Downtown Covington's 1985 Transition

In 1985 the dozen or so blocks of "downtown Covington" were undergoing a transition. Stores were closing, buildings were going vacant, professionals were moving their offices to new one-story brick buildings on the perimeter of the city. Then something began to happen.

People bought up the old downtown buildings and began renovating them. Specialty shops began moving into the vacant storefronts. Professionals began buying up the old office spaces, fixing them up, painting them, and in some cases adding architectural flourishes. Covington was being re-born. It was a difficult process to begin, and it is still ongoing today.

Here is an article I wrote about those original efforts to turn the downtown around. Click on the image to make it larger. 

 

See also:

Covington Downtown Photographs in 1982

Downtown Covington in the early 1970's

Downtown Covington 2018