AU Associates

Transylvania University to sell baseball field in support of affordable housing development

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 17:53:26 GMT

January 10, 2024 | By Shepherd Snyder

A $2.8 million sale between Transylvania University and a group of Lexington banks will transform the school’s baseball field into an affordable housing development.

The 12.5 acre development will include both rental and owned properties for families making 30 to 80 percent of the city’s median income.

The university plans to close the sale of Marquard Field to a group including Central Bank, Community Trust Bank, Republic Bank & Trust, Stock Yards Bank and Traditional Bank. The group has created a $3 million revolving fund to support affordable housing development throughout the city.

Brien Lewis is President of Transylvania University. He says the downtown project would help residents stay in the city, and closer to their workplaces.

“There's a lot of challenges to finding affordable housing,” Lewis said. “And it's not just the housing itself. If you have to be farther out, then you've got more transportation costs, and so on. So we see this as something that will certainly benefit the Transylvania community, but obviously, much more, the Lexington community.”

Housing development groups include Habitat for Humanity, AU Associates, Urban League of Lexington and Winterwood. They’re being joined by Commerce Lexington, Lexington for Everyone and the Building Industry Association of Central Kentucky to create a development plan.

Darryl Neher is the CEO of Lexington Habitat for Humanity. He says the development will help ease the rising cost of living for low-income families.

“What we're experiencing here is not unlike what's happening across the country,” Neher said. “Post COVID, we've seen housing prices increase as much as 40 percent. Since the beginning of COVID, we're also seeing cost of construction increase, we're seeing interest rates increase, we're seeing rents increase. And so all of these pressures are putting our most vulnerable at risk.”

Ground is expected to break on the project in the summer of 2025. The Transylvania Pioneers have been playing at Counter Clocks Field, home of Minor League Baseball’s Lexington Counter Clocks, since 2019.

Click here to read the full story.

More affordable housing units open in northern Lexington

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 17:13:24 GMT

Yesterday was a huge event and milestone for AU Associates as we cut the ribbon on our largest affordable housing project ever and the largest in Lexington in over 20 years. I can't begin to thank our amazing team enough for the hard work to bring these 252 units of affordable housing to fruition. We've already moved in our first 60 families to a development with market rate amenities at affordable prices!

View our press coverage at the following links:

https://www.wtvq.com/more-affordable-housing-units-open-in-northern-lexington/

https://www.wkyt.com/2023/09/26/ribbon-cut-another-affordable-housing-complex-lexington/

New affordable housing complex for seniors opens in Hamburg

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 18:18:18 GMT

AU Associates is proud to announce the opening of our NEW 24-unit affordable housing complex for seniors 55 and older located out on Polo Club Lane.

This is a huge victory for affordable housing community and for seniors in the Lexington area!

Click here to read the full story.

Groundbreaking ceremony for Loganwood apartments held on Friday

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 16:17:41 GMT

Pictured above: Digital rendering of the Loganwood Apartment complex.

LOGAN - In addition to the annual Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony, the Logan community veterans will also be honored with the official groundbreaking of the new Loganwood housing complex on Friday.

Following the events of Veterans days, the long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony of the Loganwood Apartments complex will be held at 2 p.m. The construction of Loganwood will provide 33 affordable, family apartments with a preference for income-eligible veterans in need of housing.

The apartments will be available in one and two-bedroom options. The developer building the structure will be AU Associates,
the same firm that built the Logan Landing Apartments on the east end of Stratton Street four years ago.

Officials from the Logan Housing Corporation, the City of Logan, AU Associates, and the other funding partners will be on hand to celebrate Friday's groundbreaking.

The groundbreaking will take place at 314 Hudgins Street, Logan, located just past the Logan Post Office. A complete report on Loganwood and the groundbreaking will be included Nov. 16th edition of The Logan Banner.

Mayor breaks ground on new affordable housing project

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 14:43:06 GMT

Mayor Linda Gorton and Councilmember Josh McCurn today joined developers and contractors to break ground on a new $43 million affordable housing project with 252 apartments.

“We continue to hammer away at the need for affordable housing,” said Mayor Linda Gorton, who led the ground-breaking for Kearney Ridge Apartments. “This year we have dedicated an additional $10 million in federal funds, plus $3.5 million in local funds, to build or rehabilitate affordable housing, plus additional funds for rental assistance. As we continue to emerge from the pandemic we know the need will grow.”

Since it was created in 2014, the City’s Affordable Housing Fund has provided funding to for-profit and non-profit developers for the creation and preservation of 2,933 units of affordable housing. The City has leveraged $23.6 million in government funds into a total investment of $350 million in affordable housing in our community.

AU Associates is developing the Kearney Ridge project that features energy-efficient, garden-style apartments with washer/dryer hookups, a clubhouse containing community and fitness rooms, and a swimming pool. The apartments are an infill project located at 2559 Kearney Ridge Blvd.

Councilmember Josh McCurn, who represents the area, said affordable housing improves the quality of life and will continue to be transformative for Lexington. “I am thrilled to have AU Associates bring another project to the district, especially with it being close to Coldstream Legacy Business Park, where we will soon see the hustle and bustle of even more job opportunities,” he said.

The vast majority of those units are designed for households with incomes at or below 60% of the area annual median income – $36,240 for a two-person household.

“This groundbreaking ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate with the City and our project partners on a successful collaboration to create much-needed affordable housing within the urban service boundary,” said Johan Graham, President of AU Associates.

The project was made possible by utilizing Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the Kentucky Housing Corporation and $2.5 million from the City of Lexington’s HOME program and Affordable Housing Fund. Construction and permanent financing are being provided by Fifth Third Bank and Bellwether Enterprise. Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing is the tax credit investor.

You can view the video here .

New senior living community opens in Lexington

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 13:37:54 GMT

Glade View Townhomes is the latest project by AU Associates for affordable housing in West Virginia and Kentucky. It features 33 units with one, two and three-bedroom options.

“I just love this apartment,” said Nancy Holbrook, who moved into her unit in January. “I never want to leave.”

Glade View is a new affordable housing development located just outside Cowen, Webster County, and includes one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, a community room, and a playground. Each unit has spacious closets, Energy Star appliances, carpet and vinyl flooring throughout, washers and dryers, central heating and air, and plenty of natural light. All apartments are handicap accessible, with wide doors and slip-proof staircases. Although renters have been living in the development since January, an official ribbon cutting ceremony was held May 24.

According to the developer, the project meets a great need for housing in Webster County. All 33 units are currently occupied.

“The impetus for this project is that Webster County is historically underserve in housing,” said Johan Graham, president of AU Associates. “There may not be a huge demand like there is in Charleston or Huntington, but they have been underserved percentage-wise compared to the rest of the state.”

Webster County Commissioner Anna Carpenter said she was excited by the development and what it means for people in her county.

“I came around the curve and thought ‘Holy Cowen,’” she said at the ribbon cutting. “This development is much needed and will provide beautiful homes for Webster County.”

The Webster County Commission played a huge role in helping AU Associates with site selection, Graham said.

“The county basically shepherded us to this property as a potential site that had water, sewer, utilities, it was more buildable than some other sites in the county, and it’s close to services,” Graham said, pointing out that schools, stores, the library, and a community center are all located nearby. “If you’re going to build in a rural area, you want to be as close to as many amenities as you can. This is a good spot for that, especially for families.”

Graham, whose company operates in West Virginia and Kentucky, said not only does this development provide new, beautiful homes for Webster County, but it also shows other rural developers what is possible.

“You can build successfully in rural West Virginia,” Graham said. “There is a population that needs housing in rural West Virginia, whether that’s single family or multi-family. It is worth making the investment.”

You can view the video by clicking here

New senior living community opens in Lexington!

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 13:35:36 GMT

Lexington, Ky (WKYT) - City officials celebrated the grand opening of a new senior living community in Lexington Friday morning.

The Oasis at Kearney Creek broke ground two years ago this week with the goal at bringing more affordable housing to the area.

The complex has 96 units of affordable housing for senior citizens.

The newest project from AU Associates is the largest facility they’ve built in Lexington and the second affordable housing development specifically for senior citizens that they’ve opened up in the last year.

Holly Weidemann is the founder and President of AU Associates. She says that the facility includes amenities like trash chutes, walking trails, indoors and outdoor meeting areas, a fitness center and theater as well as a dog run area.

“We’ve done several things on this, given the size of this project, that we haven’t had the luxury of doing before,” Weidemann said. “So, we know that our residents will enjoy these additional amenities.”

Mayor Linda Gorton was on hand and thanked AU Associates for the work they’ve done in partnering with the city to improve affordable housing, but she acknowledged that the work is not done.

“Affordable housing is something that we work on a lot these days and we know that there’s still a lot of work to do,” Mayor Gorton said. “We know there’s still a huge need that’s why I have proposed to the council dedicating $10,000,000 from our federal American Rescue Plan Funding to go to affordable housing.”

View the video article here: https://www.wkyt.com/2021/10/22/new-senior-living-community-opens-lexington/

New Affordable Housing Apartments Open for Senior Citizens in Lexington

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 15:47:00 GMT

August 10, 2020 | by Mario Anderson

LEXINGTON, KY. — Monday was the first ribbon-cutting ceremony that the City of Lexington government leaders participated in since March 6.

That date, was when the first COVID-19 case was reported in Kentucky.

Monday morning, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton and others gathered to announce details about the city’s latest affordable housing project.

Meadowthorpe Landing is now home to 71 new affordable housing units that will provide apartments for senior citizens.

“Yes, I think a stereotype, you know when you say affordable housing. A lot of people are thinking, not so good of a place, but that’s not true. That’s not true,” says new resident Pam Moore.

This new affordable, senior housing development has (57) 1-bedroom and (14) 2-bedroom apartments.

Each apartment is equipped with energy-efficient appliances, central heating and air, extra storage, a secure building access control system, and abundant natural light. The development also has amenities that are specifically designed for older adults starting at age 55 including a community room, fitness area, walking trails, laundry facilities, an outdoor gazebo, and extensive landscaping. All floors are served by an elevator.

“This is very exciting to have these beautiful affordable housing units for seniors. And there’s a great need, they already have more applications than apartments, so, it speaks to the need for senior housing,” mentions Gorton.

“What we wanted to do is blend this into the community of Meadowthorpe and that’s why you see a lot of brick. And that’s why you see it’s being very respectful of the context around which it’s surrounded so it’s lots of brick, lots of landscaping to fit and to this neighborhood,” adds Holly Wiedemann, Founder, and President of AU Associates

AU Associates has developed several affordable housing projects in Lexington in recent years, but Meadowthorpe Landing is the largest.

Since 2014, Lexington’s Affordable Housing Fund has allocated $15 million for the development and preservation of 1,755 affordable units ($8,547 per unit). The fund has leveraged an additional $152 million from private and governmental resources for the development of these units.

