Plus, tell us what vacant building should become affordable housing.
 
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38° | Partly cloudy | 7% chance of rain
Sunrise 7:54 a.m. | Sunset 5:30 p.m.
 

Protect, sustain, and restore

Imagine Lexington 2045: Protecting the environment
A shaded path surrounded by trees and low-lying plants
Find serenity in nature in the heart of UK’s campus. | Photo by LEXtoday
Earlier this week, we debuted a new series where we break down the city’s newly adopted comprehensive plan, Imagine Lexington 2045.

The 349-page plan ensures long-range planning + urban growth to address the city’s needs, and contribute to the prosperity of all Lexingtonians.

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s (LFUCG) Division of Planning has laid out five themes. Catch up by reading part one of the series, building + sustaining successful neighborhoods. Let’s begin today’s lesson: protecting the environment.

The key objective is to prioritize efforts that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimize impacts on the environment due to development.
  • Protect water sources through improved infrastructure
  • Community-wide net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
  • Conserve and restore landscapes + natural resources through environmentally sustainable practices.
A man rides a bike on Vine Street.

Bike Month encourages the community to travel by bicycling through Lexington this month.

Imagine Lexington identified three pillars to help facilitate these goals.

🌧️ Protection

The policies will encourage neighborhood associations + commercial entities to utilize the Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grant Program to help improve water quality and reduce runoff. It also calls for an update to land development, regulations to preserve greenways, wetlands, and sensitive natural habitats. Other key focus areas of protection include:
  • Rural land, active agricultural land, and farms
  • Urban forests and tree canopies
  • Soil preservation
  • Reducing light pollution

🌬️ Sustainability

LFUCG plans to tackle air pollution + greenhouse gas emissions through a number initiatives, including exploring federal funding opportunities for climate solutions, creating community-wide emissions plans, enhancing recycling + waste management programs, and improving transportation options through the complete streets and neighborhood programs.

🌳 Restoration

This pillar will focus on repairing + rehabilitating resources and damaged ecosystems. High-level policies include growing the city’s urban forest, strategically linking parks + greenways to advance our “green infrastructure network,” and supporting urban agriculture and community gardens.
 
Events
Friday, Dec. 8
  • Art and Stuff Holiday Sale | Friday, Dec. 8 | 6-9 p.m. | LuigART Studios, 110 Luigart Ct., Lexington | Free | Get a head start on gift-giving by browsing handmade creations from local artists.
  • Mo Bell Music | Friday, Dec. 8 | 6 p.m. | Kenwick Table, 201 Owsley Ave., Lexington | Free | Stop by this neighborhood coffee shop + bar for live music with Mo Bell who will play a blend of R&B, blues, and rock.
Saturday, Dec. 9
  • St. Nich Fest | Saturday, Dec. 9 | 9 a.m.-6 p.m. | Downtown Nicholasville, N. Main St., Nicholasville | Free | This all-day festival will feature everything from a pancake breakfast, a petting zoo, the Ugly Sweater 3K + holiday parade.
  • Holiday Block Print Pop Up | Saturday, Dec. 9-Sunday, Dec. 10 | 1-5 p.m. | Studio Mel in the Warehouse Block, 740 National Ave., Ste. 140, Lexington | $8-$40 | Reduce your holiday stress + get creative by making your own block print stockings, tote bags, or cards — supplies are provided.
  • International Book Project Annual Sip & Shop | Saturday, Dec. 9 | 1-6 p.m. | International Book Project, 1440 Delaware Ave., Lexington | Free | Support this local nonprofit by shopping a selection of gently used books, plus sip local ciders + visit with Hank the Horse.
Sunday, Dec. 10
  • Candles & Cocktails | Sunday, Dec. 10 | 12 p.m. | Wick + Mortar Studio/Poppy & Pomelo, 526 E. High St., Lexington | $38 | Create your own clean-burning candle with a special holiday scent — a selection of cocktails, bubbly, beer, and wine will be available for purchase.
  • Sunday Sound Bath | Sunday, Dec. 10 | 5:30-7 p.m. | The Sound Healing Center of Lexington, 333 E. Short St., Ste. 320, Lexington | $25 | Immerse yourself in a deeply relaxing and healing sonic journey through the harmonious sounds of singing bowls.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
Shop

3 holiday gift picks for men (all 50% off)
Harlestons-still-image-12.06.23.jpeg
Harlestons has extended their 50% offer exclusively for our readers. | Photo by Harlestons
Harlestons has extended its 50% off sale just for our readers: Use the auto-applied code 6AM50 for 50% off everything online until Friday, Dec. 8 at midnight.

