Commercial and industrial developments continue to pop up at a rapid pace in the Central Kentucky region. The following report outlines some of the works in progress as well as newly-completed projects in and around the Lexington area.

Beaumont Centre, which includes a mixture of residential, retail and commercial construction, continues to develop with commercial property ranging from $12-16 per S.F. and office property selling for around $300,000 per acre ($6.89 per square foot), according to Tim Haymaker, president and owner of The Haymaker Development Company.

Recently completed projects include a 15,000-S.F. condominium office building for EA Partners, a civil engineering firm; a 6,000-S.F. building for The Center for Psychological Health; and a new 84-room Comfort Suites hotel.

Future retail/commercial plans call for a 36,000-S.F. medical office building to house The Beaumont Centre Medical Plaza and a new 63,000-S.F. Kroger. Approximately six acres have been dedicated for a 26,000-S.F. post office, projected to open next spring. Construction is expected to begin in December on a 50,000-S.F. YMCA, while a 12,000-S.F. Kids-R-Kids Day Care Center is scheduled to open next fall.

Residential projects include:

• Phase 2 of Beaumont Farm Apartment, which will include 240 units, bringing the complex to a total of 512 units.

• Crossman Homes (formerly Cutter Homes) recently acquired 148 lots, with construction set to start this month. The single-family homes will be priced from $130,000-150,000.

• Construction is in progress at The Reserve at Beaumont Centre, with homes priced from $300,000 to $500,000.

Bluegrass Business Park, a 120-acre industrial park located along Georgetown Road, has sold 15 acres along with a 10-acre option to Webasto Sunroof. The Webasto facility is currently under construction and other purchasers are expected to announce plans in the coming months according to Bill Lear, chairman of Lexington United, the organization overseeing the development.

The Breckinridge, a residence home for Alzheimer’s patients, is under construction in the Liberty Woods development, located between Winchester and Liberty Roads. A cooperative venture between the private company of Cornerstone Care, L.L.C. and the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, The Breckinridge will provide care for people suffering from early and middle stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The facility will feature 24 private rooms and is expected to open by mid-October.

Brighton Place, a retail development located at Man O’ War and Todds Road, offers 32,000 S.F. for convenience retail. Outlets will include hair salon, laundromat, restaurants, convenience market, and video rental.

Hamburg Pavilion, a massive new commercial and residential development located at the intersection of I-75 and Man O’ War Boulevard, involves some 1,300 acres that were once an integral part of the Madden family’s Hamburg Place farm. Although Atlanta-based Thomas Enterprises is the developer of the commercial development, Patrick Madden (whose parents Preston and Anita Madden own Hamburg Place) continues to play a significant role in the overseeing the overall development of the project.

A site data report shows that Hamburg Pavillion currently has 1,025,032 S.F. of building area and over 6 thousand parking spaces.

Commercial retailers that have signed on for Hamburg Pavilion include: Meijer, Target, Goody’s, Michael’s, Dress Barn, TJ Maxx, Payless Shoes, Arhaus, Party City, Hallmark, Radio Shack, LensCrafters, Friedman’s, NASCAR, Bath and Body Works, Great Clips, Lane Bryant, Knott’s Shoes, Old Navy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Linen and Things, Kohl’s, Office Max, Garden Ridge, Pier One, Barnes & Noble, and Pet Smart. Other businesses include a Fifth Third Bank, Hilton Guardian Inn, Applebee’s, Max & Erma’s, Fazoli’s, Steak & Shake, TGI Friday’s, Don Pablo’s, Backyard Burger, Lazy Boy, and McDonald’s. A multi-plex cinema is also planned for the development.

However, some elements of the design are still evolving. Madden recently redesigned a portion of the Hamburg Pavilion to include an array of high-end boutiques.

Madden expects approximately 80 acres of the development to be devoted to office buildings, creating about 800,000 S.F. of office space. Residential development will include 110 single family lots in one phase, another 400 single family lots in a second phase, and 400 apartments. The Madden family has donated approximately 50 acres for a park and an elementary school. A 200-acre golf course will also be included as part of the overall development.

The Kentucky Technology Center, located at the Coldstream Research Campus, will offer 110,000 S.F. for offices and research laboratories to support research and development activities of the University of Kentucky.

Although no commitments have yet been inked, the planned redevelopment of North Park shopping center is expected to get under way by next spring with some preliminary work beginning as early as this fall, according to Don Wallace of JDN, the Atlanta-based REIT that has purchased the center (and is also developing South Farm Marketplace).

Keith Morris, director of community affairs for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., has confirmed that Wal-Mart is in the early stages of reviewing a proposal regarding North Park.

