FCPS sells technical school building to labor union for $5.5 million

Fayette County Public Schools has entered into a contract to sell the former Southside Technical Center at 1800 Harrodsburg Road for $5.5 million.

The property is being bought by a local labor union: Local 452 - Plumbers & Pipefitters. The announcement was made Thursday night by Tranzon Asset Advisors and Schrader Commercial Properties.

Southside closed in 2025 when FCPS centralized all technical education facilities to The Hub for Innovative Learning and Leadership at 100 Midland Avenue, which opened in August 2025.

The union will use the building as FCPS did for over 45 years to train trade craftsmen. Southside Technical Center was originally built in 1976. The accepted contract price was $5.5 million, which exceeded the appraised value provided by an independent appraisal firm in 2025 to FCPS, a news release from FCPS said.

Final approval of the agreement by the Kentucky Department of Education will be immediately sought.

The union, in cooperation with FCPS, will pursue a zone change in order to use the existing facility for a near identical use as the Technical School. A zoning change is necessary, but it’s not a contingency of the contract. Because FCPS is exempt from local zoning regulations and also property taxes, it was not required to conform to local zoning laws, the news release said.

“The sale of this well-known location is a ‘win-win’ for the taxpayers, City of Lexington, the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union and the school board,” FCPS said.