Was It Worth $7,000 A Foot?

From 2 years ago

 

The Clematis in front of our house in in full bloom, giving a bright blast of color when you walk toward the door coming home. Each year I think that it just get better and better looking with many more blooms than last.

The wire frame horse in the Court House Plaza was supposed to be full of blooms from seven different varieties of Clematis in time for the WEG.  If you look today, the vinery of the collective plants only rise to the top of the hindquarters.  Did they stop tending them with change of administrations.

That made me think of other differences in priorities and how they are handled.  I recall, as I am sure you will also, probably the most iconic campaign commercial of the victorious Jim Gray.  The one where he is standing on South Limestone near the end of the renovating construction that summer.  In discussing the overall cost of the project and the disruption it caused to so many businesses and commuters, he utters the almost comic, "$7,000 a foot".  I am sure that that resonated with the voters, especially in those slim economic times.  Times that I am wondering if we are out of yet.

Now, considering that there was a big to-do on the weekend that it reopened to normal traffic and has seen many other University related celebrations (most notably the 8th National Basketball Championship), I feel confident that business owners who stuck it out and the ones who followed construction think that the $7,000 a foot was well worth it.

There was a lot written about the timing and extent of the closing, by owners and bloggers and others who felt that this work was somehow unfair to the "stakeholders".  Since the end of construction there has been nary a peep in public from either the owners or the bloggers as to whether the redo was worth it.

The most silent is the one who, I think, benefited the most from the phrase, Mayor Jim Gray.

Earlier this week, the APA (American Planning Association concluded their 2012 National Convention in Los Angeles.  In the closing address, Renée Jones-Bos, Ambassador of the Netherlands to the United States, noted that Dutch engineers have been forced to approach large infrastructure and planning projects head on and are known worldwide for their expertise. She also pointed out that American cities may learn from their Dutch ally’s proactive embrace of cost-benefit analysis.

The Dutch are well known for weathering almost constant calamities and for wresting their country from the ravages of the North Sea.  So much so, that they have come to think of it as part of their DNA.  Another part of Dutch DNA is found at the entrance to the old port of Amsterdam in a sign which reads “The cost comes before the benefit.”

To all of those who have cried and whined about the outlandish outlays of the City and State for projects leading up to the WEG, and to all of those who have wondered where the windfall profits that were predicted have gone, I say this; the benefits have only barely begun.

But I ask Mayor Gray, was the $7,000 a foot worth it, both in the short run and in the long run?  And should we do it again?

Finishing What We Started

Does anybody remember this piece of topiary and how it was to look during the World Equestrian Games?  

This wireframe of a raring horse was planted with 7 varieties of clematis representing the 7 continents from which the games contestants came.  It was placed more than 2 years ago and the plants were to be tended and fed so as to be in full bloom during the games.  It is supposed to be a legacy of the games for the "Horse Capital of the World", yet it seems to be dying back.

Last year the vines had risen to the height of the base of the neck, now they barely make it to the hindquarters.  Someone has really fallen down on the job of maintaining this piece of public art.

The State Government and the Horse Park were the main driving force behind the WEG and the Lexington Government basically tried to move heaven and earth to be ready in time for the games.  The did move a lot of earth. But this topiary is on State property(the Court House Plaza) and the City made many announcements with it as a backdrop.  Both entities seem to lay some sort of claim to it, but I don't think either of them are doing much for it.  Could the change in administration have had this much effect on things?

Similar type questions may be asked about our street trees downtown.  Since I have been working downtown the street trees on Main St have been put in three times and the trees that were originally put in under Urban Renewal are all gone.  

Does anyone remember the well shaded plaza in front of the "Gold Bank", otherwise known then as Citizens Union?  Or the benches under those shady trees?  All gone.  Something about the public using them during the day.

Our downtown street trees have been placed in tree wells and either mulched or surrounded with a grating of some sort. Then we just sit around and watch the weeds take over, the brick pavers buckle and the iron grates lift due to the roots being confined to the wells.  Eventually, the trees encounter stress or disease and begin to decline and die.  We have an urban forester on staff but he and his crew are kept busy looking at what we can do next, while the present situation continues to devolve.

Sometimes, looking for the next big thing just gets in the way of finishing or maintaining what we have.  We are continually painting the doors and windows and ignoring that the foundation leaks.

How Do You Like The Spotlight So Far?

Now that the Spotlight Festival has had a few days, I have some observations and some kudos.

I did notice that the food booths have put down some type of matting as flooring, especially the ones that use a cooking oil. Still, the Kettle Korn tent on the corner of Lime and Main will have a stain about three feet out on all sides from the customers spilling some of what they buy. The roving staff are very good about picking up the stray litter and cigarette butts and the recycle bins are being well used.

