A wrecking ball brought down the Phoenix Hotel in downtown Lexington in February 1982. The Phoenix was demolished in 1981 and 1982 by Wallace Wilkinson, who planned to build the World Coal Center skyscraper. It was never built, and the site eventually became the Park Plaza Apartments and Phoenix Park. Wilkinson was elected governor in 1987, serving one term. Click here to see other photos from our archives of the landmark hotel. Photo by Charles Bertram | Staff