10-acre Town Branch Park to be built in downtown Lexington

Construction will begin in 2018

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 26, 2017) — Mayor Jim Gray and Ann Bakhaus, chair of the Town Branch Fund Advisory Board, today announced plans for Town Branch Park, a world-class, signature park in downtown Lexington. They also announced more than $5 million in leadership gifts for the park, which is a public private partnership.

The roughly 10-acre park is located in the Manchester/Cox Street lot, behind Rupp Arena. It will connect with the Town Branch Greenway, a park and trail system that will wind through downtown. The Greenway connects 22 miles of protected bike and pedestrian paths, including the Legacy Trail and Town Branch Trail. Construction of the Greenway will begin in 2018.

The city, through Lexington Center, is making the land available to the park long-term. Plans for the new convention center, one of the largest public investments since Rupp Arena was built in the 1970s, are expected to be announced in late July.

The new convention center and the new park are expected to stimulate the economy and grow jobs.

“The park is a significant investment in quality of life,” Gray said. “Quality of life attracts new jobs to Lexington. It also enables businesses already located in Lexington to attract top employees and to grow. Quality of life has economic value; it gives Lexington a competitive edge.”

Construction of the park is expected to begin in within the next five years.

Plans call for the park to include:

• Native landscaping and botanical experiences
• One of a kind opportunities for children’s play
• Interactive water features
• A performance pavilion and event law
• A dog park
• A café
• Destination dining opportunities

Leadership gifts for Town Branch Park:

• Bakhaus Family Foundation
• Blue Grass Community Foundation
• Cornett
• Eli and Mary Lynne Capilouto
• Ford and Allison Lankford Charitable Fund
• Gray Construction
• Ingram Charitable Fund
• James Graham Brown Foundation
• James P. Gray II
• Kip and Ellen Cornett
• Pearse and Deidre Lyons
• Stephen and Patricia Grossman
• The Mt. Brilliant Foundation