Know Your Kentucky

Plans for a 50-story office tower transformed into Phoenix Park

By Liz Carey
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250 Lex logo

Editor’s Note: As Lexington celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, the Herald-Leader and kentucky.com each day throughout 2025 will share interesting facts about our hometown. Compiled by Liz Carey, all are notable moments in the city’s history - some funny, some sad, others heartbreaking or celebratory, and some just downright strange.

Feb. 7, 1982: The Phoenix Hotel is demolished.

In 1981, Lexington developer Wallace Wilkinson had a plan. He was going to build the tallest building in Lexington and dedicate it to coal. The World Coal Center, as Wilkinson envisioned it, would soar 50 stories into the air, with offices on most of the floors and retail space at ground level.

Estimates put the cost between $100.5 million and $123 million. Wilkinson proposed using some federal funding for tax-exempt industrial revenue bonds. To get around the bonds’ $10 million limit, he proposed that each story would be its own separate project, under separate corporate entities of which he would retain 50 percent shares.

To build the tower, Wilkinson purchased the Phoenix Hotel, and in 1982, he demolished it. By 1984, Wilkinson’s tower had shrunk to a mere 25-floor high-rise.

The project never got off the ground, and the site stayed a rubble-filled hole in downtown Lexington, affectionately called “Phoenix Park” since it was joked it would “rise from the rubble” that had covered the site.

With the NCAA basketball tournament headed to Rupp Arena in 1985, Wilkinson proposed turning the site into a temporary park with benches, tables, a meandering path made from rocks and crushed brick from the old hotel, three entrance plazas and fountains.

It would be a placeholder, he said, until a suitable structure could be erected in its place.

Today, the space previously occupied by the Phoenix Hotel is home to the main branch of the Lexington Public Library, Park Plaza Apartments and… Phoenix Park.

Lexington Fallen Firefighter’s Monument at Phoenix Park. February 13, 2024.
Lexington Fallen Firefighter’s Monument at Phoenix Park. February 13, 2024. Marcus Dorsey mdorsey@herald-leader.com
Phoenix Park fountains on Oct. 1, 2018, in Lexington, Ky.
Phoenix Park fountains on Oct. 1, 2018, in Lexington, Ky. Charles Bertram Herald-Leader

Construction on the $4.6 million latest iteration of Phoenix Park started in May 2024 and is expected to be done in 2025. Built using a mix of public and private funds, the one-acre park will feature a synthetic turf dog lot, a playground, a stage, swing benches, shade structures, enhanced landscaping and more.

“As one of our downtown, urban parks, Phoenix Park is a critical part of our parks system,” Monica Conrad, Director of Lexington Parks & Recreation, said in May 2024.

“Once the reimagined park is complete, it will feature new play equipment, an interactive fog area, adult bench swings, perforated metal shade structures, a performance stage area, an improved dog park, and locations for future public art. We can’t wait to roll out this reinvented space for all to enjoy.”

Have a question or story idea related to Lexington’s 250-year history? Let us know at 250LexingtonKy@gmail.com

Downtown view of Lexington, looking west down East Main Street, cira 1944. On the left is the landmark Phoenix Hotel, which was demolished in 1981 and 1982 by Wallace Wilkinson, who planned to use the site to build the World Coal Center skyscraper. It was never built, and the site eventually became the Park Plaza Apartments and Phoenix Park. Up the right side is the Ben Ali Theater, which opened in 1913 at 121 East Main Street, across the street from the Phoenix Hotel. At four stories tall. It had a main auditorium, a balcony and a gallery, and 12 private boxes on each side, for a total seating capacity of 1,507. The floors had peacock-blue carpets with gold trim, and the walls were finished in ornamental plaster, with mosaic title floors and marble wainscoting. Built to house the top traveling play companies and grand opera, it was a vaudeville house in that medium’s heyday and again in the revival of the late 1940s and early 1950s. In its later days it showed movies, closing Sept. 9, 1964. Its last films were the James Bond movie “From Russia with Love” and “The Pink Panther.” It was torn town in 1965. Today it is the site of the Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza. Next to the theater is the Ben Snyder department store. The store was founded in 1913 and had locations in Louisville, Paducah, Elizabethtown, Bowling Green and southern Indiana. This location operated from 1935 until 1980, leaving Wolf Wile’s as the only downtown Lexington department store.
Downtown view of Lexington, looking west down East Main Street, cira 1944. On the left is the landmark Phoenix Hotel, which was demolished in 1981 and 1982 by Wallace Wilkinson, who planned to use the site to build the World Coal Center skyscraper. It was never built, and the site eventually became the Park Plaza Apartments and Phoenix Park. Up the right side is the Ben Ali Theater, which opened in 1913 at 121 East Main Street, across the street from the Phoenix Hotel. At four stories tall. It had a main auditorium, a balcony and a gallery, and 12 private boxes on each side, for a total seating capacity of 1,507. The floors had peacock-blue carpets with gold trim, and the walls were finished in ornamental plaster, with mosaic title floors and marble wainscoting. Built to house the top traveling play companies and grand opera, it was a vaudeville house in that medium’s heyday and again in the revival of the late 1940s and early 1950s. In its later days it showed movies, closing Sept. 9, 1964. Its last films were the James Bond movie “From Russia with Love” and “The Pink Panther.” It was torn town in 1965. Today it is the site of the Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza. Next to the theater is the Ben Snyder department store. The store was founded in 1913 and had locations in Louisville, Paducah, Elizabethtown, Bowling Green and southern Indiana. This location operated from 1935 until 1980, leaving Wolf Wile’s as the only downtown Lexington department store. Herald-Leader