View the article and video here

Meadowthorpe Adds 71 Senior Living Units to Affordable Housing List

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 14:22:00 GMT

August 10, 2020 | by Steve Rogers

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Lexington added 71 new senior-living apartments to its list of affordable housing Monday.

Mayor Linda Gorton and Councilmember Josh McCurn cut the ribbon to officially open the apartments for independent senior citizens in Meadowthorpe Landing at 1447 Antique Drive.

“Our city needs more affordable housing, especially for senior citizens,” Gorton said. “We still have a lot of work to do, but this is a big step forward.”

McCurn, who represents Meadowthorpe agreed.

“The Meadowthorpe Landing development is a win for the City, as we continue to focus on providing affordable, senior housing. The historic Meadowthorpe area is the perfect location, as it will provide several amenities as well as an active neighborhood association,” McCurn said.

The project features 57 one-bedroom, and 14 two-bedroom apartments. These apartments come equipped with energy efficient appliances, central heating and air, extra storage, a secure building access control system, and abundant natural light.

The development also has a community room, fitness area, walking trails, laundry facilities, an outdoor gazebo, and extensive landscaping. All floors are served by an elevator.

Developer AU Associates worked with the neighborhood to ensure that the development would be welcomed by, and appropriately serve, the area.

“Our goal at AU has always been to build a home that we would want to live in ourselves,” said Holly Wiedemann, AU’s founder and president. “Each and every one of our projects is unique to the community in which it are located, and Meadowthorpe Landing exemplifies our mission. It was architecturally designed to highlight the surrounding context of the area, as evidenced by its extensive use of brick and abundant landscaping.”

AU has developed several affordable housing projects in Lexington in recent years, but Meadowthorpe Landing is the largest.

Financial partners include the City’s Affordable Housing Fund, Kentucky Housing Corporation, Community Affordable Housing Equity Corporation, Berkadia, Freddie Mac and RiverHills Bank. Architecture firm Lord Aeck Sargent designed, and Lexington-based Brett Construction built the project.

Since 2014, Lexington’s Affordable Housing Fund has allocated $15 million for the development and preservation of 1,755 affordable units at $8,547 per unit. The fund has leveraged an additional $152 million from private and governmental resources for the development of these units.

View the article here

‘Loganwood’ Senior Housing Center on Track to Open In 2022

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 16:32:00 GMT

LOGAN | March 11, 2020 | by David Vidovich — Updates on the veterans housing complex to be built in downtown Logan were given during the recent regular sessions of both the Logan County Housing Authority and the Logan Housing Corporation.

Nicknamed Loganwood, the complex will be a living center tailored for veterans in need of housing similar to the Housing Authority’s previous project, Logan Landing, which opened on the east end of Stratton Street in 2018. Loganwood will be built at an estimated cost of $6.5 million on a piece of property on Hudgins Street in downtown Logan donated by Logan Regional Medical Center.

During the meeting of the Housing Authority, consultant Virginia Lewis said the complex will be a three-story structure with 32 apartment units — an increase from the previous reported number of 18. She said an engineering report revealed the property could allow for more space.

The projected timeline of the project, according to Lewis, is:

During the meeting of the Logan County Housing Authority, the members voted to grant the Housing Corporation $30,000 to be used to cover fees and other expenses when they apply for things such as federal grants for housing. The Housing Corporation is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization that operates closely with the Housing Authority — a quasi-governmental organization under the Logan County Commission — on housing projects.

During the meeting of the Housing Corporation, held directly following the Housing Authority’s meeting, the members signed and approved the closing of acceptance agreement for the property donated by LRMC.

The contractor for the project is Jarrett Construction Services from Charleston, the same group that worked on the Logan Landing project, and the developer is AU Associates.

Another topic discussed during the Housing Authority’s meeting was appraisal of the property that houses the old Earling Grade School, which revealed the property is part owned by the Housing Authority, the Logan County Commission and the Logan County Board of Education, according to Lewis. Members discussed the deeding of the commission’s parcel to the Housing Authority for an even bigger piece of land.

The Housing Authority currently owns around 12 acres of land that the abandoned school building sits on, which Lewis described as the best part of the property. The other entities own parcels of land near the river access point nearby.

The Earling property was originally acquired by the Housing Authority for a proposed senior living center such as Logan Landing. If nothing becomes of the property, the Authority may consider selling the property to fund the purchase of another piece of property to build housing on, according to Roger Ramey.

“We’re not just going to sit on it,” Ramey said.

View the article here

Ground Broken For Affordable Units For Seniors In Lexington

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 15:29:00 GMT

October 29, 2019 | by Stu Johnson

A ground breaking ceremony this morning in northwest Lexington recognized the start of development for 96 units of affordable housing for seniors. The Oasis at Kearney Creek is expected to open in the spring of 2021.

Vice Mayor Steve Kay said the need for affordable housing extends beyond the supply particularly for seniors. He added it’s hard to know by just how much. “We don’t have a real good idea about that. There’s not a centralized registry for people who are interested, so what happens is, affordable housing gets developed and then it becomes available and then they deal with various agencies who are looking for housing for people,” said Kay.

Kay called the development off Georgetown Road a first rate project. Developer Holly Wiedemann with AU Associates said the very energy efficient complex will exceed many market rate developments. “All of our appliances are Energy Star. We have very strict regulations with regard to insulation, to roofing materials, to the cladding, to the accessibility,” noted Wiedemann.

Wiedemann hopes a Lextran bus stop can be established nearby.

View the article here

Virtual Oasis Coming For Seniors Living On Lexington’s North Side

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 15:05:00 GMT

October 29, 2019 | Karen Czar

Ground was broken Tuesday morning for The Oasis at Kearney Creek which is off Georgetown Road. 12th District Councilwoman Kathy Plomin was one of more than a dozen city leaders and corporate sponsors who helped secure the affordable housing project. “Affordable housing is just so needed in our community and I think the plans for this are beautiful, safe and it’s a great think to be able to age in place and this will be a nice place to age.”

The Oasis will include 96 units of affordable housing for seniors. It’s near a bus line so it will also have easy access to much needed services. Funding for the project was awarded from the Kentucky Housing Corporation this past January.

View the article here

Parkside Resident Honored at CAHEC Partners Convention

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 13:11:00 GMT

The Resident Spotlight Award recognizes an inspirational resident, who despite having to overcome his own set of challenges, dedicate’s their time to helping others. The 2019 award, presented at the 2019 CAHEC Partners Conference in Greensboro, NC was presented to Gerald Tubbs, Jr., resident of Parkside Apartments in Lexington.

Courthouse Square Awarded at the Downtown Lexington Partnership 2019 Annual Meeting

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 14:13:00 GMT

At the the Downtown Lexington Partnership 2019 Annual Meeting & Awards of Excellence, Holly Wiedemann and AU Associates were presented with the Urban Innovation Award for her work on Courthouse Square. The redevelopment team of Courthouse Square, formerly known as Lexington’s Historic Courthouse, was chosen as the recipient for their determination in breathing new life […]

NH&RA Elects New Directors and Officers at Recent Annual Meeting in Miami, FL

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 19:03:00 GMT

From HousingOnline Weekly – March 6, 2019

The National Housing & Rehabilitation Association is proud to announce that its Board of Directors elected Robert Fein, Principal and Chief Operating Officer for Red Stone Equity Partners, as its Chair and named Thom Amdur as the organization’s new president at NH&RA’s 2019 Annual Meeting in Miami Beach. Bob succeeds David Abromowitz, Of Counsel at Goulston & Storrs in Boston, Massachusetts, who served as Chair from February 2018 to March 2019.

Additional officers elected at the Annual Meeting include Holly Wiedemann, President of AU Associates and Geoff Brown, President of USA Properties Fund who were selected as Vice-Chairs, Joan Hoover, Executive Vice-President for Development & Finance and Conifer Realty LLC who was elected as the Board Treasurer and Milton Pratt, Senior Vice President, Michaels Development Company, who was elected as the Board Secretary.

Additionally, several new Directors were elected to NH&RA’s Board of Directors including: Chris Barnes, Vice President & Senior Project Partner, Dominium, Brent Barringer, Managing Director of LIHTC, Monarch Private Capital, Laura Burns, President and CEO, The Eagle Point Companies, Will Eckstein, Senior Vice-President, Greystone Affordable Development, Allison Kunis, Managing Member, Alpha Verde Holdings, LLC, Allyse Hollis, Director, Coats Rose, P.C. and Mark McDaniel, President and CEO, Cinnaire.

A current roster of the Board of Directors and Executive Leadership is available here .

Business Leaders Appointed to Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s Cincinnati Branch Board

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 18:51:00 GMT

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland has announced the following appointments and elections to its main office board of directors and its branch boards in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh and to the Federal Advisory Council effective Jan. 1, 2019.

A pair of Lexington business leaders, Holly Wiedemann and Tucker Ballinger, were among those who received appointments.

Wiedemann, the president of AU Associates, was appointed a director of the Cincinnati Branch, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.

Ballinger, president and chief executive officer of Forcht Bank, was reappointed a director of the Cincinnati Branch, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.

Among the other appointments and elections were:

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
-Dawne S. Hickton , president and founding partner, Cumberland Highstreet Partners, Sewickley, Pennsylvania, and former CEO of RTI International Metals, Inc., was appointed to a second term as director and reappointed as chair of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland for 2019.

-Dwight E. Smith , president and chief executive officer, Sophisticated Systems, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, was reappointed deputy chair of the board for 2019. Smith served as deputy chair of the Cleveland board for 2018 and as a director of the board since 2017.

-Valarie L. Sheppard , senior vice president, comptroller, and treasurer, The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, was elected a director. Sheppard also served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Cincinnati Branch, from 2014 to 2018.

-Eddie L. Steiner , president and chief executive officer, CSB Bancorp, Inc., Millersburg, Ohio, was elected a director.

Cincinnati Branch, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
– Jenell R. Ross , president, Bob Ross Auto Group, Centerville, Ohio, was appointed chair of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Cincinnati Branch, for 2019.

-Rachid Abdallah , chair and chief executive officer, Jedson Engineering, Cincinnati, was appointed a director.

Pittsburgh Branch, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
-Dmitri Shiry , managing partner, Deloitte LLP, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was appointed chair of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Pittsburgh Branch, for 2019 and was reappointed a director.

-Vera Krekanova , chief research officer, Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was appointed a director.

Federal Advisory Council
-Beth E. Mooney , chairman and chief executive officer, KeyCorp, Cleveland, Ohio, was reappointed to a third one-year term as the Fourth Federal Reserve District’s representative on the Federal Advisory Council.

The Federal Advisory Council comprises representatives of the banking industry from each of the 12 Federal Reserve Districts. The Council consults with and advises the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on general business conditions and issues related to the financial services industry.

From Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

A Look Inside Lexington’s Reinvented Historic Courthouse

Fri, 21 Dec 2018 14:53:00 GMT

December 21, 2018 | by Saraya Brewer

When Zim’s Cafè and The Thirsty Fox—a two-part restaurant-and-bar concept with regional culinary ambassador Ouita Michel at the helm—opened in November, the businesses clicked into place the final pieces of a four-year, $32 million adaptive reuse project that breathed new life into one of downtown Lexington’s most iconic and recognizable buildings.

Just months before the renovations began, the future of the historic building was unclear.

Having served as the Fayette County Courthouse from 1900 to 2002, it had existed in a state of steady decline in recent decades. In 1960, the overcrowded courthouse got a renovation that, while successful in making room for much-needed additional courtrooms, took little heed of the building’s original architectural integrity. An entire floor was added, bifurcating the grandiose original courtroom—with its two-story arched windows, stained glass and ornate plaster detailing—to make room for four modern and conventional courtrooms, which featured dropped ceilings and fluorescent lights. Many of the deteriorating historic details throughout the building were removed rather than restored, and—perhaps most notably—an elevator shaft was placed in the center of the building, which had previously offered sweeping views from the ground level up to a stunning upper level rotunda. The rotunda, fringed by an arched walkway and adorned with carved faces and a dazzling display of twinkling lights, was essentially turned into a storage closet for heating and air equipment as part of that renovation project, with a new floor installed below that would cover the building’s crown jewel from public view for decades.

Now a focal point of the extensive interior renovations, the building’s rotunda had been hidden from public view for decades.

The courthouse eventually outgrew the building for good, and when it relocated in 2002 to its current location on North Limestone Street, the Lexington History Museum moved in – until the discovery of asbestos and other hazardous materials forced that organization out in 2012, shuttering the building and leaving the outlook of its future wholly uncertain. Reviving the old courthouse was clearly going to be an expensive and complex project, and ideas that had been tossed around to turn the building into a permanent museum or new city hall hadn’t found the footing they needed to take hold.

“The problem of what to do with a rapidly declining signature symbol of our city weighed heavily on all of us,” said Lexington Mayor Jim Gray at the building’s ribbon-cutting ceremony in November. “We knew the good bones were here, but the bones had to be rearranged into something modern, inviting and compelling. Whatever we did here needed to be a beacon for the future and not just a curio of the past.”

To reach that end goal, a number of creative solutions were employed. Not wanting to fund the project solely with public dollars, Gray and his team worked with local developer Holly Wiedemann, whose firm AU Associates specializes in adaptive reuse projects, to devise a sustainable finance model, leveraging historic tax credits with a blend of public and private investment. The project was designed to be financially self-sustaining, with rents from the tenants covering the ongoing cost of building maintenance and repairs, eliminating the need for future public funding beyond the city’s initial investment. At the crux of the project’s feasibility was an eleventh hour discovery that the project was eligible for a limited tax credit program that was drafted by lobbyists and passed into legislation during the construction of Lexington’s 21c Museum Hotel.

“Before the historic tax credits, we could not have made this happen,” said Wiedemann of the special legislation, which circumvented the traditional caps and ambiguity of Kentucky’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit program for projects that met a very specific set of criteria. “Their lobbyists wrote some very specific guidelines – they thought that it would only apply to 21c, but we figured out that in fact, it would apply to this [project].”

To be eligible for the tax credit program, a project had to cost between $15 million and $30 million, be completed between 2015 and 2017, and be a historic building in a TIF district that hadn’t ever been utilized. The discovery that the courthouse project met the very specific guidelines opened the doors of feasibility for the project, while at the same time setting its breakneck pace for completion.

“It was a dead run from day one,” Wiedemann said. “Everyone worked so hard together.”

Today, the building is home to a combination of unique and carefully cast concepts that serve as a further reflection of the public-private approach to the project. Sharing the ground floor with Zim’s and Thirsty Fox is another Lexington institution with a hospitable mission: the Lexington Visitors Center, which relocated in June from the Victorian Square location it had inhabited for the previous six years. The building also houses the administrative offices for two organizations with special ties to the Bluegrass: VisitLex and Breeders’ Cup. And encompassing the top floor of the meticulously restored building is Limestone Hall, a striking event space that’s available to rent for weddings, conferences and other events.

Courthouse Square’s tenants include VisitLEX, the Breeders’ Cup, Zim’s Café and The Thirsty Fox, as well as Limestone Hall event space.

“I wanted to find symbiotic uses that would all together make it bigger than the sum of its parts,” said Wiedemann, whose firm oversaw everything from financing to construction to curating the tenants, working closely with Gray’s office, Messer Construction and a team of architects that included New York-based architect Deborah Berke and Kentucky-based architecture firm K. Norman Berry Associates.

The nature of the project also required that Wiedemann work closely with the National Park Service, the organization that works with state historic preservation offices to oversee historic tax credits—she was required to seek approval from them for nearly every design decision, from paint colors and materials to decisions on where to add or remove drywall. Driving every decision was a push to honor the building’s historic fabric as much as possible while maintaining modern functionality.

Exterior work included cleaning the stone, repairing the roof—including the copper-clad cupola and weather vane – and replacing the exterior staircase. Inside, in addition to carving out six unique spaces carefully outfitted for the functionality and design specifications of each tenant (bar, restaurant, visitor’s center, two administrative offices and an event hall), the team was concerned with design and construction decisions that would affect the overall building, from addressing structural issues to finding a way to restore the former glory of the rotunda.

Incorporating a view of the interior dome has once again become an integral component of the building, with a breathtaking open-air view of the rotunda, a signature element of Limestone Hall. To make the view accessible on all levels of the building, octagonal glass floors were installed on the second and third floors, mirroring the size and shape of the portal that provided the view from the ground floor up to the dome in the building’s original design.

“It’s very unique and the most eye-catching thing when people come into our office,” said Bryan Pettigrew, chief marketing officer for Breeders’ Cup, of the glass panes on the office’s floor and ceiling. “It’s just beautiful to be able to walk in and look at it every day.”

As a Lexington native and longtime proponent of adaptive reuse, the entire project was rife with personal significance to Wiedemann. As a child, her family owned the nearby Purcell’s department store, and she recalls passing the courthouse almost every day while growing up. Through decades of uncertainty surrounding the building’s future, she always held hope it could eventually be restored to its original glory.

Wiedemann said Gray was not the first Lexington mayor she had approached over the years about the possibility of saving the building, but he was the first to have “the vision to see what this could become.”

What it’s become, Gray said, is “nothing short of a miracle.”

“It is an animated and engaged space, more so now than ever before,” he said. “It welcomes everyone.”

View the article here

Logan Landing Now Accepting Tenant Applications

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:41:00 GMT

December 14, 2018 | Aaron Stone reports the Logan County Commission and the City of Logan hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday for a new senior living facility.

Logan Landing, located on Hanging Rock Road, is the culmination of work over the last three years.

Roger Ramey, Chairman of the Logan County Housing Authority, said the facility began with acquiring a portion of the boulevard where the new Rt.10 connector begins.

“The new road to Man is what fostered this new building,” Ramey said.

Financial assistance for the $6 million building was made possible with funding by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development, Community Affordable Housing Equity Corporation and the West Virginia Housing Development Fund.

Logan Landing features twenty-seven single bedroom apartments and nine double bedroom apartments. The first-floor apartments are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“The first floor,” Ramey said, “is designed for wheel chairs and residents that need assistance.”

Logan County Commission President, Danny Godby spoke about expanding housing in the Logan.

“We’re not stopping here,” Godby said, “we want to look forward into the Man area.”

Logan Landing held an open house and on-site leasing following the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Residents may contact AU Management for leasing information: 859-233-2009. Income restrictions apply.

View the article here

Ribbon Cut to New Senior Housing Complex

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:29:00 GMT

LOGAN | December 14, 2018 — A ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of Logan Landing, the new affordable senior housing complex located at 740 Stratton St. in Logan on the lot where KFC and Subway once were, was held Wednesday morning.

Utilizing tax credits awarded by the West Virginia Housing Development Fund, the new three-story building features 36 apartments that will provide affordable housing to seniors who earn less than 60 percent of the area median income. Twenty-seven of the apartments are one bedroom and nine of the units are two bedroom, and each comes equipped with numerous modern amenities, including kitchens with self-cleaning electric ranges, ENERGY STAR® appliances, ceiling fans, washers and dryers, window blinds and individually controlled thermostats.

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AU Associates, VA Partner to Build Veteran Housing for Families

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 14:45:00 GMT

December 10, 2018 | by Morgan Henry

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- AU Associates, Inc. and the Lexington VA Health Care System have announced the ground breaking ceremony for its latest project; Victory Point Apartments and Townhomes.

Consisting of fifty affordable housing apartments for at-risk Veterans and their families, this project was made possible by the VA’s Enhanced-Use Lease (EUL) Program, Building Reutilization and Repurposing (BURR) initiative that began in 2009, and is the first project of its kind in Kentucky. The EUL BURR initiative involves reviewing vacant VA Buildings and underutilized land and engaging industry partners to redevelop the areas into housing for Veterans and their families.

AU Associates and the Lexington VA Health Care System will celebrate this partnership during a ground-breaking ceremony for the Victory Point Apartments and Townhomes on Tuesday, December 18 ^th at 10:30 a.m. at the Sousley Auditorium, located in the Franklin R. Sousley VA Campus on Leestown Road in Lexington. The celebration will be followed by a ground-breaking photo at the construction site.

Victory Point Apartments and Townhomes has been awarded an allocation of Low Income Housing Tax Credits from Kentucky Housing Corporation and State and Federal Historic Tax Credits from the Kentucky Heritage Council and will soon be a beautiful example of affordable housing, urban infill, historic preservation and community collaboration. Construction will commence around January 1, 2019 and be completed in the spring of 2020. Central Bank is serving as the construction lender and tax credit equity investor on Victory Point and Fahe has provided the permanent financing. Additionally, The City of Lexington’s HOME Funds and Affordable Housing Funds are both being utilized. Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing Vouchers, through the Lexington Housing Authority, are providing much needed rental assistance.

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Ribbon-Cutting for New Senior Housing Complex This Wednesday

Sun, 09 Dec 2018 16:17:00 GMT

LOGAN | December 9, 2018 — The ribbon-cutting celebration and dedication ceremony for Logan Landing, the new senior housing complex located at 740 Stratton St. in Logan, will be at 11 a.m. this Wednesday.

The new development will include 36 apartments for seniors 55 years of age or older in Logan. The apartments come in one and two-bedroom units and are furnished with all modern amenities, including a camera security system, controlled entry, a fitness room, a community recreation room and an onsite management office.

Virginia Lewis, Logan County, Mingo County Housing Authority, City of Logan and Logan County Housing Authority all played integral roles in making the project possible.

