Those interested in the reinvention of Rupp Arena or the plans for the Town Branch Commons are encouraged to attend a public meeting from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Kentucky Theatre (214 E. Main St.)
Robert Mankin from NBBJ, the lead architect working on Rupp and a new convention center, and Kate Orff from SCAPE / LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, winners of an international competition to design Town Branch Commons, will offer brief presentations and then listen to suggestions.
In July Lexington Center hired NBBJ to reinvent Rupp and design a new convention center. Previous NBBJ projects include Pauley Pavilion at UCLA, the Staples Center in Los Angeles and Hangzhou Olympic Stadium in China.
The selection of SCAPE was announced in February. Orff’s winning design integrates history, geology, and ongoing development initiatives into a thread of new public spaces along the path of Town Branch as it weaves through Downtown. Lexington was named on the banks of the creek in 1775. The public meeting will focus on plans for Town Branch Park, behind Rupp Arena, and how it relates to plans for Rupp Arena.