Five Lexington-based proposals have made the cut as finalists for the second annual Knight Cities Challenge, a competition that provides $5 million in funding to be shared among the top project ideas aimed at improving any of 26 Knight Foundation communities.
The Lexington finalists include:
Super Play, submitted by Griffin Van Meter. Super Play would involve building a family-friendly gathering and play space for the community, encouraging talented young adults to live in the city.
Fancy Lex, submitted by Clay Thornton. Fancy Lex would create a festival to showcase Kentucky Proud products along with local music and businesses, while connecting local government representatives with residents to share their role, work and vision.
Family-Centered Public Spaces, by the Lexington Public Library, submitted by Anne Donworth. The project would transform Phoenix Park and Central Library into a place for children and families from diverse backgrounds to learn and play together and would involve complementary park and library programming and activities for families.
Parking Lot Diaries, by Lexington Downtown Development Authority, submitted by Jeff Fugate. Parking Lot Diaries would create a living civic engagement lab in an underused area near the Transit Center to test and track temporary interventions and activities to add vibrancy to the area. It would also contribute to the city’s Town Branch Commons plan.
Water for All, by the Blue Grass Community Foundation, submitted by Lisa Adkins. Water for All would transform an underutilized park into Lexington’s first splash park and gathering space, situated at the junction of four economically and racially diverse neighborhoods.
As one of this year's finalists as well as winner of the competition's second largest grant, of $550,000 last year to create a food hub and small business incubator in the former Greyhound bus terminal on North Limestone, Griffin Van Meter extended his congratulations to all the other local finalists.
"I believe in the importance of kick-ass public spaces," Van Meter said. "All of these projects offer the opportunity for robust community engagement that will provide better more equitable spaces for all of Lexington to enjoy."
The Lexington competitors represent five of the 158 finalists selected from the 26 eligible communities across the nation in which the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation invests. More than 4,500 applicants submitted their ideas for this year’s contest, with proposals ranging from the opening of a new public plaze at the world’s largest African American history museum in Detroit, Michigan, to the creation of a card game to encourage residents of Charlotte, N.C., to learn about their city. Ideas were submitted by nonprofit and government organizations, as well as design experts, urban planning groups and individual citizens, with the focus on one or more of the Knight Foundation’s three identified drivers of city success: attracting and retaining talent, expanding economic opportunities, and spurring civic engagement.
Winners of the Knight Cities Challenge will be announced in spring 2016.