The traffic situation was expected to be much worse than it seems to have turned out. Limestone, from Vine to Main, has been closed most of the daytime hours but the crowd has been sparse along there even at noon when the tents do good business but the Games are between sessions. Most of us downtown workers were told to expect parking problems and delays, yet I have had no such problems.

The music this past weekend and evenings has been superb. The crowd has been orderly and the "homeless" have been very low key. I did hear one comment during an evening session which went like this, "Now, this is what a downtown should be. Why can't we have a festival like this every year?" These types of comments usually come from those who don't realize just how much work goes into a festival of this size.

This festival is ancillary to the WEG and, if made an annual event, would have to be conjoined with something. I doubt that it could be a 2 week festival if done annually. Spotlight is also taking advantage of situations that may never align the same way again; the streetscape, CentrePointe block and WEG. It may spur interest in more and larger down festivals, but let us just enjoy this one for the time being.

I am not a believer in coincidence so I was amused to see our city workers out ,with a pressure washer and soap, spraying down the block of Corral St. (where the Roots and Heritage cooking was done). If this was a scheduled cleaning, why was it done almost three weeks after the event?

Do you have any thoughts on Spotlight or the WEG?

Ready, Set, -----> Go!

I am appreciative of the spaces around town that are used for our public gatherings and festivals as we are set to begin our boldest and longest effort in my memory. Eighteen days of the Spotlight Festival using three outdoor entertainment venues and much of the newly renovated streetscape will tax both the infrastructure and the maintenance personnel to their utmost. I just hope that our foreign guests don't abuse these spaces as much as we do and maybe we can learn something from them about gathering in public spaces.

Last week's "Festiva Latino" and the earlier "Roots and Heritage Festival" have served as a warm-up for the city's crews and help point out what I think are some failings. Failings of both the organizers and the participants.

First, let me say that the spaces are supposed to be designed for these types of events, but a little extra effort and preparation would go a long way. The food vendors are generally relegated to setting up in the streets and I would guess that it is due to the cooking splatter and mess that just seems to occur in kitchens and other food prep places. The segment of Corral Street used during the "Roots and Heritage" still gives off the odor of cooking oil some 2 weeks after the event. To be fair, it has been hot and dry, and not rained any to help clean off the pavement and the City has not made any effort to clean it. Similar vendors for the "Festiva Latino" used the curb lane of Limestone but it does not show the same level of grime. Why can't we require some sort of portable flooring for events like this? Restaurants require a grease trap from kitchens but this flows right into the storm drains - no treatment. Hello, EPA?

The remnants of the evidence of participants is another story altogether. I don't think that it matters how many trash or recycling recepticles there may be, a large amount of food and drink debris can still be seen tracked across the pavers of the Courthouse Plaza or the sidewalks around the blocks. I just don't believe that most people would treat their backyards and patios like that when they throw a party. Once the party is over then the clean-up has to begin. If you want to get an idea how bad it could be, drive by Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday after a home football game and watch the crew methodically go through the stands, then multiply by 18 and realize that there is practically no week's interval allowed in there.

We Lexingtonian's have spent the last 4 years preparing and decorating for this one event. We have spruced up our streets and parks, our new and old spaces and even found a place to disguise our less than immaculate street occupants. We have issued an open invitation to the world to come and visit, to partake of our city's good things and to take home more than just memories. The one memory that I don't want them to take is an image of our downtown in a state similar to one out of "Animal House". We may not have everything in top shape, but can we not make it worse? Can we try to clean up after ourselves and not leave it to the City crews?

I decided a while back, not to get too excited about this next two weeks. No great expectations, just do the best we can to prepare and let it flow. Que sera, sera. No great disappointments. No regrets. I have heard all the horror stories about the volunteers and the debates about the high ticket prices (including the Ticketmaster fees) which have turned a lot of people off concerning the whole idea of the Games. Well, with one day to go until they start, we will just have to let them proceed and hope for the best.

I will be here, watching. If I see something I don't like, you will hear from me. I will also comment on the good things I see and hear.

Let the Games begin!

Lyle Lovett Coming To The WEG, Maybe?

"Good fences make for good neighbors" or so the proverb goes can also be applied to some of the fence-rows here in Central Kentucky. Our famous rolling countryside is laced with them, but somewhere, out by the Horse Park, there are two neighbors who are at odds with each other or so it seems.

This past few weeks have seen the quiet clearing of rural fence-row along the Iron Works Pike which now reveals a previously hidden campground. A campground ready for the WEG and extremely close. More than a couple of properties have desired such a money-maker and one went as far as the Board of Adjustment requesting one of over 300 spaces, only to be denied with under 6 months to prepare.

Now, with horses and riders set to arrive this week and the opening ceremonies set for Saturday night, this seemingly illegal campground is out in the open and should, by all rights, be prevented from accepting any campers. The owners of the property should not be allowed to profit from this hoodwinking of the people.

