LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Planning Commission reviewed the first draft of the Downtown Area Master Plan during a work session on June 18, which will guide the future growth and revitalization of Lexington's downtown core over the coming years.

The plan, developed over the past year by lead consultant MKSK working with planning staff, drew input from more than 2,200 community members through workshops, online surveys, stakeholder roundtables, and outreach at neighborhood events. The engagement process included sessions at the Lyric Theatre, interactive design stations, and targeted outreach to students, unhoused populations, and residents who typically do not attend public meetings.

The draft plan centers on four strategic frameworks: growing downtown, greening downtown, creating a multimodal transportation system, and building a welcoming community. The growth strategy prioritizes residential development—noting that no market-rate housing has been built in downtown for 10 to 15 years—and recommends attracting 450 to 900 new housing units as a starting point, with emphasis on workforce and affordable housing. Retail and hospitality recommendations focus on supporting neighborhood-serving businesses and student-oriented uses near University of Kentucky and Transylvania University.

The plan also addresses green space expansion, walkable and safe streets, and adaptive reuse of historic buildings. The draft is now available for public review on the project website, with a three-week comment period. Planning staff will gather feedback before presenting a revised version to the Planning Commission on July 16.

The project carries a $500,000 budget allocated by Urban County Council to define downtown boundaries and establish a long-term vision.