Preservationists halt efforts as demolition nears Dame

By Jim Warren and Greg Kocher - jwarren@herald-leader.com

With demolition crews beginning work on more of the historic downtown block soon to be CentrePointe, the preservation group that sued to stop its destruction says there’s now nothing that can be done.

“At this point, it’s a done deal,” said Hayward Wilkirson, leader of Preserve Lexington, on Saturday.

Last week, the group’s legal efforts stalled when a circuit judge declined to issue a temporary injunction halting the destruction of some of the buildings on the block.

A day later, a demolition crew destroyed the building once occupied by Rite Aid and has now begun stripping away portions of the exterior of the buildings that once held The Dame nightclub and Buster’s bar.

Preserve Lexington’s last option would have been a tentative Sept. 18 hearing before the city’s Planning Commission.

The destruction of the buildings on the block had been approved by the city’s Design Review Board, but a city ordinance allows the appeal to the Planning Commission.

But The Webb Companies, which is developing the $250 million project, can proceed with the demolition before the hearing, rendering any reversal by the Planning Commission moot.

“Our judgment was that there was essentially no more reason for us keep fighting it legally because we knew the odds of prevailing were extraordinarily narrow,” Wilkirson said Saturday.

At this point, the intact buildings on the block number only a few, including the building that was Joe Rosenberg’s jewelry store and pawn shop.

That building, called Morton’s Row, dates to 1826 and is considered the most historic on the block.

Woodford Webb, president of The Webb Companies, said the building will be demolished as the clearing of the site continues.

Executives at Diversified Demolition, which is handling the razing, could not be reached on Saturday about the timetable for their work.

At one point, though, Morton’s Row, might have been saved.

Among materials The Webb Companies filed with Fayette Circuit Court recently was an artist’s rendering of CentrePointe showing the façade of the building being retained in the finished development.

Webb said the developers have since pulled that proposal off the table because Vice Mayor Jim Gray “wasn’t satisfied with it.”

Reached later Saturday, Gray, who has opposed CentrePointe’s design and favored preservation of some of the historic structures, said, “That is completely untrue.”

“Apparently the need to ram this project through has created tremendous stress on the developers,” Gray said.

Webb said Diversified Demolition is trying to salvage some beams, bricks and other items worthy of preservation as they continue their work.

Among the items that appeared to be taken from what was The Dame and Buster’s were keystones with art-deco female figures, said Eric Thomason, a leader with Preserve Lexington.

Thomason also noted stained-glass transoms, which are openings above doors or windows, had been removed from The Dame.

Only a portion of the red wooden façade of the popular music venue remains on its exterior. Upper-story blue window frames there were tilting into the building’s interior.

As to whether such items might be available for sale to the public as mementos, Webb said that probably would be up to Diversified Demolition.