A diverse group of Lexington leaders has been chosen to help ensure that Town Branch Park, the 10-acre green space planned for what is now a paved parking lot behind Rupp Arena, will be inclusive of the broader community in its design, programming and operations.
Plans for Town Branch Park include a great lawn and performance space, as well as a wooded play area, water features and other public amenities.
The park will link with Town Branch Commons, a linear park planned for downtown Lexington that traces the historic course of Town Branch Creek along the Vine Street corridor, and will also serve as a trailhead connecting the Town Branch Trail and the Legacy Trail, providing for 22 miles of uninterrupted bike and pedestrian trail systems.
The Town Branch Fund Board of Advisors will work with the advisory group, known as Town Branch Park Partners, to evaluate strategies for accessibility and inclusiveness in the park's design and programming, and will also solicit recommendations from local residents related to the design, programming and operations of Town Branch Park.
“We want this to be the people’s park,” said Ann Bakhaus, chair of the board of advisors, in a statement announcing the formation of the group. “This is an important step to ensure that every segment of our community feels a sense of belonging at the park.”
The Town Branch Park Partners advisory board includes:
• Anna Baskin, representative, Bluegrass Youth Sustainability Council
• Sgt. R.G. Berry, Lexington Police Department
• James Brown, council member, LFUCG
• Carrie Butler, general manager, LexTran
• Dr. Mary Lynne Capilouto, UK/Town Branch Fund Board of Advisors
• Juan Castro, managing partner, JCC Consulting Group
• Monica Conrad, director, LFUCG Parks and Recreation
• Walt Gaffield, president, Fayette County Neighborhood Council
• Stg. Donnell Gordon, Lexington Police Department
• Linda Gorton, former Lexington Vice Mayor
• Laura Hatfield, director, One Lexington
• Lisa Higgins-Hord, assistant vice president, UK Office of Community Engagement
• Jason Jones, advocacy/accessibility specialist, UK Human Development Institute
• Tresine Logsdon, curriculum coordinator for energy and sustainability, Fayette County Public Schools
• Rick McQuady, director, Lexington Affordable Housing Program
• Gary A. Means, executive director, Lexington Parking Authority
• Derek Paulsen, commissioner, Department of Planning, Preservation & Development, LFUCG; professor of public safety, EKU
• PG Peeples, president/CEO, Urban League of Lexington
• Lance Poston, director of LGBTQ Resources, University of Kentucky
• Mary Quinn Ramer, president, VisitLEX
• Malcolm Ratchford, executive director, Community Action Council
• Polly Ruddick, director, Office of Homelessness Prevention & Intervention, LFUCG
• Miranda Scully, district coordinator, Community and Families, Fayette County Public Schools
• Kristina Stambaugh, director of aging and disability services, LFUCG, Lexington Senior Center
• Terry Sweeney, president/CEO, Downtown Lexington Partnership
• Isabel Gereda Taylor, multicultural affairs coordinator, Global Lex, LFUCG
• Darryl Thompson, equity officer, Fayette County Public Schools
• Aldona Valicenti, chief information officer, LFUCG
• Nathan Zamarron, community arts director, LexArts