The City of Lexington, in collaboration with the Bluegrass Community Foundation, and the Lexington Downtown Development Authority, has released a new design for Town Branch Park, which will become the keystone public space of the city, a world class urban park, and a game-changer for Lexingtonians for generations to come.
SCAPE designed the park, which builds upon extensive research, analysis, and design already undertaken as part of the Town Branch Commons project. The Park presents an exciting opportunity to reveal and restore Town Branch creek, creating a new large-scale open green space within downtown Lexington that celebrates this currently buried waterway. It will be the major destination open space along the Town Branch Greenway, which will connect Lexington’s new and existing downtown parks, and major trail systems, completing more than 22 miles of bike and pedestrian trails. SCAPE is also the lead designer for the downtown portion of the Greenway, which the City has already raised $40 million in public funding for and will begin construction in 2018.
“Every great American city has a great park,” said Kate Orff, Partner in Charge. “We are very excited for this park to put Lexington in a competitive environment and further enhance the quality of life. This richly textured, activated park space is going to be a big draw for families and businesses.” “We have a chance with this park to open up the waters of Town Branch and bring it back into the life of the city, and to connect to the Bluegrass region beyond” added Gena Wirth, Design Principal.
Community champions for this project have been instrumental to its success, including Van Meter Petit, Town Branch Trail Inc., and so many others who have played critical roles in moving this project forward. The project is being implemented through a Public Private Partnership.