Residents say Lexington Community Center access is restricted; council hears plea to restore community use

Several residents told Lexington City Council that access to the Lexington Community Center—the former school preserved by the local African American community—is restricted and that community groups are routinely denied use. The comments came during the public hearing portion of the agenda after the council opened the floor for comments on the Head Start item; the speakers asked the council to consider the building’s use more broadly.

“I don't find that we can call living down a school, Lexington Community Center, because the community cannot use it,” Miss Johnson said, adding that local alumni and community members have been denied permission for social events. She said the alumni group’s allotted space is “like a closet” and asked the council to “please think about the usage of that building” and consider relocating the school board offices so the building could function as a community center.

Another speaker, Mary Ellen Cook, raised separate operational requests, asking the council to resume at least monthly updates about the city’s water and wastewater plants and to consider freeing up reserved parking in the Royce Smith/Randolph Street area after the Department of Social Services relocates. Council members thanked both speakers and noted the concerns for follow-up; the council did not take immediate action on the community‑center requests during the meeting.