South Farm Marketplace, situated at the corner of Nicholasville Road and Man O’ War Boulevard, will be anchored by a 200,000-S.F. Wal-Mart Superstore (scheduled to open in January 1999) and a 150,000-S.F. Lowe’s home improvement center. The land is currently being graded, and infrastucture is scheduled for completion by mid-October. Of the six outparcels included in the development, three will feature restaurants with a another slated for a service station. Two out-parcels remain available.

Summit Square, located on Richmond Road just outside Man O War Boulevard, is laying infrastructure for the addition of one to two new buildings. According to Lisa Kitchen of Lasalle Partners, Summit has the option to add 100,000 S.F. in building, either as one large building or two smaller ones.

Turfland Mall will be undergoing a major renovation that will include changing virtually all interior features as well as updating the exterior. Plans call for McAlpin’s (soon to be Dillard’s) home center to be moved into the former J.C. Penney space inside the mall; the existing home center building will be razed and replaced with smaller buildings, says Donna Kearns, spokeswoman for Turfland Mall. Walgreen’s pharmacy will be moving from inside the mall into a new stand-alone building. The Cooker restaurant has also announced that it plans to open a restaurant at Turfland.

• Caterpillar is scheduled to complete its new Danville plant by the end of the year. Part of the facility, which manufacturers pins and bushings for large machinery, is already operational. When complete, the plant will employ approximately 100.

Frankfort

• St. Clair Mall, a pedestrian mall in downtown Frankfort, is undergoing physical improvements that will enable the mall to be opened to one-way traffic.

• The History Center, devoted to Kentucky history, will take up an entire block in downtown Frankfort, encompassing 167,000 S.F. to house public exhibits as well as the Kentucky Historical Society archives. The center is scheduled to open in December.

• CVS/Revco is constructing a new drug store on Main Street.

Georgetown

• A multi-plex theater will be part of the Factory Stores of America outlet center. Also being built in the vicinity are a new Comfort Suites hotel and a Microtel hotel as well as another as yet unnamed hotel.

• Toyota Tsusho, Inc., located at Triport Industrial Park, is expanding, nearly doubling their existing plant size.

• The Bradford Park development, located along U.S. 25, includes a new post office, public library, CVS/Revco, Farmer’s Bank, and Kentucky Bank. The area is also home to a new residential development, Bradford Place, which will include several hundred single-family homes built by Ball Homes.

• Downtown Georgetown is getting a face lift, thanks to $2.2 million in federal and state funding. Upgrading the streets to better accommodate traffic is one of the city’s major goals, as well as beautification.

• Monessen Hearth Systems is starting operations this summer at the Paris-Bourbon County Industrial Park with about 120 employees and expects to employ 200 by the year 2000.

• TS Engineering, makers of precision machine parts, is beginning operations with about 20 employees. The company is located at the Paris-Bourbon County Industrial Park.

Nicholasville

• A 40-unit Country Hearth Inn is being constructed along US. 27.

• A new 15,000-square-foot office building, the Keating Building, is under construction on John Sutherland Drive.

• Land Trucking is constructing a new 30,000-square-foot warehouse.

Richmond

• Richmond Place, a new commercial development along I-75 (at Exit 87) is now home to a new Hampton Inn, Comfort Suites, a Steak ‘n Shake restaurant, a Dairy Mart and Ryan’s steak house. Four acres of the development have been dedicated for a three-story medical complex that will include a walk-in clinic. Located behind Richmond Place is Castlewood, a residential development with 91 lots.

• The 240-acre Richmond Industrial Park II is now home to AFG Industries, Inc. The plant, which opened last month, manufacures automotive glass. Richmond Auto Parts Technology, the primary supplier of transmission gears for Honda, is also a new tenant. Eighty-one acres remain available for lease with the park according to Jimmy Howard, executive director of Richmond Industrial Development Corporation.

Versailles

• YH America, maker of air conditioning and power steering hoses, is adding a new plant for the manufacture of sealant.

• Citizen’s Commerce National Bank is building a new bank on the south side of Versailles.

• Cable’s Furniture and Appliances, a long-time Versailles business, is expanding and moving to the old Kroger building at Woodford Plaza. The Farm Bureau and a Family Dollar Store are also opening at the Plaza.

Winchester

• Both Days Inn and Comfort Inn have announced plans to built suite hotels in Winchester.

• Over the last 3 years, 11 manufacturing businesses and one major service employer have located in Winchester, creating 1,000 new jobs and investing more than $94 million in the local economy, says Phillip Kerrick, Winchester’s director of of economic development.

Campbell Wood is a staff writer for The Lane Report.