The City’s Division of Parks & Recreation, and design firm Brandstetter Carroll, Inc. today unveiled the phase one plan for Cardinal Run Park North, which is expected to be completed in 2025.
Cardinal Run Park North Phase 1 Plan
The plan includes nature trails, sports courts and fields, a playground, dog park, and other amenities.
“Cardinal Run Park North will be the first large community park we have opened in over 25 years,” Mayor Linda Gorton said. “Large-scale parks serve the entire city. They have many amenities not found in neighborhood parks. In addition to recreational activities, they often serve as a green oasis for residents and wildlife, alike.”
At 192.2 acres, the combined size of Cardinal Run Park North (137.6 acres) and Cardinal Run Park South (54.6 acres) will make it one of the city’s top five largest parks.
The land that is now Cardinal Run Park North and South was donated to the City in 1997. Cardinal Run Park South, which includes a small playground and eight ballfields, opened in the early 2000s. Since then, the City has not been able to afford to make the improvements needed to open Cardinal Run Park North.
Gorton asked the Council to fund design and improvements to Cardinal Run North through an allocation of $10.1 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. In total, the city is spending $24 million in federal coronavirus relief funding on parks and park improvements.
A public engagement period took place this past November to gather feedback and identify priorities for Cardinal Run North from the community, with around 75 participants attending the in-person meeting and 822 participants filling out an online survey. The results highlighted a high interest in nature trails, a playground, various sports courts and fields, and a dog park, among other ideas. The park plan reflects public input and changing needs and demographics that were identified in Parks & Recreation’s Master Plan, which provides guidance for parks, recreation, open space and trails in Lexington.
“Cardinal Run Park North will allow us to continue to build community and enrich life through parks, programs and play,” Monica Conrad, Director of Parks & Recreation said. “This park allows us the opportunity to meet the needs of the community while also providing education around several natural features. We can’t wait for the community to experience this exciting, new space.”
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.
