Lexington fireworks will return to downtown for July 4th — with a high-flying twist.

Lexington’s annual fireworks display will return to downtown on July 4th after a two-year hiatus, Lexington leaders announced Monday.

The fireworks will be launched from the top of Lexington’s tallest building — the Fifth Third Bank sometimes referred to as Big Blue. Organizers say launching the fireworks from atop the more-than-400-foot building will mean more people will be able to see the display.

“Lexington’s Big Blue Building will become the ‘Big Red, Big White and Big Blue building,” said Lexington Mayor Jim Gray at a Monday press conference. “This year we’re returning to the tradition Lexington loves and building on it. Thanks to The Webb Companies for working with the Downtown Lexington Partnership to get this done.”

The Webb Companies own the Fifth Third building. The Downtown Lexington Partnership oversees and plans the Fourth of July festival, along with other downtown events.

Two years ago, the fireworks display was moved to The Arboretum on Alumni Drive after a dispute with the landowner of the property where the fireworks were launched ended with the city looking for a new launch site.

The fireworks had been launched for more than a decade on land controlled by RJ Corman off of Main Street.

Finding a site in downtown is not easy. To launch fireworks, there needs to be 600 feet of clearance on either side of the launch site. In a crowded downtown, there are few properties that have no buildings or structures on it that meet those requirements. Moreover, they also need a site that can accommodate a lot of traffic both at the site and near it.

Janet Beard, Fifth Third Community and Economic Development Manager, said one of the benefits of launching fireworks from the top of the bank building is that more people will be able to see the show from surrounding neighborhoods. Fifth Third is also the sponsor of the Fourth of July festival that includes the popular Bluegrass 10,000, a parade, street festival and concert. Agreeing to move the fireworks to the top of the bank building was a natural fit, she said Monday.

Gray said the city’s fireworks contractor, Zambelli, has launched fireworks from rooftops in other cities such as Louisville and Indianapolis and has assured the city that it can be done safely without causing damage to nearby buildings.

LM Communications, a locally owned radio group, will also choreograph music to the fireworks this year, said Lynn Martin, president and CEO Of LM Communications. People will be able to download an app on their phones that they can play at the time the fireworks are launched.

The return of the fireworks to downtown is good news for downtown restaurants and retailers, which saw a drop in the number of diners and shoppers after the fireworks display was moved to the suburbs in 2016. The downtown Fourth of July festival is one of the biggest festivals for downtown.

“I am elated that they are bringing it back,” said Keith Clark, the owner of Grey Goose, Blue Heron and Ruddy Duck Grille at Cheapside. “It literally bring thousands of people to downtown.”

This story was originally published April 2, 2018 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Lexington fireworks will return to downtown for July 4th — with a high-flying twist.."