Lexington officials and business owners are sorting through rubble and plotting a path forward after last week's fire in the heart of downtown. The early morning blaze on May 19 damaged or destroyed several businesses, including Main Street fixtures, Shoto, and The Candy Factory.
Both were total losses, but Lexington Director of Business and Community Development, Tammy Absher, says there are components of the buildings that the city is now considering for historic preservation.
"Mainly, the facades are the part that we’re focusing on right now," says Absher. "The city is facilitating support of the property owners to make a determination on whether they will proceed with saving the facades and then rebuilding back to those and going through the historic tax credit process."
Architects and structural engineers are currently assessing the buildings to determine if they’re salvageable. Absher says downtown road closures are allowing them to do their work safely. She adds that all non-affected buildings downtown are now open for business.