City council hears details about Civic Center renovations
Representatives from architectural firm Ramsay-Burgin-Smith Architects (RBSA) were present at the Lexington City Council meeting on Monday, July 12 to present updates and a sneak preview of the cosmetic upgrades at the Edward C. Smith Civic Center. Last year, a building adjacent to ‘The Smith’ was donated to the city by the Turlington family.
Donna Smith and Danny Norman of RBSA shared with the council that the lobby, existing restrooms and kitchen had been updated. Utilizing an art deco style, the colors white and gray are prevalent along with sleek, linear geometric shapes.
In the new catering kitchen, the ceiling and floor have been replaced. New stainless steel appliances have been added. The building that was donated will be referred to as the Turlington Annex. It has an industrial theme with exposed brick and rustic features. Chairs will be added to the space that features large windows and a bar.
At the conclusion of their presentation, Smith thanked S&S Building Development, the general contractor of the project, noting that “they’ve been a wonderful partner.” City Manager Terra Greene thanked RBSA as well as Suzie Zimmerman, executive director of The Smith, and the organization’s board of directors.
In her city manager’s report, Greene provided an update to the reopening of City Hall and other departments to the public. Starting Thursday, July 15, if everything goes according to plan, public access hours will be 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Greene noted that it’s difficult for staff to accomplish necessary tasks during the day if they’re available to the public every hour they’re at work. She also stated making the shift will help limit overtime and provides a buffer for staff to not have to rush customers.
City staff will continue to encourage the use of the kiosk outside of City Hall to pay utility bills. However, if a citizen is already inside of the building for an appointment with a staffer they will be allowed to make a transaction. To learn more about various ways to pay your utility bill, click here.
In other news:
The Lexington Police Department was presented a proclamation for their upcoming National Night Out event being held on Tuesday, August 3. The event will take place at four locations, simultaneously, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. The hosting locations are Light of the World Church, Green Needles Park, Washington Park and Grimes Park.
