In May of last year, the city announced the purchase of 30 acres along the Kentucky River to create a new a new city park. Now known as “Kelley’s Landing,” the project has now received a $175,000 investment to help create its master plan.
The money comes courtesy of the “Fund for Greater Lexington,” a community endowment fund part of the Blue Grass Community Foundation.
Kelley’s Landing will be the the first real public access to the river. By using the funding for its master plan, the city can truly begin mapping out the park, taking into account what the community wants, and how to utilize the land to its full potential while maintaining preservation.
The history of The Fund for Greater Lexington
In case you didn’t know, the Blue Grass Community Foundation was created in 1967 to help fund the community’s aspirations, particularly when it comes to connecting public projects and charities to funding.
The Fund for Greater Lexington is one of nine endowment funds part of the foundation, focusing on providing:
- Cultural access
- Green spaces
- Youth support
- Transportation
- Affordable housing
“As we learned more about the potential of the Kelley property, we realized this is a perfect match for our intent to catalyze a transformative project to benefit our entire community,” said Brent Bruner, advisory board member at the Fund for Greater Lexington.
What to expect
During the master plan phase, the city will survey the public and open opportunities for community feedback. This is still in the works, so we’ll keep you updated once we learn more.
Once the plan is completed, construction will begin with a groundbreaking expected to take place in spring of 2024.
