Lexington, KY - Lexington has not preserved many of its downtown historic buildings, a fact
which has stirred much public discussion.
One sterling example of "doing it right" is the Lexington Opera House. This grand structure had fallen on hard times as a cheap movie house and was in danger of falling in on itself in the early 1970s. Rather than let it become a parking lot by neglect, the city acquired it and restored it as a part of the original Civic Center and Rupp Arena project. Thanks to the vision of then-mayor Foster Pettit, an architectural jewel was saved.
We have the chance to do it right again.
The Rupp Arena, Arts & Entertainment District Task Force is considering recommendations not only for a basketball facility and the convention center, but also for a variety of performance venues and other civic improvements on 46 acres of government-owned land.
Sitting on the top right corner of every map the task force has viewed is the courthouse square and our historic Old Courthouse. The building and land are also government-owned.
Yet the Old Courthouse is not included in the task force draft reports.
Little-remembered today is the litigation between the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the Urban County Government over the Ben Snyder block. The state had contributed $18.5 million in economic development bonds to erect, in part, a cultural center on the block. Ultimately, the Ben Snyder block became part of the site for the new Fayette County courthouses and plaza.
In resolving that litigation in the Franklin Circuit Court in 1997, the Urban County Government made several legal commitments in a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth. One was to spend $930,000 on restoring the Lyric Theater, a project ultimately costing about $6 million.
Another was to "convert the current Fayette County Courthouse to the Lexington History Museum with the grounds of the current courthouse to be transformed into a park." This memorandum, approved by the Urban Council and filed with the court, is the only statement of intent to preserve the Old Courthouse. It is time to include preservation and restoration of the structure in the Task Force Report as part of its new vision for downtown. The Opera House restoration stands as precedent for inclusion.
Adding the Old Courthouse in the final Task Force Report will, when adopted by the Urban County Council, make clear that renovation and ultimate restoration is a community goal.
Fortunately, no new studies are needed. The government paid almost $200,000 for two studies 10 years ago: one by local architect Greg Fitzsimons, and a second and more extensive one by international architect Verner Johnson. Last year, a study was completed on the HVAC system. That work is done, paid for, and readily available for the task force to review and include among its other studies.
Long-term financing for restoration of the Old Courthouse has also been identified, as it is on the list of public improvements in the CentrePointe TIF district. While it is a popular parlor game to speculate on designs for that block, it is certain that something will eventually be constructed there and provide funding.
We are fortunate to still have this iconic building. In the 1960s, faced with a need for more courtrooms, the lack of air conditioning and antiquated elevators, the decision could have been to tear down the Courthouse and erect a new building. The good news is that the building was saved by filling the central atrium, which reached over 100 feet from the ground floor to the top of the rotunda, with new elevators, mechanicals and plumbing. The bad news is, first, that the central dramatic feature was lost, and second, that these "improvements" are now over a half-century old and in need of replacement. The rotunda itself, for the few who have been able to see it, presents intriguing opportunities for use if the mechanical structures intruding into its vault can be relocated.
Preservation. Renovation. Restoration.
Those are the stages of attention the Old Courthouse needs and deserves.
As with any old building, certain repairs are needed just to preserve it. In particular, as the 2010 study concluded, the HVAC system needs replacement just to keep the premises heated and cooled.
But preservation is only an interim step. The next would be making the decision to renovate or restore. Restoration is the ultimate goal, reopening the atrium and returning the grand steamboat staircase and galleries. At this stage, it is difficult to estimate the amount of funding the TIF district would provide. The task force's final report should recommend the Old Courthouse receive a high priority for those funds.
If that funding, by itself or in combination with other sources, should prove inadequate for a full restoration, then renovation of the building should be the goal.
Various proposals have been considered for the Old Courthouse, which make inclusion in the task force report compatible. These suggestions include a deli restaurant facing Cheapside Park, a tourist information center, an enlarged museum gift shop and other public uses for the ground floor, which would also provide revenue for the building. These would augment the improvements ultimately to be proposed for the full Arena District. The two museums currently on the ground floor could be relocated to a portion of a restored fourth floor, together with an expanded history museum.
There are several steps to restoration of the Old Courthouse to its original glory as was done with the Opera House. The next step is to include the goal of preservation, renovation and restoration of the Old Courthouse in the task force recommendations.