Lexington has been chosen to be part of an intensive revitalization effort, joining six other U.S. cities that will receive a year or more of expert assistance aimed at boosting the economic viability of entire neighborhoods.
The National Main Street Center Inc. picked Lexington and the other applicant cities for a program to make “demonstration sites” of selected neighborhoods. In Lexington, the chosen neighborhoods are East End and North Limestone. The program will provide organizational and technical help based on North Main Street's methods, which lean heavily on volunteers and building preservation.
“The Lexington Downtown Development Authority is thrilled to partner with the National Main Street Center on this demonstration project,” Lexington Downtown Development Authority President Jeff Fugate said in a statement. “It will provide valuable guidance and direction in growing economic opportunity in our downtown neighborhoods.”
Fugate said the DDA is partnering with the two local organization to administer the program locally.
“We are excited to partner with Blue Grass Community Foundation and the North Limestone Community Development Corp. to identify methods to meet the commercial needs of the neighborhoods through this process,” he said.
National Main Street Center is a program of the private nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is supporting the neighborhood revitalization effort along with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
“This award underscores the value of Lexington’s on-going partnership with the Knight Foundation,” said Lisa Adkins, president and CEO of Blue Grass Community Foundation. “Knight encouraged us to apply precisely because of our track-record in successfully carrying out other Knight Foundation initiatives that make our city more vibrant, dynamic and accessible to all.”
Adkins said this will not be the first foray into either neighborhood for the Knight Foundation, noting its previous involvement in projects including the Legacy Trail and the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden.
The most notable involvement came in April when the Knight Foundation awarded a $550,000 grant to the North Limestone Community Development Corp. as part of the 2015 Knight Cities Challenge. That money will aid the development of a permanent site to serve as a food hub and small-business incubator.
“The National Main Street Center’s assistance will help us build a more comprehensive, inclusive and equitable approach to building economy with all of our neighbors,” said NoLi CDC director Richard Young. “We believe that successful cities are built with empowered neighborhoods, and that can only happen when there is thoughtful collaboration across the board. This program will help us build an example of that approach in Lexington.”
The other cities chosen to be part of the program are: Miami, Florida; Milledgeville, Georgia; Gary, Indiana; Detroit, Michigan; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.