$10 million Lexington park ’26 years in the making’ is now under construction

Lexington began construction Wednesday on the first large, regional park in 25 years.

Cardinal Run North, off of Parkers Mill Road, will include walking trails, a dog park, sports fields and plenty of open green space. It will be the city’s fourth largest regional park.

The $10 million park has been decades in the making. It is slated to open in 2025.

“This has been 26 years in the making,” said Mayor Linda Gorton during a Wednesday groundbreaking.

The 137-acre park was acquired by the city in 1997. Cardinal Run, a baseball park opposite Cardinal Run North on Parkers Mill Road, was developed more than two decades ago. Lack of funding meant the nearly 140-acres remained untouched for decades.

When the city received $121 million in American Recuse Plan Act funding two years ago, it set aside $10 million for the first phase of the park. The city is spending a total of $24 million in federal coronavirus relief money to update and expand its parks.

The new park will have 2 miles of natural trails, six pickleball courts, one basketball court and four youth sports fields, Gorton said.

The city paid Brandstetter Carroll to develop the park plans, using feedback from 900 residents and Lexington park users.

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilwoman Kathy Plomin said the city has worked hard over the past two years to improve its more than 100 parks.

“And Cardinal Run is the icing on the cake,” Plomin said. Plomin represents the 12th District, which includes Cardinal Run North.

Councilman David Sevigny represents the 10th District, which abuts Cardinal Run North. Sevigny thanked former 10th District council members for their support for the new park over the years. Sevigny said the new park will provide much-needed green space and recreation for the city’s west side.

“This has been one of those projects that takes a lot of people,” Sevigny said. “I think the best thing about this park from District 10 is that it is very walkable from most of the neighborhoods on this side of Harrodsburg Roads.”

The only entrance into the park will be off of Parkers Mill Road. There is no entrance off of Versailles Road, which is a state road controlled by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

Residents in the area had concerns about the Parkers Mill Road entrance, saying the road is heavily traveled. Park officials said Wednesday there will be a pedestrian crossing added to the area between Cardinal Run North and Cardinal Run South.

Cardinal Run North and Cardinal Run South have a combined acreage of 192 acres. The city’s other large parks include Masterson, Veterans, Jacobson and Coldstream parks. Veterans Park was the last large park to be constructed.

The privately-funded Town Branch Park, adjacent to Central Bank Center and Rupp Arena, also began construction in August. The $39 million, 10-acre park in downtown Lexington was built using private money but will be open to the public.

This story was originally published October 11, 2023 at 4:51 PM.

Beth Musgrave

Lexington Herald-Leader

Beth Musgrave has covered government and politics for the Herald-Leader for more than a decade. A graduate of Northwestern University, she has worked as a reporter in Kentucky, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois and Washington D.C. Support my work with a digital subscription