About Us

Our Organization

The Downtown Lexington Management District (“the District”) is Lexington’s first property tax business improvement district, composed of downtown businesses and stakeholders. Our organization is patterned on well-established districts in cities from New York to Louisville. Both research and experience show that successful business improvements create safer, cleaner, more desirable places to work, live, and visit, all enhancing the value of downtown business and property.

Our Mission

The District’s mandate is to use the collected property taxes in ways that will foster economic development and ultimately improve property values within the District. Each and every project or idea will always have the same goal, which is to create a downtown District that becomes a desired destination for both visitors and locals. In short, our goal is to foster a downtown renaissance, a revitalization of the heart of our city that will benefit not just property owners and businesses but the city at large and beyond.

In service of this mission, the District will provide services in areas such as downtown beautification, marketing/promotion of the downtown area, and grant funding for projects within the District. Daily operations of the District will include downtown ambassadors, friendly faces who will ensure that public areas are clean and well-maintained, provide directions to shoppers, and maintain enhanced landscaping, in addition to improving safety and security in the District.

Our History
For the past few years, the property owners now within the purview of the District organized and petitioned the Urban County Council for the creation of the Downtown Lexington Management District (DLMD). Many dedicated individuals with a vision for downtown were involved in this effort, which gained support within the community and the City Council. An ordinance creating the District, Ordinance No. 52-2015, was passed in May 2015, and the District has now been renewed twice, most recently in 2025.  The Board comprises fifteen hardworking volunteers who are committed to improvements that benefit all property owners within the District.

Our Partner

The District is fortunate to contract with an experienced partner, Block-by-Block, to provide day-to-day management of the district. Block-by-Block operates in more than seventy improvement districts across the U.S., and is headquartered just down the road in Louisville. Block-by-block will hire, equip, train, and supervise District employees.

Get Involved

Are you a property owner or tenant within the Downtown Lexington Management District or someone with technical knowledge of beautification, security or economic improvement? If so, the DLMD is looking for Advisory Council members with a passion for Downtown Lexington and skills and expertise to advise the board. For more information or to apply, please click the link below.

DLMD District Map