Rumor has it that one(or more) of the spaces has been reserved for the singer and horseman Lyle Lovett. Lovett is a owner and sometime rider of reining horses and recently bested William Shatner in celebrity competition. He was also hopeful to bring his best horse to be shown by USEF reining team member Tim McQuay during the WEG. I'll bet that Lovett knows how to travel "in style" and now he may not be able to hide it.

If anybody knows any more about this, drop me a line.

A Legacy Trail, But Legacy To What

I toured the Legacy Trail (or at least part of it) today. I went out to the Coldstream Park and joined the throng for a ride to the Horse Park. I was hoping to be accompanied by the rest of the family but Mrs. Sweeper was doing some of her "women's" stuff, one of the little Sweepers' has a bike malfunction and the other had to do homework. I was left to do it all alone.

I was surprised to see the number of folks out riding, walking and otherwise enjoying a beautiful day. I got there early enough to get on the trail and out to the Horse Park before the festivities took place at the Coldstream location. I was on the way back when the Mayor's party headed out that way.

The trail is an easy jaunt with a few hills but they are not very steep or long. The bridges and stone walls are quite well done and will look very nice when the landscaping is fully established. The one item that I see as missing is a permanent "comfort station" because someone is going to need to go while on the trail.

I first heard about a "trail to the Horse Park" back in the early '90s-nearly 20 years ago. There was not much to see at the Horse Park back then. Not the number of national headquarters, or events, and a limited number of "name" horses, but there was a desire to get there by bike and a less than desirable road system to do it. At that time, I was starting to slow down my riding everywhere in the County and using any road to get there, but others were looking to go to the park with families, safely.

The late wife of a former mayor, Carole Pettit, was the first to mention it that I know of. She and Lexington's environmental planner spent many hours looking at maps and aerial photos of the land occupied by the UK research farms on Newtown and Iron Works Pikes. I know that she wrote many correspondences to the Agricultural College and the farm manager about using the existing farm roads and the tunnel under I-75. I know that this was a passion of hers, it may not have been her idea but she did press forward on it. Strangely, her name is missing from all information or credits relating to this trail.

This trail may be a "legacy" project of the WEG, as if we need to be reminded, or it may be a tribute to the legacy of the "Horse Capital of the World" but, in my mind, this is a legacy to Carole Pettit.

What Will Our WEG Legacy Be?

I have the feeling that some of you think that I want the WEG to fail. Nothing could be further from the truth. I want the WEG to do well. I want help the WEG to do real well, but I cannot. I cannot attend even though it is in my back yard, so to speak. I have been priced out of the events just like I have been priced out of UK basketball season tickets. The basketball tickets are proven popular item while the WEG tickets are, so far, showing some lackluster sales. I just question the whys of this inability to attend this supposed “world class”, “once in a lifetime” future changer for Lexington.

While it can be alleged that there have been mistakes made by the local WEG staff, and that remains to be seen, there are others in this field of equestrian shows who have anticipated great things and fell a little short. A case in point is this pair of reports from England.

Royal Festival of the Horse organisers admit 'we got it wrong'

Organisers of the inaugural Royal Festival of the Horse have admitted they "got it wrong" after spectators spurned costly entrance tickets, but have vowed to learn from their mistakes.

They admit ticket sales were "disappointing", with only 20,152 visitors passing through the gates over the three days (9-11 July), despite hoping for around 50,000.

Spectators were "appalled" by the high cost of the event — tickets were £20 for entry, plus a further £20 for grandstand seating.

Sandra Curtis from Hull was disappointed by the costs: "The price of admission is scandalous and then to ask people to pay again for a seat is outrageous. I saw people going away from the gate when they found out how much it was to get in."
And many were unaware there would be no free viewing for the main arena.

But the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) has promised to learn from the feedback.

Spokesman Alice Bell told H&H: "We made a mistake. We were overly ambitious with the pricing. Moving on, we will have lower ticket prices, make it clearer how the ticketing works and take a different approach to marketing."

She also admitted the show made a "considerable loss" leaving a "sizeable black hole" in RASE finances. But dates have already been set for next year. "We believe the show could be a great success, but we will need to invest in that. We will improve and listen — we're not the old, arrogant RASE we used to be," she added.

Tradestands suffered from poor attendance. Alan Cousins from Cousins of Cheltenham, who has been at the Royal Show for the past 25 years, was "appalled" by the lack of publicity.

"They've shot themselves in the foot — I won't be coming back. I thought they were amateurs five years ago — and they still are. They've got it completely wrong — again. We paid £3,500 to come here and we'll be lucky to take £2,000."

