City seeking legal condemnation on Lincoln St. properties

Published 10:59 am Thursday, September 3, 2020

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The City of Winchester has obtained all but two parcels needed to begin redeveloping Lincoln Street.

Those remaining two parcels may be resolved within the next two months, and transferred to the city following legal proceedings, said Kriss Lowry, the city’s consultant on the community development block grant and the project.

Lowry told the Winchester Board of Commissioners Tuesday the city owns all the property needed for the first phase, and most of the buildings on those lots have been demolished. The remaining two lots at 24 and 26 Lincoln St. are going through the legal condemnation process.

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The court recently valued the properties at $14,500 and $2,500, respectively. With court proceedings limited because of health concerns, Lowry said, it would likely be a couple more months before it is finalized.

The entire project will completely redevelop Lincoln Street, including building a two-way street, replacing infrastructure and redrawing the lots and property lines to comply with current standards.

The west side of the street will be phase one, and the east side will follow in a second phase.

The city was awarded a $1 million CDBG grant in 2018, and since then, has been working to acquire the property needed.

The city has also partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build new homes on the lots when they are ready.

Lowry said only one house of the 10 affected in phase one remains to be torn down. The owner, she said, plans to build back on the property and will be out of the house by the end of September.

Seven new homes will be built in phase one, and the grant will fund property acquisition, relocation expenses, infrastructure and construction.

About Fred Petke

Fred Petke is a reporter for The Winchester Sun, the Jessamine Journal and the State Journal. His beats include cops, courts, fire, public records, city and county government and other news. To contact Fred, email fred.petke@bluegrassnewsmedia.com or call 859-759-0051.

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