The village of Lexington partnered with Poggemeyer Design to decide the fate of the NEER building, which has been vacant for more than five years.
After the previous property owners, EGS Electrical Group, donated the NEER building to Lexington village in January of 2013, the village contacted Lexington Schools, the Lexington Fire Department, and the Lexington Park District to see if they had any interest in the building. Representatives from the three services were present at the council meeting Tuesday evening.
The Poggemeyer Design Group also made an appearance at the meeting. Using grant money from the Local Government Innovation Fund, the Poggemeyer members conducted a feasibility study of the adaptive reuse of the two-building property that stretches 79,000 square feet on 4.6 acres.
The Poggemeyer team proposed that the smaller building be utilized for Board of Education meetings. The larger building, which is compromised of three sections and approximately 46,000 square feet, could offer a variety of uses suggested Poggemeyer principal-owner Linda Amos.
Amos then suggested that the Lexington Police Department use the south half of the larger building and that the park district use another part of the building for maintenance and storage for the Richland B&O Bike Trail.
The middle section is the oldest and stands in the poorest condition, according to the Poggemeyer representatives. The structure would have to be reinsulated and needs a new roof, which would cost $12-15 dollars a square foot to replace; therefore, the Poggemeyer team recommended that the middle section be demolished and that a courtyard be placed in between the buildings.
The Poggemeyer members further proposed that the village find a third-party operator who could use the space for a number of purposes, including a medical facility, wellness center, banquet hall, among other things.
“We want to have public meetings like this because we want ideas. That saves us from getting too far in our designs and serves as a cost-saving measure,” said Amos.
The village has two years to finalize the study.
Mayor Eugene Parkison assured, “This is all preliminary and is an opportunity to work with something.”
