastenal, Omnicare, CED, Wesco International, Champion Windows, KY Lottery, Farmers Bank, Enterprise Rental Car, Jordan-Chiles, Harshaw Trane, Pella Windows, Vascor, Scott-Gross Nalley & Gibson, Ferguson Enterprises, Paul Miller Ford, Okaya, and Kinetic Technologies.
Millers' company also has served as a sponsor of the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, the High Hope Steeplechase, and the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event.
Asked if he expects Lexingtonians will be ready for a good rest once the Games have come and gone in the early fall of '10, Miller said, "Well I know I will be. I'm pretty sure that it will be a relief that it is over. But it will be such a once-in-a-lifetime experience that the people that get a chance to go to a lot of the events are going to remember this for the rest of their lives."