New to the high-quality menswear brand? Here are our top three gift picks:
  1. Sport Hoodie: This top-seller is almost sold out.
  2. The Anson performance polo: It’s rated five stars by 99% of customers.
  3. The Sully quarter zip: Many of these colors match up with The Anson colors for a coordinated, layered look.
Save 50% on these gifts with code 6AM50
News Notes
Traffic
  • Starting Monday, Dec. 11 and continuing through spring of 2024, a small section of Manchester Street will be closed for the construction of Town Branch Park. Manchester Street will be inaccessible from High Street at Central Bank Center. Drivers should continue to Oliver Lewis Way + take a left onto Manchester.
Concert
  • The Lexington Theatre Company’s “Concert with the Stars” will be headlined by Lexington’s own, Tony-nominated Brodway star, Colton Ryan. The cabaret-style concert features show tunes + storytelling and will kick off the 2024 show season.
Pets
  • This Sunday, Dec. 10, head to the Feeders Supply locations on Harrodsburg Road + Richmond Road for a Foster Care Meet & Greet. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can learn from fellow foster parents and meet available dogs from the Lexington Humane Society.
Read
  • Calling all Wildcat super fans. Check out UK Sports Network’s newest endeavor, Big Blue Brew — a free, daily newsletter dedicated to all things UK athletics. Think: Bite-sized updates from each program, highlights from competition, news stories + more. (UK Athletics)
Listen
  • Need ideas for a cozy night in? Light the fire, grab a glass, and tune into 88.9 WEKU for its seasonal programming, Holiday Specials 2023. Listeners will be treated to a replay of the Lexington Philharmonic’s Cathedral Christmas, “A Paul Winter Solstice,” jazz classics + more. (WEKU)
Sports
  • Local jewelry brand M+H Beads has entered the sports world. The Six & Main creator has entered an NIL deal with Centre soccer player, Emma James Bryant. The deal was brokered through a new Danville-based female-focused NIL initiative, The 1926 Collective.
Learn
Biz
  • ICYMI, small business owners in Northern Kentucky recently received some extra holiday cheer from local chambers of commerce + the Duke Energy Foundation. The Small Business Assistance grant program awarded $100,000 to support 25 minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses. See which businesses were selected for this year’s grants.*
Wellness
  • As we age, our hormone levels decline, affecting bone density, sleep, libido, and more. Test + optimize your hormones with Wellcore’s At-Home Assessment Kit — only $79 with code NEWYOU.*
Correction
  • We got a little too into the holiday spirit. Unfortunately, the Hanukkah Carnival we listed in yesterday’s News Notes is actually a private event for the congregation. We apologize for the error, and hope you have a Happy Hanukkah.
 
Asked

Be the broker: Vacant office space edition

Be the broker: Which vacant office spaces would you like to see become affordable housing?
the skyline of Lexington, KY
It was a busy year for Lexington — let’s see what our readers thought. | Photo by @thedroneranger
Have you noticed some of the empty office space around town? Office vacancies are at 9.8% as of 2022. This number soared to 14.8% in Lexington CBD. Compare those numbers to the national office vacancy rate, which was 17.8% as of September 2023. One possible use for vacant offices? Affordable housing.

Recently, the White House released a new plan to convert commercial buildings into residential housing — affordable housing in particular. Resources will be made available from 20+ programs across multiple agencies, including the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

We’re talking below-market loans, grants, and tax credits... all available to help take advantage of preexisting buildings to make more affordable housing.

Which vacant spaces would you like to see converted?

Have you passed an empty office building that would be a sweet apartment? How about some empty warehouses near public transportation that would make for a quick commute?

Tell us which spaces you’d like to see remade into housing, and we may feature your picks in an upcoming newsletter.
Share your thoughts
The Buy

The Buy 12.08.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
The cheeriest French press to bring some sunshine into your kitchen + make you a smooth, well-brewed cup of coffee.
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The Wrap
 
Molly Thompson in a black shirt

Today’s edition by:
Molly
From the editor
Transylvania student entrepreneurs + artists are hosting a Makers Market today from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Campus Center Pioneer Rooms on campus. This is a great way to support + shop local for handmade gifts like ceramics, jewelry + painted ornaments. Happy shopping.
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