After five years, Lexington and historic Black church ink final deal over parking
After more than five years of sometimes contentious negotiations, the city of Lexington and a historic Black church in downtown have reached a final agreement on parking for the church.
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council unanimously approved a final agreement Thursday between the church and the city as part of a multi-step negotiation that began in 2018. That agreement includes $1.5 million to construct 85 parking spaces.
“We’ve worked hard to come up with a plan that is fair to the church and the city,” said Mayor Linda Gorton. “This agreement is not perfect, but it is a solid step in the right direction.”
In December, the council approved $1 million in federal coronavirus relief money to help the historic Black church reconfigure and develop more parking on what was once the Jefferson Street bridge and its properties on Main Street.
The city set aside an additional $500,000 from the general fund for the new parking, for a total of $1.5 million.
The church has been working with CRW engineers on a plan to reconfigure parking on its property so it can get more spaces on the former entrance to the bridge and its properties, which are on both sides of Jefferson Street.
Elder Rorger Cornelius of Main Street Baptist said it’s been closer to six years since the church began discussions with city and other officials about the church’s lost parking. Church officials have said for years that development in that area means fewer and fewer parking spaces for its congregation, many of whom are elderly. Without sufficient parking, the church would have to move, they have said.
“It’s going to be a lot of work,” Cornelius said of adding the additional parking. Cornelius said they are glad the a final agreement is in place after years of back and forth with the city. Roughly 40 of the 85 spots will be on the former bridge. The remaining 45 parking spaces will be on other parts of the church property.
The Jefferson Street bridge was torn down in 2018 to make room for the expansion of Central Bank Center. The bridge also needed to come down for the planned 10-acre Town Branch Park.
The city spent $90,000 in 2018 to construct temporary parking for the church on the former entrance to the bridge.
What the deal says
As part of the final deal approved Thursday, the city will help make those temporary parking spaces permanent. The right-of-way for the former Jefferson Street bridge will eventually be conveyed to the church.
However, the church must let the public use the 85 parking spaces Monday through Friday when not being used by the church, for a period of 10 years, the agreement says.
The church is obligated to maintain the parking.
If the church were to sell the property before Dec. 31, 2026, it would owe the city $1.5 million, according to the agreement. Moreover, the church can’t sell the property without the permission of the city for a period of 10 years.
The church has pushed the city to transfer ownership of the bridge entrance right-of-way for years.
However, the agreement allows the church to sell parking for downtown events.
The church continues to negotiate with Central Bank Center for overflow parking in public garages.
How it started
The church and Lexington Center Corporation, which oversees Central Bank Center, had a verbal agreement going back decades that allowed the church to use surface parking for its congregation. That surface lot will not be available during construction of Town Branch Park.
In the 1980s, the church wanted to buy property behind the church but ultimately backed off after the city purchased the property for a previous expansion of Rupp Arena, part of the Central Bank Center complex. As part of the church not pursuing the property, then-Mayor Scotty Baesler agreed to let the church use the parking lot.
The agreement was never in writing.
When plans for Central Bank Center and Town Branch Park were announced, Main Street Baptist officials alleged they were never consulted and said without parking, the historic Black church may have to leave its Main Street location, where it has been for more than 150 years.
The Town Branch Park original plans called for using the former entrance to the bridge as one of its main entrances off of Main Street.
Due to the parking snafu with the church, the park’s new main entrance will be off High Street.
Park officials announced recently it had reached its fundraising goal of $39 million for the long-planned downtown park that will include a children’s play area, water features, a dog park and a performance space. The park is expected to announce a groundbreaking date later this summer.
This story was originally published June 30, 2023 at 11:13 AM.
