A lengthy transformation continues in a community near downtown Lexington. You could say discussions began a half-century ago, but the real transition began just over a decade ago.
It’s a tranquil area on this late summer day on Lexington’s DeRoode Street. But, what if the soil could talk about vast changes over the years. The area between Versailles Road and South Broadway was once home to the Davis Bottom neighborhood. Established in 1867, it became a diverse community, home of African American, white European and Appalachian families. After decades of talk, the movement to extend Newtown Pike led to the complete destruction and rebuilding of what had become an economically depressed area. Ed Holmes is president of EHI Consultants. He said a massive federal transportation grant was a difference maker.
