Landmark to become new hotel

Posted: Tuesday, April 17, 2012 9:39 am

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A Lexington landmark is being turned into an upscale hotel.
Louisville philanthropists and art collectors Steve Wilson and Laura Lee Brown say they will turn Lexington’s first skyscraper — the First National Bank Building — into a 21c Museum Hotel.
It will be the fourth in the 21c group of hotels, which are combination boutique hotels and contemporary art museums.
The first opened in Louisville in 2006.
Wilson told The Lexington Herald-Leader (http://bit.ly/IoeIZo) that he is excited about bringing the line of hotels to the city’s downtown.
“Lexington’s downtown is vibrant and can be even more so,” Wilson said.
“Lexington is a great place for university people, basketball people, horse people — but they don’t have much of a choice in hotels.”
Plans call for the hotel to have 80 guest rooms in addition to a restaurant, a bar, meeting rooms and a ballroom.
The 21c hotel in Louisville has become a destination, and Urban County Council member Steve Kay said he had high expectations for the one that will open there.
“I think the same will be true in Lexington. This is not just any hotel. This is a high-visibility, high-impact project,” he said. “It’s very, very exciting for downtown.”
Wilson said Louisville’s 21c Museum Hotel was developed as a way to support downtown preservation and revitalization and to share their large contemporary art collection.
“This is a combination hotel and a real art museum. It is not art for decoration,” Wilson said.

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