A project 10+ years in the making is finally coming to fruition. Organizers, leaders, and city officials broke ground on the future Town Branch Park.

"You may think of Joni Mitchell or the Counting Crows when you hear the lyrics, 'They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.' This project puts that song in reverse," said Alllison Lankford, executive director of Town Branch Park.

Ann Bakhaus, Chair of the Town Branch Park Board of Directors, literally breaking the ground at the future home of the park. | Giphy by LEXtoday

Timeline

As the park inches closer to reality, let's take look back at some key moments:

October, 2011 | The first mention of redesigning the area is brought up at a community meeting.
November, 2015 | New York firm Scape/Landscape Architecture was selected to design the park.
June, 2017 | The park hits $5 million in funding
2018-2022 | Throughout this time, millions of dollars were raised and donated to the project and ~16,000 community members submitted their thoughts on what they'd like to see included in the space.
September, 2022 | Finalized renderings + plans were unveiled
June, 2023 | Phase 1 funding, totaling $39 million, was completed — giving the green light for construction.

Something for everyone

In the words of Bill Hader's SNL character Stefon, "This place has everything." Here a few highlights you can expect to experience at the 10-acre park:

4,000-person amphitheater + high tech stage
Children's playground
Educational and interactive water play area
Food and beverage options
A butterfly garden
Dog parks for small and large dogs
Art installations
A recreation lawn
A reading room

Good bye asphalt, hello green space. | Photo and rendering by LEXtoday + Town Branch Park

Directions

If you're like us, you might be little confused as to where exactly the park is going to be, but here are some directions:

If you're driving down Oliver Lewis Way towards Newtown Pike, look to the right of the overpass.
If you're driving into downtown on Main Street, right before the Central Bank Center, look to the right.