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OFFICE OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR JACQUELINE COLEMAN








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Lt. Gov. Coleman Helps Break Ground on The Railyard Workforce Housing Development in Lexington
  

*LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 4, 2025)* – Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman joined state and local leaders Wednesday in Lexington to break ground on The Railyard, a new mixed-income, mixed-use infill development that will deliver 32 rental homes and neighborhood retail on a long-vacant former industrial site on Delaware Avenue.

“Every Kentuckian deserves a safe place to call home,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “This exciting new project in Lexington is an example of the good that happens when state, local and private partners come together with the shared goal of creating affordable housing for our people.”  

“We believe access to affordable and safe housing is a basic human right,” said Lt. Gov. Coleman. “It will take all of us working together to create more affordable housing in Kentucky. I am thrilled to break ground on this project, which will change the trajectory of 32 Lexington families.”

The more-than-$7.5 million project, which received $25,000 in funding from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet and is eligible for a state tax reduction through Kentucky's Brownfield Redevelopment and Reuse Program, will include 12 one-bedroom apartments reserved for residents earning up to 80% of the area median income, along with two ground-floor commercial spaces. The Railyard is being developed by 1000 Delaware LLC, a Lexington-based company led by developer Will Hanrahan. 

Local partners highlighted The Railyard as a model for how Lexington can grow inside its existing neighborhoods while expanding housing choices for working households.

“Throughout the development process, Will has demonstrated a true commitment to community partnership, working to reimagine this site in a way that leaves a lasting, meaningful impact on the surrounding neighborhood and community at large,” said Brittany Roethemeier, executive director of Fayette Alliance. “The Railyard showcases how Lexington can redevelop its urban core to provide both jobs and more affordable housing options. It is a blueprint for creative, intentional development and proof that infill is a feasible growth strategy for Lexington-Fayette County.”

“The Railyard shows what collaboration can accomplish. This project brings together financing from Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and the Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises, Inc. (Fahe) on a project that will expand access to workforce housing and contribute to neighborhood revitalization and local economic growth. We are honored to be part of a partnership that is turning a shared vision into a lasting community asset,” said Fahe CEO Jim King.

“Today, we are not just celebrating a project. We are celebrating persistence. We are celebrating collaboration. And we are celebrating what happens when we look at a forgotten piece of land and see possibility instead of problems,” said Kentucky Brownfield Program coordinator Kiersten O’Leary. “The Railyard is proof that when we take the time to understand a property’s past, we can build a safer, stronger future on it.”

Commerce Lexington President and CEO Bob Quick also emphasized the project’s role in regional competitiveness and talent attraction: “I am pleased to congratulate 1000 Delaware LLC on its groundbreaking of The Railyard, a new mixed-income, mixed-use development. This project not only helps fill our housing deficit in Lexington but also addresses the need for more affordable housing options. As the Greater Lexington region continues to collaborate on the Regional Competitiveness Plan, it will be important to create more developments like this to support our talent recruitment and retention efforts.”

Councilmember Liz Sheehan welcomed the project as a concrete step toward the city’s stated housing goals: “I am thrilled to see this transformative mixed-use development come to Lexington’s Fifth District. On Council, we often say that our priority is increasing housing within our urban core, and The Railyard puts that promise into practice.”

Developer Will Hanrahan of 1000 Delaware LLC also provided remarks thanking state and local partners for their support.

The Railyard is located on a one-acre former industrial property less than two miles from downtown Lexington, major health-care employers and the University of Kentucky. The site carries a long rail and industrial history that has shaped the project’s design theme and name. Construction is expected to be completed within 12 months of the groundbreaking, with the first residents anticipated to move in late 2026.

The project is supported through a combination of grants, loans and resources  from local and state partners, including the Lexington Affordable Housing Fund, LFUCG Economic Development, the LFUCG Division of Water Quality and the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet.

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