Lexington committee moves downtown master plan toward consultant selection, emphasizes anti‑displacement and public engagement

The General Government and Planning Committee heard an update March 4 on the downtown area master plan process, including that funding is in place and a request for proposals (RFP) is underway to hire a consultant to lead research, outreach and drafting of the plan.

Staff said the project will implement the city’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan placemaking policy and will produce a downtown master plan that, if completed as proposed, would be considered as an amendment to the comprehensive plan.

Senior Long Range Planner Boyd Sayway told the committee the downtown master plan is “a direct response to the 2045 comprehensive plan, specifically placemaking policy number 13, which calls for an update to the downtown master plan.” He said the selected consultant will perform research, lead stakeholder outreach and refine a preliminary infill and redevelopment study area the city provided as a starting point.

Why it matters: Committee members repeatedly emphasized concern about displacement and the need for inclusive public engagement. Council member Lynch asked that anti‑displacement be explicitly included in the consultant scope; staff confirmed that anti‑displacement analysis was written into the RFP. Council member Savigny and others pressed for clarity on how the downtown boundary will be set and what role council members will play in outreach.

Key points from the presentation and committee discussion

- Funding and schedule: Staff said funding for the project is secured and the RFP process is active. The consultant contract is expected to run about 18 months from selection, during which the consultant will conduct data analysis, stakeholder engagement, draft recommendations and finalize the plan for adoption consideration by the Planning Commission.

- Scope and policy alignment: Sayway said the master plan will be an amendment to the comprehensive plan if adopted and will guide future land‑use decisions for downtown. The presentation cited the last formally adopted downtown plan as coming from the 1960s and noted that a 2007 downtown study was not formally adopted; staff said the new plan should carry the formal weight of the comprehensive plan.

- Boundaries and process: The RFP asks the consultant to propose a downtown study area using data, planning best practices and community input. Sayway and Hal Bailey, Manager of Long Range Planning, told members the city currently has no formal downtown boundary and the consultant will recommend one based on the research and outreach.

- Anti‑displacement requirement: Multiple members asked that the work explicitly address displacement risks. Sayway confirmed that anti‑displacement measures are included as a required element of consultant submissions and will be part of the studies (housing, business, entertainment) the consultant is expected to deliver.

- Engagement strategy and partners: Staff said outreach will include residents, downtown businesses, and major local institutions (the University of Kentucky, Transylvania University and Bluegrass Community and Technical College were cited) and that the first public engagement event will be timed to an upcoming city celebration to broaden participation.

What the committee directed or decided

No final plan or legislative action was taken at the March 4 meeting. The committee received the presentation and asked for continued engagement with council members on outreach in their districts; staff said they will rely on council members to help publicize meetings in the six council districts that overlap the preliminary infill and redevelopment area. Staff also committed to bringing the RFP, consultant selection timeline and further details on community engagement back to the committee as the process advances.

Details and numbers mentioned in the meeting

- Project contract length discussed: roughly 18 months once a consultant is selected. - The preliminary infill and redevelopment study area was developed using historical map resources and will be refined by the consultant; the map is a starting point, not a final boundary.

Context and next steps

Staff said they will refine the study area with the consultant and produce an engagement plan. Council members asked staff to report back with more detail on outreach methods, anti‑displacement strategies and timing for consultant selection. The committee did not take a formal vote on the master plan itself at this meeting.

Ending: Staff invited council members to participate in outreach and reiterated that the selected consultant will work with planning staff and community stakeholders to draft a plan for eventual consideration by the Planning Commission.