Showing competitors had niggles too, mainly regarding the ground and high entry prices.
This article was first published in Horse & Hound (15 July, '10)

If you were to substitute the Alltech/FEI Games for the Royal Festival folks and realize that this is our ONLY shot and they won’t be coming back, this story could be running in the Herald-Leader some time in mid to late October. We have already seen the articles about the weak ticket sales and the less than anticipated number of vendors, which the British call tradestands. The latest stories are about the lodging opportunities for the Games.

The second British article reiterates most of the first but continues to show the point of trades people being angry enough to ask for rebates.

Tradestand holders at Royal Festival of the Horse demand refunds

Tradestand holders at the controversial Royal Festival of the Horse (9-11 July) are demanding compensation after many made substantial losses.

Less than half the anticipated 50,000 visitors turned up for the inaugural three-day festival.

The show was run jointly by the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) and Express Events (EE), who have since asked all stallholders and exhibitors for feedback.

Photographer Simon Palmer sent in a lengthy complaint. "The concept is brilliant, but everyone is left feeling very let down," he said.

Attendance overstated

Among their gripes was low visitor attendance. Although organisers told H&H two weeks ago that 20,152 visitors passed through the gates, they have now admitted this was a "total attendance" figure that included exhibitors, competitors and staff.
Assistant director of RASE events Alice Bell told H&H: "We never intended to mislead people. The total visitor figure will be released after a board meeting later this week."

Ema Odlin from The Horse Bits Shop said she was "disgusted" with the way the festival was organised and feels "ripped off".

"The stand space cost was on a par with the likes of Burghley and Badminton," she wrote in a letter to organisers.

'Totally mismanaged'

Niall McGuiness from Equine Care travelled from Dublin to take a stall but took only £50 over the three days, making a loss of £2,000.

"This event was totally mismanaged from the very top," he said. "Are the problems the Festival of the Horse faced the same as those that led to the Royal Show ceasing to exist?"

But RASE's Alice Bell hit back at his claims, saying: "The management team is 100% different to that of the Royal Show, so personally I think it's unfair to draw similarities."

She said the board is due to meet this week, to consider all feedback and whether the show will go ahead next year.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (29 July, '10)

Had the local WEG committee held the prices low enough for the general population to enjoy this “once in a lifetime” event, just think how great it would be to really show the world that we ARE the “Horse Capital of the World”. I would be there and I would talk about in glowing terms.

Now, I fear that we will talk about our failure to impress when we showed our less than best side during the Games.

What Are They Coming To See?

We have been told too long now that “Company is coming” and that we need to be ready. To that end, we have made big improvements to our roads and other facilities, although I think that we have greatly neglected some of our existing built environment just because we are used to it.

Here is a telling account from one of our overseas (Great Britain) guests.

The appeal is being able to see multiple world class disciplines in one place. Personally, I was going to stay the whole event - travel around KY the days I wasn't that interested, see every discipline and generally enjoy myself and learn about some disciplines I've never been involved in - reining and endurance mainly.

I've been priced out. Ironically now all I'm seeing is the eventing, when I can see that much cheaper at the same level at Badminton and Burghley for a fraction of the cost. I'd love to stay longer and see something else, I will never have the chance to see reining at that level in the UK for example. …

By not making the tickets affordable the WEG organizers have now impacted many more Kentuckians than just those in Lexington. Our “world class” landscape and other local specialties do have an allure but not when we are just out to “soak the visitor”.

He goes on to tell of his experiences and opinions of the WEG decisions.

a) They knew the finances were going to be strained by looking at previous WEGs
b) They knew a long time ago the economy was going to pot and have not reacted, as far as we can see, appropriately.
c) They (I don't believe) really looked at what their visitors would want
d) They've underestimated the power of goodwill. They've treated the volunteer base very poorly, they've misjudged many elements.
d) Incidentally there are also many minor hiccups. Ticket master wouldn't allow me to pay as my card holder address is in the UK. No problem says the literature... in reality on the form you have to fill in your state, from a pre-selected list. Ummm ticketmaster... not everywhere has states.... It wasn't easy to buy for multiple events and choose your seats. hello. I'm travelling half way around the world. I don't want best available, I want to quickly and easily (you know, like the theatre or an airline) choose my seat. Confusion over parking, can I have a car etc, etc, etc all just make it too hard.

Items c) and d) are the ones that speak the loudest to me and despite the latest Herald Leader article on the WEG volunteers, the accounts that I have read elsewhere paint a very sad tale. This from a horse person in Tenn.

I started out wanting to be a volunteer, but the process became increasingly more annoying. First I was told I'd know by March...I actually got my official "we didn't chose you for eventing" notice last week. By then I'd long since bailed. I looked into general volunteering--what a morass of conflicting information and delay. I gave up on that, too, pretty quickly, and bought tickets for my daughter and myself. Now they're saying that general volunteers must agree to at least 6 shifts of 8 hours each, on non-consecutive days--ie, you've got to promise to be available for the whole thing.