Development was made possible by AU Associates, Inc. and the contractor was Jarrett Construction Services, Inc. Omni Associates – Architects Inc. provided the architecture and financial assistance was provided by CAHEC, the West Virginia Housing Development Fund and the United States Dept. of Agriculture.

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New Affordable Housing for Seniors in Lexington

Mon, 19 Nov 2018 15:34:00 GMT

November 19, 2018 | by Kenny Bishop

There will soon be 71 brand new affordable housing units available in the Meadowthorpe area for Lexington’s seniors. Mayor Jim Gray joined 2nd District Councilmember Joe Smith, LFUCG Affordable Housing Manager Rick McQuady and AU Associates President Holly Wiedemann to break ground on Meadowthorpe Landing, a new affordable housing apartment building on Antique Drive.

“We want to make sure our citizens have access to quality, affordable housing,” Gray said. “Thanks to private investment, assistance from KHC, and our city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Lexington seniors in need of affordable housing will have these beautiful new apartments with incredible amenities to choose from.”

“This Development by AU Associates, Inc. is a positive step toward affordable housing for Seniors,” Smith said. “Cooperation with partners like Cahec, Riverhills Bank, the City of Lexington Affordable Housing Fund and the Kentucky Housing Corporation make the future bright.”

“We are thrilled to begin construction on Meadowthorpe Landing, an affordable elderly housing development,” Wiedemann said. “It will join AU’s 28 other developments and be the 6th one in Lexington. This project is the epitome of urban infill, and will create 71 beautiful apartments in the historic Meadowthorpe neighborhood, close to shopping, transportation, and services. The site will include walking trails and raised community gardens. A project like this can’t happen without the support of the city, through its Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Kentucky Housing Corporation, our investors at CAHEC, and RiverHills Bank.”

· The Lexington Affordable Housing Program was created in 2014 to help create affordable housing for households at or below 80 percent of area median income.

· Since 2012, the city has invested $12.2 million in Affordable Housing Trust Fund dollars with $112 million in investment by private developers.

· Over 1,400 affordable housing units have been created or preserved in Lexington since the fund was created in 2012.

· A $687,666 pre-development loan through the Affordable Housing Trust Fund was made to AU Associates to develop and build Meadowthorpe Landing.

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Ribbon-Cutting Celebrates Completion of Parkside Affordable Housing Project

Mon, 18 Jun 2018 16:01:00 GMT

June 18, 2018 | by Johan Graham

Mayor Jim Gray, Councilmember Peggy Henson and officials with AU Associates, Inc. cut a ribbon today to officially open the final phase of Parkside Apartments.

The project, located at 1060 Cross Keys Road, brings an additional 36 units of affordable housing to Lexington, raising the total to 108 units of deed-restricted affordable housing on the site.

The property was the originally the home of the Gardenside Cabana Club and more recently the home of the Cross Keys YWCA. After years of neglect and vandalism, AU Associates purchased the property upon receiving an award of affordable housing tax credits from the Kentucky Housing Corporation. Additionally, Lexington Affordable Housing Trust Fund ($960,000 fully amortizing loan) and HOME Funds ($500,000 grant) were also used to create this development.

All three phases represent over an $18.5 million investment in the Gardenside Neighborhood. Construction and permanent financing was provided by Citizens Union Bank of Shelbyville, and Community Affordable Housing Equity Corporation, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, is the tax credit investor.

Parkside provides much needed new, safe affordable housing for families in the Lexington area. The apartments include well-appointed kitchens with dishwashers and microwaves; individual unit climate control; ceiling fans; and washer and dryer hookups. Energy star appliances and many elements of “green” technology have been utilized to make this a sustainable new construction project. “By utilizing existing urban areas, we are countering sprawl and creating affordable housing in a sustainable manner,” said Holly Wiedemann, President of AU Associates, the developer of the project.

The new building includes 7 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, and 8 three-bedroom apartments. The apartments are restricted to individuals and families making 60 percent or below of the area median income. Rents range from $525 – $775 per month, which includes water, sewer and trash.

Work on the final phase at Parkside began in October 2016 and is the latest project completed by AU Associates, Inc. The Lexington-based company has already completed nearly 30 projects since it was founded by Holly B. Wiedemann in 1990, five of which are also located in Lexington: the Fayette County Courthouse, First Presbyterian Church Apartments, Davis Park View and Parkside Phases 1 and 2. AU Associates will begin construction this fall on two additional Lexington affordable housing developments: affordable housing for veterans on the Lexington VA Campus and housing for seniors on Antique Drive in Meadowthorpe.

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H.U.D. Secretary Ben Carson Tours Recovery Point of Charleston

Tue, 15 May 2018 14:05:00 GMT

—
by LAUREN TALOTTA
CHARLESTON, W.Va. ( WCHS/WVAH)
—
The opioid epidemic in West Virginia continues to grab the attention of those in the nation’s capital. On Monday, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson was in town to help shine a national spotlight on the issue in an effort to find answers.

“Our citizens are our most precious resource. We have to treat them like that. We have to do everything we can to bring them to their maximum potential,” said Carson.

Hearing stories of recovery from those who have battled addiction proves to be a driving force for Carson, who serves on President Trump’s interagency task force dedicated to addressing the opioid crisis.

“This could happen to anyone. I bet there’s no one here who doesn’t have someone in their circle who has been impacted,” said Carson.

On Monday, Carson joined U.S. lawmakers to tour three drug rehabilitation facilities in Huntington and Charleston, including Recovery Point.

“I was the hopeless person you see walking along the street. That was me 19 months ago,” said Erica Bregg, a peer mentor supervisor at Recovery Point.

The 92-bed program provides hope for women like Tiffanie Tompkins and Bregg, offering long-term recovery services.

“Along the way, something just clicked,” said Tompkins. “It’s peer driven. We all relate to each other, we all help each other, we’ve all been through the same things.”

“We do all of the maintenance, we do all of the cooking, we do all of the laundry, we run the whole facility,” said Bregg.

Those components of success are what Carson wants to take with him back to Washington.

“Secretary Carson is here for all of the right reasons – to talk and to see about what’s working – the best practiced examples,” said Representative Evan Jenkins.

Tompkins and Bregg are just two of Recovery’s success stories. Both are currently enrolled in an internship program with Congressman Alex Mooney and are looking ahead to the future.

“When I look at the people here, I see incredible results,” said Carson.

“No one has gotten more results – percentage wise – than Recovery Point. Even though it’s a little different than what the so-called professionals want, you’ve gone down your own path and had better results,” said Senator Joe Manchin.

Carson also visited Rea of Hope, Harmony House, and Charleston’s HUD field office.

Lexington Courthouse Restoration Wins Prestigious Statewide Award

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 14:28:00 GMT

The Historic Courthouse on Main Street transformed into a modern mixed-use office and event space earned one of the state’s most prestigious statewide historic preservation awards this week.

The $32 million Courthouse project was made possible by a public-private partnership partially financed through historic tax credits.

Holly Wiedemann, development agent for the restoration, said the dome is the most “historically intact” area in the building.

The Courthouse is located at 210 W. Main St. Fayette County’s courts were housed in the building until 2001, when new courthouses opened on Limestone Street.

Recovery Point of Charleston Grand Opening

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 14:27:00 GMT

By: Aaliyah Brown
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK)

For Toni Pantoja recovery point was her last chance at a better future. “I know when I got out of prison recovery point just saved my life. I probably would have been back out on the streets committing crimes and strung out on drugs again if it wasn’t for Recovery Point and the staff here.”

And now she has a place to really call her own. “it’s beautiful, so many people that pay thousands of dollars and don’t get an apartment as nice as that,” said Pantoja.

This is Recovery Point’s third location, this one in Charleston. And like the others, it provides a safe haven and new beginning to people like Toni who have struggled with addiction.

The facility has 24 one bedroom apartments for women recovering from substance abuse and is the first housing facility dedicated to just women. Pantoja couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity.

Recovery Point follows AA’s 12 step program and believes that recovery is possible based on unconditional love and personal accountability. “it’s like a dream come true, it’s truly God answering my prayers Recovery Point saved my life.”

One condition is that residents are asked to pay some of their room and board, but even so residents like Toni appreciate that Recovery Point gives them a chance at survival. “they loved me when I couldn’t love myself.”

Aaliyah Brown 13 News Working for You.

Sutton School Apartments Holds Open House for Community

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 18:24:00 GMT

Fayette County Courthouse Restoration Reveals Architectural Jewels

Wed, 31 May 2017 20:09:00 GMT

BY BETH MUSGRAVE

bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

A non-original drop ceiling that was once on the top floor has been removed, exposing the rafters. The walls on that floor will be finished but the ceiling will remain exposed, Wiedemann said.

Horse Returns to Old Courthouse

Wed, 21 Dec 2016 14:42:00 GMT

Charles Bertram cbertram@herald-leader.com Mark Hardin, with American Roofing and Sheet Metal, held the 4-foot copper horse that will sit of the top of the weather vane. The copper horse on top of the weather vane has returned to the top of the bell tower at the historic Fayette County Courthouse. Work continues on a $30 […]

Grand Opening & Dedication Ceremony for The Versailles School Apartments

Thu, 15 Dec 2016 18:49:00 GMT

December 14, 2016 | Bob Vlach, Woodford Sun Staff Apartments will provide affordable housing. Former students and other community members came together on Dec. 8 to celebrate a new beginning for the former Versailles Elementary School building. AU Associates, Inc., hosted the gathering at Versailles School Apartments, which will provide affordable housing to 13 families […]

Versailles School Apartments to Host Grand Opening December 8th

Mon, 05 Dec 2016 15:32:00 GMT

November 30, 2016 Bob Vlach, Woodford Sun Staff AU Associates, a company responsible for repurposing the former Versailles Elementary School into an apartment building, will host a grand opening on Thursday morning, Dec. 8, beginning at 11:30. 124 Macey Ave. | Versailles | Kentucky The grand opening program will feature speaker former Kentucky first lady Libby […]

Lasting Memories of Versailles Elementary School

Wed, 30 Nov 2016 15:21:00 GMT

November 30, 2016 | by Bob Vlach

The future of one former school building in Versailles has been re-imagined.

The Versailles Elementary School building located at 299 South Main Street is being renovated into an apartment building owned and operated by AU Associates, a Lexington-based company that focuses on adaptive reuse projects such as the revitalization of aging school buildings.

A first-grader at Versailles Elementary during the 1935-36 school year, Betty Dozier came back to her hometown school as a teacher in 1952 – teaching first-graders in the same classroom where she was taught as a first-grader.

“I share that with lots of people,” says Dozier, a teacher at Versailles Elementary from 1952 to 1964.

She began her teaching career in the oldest section of Versailles Elementary (built in 1888 for $8,000 and torn down in 1967), and later moved to a front portion of the school “where we could look down Main Street and see the courthouse clock,” Dozier remembers.

