PRESS RELEASE – 21c Museum Hotels plans to develop a new combination boutique hotel, contemporary art museum and restaurant in downtown Lexington pending the approval of city government and other financing incentives. The hotel would be located in the historic Fayette National Bank Building and the adjacent three-story building on West Main. It will be 21c Museum Hotels’ third historic restoration project and fourth project overall. Construction is expected to begin in the next twelve months and the hotel would open in 2014. Once open, the property will create approximately 150 jobs in Lexington.
Steve Wilson, CEO and Co-Founder of 21c Museum Hotels notes, “My wife Laura Lee Brown and I both grew up in Kentucky, and we are committed to Kentucky. We are proud to be a part of Mayor Jim Gray’s efforts to make Lexington an even more dynamic city. This is a vibrant community with an outstanding university and we look forward to supporting its cultural life.”
21c Museum Hotel will be located in the Fayette National Bank Building on Main Street in downtown Lexington. Similar to the property in Louisville, it will be woven into the fabric of downtown, welcoming both visitors and members of the community to experience its rotating exhibitions, participate in its cultural events and enjoy its culinary offerings. The Museum will be open to the public free of charge. The property will also feature a restaurant that supports sustainable agriculture and showcases locally grown and produced ingredients.
Design Architect Deborah Berke and Partners will take the lead on the project; Berke also designed 21c’s Louisville; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Bentonville, Arkansas hotels. The company’s Louisville property combines five 19th century Bourbon and tobacco warehouses to create the 90 room hotel, museum and restaurant. Berke’s design won an Honor Award from the Kentucky Society of Architects and the American Institute of Architects, which recognizes high artistic achievement and groundbreaking design. Berke is also working on the restoration of the Metropole Building, which will be home to 21c Cincinnati. The Metropole is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is being restored following federal standards for historic rehabilitation. 21c Bentonville is new construction and Berke’s design integrates extensive natural lighting throughout the 100,000 square foot property.
About 21c Museum Hotels
Founded in 2007, 21c Museum Hotels is a growing company that oversees the expansion and management of 21c Museum Hotel nationally. 21c Museum Hotel was founded in Louisville, Kentucky by Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, philanthropists and arts patrons, who had a vision for bringing art into people’s daily lives and supporting the revitalization of their hometown. The property combines a 90-room boutique hotel, contemporary art museum, award-winning restaurant, and cultural civic center in the heart of downtown Louisville. With 9,000
square feet of art-filled meeting and event space, 21c guests enjoy authentic Southern hospitality while exploring the work of contemporary artists in North America’s only museum dedicated solely to art of the 21st Century. Voted among the top 10 hotels in the world in 2009, 2010 and 2011 in the Condé Nast Traveler annual Readers’ Choice Awards, 21c Museum Hotel is redefining the art of hospitality. Due to the success of the Louisville property and with strong local partners who share the belief that art can be an economic driver for a community, 21c is expanding outside of Louisville. Hotels are under construction in Bentonville, AR and Cincinnati, OH and the company plans to develop 15 properties over the next five to ten years. For more information visit www.21cMuseumHotels.com.
For press information contact:
Stephanie Greene
21c Museum Hotels
502.582.6300 x112
sgreene@21chotels.com