Hello? I live 5 hours away. It's two months until showtime. They're just now getting the details together?

I don't have a hotel room yet. I'm waiting until people start cancelling.

And one from Pa.

Are the WEG people completely desperate for general volunteers or something? I signed up a bit ago online, and then got a URL for some kind of survey to fill out about skills and so on, which I haven't returned yet because my mom is having health issues and I'm trying to figure out if I can even possibly go, and now in the last two days I've gotten a DIFFERENT survey thing saying they wanted to give me an assignment, then another email with an actual assignment saying I was supposed to respond in a week if I was going to be able to do it, and today (note, have not responded to ANY of these yet because my mom only had a doctor's appointment today about things and I wanted to see how that went) I got yet another email with a link to online training.

I mean, if it was just 'sign up and here's your assignment and go here to see the training information' then that'd be one thing, but they keep sending the survey emails and asking for a response as if the information is important, or to confirm your interest, and then... sending the next bit anyway.

(Now, if they really wanted to encourage me to volunteer, the NEXT email would be about how they've organized some kind of low-cost housing set up for volunteers or something, because no way can I afford $400/night or whatever the ridiculous price is for a hotel room somewhere in the vicinity.)

The needs and desires of our guests should be paramount to our endeavor and not the quest to separate them from their money. We should be encouraged to show our best southern hospitality

Wikipedia defines this southern hospitality as follows,

Some characteristics of southern hospitality were described as early as 1835, when Jacob Abbott attributed the poor quality of taverns in the south to the lack of need for them, given the willingness of southerners to provide for strangers. Abbott writes: “[T]he hospitality of southerners is so profuse, that taverns are but poorly supported. A traveller, with the garb and the manners of a gentleman, finds a welcome at every door. A stranger is riding on horseback through Virginia or Carolina. It is noon. He sees a plantation, surrounded with trees, a little distance from the road. Without hesitation he rides to the door. The gentleman of the house sees his approach and is ready upon the steps. ”

Abbot further describes how the best stores of the house are at the disposal of visitors. Furthermore, says Abbott: “Conversation flows cheeringly, for the southern gentleman has a particular tact in making a guest happy. After dinner you are urged to pass the afternoon and night, and if you are a gentleman in manners and information, your host will be in reality highly gratified by your so doing."

Such is the character of southern hospitality.

Several cities are viewed as being bastions of Southern hospitality. These include New Orleans; Lafayette; The Upstate of South Carolina known as the Golden Corner; Charleston; Columbia; Nashville; Charlotte; Wilmington; Lexington; Birmingham; Houston; Tulsa; Little Rock; Memphis; Richmond; Annapolis; Jackson, Mississippi; Stillwater, Oklahoma; Savannah, Georgia., Augusta, Georgia and Atlanta, Georgia.

The above list is not inclusive nor in alphabetical order but I would hope that we, the rest of the state of Kentucky not tied up in the WEG mess, will extend the real meaning of “Southern hospitality” and mitigate a lot of the damage that has been caused so far.

Things I've Heard This Week

Some days the information just flows from the street. Today was one of those days.

I watched as some of the people most involved with the streetscape redo walked around and did some spot checks. One of the longest discussed spots was the rain garden structure near the corner of S. Upper St. With a long level and several tape measures, they checked and rechecked the concrete retaining wall and the paving stones along side it. This is around a section where I have seen them pour, cure and then trim off some excess with a power saw and then tear out and re-pour work that was not correct.

Later I caught them again near Main & Broadway. In front of deSha's, there was a contractor installing one of the new wireless transmitters for the free wi-fi that is to be available downtown. In fact, he was placing it on top of a post that holds the traffic signal arms which cross both Main and Broadway. This mast, and all the rest along Main St are to be replaced in the near future. Nothing like job security when you are working with stimulus money.

On the way back in the other direction, I passed some contractors in front of the big blue tower(5/3rd Building) and they were talking about the rain garden at that end of the block. I heard the words " Its all wrong, That wall is all wrong". My question now is, will we accept wrong work or will we have it redone? Will it be redone before the WEG?"

Next, the section in front of the electrical box at the entrance of the parking garage was having bollards installed. In holes jack hammered through recently poured concrete AND the asphalt base for the final pavers. I wonder if these were an afterthought or an omission on somebody's part.

I have also been asking Tom Eblen about his column comparing the two mayoral candidate's presentations at the Hunt Morgan House. He has so far "been unavailable for comment" as the journalism phrase goes. Others seem to want the answers too.