Joe Gormley was a sixth-grader during his only year at Versailles Elementary School. He says, “They were very welcoming at the school.”

The former Woodford County schools superintendent still remembers the names of his principal (Miss George) and homeroom teacher (Miss Williams), who he describes as “just good folks.”

Ernest West – an inductee of the inaugural class of the Woodford County Public Schools Hall of Fame in 2012 – was also a Versailles Elementary sixth-grader, “and already playing varsity football,” remembers Gormley.

Patrick Shryock also has many fond memories of being a first-grader at Versailles Elementary School – years later.

Being in Jean Barrows’s class, meant that he also got to go to the same elementary school as his dad, Nickie Shryock, a longtime Versailles Police officer.

“It was kind of cool going to the same elementary school that he went to. So I’m glad I got to experience that,” says Patrick Shryock. “There are not too many people around that can say they went to Versailles Elementary.” Shryock’s most vivid memories came on Friday nights. Watching basketball games pitting his elementary school against teams from Millville, Mortonsville, Nonesuch, Pisgah and Midway was unforgettable. “It wasn’t anything for that Versailles (Elementary School) gymnasium to be packed out (with people) on basketball nights. That was always a good time. It would be standing room only,” remembers Shryock.

Longtime elementary school teacher Peggy Carter Seal never attended classes at Versailles Elementary, but she’s happy to see that the aging school building is being repurposed as an apartment building. “Any old structure that you can refurbish and use in a new way benefits the community,” says Carter Seal. “It’s a good use of a public facility,” adds Gormley.

The former Woodford County judge-executive says he plans to attend an open house for Versailles School Apartments on Thursday, Dec. 8, at 11:30 a.m. The grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony includes featured speaker Libby Jones, former Kentucky first lady. Building tours will follow. The repurposed elementary school building most recently housed the school district’s community education center, but Gormley says, “I call it Versailles Elementary School all the time.” Says Dozier, “I want to get in and see what each suite looks like. What are they going to call the suites?”

Built for $70,000, Versailles Elementary School opened its doors to students on Sept. 4, 1939.

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Woodford Forward Partners with Bullhorn Creative to Convene Physical Education Part III

Tue, 20 Sep 2016 12:50:00 GMT

The public forum will explore the potential impacts of place making design, how intentional redevelopment and infill can create more vibrant downtowns in Versailles and Midway, and the importance of balancing future development with farmland conservation in Woodford County.

Woodford County, Kentucky (September 16, 2016) – Woodford Forward is pleased to
announce that it will convene a panel of experts at a public forum on infill,
redevelopment, place making and farmland conservation in Downtown Versailles, on
September 29, 2016.

Woodford Forward is a group of citizens and business owners that advocate for
innovative policies that promote the highest and best use of urban land and the
agricultural use of productive farmland throughout Woodford County.

As part of its community education and outreach work on land use issues, Woodford
Forward has partnered with Bullhorn Creative on Physical Education Part III – A
Discussion on Urban Development in the Bluegrass, the third in an annual series of
panel discussions on urban revitalization. Forum panelists will present their experiences
with prior successful projects and initiatives that focused on the revitalization of
downtown environments, place making, and farmland conservation. The forum provides
an opportunity for citizens to see and hear presentations from a panel of experts in
urban planning, architecture, engineering, place making, and farmland conservation, as
well as local officials.

Panelists at Physical Education Part III include engineer Marshall Elizer from Gresham,
Smith and Partners in Louisville, Rebecca Burnworth, Architect of Burnworth Design,
PLLC in Lexington, Land Project Counsel Ashley Greathouse from Bluegrass
Conservancy in Lexington, Holly Wiedemann, founding principal and President of AU
Associates, Holley Groshek, Executive Director of the Equine Land Conservation
Resource, and Regan Martin and Graham Kain from the SPARK Versailles project.

The public forum will be held at the Safe Harbor Academy at 134 Macey Avenue in
Downtown Versailles. There will be a reception at 5:30 p.m. provided by Chef Ouita
Michel of Holly Hill Inn and the panel discussion will begin at 6:30 p.m.

This education and outreach event was planned in response to a 2015 Woodford County
community survey that was completed by The Matrix Group and sponsored by Woodford
Forward. Two top priorities of the survey results were redeveloping vacant land and
property within the urban service areas and protecting key agriculture areas from
development.

“Revitalizing our urban cores in Versailles and Midway and conserving key agricultural
areas in Woodford County from development go hand in glove. These priorities are keys
to making Woodford County a vibrant destination for young professionals, families,
retirees and entrepreneurs-to live, work and locate businesses here. These are primary
focus areas of our organization.” said Billy F. Van Pelt, II, CEO. Woodford Forward has
posted the survey results on its web site, www.woodfordforward.org .

The public is encouraged to attend the event and should RSVP on Eventbrite at www.woodfordforward.org

Old Building, New Uses: Bourbon Bar, Restaurant, Offices

Fri, 27 May 2016 14:04:00 GMT

BY BETH MUSGRAVE AND JANET PATTON bmusgrave@herald-leader.com MAY 24, 2016 Renovation of downtown centerpiece to begin this summer Plans include bourbon bar, event space on top floor for weddings, receptions A second Windy Corner Market planned for part of the building Renderings of the planned renovation of the former Fayette County Courthouse, released Tuesday. […]

Courthouse Plan a Brilliant Solution to a Vexing Downtown Problem

Fri, 27 May 2016 13:56:00 GMT

TOM EBLEN

MAY 24, 2016

$30 million renovation saves a landmark and gives it new, financially viable uses

Restaurant, bourbon bar, event space will make it again a hub of public activity

Design and construction team are among the best at rehabilitating old buildings

Architect’s rendering of plans for renovation of the old Fayette County Courthouse. This shows the top-floor event space atrium, looking up into the restored dome. The building was one of Lexington’s first to have electric lighting, and this plan restores the original decorative light positions in the dome and surrounding balcony. K Norman Berry Associates/Deborah Berke Partners

The plan unveiled Tuesday for renovation of the old Fayette County Courthouse is brilliant in many ways: It preserves one of Lexington’s most iconic buildings, it gives it new life and purpose, and it seems to be financially sound.

The project shows what can happen when Lexington leaders look for ambitious and creative — rather than cheap and expedient — solutions to a problem, and then hire top-notch professionals to get it done.

Holly Wiedemann, whose Lexington-based AU Associates has repurposed nearly 30 historical buildings for commercially viable uses over the past 25 years, is managing the project along with Barry Alberts of CITY Properties Group , which has done the same thing in Louisville, including the Glassworks district and Louisville Slugger Museum.

The courthouse’s new interior is the work of architects K. Norman Berry Associates of Louisville, which did the stunning new Speed Art Museum addition, and Deborah Berke & Partners of New York, whose work includes 21C Museum Hotel projects in Lexington and Louisville .

The circa 1900 courthouse, which was shuttered in 2012 because lead paint contamination made it an unsafe home for the Lexington History Museum, is one of this city’s most abused and neglected buildings. But by spring 2018, the $30 million renovation plan should make it a beautiful landmark and a hub of activity once again.

Lexington chef Ouita Michel , founder and owner of five popular restaurants, will be the ground floor’s largest tenant. Her sixth restaurant will be similar to the casual Windy Corner north of the city, which emphasizes local food at moderate prices.

Michel’s restaurant will use original outdoor terraces around the courthouse for dining space, as will a bourbon bar in the courthouse’s east front corner. Also on the ground floor will be a visitors center, with a tour bus loading zone on Upper Street.

The first floor will house VisitLex offices, while the second floor will become Breeders’ Cup headquarters, which are now in a suburban office park. The city will lease the top floor as event space that exposes the courthouse’s historic dome and gabled roof 56 feet above the floor. A private company will operate it.

All of this commercial space will be leased at market rates, proving revenue to make the building’s renovation and continued operation viable. About $8 million of the renovation is coming from state and federal historic preservation tax credits.

The renovation is expensive, because much work on the Richardsonian Romanesque -style building will require artisan labor. Other up-front costs include energy-saving technology, such as insulated windows and geothermal heating and cooling, which will reduce long-term operating costs.

This plan follows the same philosophy of Berke’s beautiful renovation of 21C Museum Hotel next door in the old First National Bank building: It preserves what historic fabric remains, while giving other spaces a clean, compatible new look.

There wasn’t much historical material left inside the courthouse, beyond some wood paneling in a courtroom that will be reused in the bourbon bar. The rest was stripped out and destroyed as part of a hideous modernization in 1960.

One major architectural element that was lost was a Y-shaped staircase of marble, iron and wood. A contemporary version of it will be re-created with details echoing the original, such as a wooden handrail and simulated pickets in glass side panels.

Luckily, the 1960 modernization didn’t destroy the historic dome. It was sealed up as a place to house HVAC equipment. This renovation will restore the dome and the electric twinkle lights in and around it, which were some of the first electric lights installed in Lexington.

The equestrian weather vane that stood atop the dome for decades until it was damaged in a 1981 storm will be restored or re-created.

Fire codes wouldn’t allow re-creating the original 105-foot atrium, which went from the ground floor to the dome. But that transparency will be simulated with glass floor panels in the first- and second-floor ceilings below the dome.

The restored dome and exposed gabled roof should make for some stunning event space, which will hold as many as 300 people and be open to all caterers.

“There is no space in Lexington like this,” Wiedemann said. “It is just going to be magnificent.”

The old courthouse square was a center of Lexington life from 1788 until a dozen years ago, when the courts moved to bigger quarters down the street. After that, neglect turned this block into a black hole.

Great cities are known by their great buildings. This is one of Lexington’s great buildings, and I am thrilled to see it coming back.

Work on Versailles School Apartments Ahead of Schedule

Wed, 27 Apr 2016 13:14:00 GMT

By Bob Vlach
Woodford Sun Staff

A room near the main entrance of Versailles School Apartments will become an office for its manager. Former classrooms are being converted into one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in a South Main Street building formerly occupied by the Woodford County Community Education Center and Versailles Elementary School. (Photo by Bob Vlach)

The transformation of a former school building at 299 South Main Street in downtown Versailles into a 13-unit apartment building is ahead of schedule, according to the director of development for AU Associates, Inc.

Graham said upfront architectural work led to few surprises during interior demolition, which also allowed construction workers to move ahead with framing the interiors of five one-bedroom, four two-bedroom and four three-bedroom apartments. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing installation work is also underway, he said. Jessey Taulbee, of Green Box Heating & Air, pictured, worked on a one-bedroom, basement apartment. (Photo by Bob Vlach)

In addition to having large photos and artwork in hallways to remind tenants and visitors that this apartment building was once Versailles Elementary School, built-in bookshelves will remain in classrooms being turned into apartments.

Tall ceilings and large windows from the building’s years as a school are also being preserved in living areas of apartments during this adaptive reuse. Hardwood floors are being refinished, and terrazzo flooring and ceramic wall tile in hallways are being preserved as well.