A line of heavy thundershowers passed over downtown Lexington the morning of Dec. 5, 1977. The storm dropped 1.52 inches of rain on the city. The Purcell Building was struck by lighting leaving debris on Main Street. The picture was taken looking west down Main Street from atop the First Security Building, today called Chase Tower. Directly in the middle of the image is the Phoenix Hotel. It was demolished in 1981 and 1982 by Wallace Wilkinson, who planned to use the site to build the World Coal Center skyscraper. It was never built, and the site eventually became the Park Plaza Apartments and Phoenix Park. Next to it towards the bottom of the image is what is now the Lexington Public Library, the Police Department, the Fayette County Clerks office and the Helix Garage. In the background, just above the Phoenix Hotel you can see construction taking place for the 22-floor high-rise Kincaid Towers.
A line of heavy thundershowers passed over downtown Lexington the morning of Dec. 5, 1977. The storm dropped 1.52 inches of rain on the city. The Purcell Building was struck by lighting leaving debris on Main Street. The picture was taken looking west down Main Street from atop the First Security Building, today called Chase Tower. Directly in the middle of the image is the Phoenix Hotel. It was demolished in 1981 and 1982 by Wallace Wilkinson, who planned to use the site to build the World Coal Center skyscraper. It was never built, and the site eventually became the Park Plaza Apartments and Phoenix Park. Next to it towards the bottom of the image is what is now the Lexington Public Library, the Police Department, the Fayette County Clerks office and the Helix Garage. In the background, just above the Phoenix Hotel you can see construction taking place for the 22-floor high-rise Kincaid Towers. Frank Anderson Herald-Leader
The wrecking ball continued to bring down the Phoenix Hotel in February 1982 in Lexington, Ky. The Phoenix was demolished in 1981 and 1982 by Wallace Wilkinson, who planned to use the site to construct the World Coal Center skyscraper. It was never built and the site eventually became the Park Plaza Apartments and Phoenix Park.
The wrecking ball continued to bring down the Phoenix Hotel in February 1982 in Lexington, Ky. The Phoenix was demolished in 1981 and 1982 by Wallace Wilkinson, who planned to use the site to construct the World Coal Center skyscraper. It was never built and the site eventually became the Park Plaza Apartments and Phoenix Park. Charles Bertram Herald-Leader
What is now Phoenix Park at the corner of Main Street and Limestone, was originally called Central Park, seen here in October 1984. It was built on the former site of the Phoenix Hotel, which was demolished in 1981. The Lexington Public Library would later be built just to the right of the park, opening it’s doors in April 1989. The Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza and Fayette Circuit and District court houses now occupy the block just north of Main Street.
What is now Phoenix Park at the corner of Main Street and Limestone, was originally called Central Park, seen here in October 1984. It was built on the former site of the Phoenix Hotel, which was demolished in 1981. The Lexington Public Library would later be built just to the right of the park, opening it’s doors in April 1989. The Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza and Fayette Circuit and District court houses now occupy the block just north of Main Street. Tom Woods II Herald-Leader

This story was originally published February 13, 2025 at 11:31 AM.

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