A look back at Jim Gray’s time as Lexington’s mayor
After the elections this past November, former Vice-Mayor Linda Gorton has taken the reins of mayoral power January 6th from longtime Lexington mayor Jim Gray. As Gray leaves office, it is important to look back on the outstanding job that he has done for the city of Lexington.
Among the myriad of events which took place during the last eight years, none were more controversial than the Confederate statues which until recently adorned the front of the old courthouse downtown. Following the horrible events in Charlottesville, VA, a national dialogue was started on the meaning and purpose of these monuments to generals and notable persons of the Confederacy. Mayor Gray was able to assess the situation and work with historians and experts to determine a suitable alternative for the statues, the cemetery where the men are buried. With the removal of the statues, Gray went on to renovate the old courthouse, turning it into a center for Lexingtonians featuring a restaurant, bar, event space, and a visitor’s center.
In addition to the removal of the statues, Mayor Gray was also involved in other activities downtown. During his tenure, the growth of downtown Lexington was remarkable. From the addition of new stores and restaurants, to the overall quality of the downtown area, Mayor Gray has overseen a revitalization of a once dull area, much to the benefit of his constituents.
During the last eight years, Lexington has seen an increase of around 33,000 jobs during Gray’s tenure, a tenure which started right after the economic recession of 2008. A lot of these jobs can be attributed to the many construction projects around Lexington. Two of Gray’s construction projects are scheduled to be completed after he leaves office. The first of these is Centrepoint, now called City Center, a longstanding project of Lexington. Due to funding issues, the project has been slow moving, even remaining as a large pit for a time, but the building is scheduled to be in operation later this year. The other, Town Branch Park, broke ground last year and is supposed to create a park around the Town Branch Creek, which runs underneath the streets of Lexington.
While Mayor Gray might tell you that he feels that he has unfinished business, his job as mayor was impeccable. He was able to lead Lexington through trying times and establish Lexington as a destination to visit in Kentucky. While he is no longer in office, Gray says that he doesn’t plan to leave Lexington anytime soon and will continue to give back to the city.