State office building on High Street to be razed. Apartments coming soon.

A former state office building will be razed and a four-story apartment complex will be built at the corner of High and Upper streets despite objections from Lexington historic preservationists who wanted the 1956 two-story building saved.

The Urban County Planning Commission voted unanimously Thursday after a three-hour discussion to allow demolition of the building at 120 W. High Street. The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation had objected, appealing an earlier decision by the city’s Board of Architectural Review to allow the demolition and construction of the apartment building.

It’s not clear when demolition of the building will occur. The Webb Companies, which is developing the site into the Residences at South Hill, plan to build 36 units — a blend of studio, one and two-bedroom apartments. Plans call for a rooftop garden and deck, according to a news release.

“Our development team has worked closely with both the South Hill Neighborhood Association and the city to ensure that this development will not only respect, but actually enhance the adjoining neighborhood,” said Dudley Webb, chairman of The Webb Co.

The office building, which has been various state offices, is in the Historic South Hill Neighborhood, which is in a historic district. That means its demolition had to be approved by the Board of Architectural Review.

That board voted 3-1 to approve the demolition but limited the height of the new apartment building to four stories. The Webb Co. had proposed five stories.

Jessica Winters, a lawyer for the Blue Grass Trust, said during Thursday’s planning commission meeting the city’s historic preservation staff had argued in the August Board of Architectural Review meeting the building could be remodeled and saved. It is one of few mid-century modern office buildings in downtown Lexington. The historic preservation staff argued the building contributed to the historic importance of the neighborhood.

The State Historic Preservation Office has also said the building contributes to the significance of the historic district, Winters said.

“Different does not mean non-contributing,” Winters said.

Winters said there is no guarantee that if the commission agrees to the demolition that the apartments will be built.

“There is no requirement that they build the building,” Winters said.

Long delays have happened before, most famously with the CentrePointe development, now called City Centre. The Webb Co. tore down an entire block of buildings in the center of downtown but construction did not start on the development for nine more years.

Several residents of other historic neighborhoods also told the commission they opposed the demolition of the building.

“It completely undermines the H1 protection efforts,” said Janie Fergus of the Ashland Park Neighborhood Association. H-1 is the designation for a historic neighborhood district.

But lawyers for The Webb Co., said the building does not fit the character of the Historic South Hill neighborhood — which has homes and buildings that were largely built in the 1800s.

Moreover, the 1956 building was renovated several times and has lost many of the significant details that were once part of the original building, said Nick Nicholson, a lawyer for the Webbs.

There are several mid-century modern buildings throughout Lexington, he said.

“This is not a disappearing breed of buildings,” he said.

Bill Lear, another lawyer for The Webb Co., said the 2018 Comprehensive Plan also encourages this type of infill and redevelopment in downtown.

“It will bring new life to a dead corner,” Lear said. “This building will add residents and it will add people in a way the other building never did.”

“The opposition comes from third parties, from people who don’t live there and don’t walk past it every day,” Lear said.

The Webb Companies and the Historic South Hill Neighborhood reached a settlement after the August Board of Architectural Review meeting. In August, the neighborhood was split on demolition of the building but wanted to limit the new apartment building to four stories.

Jennifer Coffman, president of the Historic South Hill Neighborhood Association, said the neighborhood decided to allow the demolition because the building did not add to the overall character of the neighborhood. The state did not have to follow zoning rules when it was built.

The neighborhood decided to “permit demolition due to the unique characteristics of the existing property which set it apart from any other property in South Hill, thus keeping this demolition decision from setting a precedent as to demolition of any other property in the district,” Coffman wrote in an email.

“What has developed is a compromise,” Coffman said during Thursday’s meeting. “Is it perfect? I don’t think so and they probably don’t think so.”

The Webb Co. also made other changes to the proposed building’s design as part of its agreement with the neighborhood association. The original design had retail on the first floor. The new design eliminates the first floor retail and moves the fourth-floor roof deck to the corner of South Upper and West High streets, furthest away from the South Hill neighborhood. The company also added more landscaping to the front and back of the building.