Here are the projects the mayor, public want with $113 million in Lexington COVID cash
Put all the money into affordable housing.
Build a new soccer complex at Cardinal Run North.
Give the money to health care workers, police and fire.
That’s just some of the more than 900 ideas submitted by the public for spending $113 million — Lexington’s share of American Rescue Plan Act money over the next two years. The city has already allocated more than $7 million from the $120 million for various needs.
Through a month-long online survey and various town halls over the past month, Lexington city leaders have gathered input from hundreds of Lexington residents on how the federal coronavirus stimulus money should be spent. Many of the more than 996 submissions from the public were duplicates — multiple people submitting the same project. The survey closed Aug. 27. Some project ideas that were submitted on paper were still being added to the database as of Friday.
Vice Mayor Steve Kay said the council will begin the daunting task of sorting through the various project ideas at a meeting on Sept. 16 at 4 p.m. at the government center.
“We will be looking at ways to rank all of these ideas,” Kay said.
The council previously set up guideposts on how the money should be spent.
- Top priority goes to projects that should directly impact vulnerable populations and those that help people most severely affected by the pandemic.
- Next, projects that are budget-related, produce savings or increase revenue and have no ongoing costs.
- Finally, listed as additional principles are projects that lead to economic opportunity, projects that impact physical infrastructure and projects that have an impact on social infrastructure.
In addition to the public, council members and Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton have also submitted project ideas.
Gorton said her proposal to spend COVID relief funds came after hosting four public meetings and getting input from the public.
The funding gives the city a leg up on addressing some long-standing needs, she said.
“We can address current pressing needs and invest in a bright future,” Gorton said. Gorton’s plan includes spending money on affordable housing, increasing pay for essential workers, investing in parks and in economic development.
Some of Gorton’s priority projects include:
- $5 million for a rental assistance reserve.
- $3 million in COVID 19/public health assistance.
- $350,000 to support the work of the Safety Net violence prevention program (over 3 years).
- $6 million in capital infrastructure funds for community partners who provide critical services, such as violence prevention and intervention, mental and physical trauma support, addiction recovery, and homelessness.
- $240,000 to expand mentoring programs ($80,000 per year).
- $17.5 million for infrastructure at Coldstream Research Campus economic development park.
- $1 million to support the tourism industry, hard hit by the pandemic.
- $10 million to fund proposals in a parks and recreation master plan, including new trails, new playgrounds, new sports courts, and community center and pool improvements.
- $10 million for funds to develop Cardinal Run North featuring a sports complex.
- $10 million for affordable housing.
- $1.5 million to fund Homelessness Prevention and Intervention for the next two fiscal years.
- $10 million to reward employees who have worked on the front lines throughout the pandemic and to retain employees who provide essential services in a highly competitive job market.
Affordable housing, soccer fields and parks projects top list
Many of the projects submitted by the public fell in the categories of affordable housing, parks and recreation and trails.
Some of the projects submitted include:
- $10 million in the city’s affordable housing fund.
- $300,000 for Independent Living homes for the disabled at the Bob Brown House on Rogers Road.
- $12 million for a new affordable housing complex with 59 apartments on Versailles Road by the Lexington Housing Authority.
- $20 million for dedicated bike lanes on all city streets inside the urban service boundary.
- $40 million for a new youth sports complex.
- Unknown amount to convert Cardinal Run North into a soccer park.
- Unknown amount to build a championship-level Frisbee golf course at Coldstream.
- Unknown amount to build a public running track.
- $30 million for a youth recreation center on the city’s north side.
- $2 million to build a pedestrian bridge over Newtown Pike at the Citation Boulevard intersection for Legacy Trail users.
- $400,000 to connect Oakwood to the Legacy Trail.
Some of the costs submitted by the public were estimates only.
Many submitters said the city should give some or part of the money to essential staff members who have worked during the pandemic.
“Give a significant bonus to all health care workers in Fayette County. They are exhausted, understaffed, and stressed. A show of appreciation is deserved,” wrote one submitter.
Kay said many of the proposed projects won’t qualify for federal coronavirus funding, which comes with restrictions. But the submissions also provide Lexington leaders with potential projects to fund if and when funding becomes available. The city is projecting a more than $20 million surplus for the fiscal year that ended June 30. The council begins deliberations on how to spend that money typically in November.
The $113 million has to be allocated by 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.
Kay said the council hopes to have projects picked by late fall.
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 4:03 PM.
