The Lexington Center Corporation’s board of directors has voted this month to pursue an expansion and replacement plan for the Lexington Convention Center.
The new plan includes a 100,000-square-foot exhibit hall, along with larger and enhanced ballrooms and meeting space on West Main Street. the ground level would also feature repurposed retail space. The plan has been endorsed by the boards of the Bluegrass Hospitality Association, VisitLex and Commerce Lexington.
As the next step, the Lexington Center board and VisitLex will seek the General Assembly’s support to increase Fayette County’s hotel occupancy tax by 2 percent and ask for a $75 million grant to help fund the project.
The convention center plan does not include any additional renovations to Rupp Arena, which is currently undergoing a $15 million video/audio/tech upgrade. Parts of the first, second and third levels of the Shops at Lexington Center and existing meeting rooms will be repurposed for retail and other uses.
“The amount of space in this new plan is driven by recommendations made by three different studies dating back as far as 1986,” said Brent Rice, LCC board chairman, in a release on the move to pursue expansion. “The new Lexington Convention Center will have the same magnitude of impact as the original Civic Center had in Lexington in 1976.”
Lexington Center documentary "Gamechanger" to air on KET
Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of the opening of Lexington Center and Rupp Arena. A one-hour documentary, “Gamechanger: The Lexington Center Story,” chronicling the conception, design and development of the center as a cultural and economic engine for the city by a small group of local civic leaders, is scheduled to air on KET starting in mid-December.
The film, which was produced by local filmmaker Arthur Rouse, includes information from more than 16 hours of interviews by UK Wildcats broadcaster Ralph Hacker with the local business professionals and community leaders who saw the idea for a downtown basketball arena and convention center through to its fruition.
“Gamechanger: The Lexington Center Story” will air on KET networks on the following air dates and times:
Dec. 13, 12 a.m. – KET KY
Dec. 13, 12 p.m. – KET KY
Dec. 15, 8 p.m. – KET KY
Dec. 17, 6 a.m. – KET KY
Dec. 17, 10 p.m. – KET2
Dec. 20, 3 p.m. – KET
Dec. 21, 4 a.m. – KET
Dec. 28, 4 p.m. – KET KY