The final design is out for Town Branch Park in downtown Lexington. The privately funded project will be constructed adjacent to the Central Bank Center. The seven-year effort to build a multi-faceted ten-acre park has included input from 16,000 people through surveys, meetings, and forums. Town Branch Park Executive Director Allison Lankford said the amenities include a great lawn and state-of-the-art stage.
“It will hold everything from the Lexington Philharmonic and Picnic with the Pops to a national rock concert. But also is designed in a way to accommodate our local arts organizations who may be doing smaller programming in this space,” said Lankford.
Lankford said the great lawn is projected to seat between four and five thousand. Other amenities include water and land play areas as well as a dog park designed for small and large dogs. It will feature an underground cleaning system.
It’s been a seven-year effort to raise private donations. Lankford noted they have almost $35 million in hand. She added cost escalations and some design changes have come through community engagement.
“So we need a couple of 2.3 million I think before we can break ground. We’re confident that we can get that and then we’ll continue to raise money all the way through opening to create an operating reserve and an endowment to maintain and operate it to really the highest standards for our community,” said Lankford.
A groundbreaking for Town Branch Park is scheduled next year with the opening set for 2025.
