Lexington’s Urban County Council is expected to approve the hiring of a consultant to assess potential sites for a new city hall, but there’s one location in particular that’s bound to attract the most scrutiny.
Back in August, new investors in the long-delayed CentrePointe project pitched a curve ball to the Lexington officials – suggesting the city relocate its government center to the proposed development. They did so knowing city leaders have long advocated moving out of their current digs, which once housed the Lafayette Hotel in the 1920s, and into a more efficient building.
With the city "hemorrhaging money" in the outdated facility, Mayor Jim Gray says it’s time to start seriously assessing new sites, but he emphasizes CentrePointe is only one among many others under consideration.
"We are wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. So that's the context," Gray tells WUKY. "As to the question of whether or not there's anything committed to any developer to place city hall at any site, that is absolutely inaccurate. There has been no commitment to place city all anywhere."
Once approved, the consultant will perform the survey over 90 days and report back to council.