“That’s kind of the beauty of (this adaptive reuse),” said Graham, “people will always know” this was historically a school. He said AU Associates wants its adaptive reuse projects, including Versailles School Apartments, “to be historic and charming, but you want it to be livable too.”

To meet those needs, apartments have stackable washers and driers as well as kitchens equipped with stoves, refrigerators and dishwashers.

An open house around Halloween will allow former students and other community members to celebrate this adaptive reuse while touring Versailles School Apartments, according to Graham.

“You want to thank your community partners for letting us do something like this,” he said.

Low-income housing credits sold to investors, coupled with federal and state historic tax credits are funding construction costs of about $2.7 million, according to Graham.

He said families living in Versailles School Apartments will earn less than 60 percent of the mean income locally, which equates to about $24,000 for a single-person household and $29,000 for a two-person household (individuals earning $10 to $15 per hour).

“We’re not a government housing project so people will have to pay the rent that’s advertised – it’s just the rent that’s advertised is meant to meet those income requirements,” explained Graham. He said the long-term housing credits subsidize construction costs so AU Associates does not have to carry a heavy debt load on the project, which lowers the rent for apartments. A criminal background check for anyone interested in leasing an apartment and a secure-entry system will help ensure a safe community, he added.

The Woodford County Board of Education sold the aging school building at 299 South Main Street (most recently occupied by the Community Education Center) to AU Associates for $74,000. Founded by Holly Wiedemann in 1990, AU Associates has created over 350 units of mixed income housing, 100,000 square-feet of commercial space and over $50 million of projects across Kentucky and West Virginia, according to its website.

In 2000, AU Associates transformed an aging school building on South Winter Street near downtown Midway into Midway School Apartments.

(This article was published in the April 21, 2016, issue of The Woodford Sun, Versailles, Ky., and is used with permission.)
http://www.woodfordsun.com/

President Of AU Associates, Inc. Holly Wiedemann Inducted into Junior Achievement’s Bluegrass Business Hall Of Fame

Thu, 18 Feb 2016 21:13:00 GMT

2016 Bluegrass Business Hall of Fame

Inductees Announced

Tom Eblen: Lexington Developer Turns Campton’s Old School into Affordable Housing

Mon, 15 Feb 2016 21:11:00 GMT

BY TOM EBLEN

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

The old Wolfe County High School, built by the WPA from 1937-42 using local sandstone, sat vacant for a decade and was damaged by a 2012 hail storm and vandals two years later. It has now been restored by Lexington affordable-housing developer Holly Wiedemann as the Campton School Apartments. Tom Eblen teblen@herald-leader.com

Campton School Apartments Press Release

Wed, 13 Jan 2016 19:23:00 GMT

Ribbon Cutting Event to Celebrate the Grand Opening of The Campton School Apartments Project

CAMPTON, KY – AU Associates, Inc. proudly announces that an official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held Friday, January 15 ^th 2016 at 2 pm to celebrate the completion of The Campton School Apartments and Community Center. This dedication ceremony will take place at 166 Wolfe County Elementary Road, Campton, KY 41301. This project will bring 19 units of mixed-income senior housing to the City of Campton and Wolfe County, an area in desperate need of affordable housing options.

Originally built in 1942 to house the Old Wolfe County High School, this structure saw over 60 years of use as an educational institution and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Now, with a different purpose, it has been revitalized and adaptively reused to create the Campton School Apartments and Wolfe County Community Center. The building has been preserved in its original form and retrofitted with the most up-to-date amenities such as handicap access, convenient parking, and elevator service to all floors.

Confirmed guests of honor include Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers II, 97 ^th District State Representative Hubert Collins, Kentucky Housing Corporation Executive Director J. Kathryn Peters, Federal Home Loan Bank Cincinnati VP of Housing and Community Development Herman Bowling, City of Campton Mayor Raymond Banks, and Wolfe County Executive Judge Dennis Brooks.

“This building is absolutely stunning and I’m thrilled that everyone was able to come together and create this wonderful project for the community,” says AU’s President Holly B. Wiedemann. “There are so many buildings in Eastern Kentucky with the same potential as the Old Wolfe County School Building. My sincere hope is that other areas will follow Campton’s lead and take similar steps to both preserve their local history and give new purpose to those structures.”

The project will feature 19 units of mixed-income senior housing, 13 one-bedrooms and 6 two-bedrooms. 16 of these units will be designated as affordable housing, the driving force behind most of AU Associates’ endeavors. These luxury apartments will come equipped with energy efficient appliances, central heating and air, modern interior aesthetics, and 24 hour access to the onsite fitness center.

The structure will also house the new Wolfe County Community Center. This center will feature a full-sized gymnasium, a stage with state-of-the-art lighting and sound technology, and will be capable of hosting large community functions with ease.

Work on The Campton School Apartments Project began in October of 2014 and is the latest project completed by AU Associates, Inc. The Lexington-based company has already completed nearly two dozen developments since it was founded by Holly B. Wiedemann in 1990, four of which are also located in Eastern Kentucky.

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Parkside 2 Grand Opening Press Release

Thu, 08 Oct 2015 15:14:00 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AWARD WINNING DEVELOPER CONTINUES URBAN INFILL IN GARDENSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH OPENING OF 2 ^ND PHASE OF PARKSIDE PROJECT

LEXINGTON, KY – AU Associates, Inc. is pleased to announce the Grand Opening of Parkside 2, the 2nd phase of the Parkside Development in Lexington. AU has transformed the once blighted lot into 108 units of built, under construction, and planned affordable housing for families, and office space for the social service agencies Sunflower Kids and Bluegrass Domestic Violence. This Grand Opening will be an opportunity to celebrate with the City of Lexington, neighbors, and funding partners on a successful collaboration, as well as look to the future and garner local support for the planned Parkside 3, the third and final phase of the Parkside Development Project.

Mayor of Lexington Jim Gray and President and CEO of CAHEC Dana Boole are confirmed attendees and the featured speakers of the event, which will also highlight our funding partners: Citizen’s Union Bank of Shelbyville, Kentucky Housing Corporation, and the City of Lexington.

Utilizing tax credits provided by the Kentucky Housing Corporation and the City of Lexington HOME Funds, Parkside 2 is beautiful example of Urban Infill and Affordable Housing, two pillars of AU Associates’ work. The Parkside Project occupies a formerly abandoned lot in the Gardenside Neighborhood of Lexington, relieving the surrounding area of what many called an eyesore, and provides affordable housing to individuals that are within the 50%-60% area median income range.

“My goal has always been to build a home that I would want to live in myself.” says AU’s President and Owner Holly Wiedemann. “Each and every one of our projects is unique to the community that they’re in and Parkside is no different. To me, Parkside reflects the dualities of Lexington itself. Parkside 1 is distinctly urban, inspired by more modern architecture while Parkside 2 involves more natural elements that parallel the landscapes of the Bluegrass Region.”

With the opening of Parkside 2, 36 units of affordable living have been added to the project, doubling the previous amount to a total of 72 units. As of now, Parkside 3 in still in the development phase and hopes to gain the support of the City of Lexington and capture valuable tax credits in order to begin construction.

Previous media coverage of the Parkside Project can be found by following these links:

Lexington Herald Leader – Tom Elben

Business Lexington – Scott Hamilton

Recent media coverage of AU Associates, Inc. can be found by following these links:

Lexington Herald Leader – Beth Musgrave

The Lane Report

Lexington Herald Leader – Greg Kocher

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This event will take place at 10:30 a.m. EST on October 14, 2015 at 1060 Cross Keys Road, Lexington, Kentucky, 40507. Press and Public Welcome! For more information or an interview request please contact Johan Graham at 859-233-2009.

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A Peek Inside A Renovated Landmark, Springfield Sun

Thu, 13 Aug 2015 13:20:00 GMT

By John Overby
Photos by Nick Schrager
Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Robertson Building has large crowd for ribbon cutting ceremony.

There was a packed house during Friday’s ribbon cutting hoping to see firsthand the long-anticipated renovations of the historic 1896 W.K. Robertson Building.

It was originally constructed in 1896 as a dry goods store and served as a staple of downtown Springfield until the 1980s, the last time its facilities were used as a business.

The property, located on the corner of Main Street and Lincoln Park Road, was donated to the city in 2011, and plans were made immediately to help restore the historic building and put it back into use. Several ideas were discussed — everything from making it to an art studio to a coffee shop — but eventually, the decision was made to transform it into both an apartment complex and a commercial space.

An architectural report estimated that this type of renovation would cost approximately $1.8 million, so the city was forced to pursue grant funding in order to make the idea a reality.

Early efforts proved to be fruitless, as an initial application for a Community Development Block Grant was not successful.

This forced the city council to find alternate routes to secure the necessary money, such as a request for proposals, something it had successfully accomplished with the building that is now Mordecai’s On Main.

Two proposals were received by the city, and the project was awarded to Lexington-based AU Associates, Inc., pending a successful grant application with both the CDBG and HOME Investment Partnerships Program funding.

“AU has a stellar record of restoring historic properties and are exceptional at managing residential property,” city administrator Laurie Smith wrote in an email.

In turn, AU agreed to revert the commercial space and its income back to the city.

And the results of that partnership were on full display during the ceremony.

Lt. Gov. Crit Luallen was the keynote speaker at the Ribbon Cutting

Several speakers, including Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Crit Luallen and Springfield Mayor Debbie Wakefield, made opening remarks on the ground floor of the commercial space area.

Luallen commended Springfield on its ability to “preserve what is best throughout the past” by completing this development plan.

“This is a community that really knows how to come together and make a difference,” she said. “It’s an amazing project because it does so many things. It will not only preserve this important corner, but it will now be the home for families who will move into these wonderful new apartments in this building.”

Wakefield noted that the excitement about the Robertson Building renovations were evident by looking at how many people were in the crowd, before adding that people often hear about what big cities are doing but small cities can “do many things.”

For her, this project proves just that.

“One of our best opportunities in the cities, especially in the small cities, is protecting and rehabilitating our historic buildings that we have in our communities,” she said. “While many main streets across the country are seeing a decline, we are very proud to say that this project, in renovating this 1896 historic building, has established … (even more) for our vibrant downtown.”

Current Springfield Mayor Debbie Wakefield (left) and former Mayor John Cecconi presents Holly Wiedemann, AU Associates president and founder, with a painting of the Abraham Lincoln statue in front of the Washington County Judicial Center. Wiedemann said she would hang the painting in the offices at AU in Lexington.

After finishing her speech, Wakefield called up Dr. John Cecconi, who was the mayor when the project was in its beginning stages and helped see it through until the end of his tenure last year, to the podium.

Together, they presented a gift — a painting of the building — to AU president Holly Wiedemann.

