Changing the face of a block, one building at a time

During the summer of 2008, 15 buildings on a block in downtown Lexington were torn down – one by one – to make way for a hotel and retail development called CentrePointe. View large version here.

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Time lapse: Buster’s Bar knocked down

Making way for the CentrePointe project, crews continued clearing the block, including Buster’s Bar at the corner of South Upper and W. Main Street on Thursday, August 21, 2008.

TIME LAPSE: THE DAME

TIME LAPSE: RITE AID

TIME LAPSE: BROWN’S BOOTERIE, LEVAS’ BUILDING, MAD HATTER

Time lapse: Brown’s Booterie, Levas’ and Mad Hatter come down

The crew from Diversified Demolition salvaged the pair of one-ton limestone mortar and pestle pieces from the facade of the Levas’ building at 140-146 W. Main Street as demolition continued making way for the CentrePointe development in Lexington on Wednesday night, August 6, 2008. At the same time, they were also bringing down the Brown’s Booterie, at left, which dates to the late 1880s. The next day, demolition continued as the Levas’ building and the Mad Hatter building were brought down. The two limestone mortar and pestles, which were installed on the building when it became a Walgreen’s in 1964, measured approximately six feet wide. John Conley, with Diversified Demolition, said the pieces would be catalogued and warehoused until a decision could be made for their future use. Read more

Time lapse: Down with the old – Rite Aid building

On Wednesday, a crew from Diversified Demolition began tearing down the Rite Aid building at the corner of Limestone and Main Streets to make way for the CentrePointe development. In under four hours, the crew had the building reduced to a pile of debris and rubble. READ THE STORY

VIEW TIME LAPSE OF THE DAME DEMOLITION

VIEW TIME LAPSE OF BROWN BOOTERIE, LEVAS’ BUILDING AND MAD HATTER DEMO

Video: CentrePointe, an Alternate Design

The UK College of Design came up with three alternate plans for the proposed retail, hotel, and condo complex in downtown Lexington called CentrePointe. This is an animation of one of the student team’s designs.