While the Rupp Arena project is on indefinite hold, Lexington city leaders still have expenses tied to the venture.
Plans to renovate Rupp and build a new convention center were postponed earlier this year. The decision came after the state general assembly turned down a request by project developers for $60 million. Project Manager Frank Butler's contract with the city runs through December of next year.
He told council members his responsibilities now include interacting with current tenants of the Lexington Center. "I'm gonna be working with the businesses down at Rupp. We're looking at refinement of schedule on what might be realistic, because we owe them a sort of a briefing. We haven't done that yet," said Butler.
Butler says businesses weren't more directly involved in earlier plans because there wasn't a firm time line for the Rupp project. Council member Jennifer Mossotti says some of those businesses have felt slighted. "They felt they weren't involved in the process and again, I found that very dismaying because these folks have paid a lot of money in taxes and generated a lot of business for us for a long time and they were not part of the equation. And now some have left because of that," said Mossotti.
When asked last week at the Lexington Rotary Club meeting about any future for a Rupp Arena project, Mayor Jim Gray responded by saying, "When the time is right, the plan is ready."?