I heard two of the most preposterous suggestions at Tuesday's talk by Jim Gray. One lady proposed that the volunteers from the Arboretum could maintain the CentrePointe block, as a "central park", with donated plants(all native species) and it would all be totally free. It would not cost the city a dime. I guess she has forgotten all about the little fact that the city does not OWN the property. Just buying it for the assessed value would take $6 million plus which the city does not have to spare. Another woman stated bluntly that the city did not need a department store or any major retail (other than a pharmacy and a grocery) and that all shops should be small boutiques selling things to the tourists. I wanted to tell her that when the oil runs low and gas runs high, the tourists won't run at all.

Speaking of the WEG, some of the ticket prices have come down and today the Lextran shuttle fares have come down. The ticket sales are still down and if this equine related forum is any indication quite a few of our usually relied upon visitors are considering staying home. Is the world really coming to call?

We will keep our ears open.

Preparing For Guests

We are nearly 70 days away from the FEI games and all the buzz is that the world in coming to Lexington. All aspects of the city are being cleaned up and beautified so that we don't look bad for our guests. Everywhere from South Limestone to Main and Vine Streets, even the new Cheapside pavilion.



I have noticed that the topiary frame of the rearing horse which is supposed to covered with plant life is barely half full. The Spotlight Festival logo painted on the sidewalk in the Court House Plaza is dull and flaking. These and other little touches seem to be waiting until just the last minute to be taken care of.






It may be hard to see, but in the photo on the right there is a sign on the side of the Hyatt which reads "We are ready for the games. are you?" This pedestrian bridge connects the Central Bank Tower to the recently refurbished Hilton Hotel. (They were doing some finishing landscaping today.)

I was also happy to see that the HorseMania horses have hit the street so that they can begin to acquire their coating of grit and grime before our guests arrive.

Speaking of our guests, it was reported today that the ticket prices have been reduced for some event sessions as a way to sup lagging sales. Less than 50% of anticipated sales have occurred so far and, if I heard correctly, less than 40 thousand of those were sold overseas. If our overseas visitors are coming all this way they will surely attend more than four or five sessions during the Games. My math, being as poor as it is, leaves us with under 10,000 guests.

I will leave you with one last spruce-up that needs to be done - but won't - and it was brought to my attention during the discussions on downtown design guidelines and the CVS.


If we can't get our local corporate citizens to make downtown look better, then how are we going to force a regional or national developer to give us better design?

Killing It Softly?

I read Steve Austin's post today and quickly fired off a comment, but that just got me thinking more about what I see as a problem downtown.

His statement "When we leave the dream world of the Cheapside market, our true urban reality bitch slaps us" made me realize that we in Lexington create good public open space, marvel in it(until the freshness wears off) and then move on to the next one. We do it all over town, but downtown especially.

Triangle Park was one of the first. A remnant piece across Vine St from the Lexington Center, it was bought by some wealthy friends as a gift to the city and landscaped with a fountain and many lush trees. Designed as a quiet space and a refuge from the bustle of the newly one-wayed Main and Vine Streets, it soon became a place to picnic in the grass and watch the children play in the fountain. They say that liability concerns put a halt to that.

Phoenix Park was hastily bought by the City as an area that needed to be cleaned up in time for the sports world to arrive in town for the NCAA finals. A failed business venture had left a gaping hole in the center of town-that sounds familiar-and the City quickly grassed over the rubble and voila, a park. After 1986, the Library and the State began plans to build on some of the property and the public demanded some public open space remain. Some redesign and a place to relocate some monuments and Lexington had another lunchtime refuge in the downtown.

Across Main St land was acquired for the proposed downtown Arts Center. Both visual and performing arts were to be housed in one place. Kind of like Singletary Center Central. They were grand plans but there was no big wealthy benefactor to complete the deal, so it sat. The State, having bought most of the land and paid for clearing it, then stepped in and designed, built and occupied our new Court House Plaza. Once again, here was a grand plan for open space and fountains, trees and refuge-maybe when the trees get bigger- and a lunchtime place of activity.

Each of these spaces has been allowed to function as a gathering place for memorials or protests, yet none have acted as a center of impromptu or spontaneous performance art. There have been few street food vendors without some coordinated activity also taking place.

Now we have the Cheapside Pavilion, more accurately named the 5/3 Pavilion, scene of a number of weekly activities. All planned and scheduled well in advance but stark and empty the rest of the time. Accompanying this space will be the beautifully done streetscape and rain gardens, will they be as stark and empty without some planned event? I can remember when we had sidewalk benches all along Main and Vine-and trees- until they were being used by the wrong type of citizens. Then they were removed.

There is a muted cry for the current grassy field, beautified for the world-wide company, to be another civic plaza. A place for gathering and enjoying the great outdoors. Some think that they should be allowed to use this space as another of their living rooms. I can't say as they truly use the ones that they have to their fullest extent now. Should this be commandeered and made public, it would remove more taxable property off the rolls(it is bad enough that a church wishes to remove several million dollars worth of commercial property just down the road) and create one more programmable public scape.

