The newly created “Fund for Greater Lexington,” an endowed community fund at Blue Grass Community Foundation, is investing $175,000 in the creation of a master plan for Kelley’s Landing, a new city park located along the Kentucky River.
“We can’t wait for people to experience and enjoy Kelley’s Landing, which will offer Lexington’s first public river access, and beautiful views of the Kentucky River palisades,” Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said. “A lot of work is still needed before we can open the park, but Fund for Greater Lexington’s investment will help us jumpstart this project by funding the creation of a master plan. We are grateful for their vision and partnership in making this game-changing park a reality."
The park was purchased by the City of Lexington in May 2022, and includes significant green space, wooded areas, river access, and picturesque views of the Kentucky River.
There’s a lot of work ahead before the park can open to the public. Creating a master plan, an extensive study that is used as a guide during development, is critical to maximizing utilization of the land, and ensuring the park meets the needs of the community. Master plans involve significant community input and engagement.
“Through our review of community-informed data, it became clear to us how much Lexingtonians value inclusive green spaces,” said Fund for Greater Lexington Advisory Board member Brent Bruner. “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.”
The Fund for Greater Lexington, with investment priorities that include cultural access and green spaces, as well as activities for youth, is catalyzing the development of the park into a transformative river-based outdoor space that will be a vibrant addition to Lexington’s quality of life, while protecting the community’s natural resources.
Kelley’s Landing is named for John Kelley, who sold the property to the city in 2022. The Kelley Family purchased the property in 1924, and they ran a general store there. When recreational boating boomed in the 1960s and 70s, the family opened a boat dock, which was a popular destination. Kelley ran the dock until the late 1980s when his focus shifted to the family farm.
Work will begin immediately on the development of the master plan, with a groundbreaking expected to take place in early Spring 2024.
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About Lexington Parks & Recreation
Parks & Recreation, a division of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, oversees the programming, maintenance, and development of over 100 city parks and natural areas, six pools, five golf courses, community centers, recreational programs, and three arts venues. To find out more, follow @LexKYParks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or sign up for the email newsletter.
About the Fund for Greater Lexington
The Fund for Greater Lexington is a permanent community endowment, an always growing charitable resource investing in transformative community projects and addressing critical needs that improve the quality of life for all of Lexington. The Fund for Greater Lexington is one of nine endowed community funds at Blue Grass Community Foundation. Learn more and give at www.bgcf.org/FGL.
About Blue Grass Community Foundation
Blue Grass Community Foundation creates more generous, vibrant, equitable and engaged communities by growing charitable giving throughout the Bluegrass and Appalachia Kentucky. To learn more about the Community Foundation, visit www.bgcf.org or contact President/CEO Lisa Adkins at (859) 225-3343.
