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This series of articles has featured high- In 1967, while he was still in high school,
profile University of Kentucky alumni who left I—Iarold ‘escaped’ to New York City to stay
the Commonwealth to achieve early career for an extended period of time with an older
successes and eventually returned to the sister While he was there he became totally
Bluegrass Region to make a significant, positive fascinated with architecture — so much so that
impact, personally and professionally on Central when he returned to Kentucky he enrolled at
Kentucky and often beyond. UK’s School of Architecture, where his first
work—study assignment was with the City’s
I This article features I—Iarold Tate, a UK College of Parks and Recreation Department. Three years
Architecture grad who, after a very successful later his work—study challenge was actually
career within our Lexington City/Urban County to create architectural renderings of many of
government, also ‘left.’ However Tate didn’t Lexington’s historic buildings, e.g., Loudon
leave Kentucky; instead, he retired — for a brief I—Iouse, Morton I—Iouse, and Bell I—Iouse. For his
seven months — and then returned to embark on fifth and final year in Architecture school, his
a second career in the public arena as President internship assignment was in Washington, D.C.,
and Executive Director of the Lexington again focusing on historic buildings and their
Downtown Development Authority. preservation. After graduation, he returned to
/ Lexington and began his remarkable career in
I Ag e H¤r¤ici WGS born in PGGWGG public service, first with the City and shortly
  ____·    < Valley, Kentucky, into a thereafter with the merged Lexington—Fayette
7 J l       farming family. I—Iis young life Urban County Government.
  »·     changed when his parents
  I divorced and his mother "During the late 70s I wore many hats around
M " -· remarried, an event that here," Tate recalled. "In 1979 I worked with
....,»- A resulted in his becoming the the local Community Development Block
. _P middle child in a ‘Brady- Grant Program, where I helped oversee the
 —   bunch—like’ family of redevelopment of three downtown blocks, now
  — ° eleven children. Victorian Square, Triangle Center (then Festival
    `   .,,_ » . Market), and the Lexington Dry Goods Building
`T   ` 1 ‘ (now Portofino’s and Thomas and King’s
IOW 7 » corporate offices)."
l if
I 17 ll l\ Later on behalf of the Urban County
,.1   » / Government, he was significantly involved
4 '   with the 24—month warp—speed design and
( f fi construction of the new Fayette County jail as
T   ’ ,   well as the new center—city twin courthouses.
I · tg Q _ "After which," he smiled, "in 2001 I hung it up,
l , ,\ L2, slowed down, quit, retired, got out of the rat
{ I race." And how long did that last?
l Q  "Well, five months later [then] Mayor Pam Miller
_ ` V I  /1  A —, and [then] Dean of UK Architecture School
vv M,-"__.;   David Mohney convinced me that I could help
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