The upcoming Spotlight Festival, to held in conjunction with the WEG, is supposed to have a number of street performers at various locations(all approved and coordinated) and this is intended to give our visitors a "sense of Kentucky". As if it happens all the time. We can clearly see that it doesn't. We have been testing all the other venues, maybe we should test the downtown public spaces as we lead up to the games and festival. If the street performers go over well during the festival and the visitors do come back will they find these same performers-or others-anywhere in town?

Mr. Austin thinks that we need a paid coordinator for the 5/3 Pavilion. I think that we need for our creative types to just come up with something and "just do it". There are some events already with set times and they should be avoided, but if you get there first, go ahead and do your thing. Activity breeds activity.

Otherwise, we are killing our downtown softly.

Happy New Year?

Happy New Year

The oughts are over and we are entering the last year of the decade. Despite what the TV announcers have been saying, this is NOT the beginning of a new decade. A decade is a ten year period and the year 2000 was the last year of the 20th century.

Now, what are we going to do to cap off this wild and crazy first decade of the new century?

We started off riding hell bent into the future and riding a wave of economic boom times that some said was unsustainable, and we seem surprised that they weren't. We, as a city, continued to put off doing some of those inconvenient tasks and some of those promised enhancements, just because they got in the way of someones personal gain. Don't we hate it when the buzzards come home to roost.

I was asked last week, during a holiday party, my opinion on the upcoming election, how will it play out with Newberry and Gray. My comment was, that it will be so ugly between the two Jims, that we may just see Ms. Issac again, but that in any case Lexington will LOSE. My sister said that she thought that it looked bad for Newberry, given the strong support for CentrePointe and its troubles.

I reminded her, that as Mayor, when a private property owner proposed a $250 million project for a city, a project that was intended to bring jobs and investment, that I would expect that Mayor to be supportive of the development regardless of any personal preference toward the project. I would expect Mr. Gray to do the same, were he to be in the position of mayor someday. Any development just for the sake of development is not always a wise choice, but driving away development and hoping for something better, especially during a dearth of any economic progress downtown, is even less wise.

She asked about the loss of property tax revenue on the demolished block and the loss of jobs in the area. Again I pointed out that all the jobs had been relocated within a few blocks of the original location(well, maybe not the Buster's jobs but they are doing much better where they are now) and that the property taxes will now be paid on a value which is 5 times the assessment
of last year, and that will only go up.

We both agreed that Mr. Gray has not brought forth any economic development proposals of his own despite his being touted as a planning and development visionary and working with the Downtown Development group and the Infill/Redevelopment Committee. He does seem to jump on the bandwagons for various proposals, some for and some against, depending on the number of activists available as voters. I am very interested to see just what Mr. Gray does endorse in the coming campaign.

Mr. Newberry's "Horses, High Tech & Health Care" platform of four years ago has shown very little High Tech and absolutely no comments in the national debate on health care reform. Horses, in the form of the World Equestrian Games has consumed massive resources and discussion for what many consider a "ho-hum" event. Very similar to the NCAA Final Fours of the mid '80s ( men's and women's), something that we spent hours preparing for and then they were gone, and so very few of us have something to show for it.

The horse industry, which we proudly claim as our "signature" industry, is showing signs of fleeing to greener pastures. Is there more that we can do to salvage what so many of us enjoy yet so few of us can attribute any major benefit to our own well being? Will expanded gambling be a factor in salvation or another nail in the horse industry's coffin.

What I don't see coming out of this election is, any solutions for the real problems on the horizon. Subjects such as Peak Oil, the coming economic reset of priorities, the need for a relocalization of food production or the loss of a "signature" industry(something that other cities have and will continue to deal with). These are just as real as Global Warming and Climate Change. I don't see the local government working with others in a regional transportation network, or pressuring the state to advance some sort of statewide passenger rail system, because as I have said before, I don't see the electrical grid being able to withstand electric autos nor the general population being able to afford them. The mobility of people, goods and services may well be compromised if we do not plan for the coming situations.

The Council and Mayoral elections will not be the only things in transition in the coming year but they will be the major things. And I will be looking out for some of my other favorite subjects along the way.

Is The Downtown Spotlight On Dim?

I was wandering around the Spotlight Lexington website last night, when one of the headlines caught my eye. There is a second call for artwork to be utilized in a poster for the free festival that Lexington is preparing to coincide with the WEG(World Equestrian Games).

A second call. What happened to the first call?

I searched through the earlier posts and found the first call for art. This was issued probably in May as the deadline for submission was June 26th of this year. A simple set of rules and very little description of desired content. Horizontal in nature and may be done in any medium.

Then on the first of July there was a deadline extension until July 15th. Did they not get enough entries to have a contest? Were the entries depicting scenes undesired by the committee? Winners would now be notified by August 10th.