After an official ribbon cutting in front of the main entrance, attendees were encouraged to take a tour of the seven apartments that would be rented out.

AU is the property manager for the residential section of the building, while the city will manage the commercial space. A decision on what the commercial space will become will not be made until after all of the bids are submitted prior to the Thursday, Sept. 3, deadline.

For apartment rental info, contact AU at 859-233-2009, and for questions about commercial rental, contact City Hall at 859-336-5440.

Lt. Gov. Crit Luallen cuts the ribbon after a short program kicked off Friday’s event. Luallen was there as the keynote speaker and noted that Springfield is a community that “really knows how to come together and make a difference.”

This article and related photos are courtesy of the Springfield Sun . To read the article, click here .

Grand Opening & Dedication Ceremony for The Robertson Apartments

Mon, 10 Aug 2015 16:41:00 GMT

To view the original article on The Lane Report , please click here

Robertson Apartments Grand Opening Press Release

Tue, 28 Jul 2015 18:55:00 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAND OPENING AND DEDICATION CEREMONY FOR ROBERTSON APARTMENTS & COMMERCIAL SPACE

AU Associates, Inc. is pleased to announce the ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for our latest project: Robertson Apartments and Commercial Space. Consisting of seven affordable housing units and over 2,000 square feet of commercial office or retail space, the preservation and adaptive reuse of the historic Robertson Building into apartments and storefront commercial space is the culmination of over a decade of work by local and state preservationists. The dedication ceremony will be an opportunity to celebrate with the City of Springfield, neighbors, and funding partners on a successful collaboration to create affordable housing and save a historic community asset.

Lieutenant Governor Crit Luallen will be the featured speaker at the event, which will also highlight our funding partners: Springfield State Bank, Kentucky Housing Corporation, Kentucky Heritage Council, and Kentucky Department for Local Government.

The Robertson Building is evidence of the relative prosperity in the area after the arrival of the railroad in 1889, and is representative of commercial development in Washington County during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The building’s elaborate architectural detailing and prominent location, sharing the town’s main intersection with the Washington County Courthouse, speak to the prosperity and patronage of W.K. Robertson’s dry goods business. The business was owned and continuously operated in this location by the Robertson family until 1982. The Robertson building’s impressive edifice visually and emotionally anchors Springfield’s still active Main Street.

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This event will take place at 11:00 a.m. EST on August 7, 2015 at the Robertson Building at 100 West Main Street in Springfield, Kentucky. Press and Public Welcome! For more information or an interview request please contact Johan Graham at 859-233-2009.

AU and CityVisions Team Up to Renovate Bluegrass Icon

Tue, 21 Jul 2015 17:30:00 GMT

From the Lexington Herald-Leader

Read the article here.

AU’s Grand Opening for Davis Park View Featured on WUKY

Fri, 21 Nov 2014 21:55:00 GMT

AU’s Grand Opening for Davis Park View was featured on WUKY Thursday, November 20th.

Click to listen to the podcast.

Funding Awarded for Sutton School Apartments

Tue, 26 Aug 2014 13:00:00 GMT

AU Associates, Inc. is pleased to announce that they have been awarded affordable housing tax credits from the state of West Virginia for the renovation of the former high school on town hill in Sutton, Braxton County, WV.

AU Associates, in partnership with the Central Appalachian Empowerment Zone, will transform the former high school into 23 units of senior housing. We are thankful to the Braxton County School Board for their patience and the Town of Sutton for their persistence in helping make this a reality.

Construction is expected to begin in the early fall of 2015 with an estimated construction cost of $2.4 million.

AU Associates, founded in 1990 by Holly Wiedemann on the principals of adaptive use, has been directly responsible for creating over 350 units of mixed income housing, 100,000 square feet of commercial space, and over $65 million of projects across the Commonwealth of Kentucky and West Virginia. AU’s developments, now spanning two decades, have received numerous local, state, and national awards.

Next Step for Robertson Building

Wed, 06 Aug 2014 20:00:00 GMT

From The Springfield Sun:

Read the article .

Groundbreaking for Affordable Housing Complex in Lexington

Mon, 09 Jun 2014 18:27:00 GMT

From WKYT:

Read the article .

AU Associates Receives Grassroots Partner Award

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 14:40:00 GMT

FRANKFORT, KY—AU Associates, Inc. and the Old Jenkins School Renovation Committee are the co-recipients of the Grassroots Partner Award, a new award created this year for the 36th Annual Ida Lee Willis Memorial Foundation Historic Preservation Awards. The awards ceremony took place Wednesday the 29th at the Governor’s Mansion.

The awards ceremony, presented in partnership by the Ida Lee Willis Memorial Foundation and the Kentucky Heritage Council, takes place each May during National Historic Preservation Month. The awards are named for Kentucky’s first state historic preservation officer, the late Ida Lee Willis, wife of the late former Governor Simeon Willis.

The Grassroots Partner Award was awarded for the preservation and restoration of the old Jenkins school into the Jenkins School apartments. The award was accepted by current committee chair James Polly, John and Rosemary Shook, who founded the committee, and Johan Graham of AU Associates.

The Jenkins School is locally significant and listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the largest and finest school to be produced as part of the efforts by Consolidated Coal Company to develop Jenkins, a coal camp, in the coal rich mountains of eastern Kentucky. Jenkins School’s construction in 1912 heralded a dramatic period of coal investment in Jenkins, leading the town to be considered one of the crown jewels of coal towns. As other Jenkins buildings of this period have been lost to neglect or demolition, Jenkins School and its level of preservation remains as a touchstone to the community’s coal industry heritage.
The Old Jenkins School Renovation Committee began working to preserve the building and prevent it from being demolished in 1992. In 2012, AU Associates stepped in to repurpose the historic school into safe, affordable senior housing, which opened in February.

This beautiful architectural symbol has been repurposed as 26 beautiful affordable housing units for seniors, the Jenkins Senior Citizens justify, and the Letcher County Government Access Television Studio. Beautiful one and two bedrooms are currently available for rent. The apartments are handicap accessible with an elevator to serve all floors. They also feature central heat and air conditioning, a community laundry room, and keyless electronic entry. Contact Misty Collins, property manager, at 606-832-2222 or Jenkins@auassociates.com to schedule a tour or obtain a rental application. Income and age restrictions apply. Equal Housing Opportunity.

For more information, please contact Johan Graham at 859.233.2009.For leasing information and current move-in specials, please contact Misty Collins at 606.832.2222.

Holly Wiedemann Featured in June Multifamily Executive & Affordable Housing Finance

Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:32:00 GMT

April 23, 2014 | by Donna Kimura

AU Associates transforms historic schools, post offices, and other buildings into much-needed affordable and mixed-income housing in Kentucky and West Virginia.

Holly Wiedemann breathes new life into old, vacant buildings.

The founding principal and president of AU Associates in Lexington, Ky., Wiedemann revitalizes existing structures into affordable and mixed-income housing. Among the buildings her firm has transformed are a former tuberculosis hospital, a 100-year-old post office, and 11 historic schools.

While new construction and urban infill projects make up about 25 percent of AU’s work, adaptive-reuse properties are the company’s wheelhouse, at 75 percent of its portfolio.

AHF sat down with Wiedemann to learn how her company has thrived, and expanded, its business.

What makes the adaptive reuse of schools into affordable housing work?
Schools are wonderful buildings to recycle. They generally have generous hallways, high ceilings, abundant windows that create light-filled apartments, and are incredibly sturdy. Their usual layout is double-loaded corridors, which makes for a building that still retains a familiar old-school feel after it’s transformed.

We work diligently with the state historic preservation offices and the National Park Service to retain as many features as we can while still adhering to the energy-efficiency requirements of the housing finance authorities. Windows are always tricky, and I think our development result speaks for itself.

Most interesting item found in a building you were converting:
It’s hard to narrow it down. I have to share a few. The basement of our office headquarters has tree trunks, with the bark intact, that serve as beams. We traced the history of our property, and the earliest records we could find place it as being transferred in 1801. It was quite old then, so who knows who might have walked these same floors before Kentucky even became a state?

In the old Jackson (Ky.) Post Office, built in 1914, we discovered a series of catwalks where the postmaster could surreptitiously watch the employees performing every task (even in the washrooms!). Further research revealed that all post offices built during an extensive time period also contained hidden surveillance catacombs. Sometimes, what appeared to be a closet door opened to reveal a drop down a chute—and a big one, at that.

In our 1913 YMCA building, when we removed the dropped ceilings, we discovered ornate plaster ceilings in dimensional relief. We were able to hire the same family-run company (still in business after 80-plus years) to repair the acanthus leaves, using the original plaster molds from the original construction.

In one elementary school, the library had inlaid silhouettes of nursery rhymes in the flooring. It was a beautiful detail. We kept it in place, and one apartment has the distinct pleasure of [seeing] Jack and Jill, the cow [that] jumped over the moon, and Humpty-Dumpty in their living room.

What recent move has your firm made that other developers can learn from?
The success of AU is a result of the people who work here. I believe it is important to keep that foremost. My job is to remove barriers from the path of my team, so we can move forward together. Last year, we began our own property management arm. We really didn’t have enough critical mass of units at the time, but we decided we couldn’t afford not to manage our properties ourselves.

Now, in conjunction with our development and construction divisions, we’re completely vertically integrated. The good news is that we’re all dependent upon each other. The bad news is that if one division isn’t meeting expectations, it affects all of us. None of us can afford to say, “That’s not my job.” We all have to pitch in and problem-solve.

Why affordable housing matters:
We provide housing for those who otherwise would be living in desperate situations. The provision of affordable housing reflects the humanity of our society, in the need to provide shelter for those less fortunate. The need has become more critical every year, as we’re providing much-needed housing with increasingly scarce resources.

In addition to my own thoughts, I went to our director of property management for some direct feedback. Given that we develop throughout rural Appalachia in both Kentucky and West Virginia, we’re in high-poverty areas. Many of our residents experienced substandard plumbing, no insulation, and $400 utility bills in mobile homes prior to living in our developments. Their suffering knew no bounds and was considered the norm before we arrived.

One of our residents, an 18-year-old, told us that our development was the first home in which he felt safe.

Where would we find you when you’re not working?
That’s easy: On my horse, competing. I love jumping and the joy that comes with that. I also love to fly-fish. We live alongside a beautiful creek that boasts smallmouth bass. I rarely catch anything, but I enjoy that it demands my complete focus, and I love to be surrounded by nature.

What’s next for AU Associates?
We have to always continue to learn how to do things better, faster, and more comprehensively. One of my favorite sayings is that experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want. We have a ton of experience.

I’d like us to continue on a path of success and expand our property management to leverage our existing people as we add more. The same with our construction division. I’d like us to do some bigger projects that capitalize on our hard-earned experience.

As another friend of mine would say, we’ll keep doing what we’re doing until we get it wrong.

