LEXINGTON, Ky. — City officials celebrated the official opening of Wellington Park Apartments on Thursday, a 45-unit affordable housing development for seniors located at 321 Dorchester Place near Wellington Dog Park.

Mayor Linda Gorton and Councilmember Whitney Elliott Baxter attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the project, developed by AU Associates Inc. The apartments are designated for senior households with incomes below 50 percent of the area median income.

"We continue to make progress in increasing our supply of affordable housing," Gorton said in a statement. "These units are for seniors, where there is a significant need."

The project represents the city's first affordable housing initiative in the Ninth Council District, according to Baxter. "Because I represent one of the largest populations of aging individuals in Lexington, I know this development will serve our area well," she said in a statement.

The $11.5 million development was funded through a combination of sources: $9 million from Kentucky Housing Corporation, $2 million from the City of Lexington's Affordable Housing Fund, and $500,000 from the city's Public Infrastructure Program. Construction began in November 2024.

Wellington Park Apartments is the city's first fully ADA-accessible affordable housing project, featuring design elements to support aging in place, including roll-under kitchen cabinets, outlets at convenient heights, and open-concept floor plans. The site sits within walking distance of Meijer, Target, and Fayette Mall.

According to Gorton, Lexington's Affordable Housing Fund has allocated over $60 million since 2014 to leverage $490 million in private sector investment, resulting in 3,925 housing units. The city aims to surpass 4,100 units by year's end.

The apartments were designed in collaboration with Reimagining Home, a component of Age Friendly Lexington. "Our collective vision is to conceptualize, create, enable, and sustain a broad spectrum of housing and living arrangements that maximize the potential for older adults in the Bluegrass," said Johan Graham, president of AU Associates Inc., in a statement.