{Lexington, Kentucky}...The University of Kentucky is in final negotiations with Shriners Hospitals for Children to build a facility for the charitable organization on South Limestone across the street from UK's new patient bed tower. C.J. Parrish, spokeswoman for Masonic Homes of Kentucky, confirmed Tuesday that the organization has had informal discussions with Shriners officials about buying the 29-acre property for a seniors community. Michael Karpf, UK's executive vice president for health affairs, says the UK Board of Trustees would have to approve the development plan at its meeting next week. At that point, Shriners and UK could enter into an agreement for a long-term ground lease to make way for a roughly $50 million, 100,000-square-foot building on the block between Conn Terrace and State Street. Shriners would pay for the construction, and UK would lease back 50,000 square feet for an ophthalmology clinic. UK already owns 10 of the 14 buildings on the block. The university is in negotiations to acquire the other four. Shriners Hospitals for Children in Lexington, one of 22 Shriners hospitals around the country, was founded in 1926 at Good Samaritan as a hospital for children with polio. Today, the Richmond Road facility focuses on pediatric orthopedics, with two surgical suites and 50 hospital beds.