View the articles here & here

First Ward Apartments Featured in March-April DCD Magazine

Tue, 15 Apr 2014 15:19:00 GMT

AU’s First Ward Apartments in Elkins, WV, were featured in the March-April issue of the Design Cost Data Magazine.

Click to view Article

20 Years Later, Old School Is Saved

Tue, 18 Feb 2014 20:55:00 GMT

By SALLY BARTO

Jim Polly, a member of the Old Jenkins School Committee, Holly B. Wiedemann, president of AU Associates, Inc., and Jenkins Mayor G.C. Kincer shared an oversized pair of scissors to cut ribbon signifying the completion of Jenkins School. AU Associates preserved the 101-year-old Jenkins school building, which contains apartments for senior citizens, a senior citizens center and a studio for Letcher County’s government operated television channel.For more than 20 years a group of citizens in Jenkins has been trying to save the old school building located downtown.

“We sunk our teeth into it and we would not let go until something good happened,” said Jim Polly, chairman of the Old Jenkins School Committee.

In 1992, people began to notice the decline of state of the vacant building. The roof was leaking. Windows were out.

Rosemary Shook, a former educator, moved back to Jenkins from Florida around that time with her husband John Shook, a former Jenkins Independent Schools superintendent. Mrs. Shook cried when she saw the condition of the school.

Community members who wanted to keep the school building from being demolished formed the Old Jenkins School Committee. Members include D. Charles Dixon, Ked Sanders, Rosemary Shook, Betty Hunsaker, Peggy Greer, Paul Thomas Greer, Jimmy Polly and Pelma Dixon. The committee raised more than $30,000 trying to save the building.

After some major cleaning, Polly said thousands of people toured the building.
“That showed the love people had for this building,” said Polly.

The county government bought the old high school in the late 1970s and spent $1.6 million on the building in coal severance tax funding from June 29, 2000 to July 31, 2008.
Letcher County Judge/ Executive Jim Ward said he called Lexington-based AU Associates after learning the company had completed a similar preservation project in Jackson County. Ward wanted AU Associates to transform one of the old schools owned by the county into affordable housing. Jenkins, Kingdom Come and Campbell’s Branch schools were considered for renovations. AU Associates entered into a 50- year lease agreement in February 2013 with Letcher Fiscal Court to preserve and use the old Jenkins School, located on Pane Street.

“Look at how much they have preserved this building,” said Ward. “They have done an excellent job. We were able to take this building and make it a successful building for the City of Jenkins and the county. I’m just amazed at how well all of this has turned out.”
Costs associated with the renovation were projected to reach $3.1 million, according to Johan Graham, director of development for AU Associates.

Kentucky Housing Corporation allocated more than $400,000 in tax credits to help AU Associates obtain equity needed to provide affordable housing, said Andrew Hawes, managing director-multifamily programs with Kentucky Housing Corporation.

AU Associates also received $ 302,000 in subsidy for home resources.
“We’re very happy to allocate these resources to projects like this that will have a lasting impact to residents of a community,” said Hawes.

Historic tax credits were awarded through the Kentucky Heritage Council.

“Historic preservation is economic development,” said Craig Potts, state historic preservation officer. “The Jenkins School is a landmark in this community. Because of the work done here by AU and others it will remain so well into the future.”

Instead of an empty lot and a landfill full of building materials, Potts said Jenkins has a high quality facility that enhances the community.

“After all, is Jenkins really the same without Jenkins School?” asked Potts.

Construction began in mid- March and the project, which is called “Jenkins School,” is completed. Renters have already begun moving into apartments.

The 40,639-square-foot building is made up of five levels. The senior citizens center and government operated television studio will take up 4,796 square feet. The apartment units occupy a total of 20,682 square feet. The remainder of the building is hallway and circulation space, Graham said.

Apartments, a mechanical room and a laundry room are located in the basement. The old gymnasium/auditorium area will house the senior citizens center, which will include a state-of-the art commercial kitchen installed by AU. The studio for channel 98 is located on the old stage. A large glass wall separates the TV studio from the senior citizens center. Apartments are also located on the third, fourth and fifth levels.

A new plumbing system and roof are a part of the renovation as well. The exterior of the building has been cleaned and a new entrance was added to the back of the building.
AU Associates maintained many of the features that have made it such a beloved structure to many. Original building materials that remained in good condition — including American chestnut wainscot and trimming — have been restored, Graham said, and are an integral part of the transformation. The old scoreboard in the gym has been left intact, as has the old archway in the basement.

“Somehow they seem to be able to keep the historic nature of the structure and still modernize it to provide the safe sanitary housing that each renter deserves and needs,” said Phillip Wilkie, senior acquisitions manager with Community Affordable Housing Equity Corporation.
The building’s new design was based on the existing layout of the old school, which resulted in eight different floor plans for the building’s 26 apartment units.

“It’s expertly crafted to bring out modern amenities but a true sense of the historic nature of this building,” said Graham.

The facility is decorated with school memorabilia including a majorette costume and the old school bell.

Historic photos found in yearbooks, archives and the Smithsonian Institution were transferred to canvases and placed in the Jenkins School.

“We’re here to welcome back into your midst your sparkling, renovated and re-imagined Jenkins School apartments, the senior center and this amazing television station,” said Holly B. Wiedemann, president of AU Associates, during the ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony on Feb. 11. “This outstanding school building represented the quality of the town and because of the quality of the education here the school expanded in 1924 and then again in 1936. It became one of the largest schools in this region.”

Wiedemann said Jenkins residents have known and loved the school for many years and it’s a testament to the community that it still stands.

“It’s generous classrooms, wonderful gym and stage were no doubt the site of many life-forming memories,” said Wiedemann. “What a rich history we have here. We were honored to help the dreams of the Old Jenkins SchoolCommittee under the leadership of Jim Polly become a reality.”

Polly thanked AU Associates for its willingness to include the Old Jenkins School Committee in the renovation process.

Polly said the end result is beyond anything that the old school committee dreamed it could be.

“You may think that a building project such as this can’t happen,” said Polly. “For 20 years we were told that can’t happen. Nobody is going to come in and spend the time and money that it is going to take to renovate the old school. Well, somebody did. So don’t let anybody tell you that something can’t happen because with enough hard work, enough prayers and enough love anything can happen.”

100 Years Later, Jenkins School Will Become Senior Housing

Thu, 19 Dec 2013 14:47:00 GMT

Jenkins High School will become apartments for seniors, TV studio and Senior Citizens Center.

[From the News-Press Extra.]

December EXTRA

Martha Dryden Accepts Award from Kentucky Housing Corporation

Mon, 28 Oct 2013 19:40:00 GMT

On October 9th, 2013, Martha Dryden of AU Associates accepted the 2013 For-Profit Affordable Housing Builder Award from the Kentucky Housing Corporation.

Image taken from the Kentucky Housing Corporation’s website . View all images from the awards presentation.

Grand Opening and Dedication Ceremony for Federal Place Apartments

Fri, 25 Oct 2013 20:38:00 GMT

A ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony was held by AU Associates, Inc. on Tuesday, Oct. 15, for Federal Place Apartments on Broadway. Comprised of fourteen affordable housing units for seniors, the adaptive reuse of the historic Jackson Federal Post Office into apartments is the culmination of the local citizens and leaders’ efforts to save Jackson’s most iconic architectural building.

The dedication ceremony was an opportunity to celebrate with the City of Jackson, the citizens of Breathitt County, neighbors, and funding partners on a successful collaboration to create affordable housing and save an historic community asses. AU Associates partners include Citizens Bank and Trust of Jackson, the Kentucky Housing Corporation, the Kentucky Department for Local Government, the City of Jackson, the Kentucky Heritage Council, and the Breathitt County Fiscal Court.

The Old Jackson Post Office is locally significant and listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the largest and most elaborately detailed building in the community from the early 20th century. It is the finest example of high style design in the local architectural area and significant in its relation to the Federal Government and the height of Jackson’s rich coal history.

This project was financed with State and Federal Historic Tax Credits. The State of Kentucky HIstoric Tax Credit is serving three projects in the area (Breathitt, Wolfe, Lee, Owsley, Perry, Knott, and Magoffin Counties) totaling investments of more than $9,039,000. It is a tremendous local preservation resource that needs to be expanded in order to help preserve more of rural heritage in Kentucky.

The above article was printed in the Thursday, October 17, 2013 issue of the Jackson-Breathitt County Times Voice.

Winner – Best Historic Rehab Utilizing LIHTCs – Small (Under $5 Million Development Costs)

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 17:38:00 GMT

The National Housing & Rehabilitation Association is pleased to announce that we selected the winners & judges awards finalists for the 2013 J. Timothy Anderson Awards for Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation!

Fondly referred to as “The Timmys,” the awards honor outstanding rehabilitation and preservation projects based on several criteria, including overall design and quality, interpretation and respect of historic elements, and market success. NH&RA created the “Timmy Awards” as a tribute to Boston architect and preservation advocate J. Timothy Anderson. “Anderson was a singular figure in the preservation industry pioneering the adaptive reuse of historic buildings,” said Peter Bell, Executive Director of the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association and a close personal friend of Anderson’s. His legacy includes numerous Boston area projects as well as the seminal study that helped launch preservation efforts in the art deco South Beach district of Miami Beach in the late ‘70s.

NH&RA thanks our 2013 Timmy Awards Judges:
Josh Anderson, Cedar Bend Consulting
Lisa Craig, City of Annapolis
John Kelly, Nixon Peabody LLP
Nick Ratti, CohnReznick
Karl Stumpf, RTKL Associates Inc.
Brad White, Brad White & Associates

Questions? For more information about NH&RA and the Timmy Awards contact Caitlin Geary at 202-939-1778 or cgeary@housingonline.com .

Winner – Best Historic Rehab Utilizing LIHTCs – Small (Under $5 Million Development Costs)

First Ward School Apartments, Elkins, WV
Developer: AU Associates, Inc. (Lexington, KY)
Architect: Omni Associates – Architects (Fairmont, WV)
Historic Consultant: Historic Rehab, LLC (Richmond, VA)

Placed in service in July 2013, this $3.7 million development involved the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of a two-story building constructed in 1908 that was used for nearly 70 years as a public school before closing in 1976. The red brick structure was then used for more than three decades primarily for storage for the county school board. The board transferred the vacant and deteriorated building to a local civic group (C-HOPE), which obtained a grant to repair the roof and stabilize the structure with a deadline to rehabilitate the building for community use within five years. AU Associates, Inc. renovated the building to create 16 affordable one- and two-bedroom apartments and turned the property over to the ultimate owner, Highland Community Builders, a local nonprofit. Funding sources for the project included equity generated by federal housing and federal and state historic tax credits (syndicated by Community Affordable Housing Equity Corporation), general partner equity, and a first mortgage from C-HOPE.

The above was excerpted from an article on the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association’s Housing Online . View original article .