Red Mile presents proposed development plans

Officials of The Red Mile presented a plan Tuesday night in a public meeting held in Lexington that call for development of 68 acres of the 132-acre site that includes business, retail shops and residences, including 150 to 200 condominiums and apartments targeted toward young professionals.

The plan also calls for 300,000 square feet of retail and office space and a hiking trail along Red Mile Road, while preserving the racetrack itself, grandstand and the historic Round Barn.

Longtime owner and breeder Myrna Sholty, the widow of Hall of Famer George Sholty and the mother of trainer Buzzy Sholty, was present at the meeting and expressed her opposition to a proposed access road between the track and development on a nearby street.

"There will not be enough stables,” Sholty was quoted as saying in Wednesday’s Lexington Herald Leader. “There won't be room for a detention barn, maintenance equipment, horse trailers or a blacksmith. They have not allowed enough acreage to put on a race meet.”

A person representing the design firm hired by The Red Mile said with the development, horses could then be stabled at adjacent Tattersalls.

The Red Mile will have to file for a zone change to allow for mixed-used development. Currently, the track is zoned for agriculture. Any change must be approved by the Planning Commission and Urban County Council.

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