Now there is this second call for art. The rules are fleshed out a little and a few more restrictions are placed on content. Still, there is no better idea for concept than before. The most prominent restriction is the prohibition of any connection to the WEG. Just show some festive occurrence in downtown Lexington.

Things must be going fairly poorly for these guys. I just don't feel the groundswell of optimism about this and the sponsors seem to be few and far between.

I'll keep my eye on this as we get closer.

How Do You Let Folks Know About Downtown?

As I was leaving work this past Friday, I was confronted with a back-up of traffic on Limestone as it headed north toward Main St. Ahead of me I could see the flashing red and blue lights of a number of police cars and the Limestone traffic being detoured onto Main St, therefore I figured that there must be a problem at the Courthouse Plaza. Crossing Main, I saw the mobile command post and an event vendors tent being set-up along with not a few hay bales beside the road. I asked a couple of officers about the stree closure and was told "There is going to be a bike race".

A downtown, evening bike race. Lexington's own mini tour d' Lexington time trial. THis was something that I would have been all over about 30 years ago. But where was the promotion for it? Who was promoting it? What time was it going to start? And why could they not let the auto traffic get out of downtown before they closed the streets?

That last question was the toughie. The officers didn't know and one said that someone higher above him had set the closure time. Friday afternoon rush hour traffic is usually gone by 5:30 and the summer evening dinner traffic doesn't pick up for a while, so why the rush to close the streets?

Better yet, did any one of those afternoon traffic alert reports mention that the streets downtown would have lane closures? Did Officer Don say anything about it that morning OR afternoon? Lexington's Traffic Engineering Division does not grant these things on short notice so I doubt that this could not have been publicized. So, where was the Herald Leader and their cycling writer Tom Eblen? Was he out staking out Dudley's house?

I looked for a published report of the results of the race and for two days have come up lacking. I fear that this will be the way things are handled for the Spotlight Lexington events and the Re-medaling ceremonies of the WEG downtown. This, following so closely on the heels of the South Limestone streetscape debacle leaves a bit to be desired from the Office of Government Communications in the realm of transparency to the public.

I would have liked to stay downtown and watch the race(if only I had known about it) and hope that there will be others in the future. I also hope that it is handled differently at that time.

Another Trade Show and First Impressions

There is still over a year to go until the World Equestrian Games will be held in Lexington. Massive plans are being laid for an extravaganza at the Horse Park and the City is hatching a scheme to lure all the visitors downtown for a festival and ... uh... uh... some other ways to get them to part with their money.

It used to be that when events happened downtown and crowds would gather, that the local merchants and even street vendors could expect a rise in foot traffic and sales. It was every man for himself and all stood to gain. Unfortunately that also applied to the thieves and pickpockets that worked the crowds. This event, or festival, will be different in that the City will control just about all aspects of the downtown streets for those sixteen days. All the street vendors, musicians and artisans will be regulated by the City and woe to all the out-of-towners who decide at the last minute to arrive to test the waters.

There will be an equestrian trade show at the Horse Park for all the owners, participants and fans to buy the latest horse related goodies and the newest products. Hopefully there will also be some Lexington themed souvenirs by which they can remember their trip. At $12,000 per sales booth, these will be some high end sales places.

Now there will also be another trade show, downtown in the Lexington Center, either aimed at the visitors (when they get downtown) or those who cannot get to the Horse Park. This show appears to be for the lesser participants and/or the locals.

All this has caused me to wonder how all these plans and proposals will benefit me directly, in other words, how will my income increase during these sixteen days? Will there be money flowing liberally and how can I intercept some of it? I am starting to feel that I shan't see a significant difference at all and if the past few Fourth of July parades and festivities are any indication the downtown will be overrun with all kind of folk looking for something cheap.

My worst fear is that the Europeans will arrive hoping for some semblance of civility and decent transportation services and we will be found lacking, in one if not both. Getting people from the venue to downtown for re-medaling ceremonies will be a monumental chore. There is a railroad track, shown on all the maps, that runs in a straight line, from downtown to within a few kilometers of the Horse Park entrance. How do you tell a European that there is no passenger service on that line? Not from downtown, a short distance, nor from Cincinnati and Louisville, both medium distances. Parking will be at a premium, both at the Horse Park and downtown, for personal autos and rentals.

Many people fear that we will get a black eye due to a vacant city block, yet it would have been far worse if it was a decrepit, mostly vacant block, that looked nothing like what their historic buildings are. There is currently a surge of remodeling and new businesses in the downtown area which is unusual for an economic downturn and I hope that both they and our visitors can last through the Games.

I have been involved in many of the past "landmark" events of the '80s and '90s and I would like to sit this one out for the most part and just pick up a few memories from the sidelines. I hpoe that I don't have to say that "I told you so".