From eyesore to asset: Here’s a peek at plans for downtown Lexington park overhaul

Phoenix Park is Jason Ervin’s front yard.

Ervin, who has lived at Park Plaza Apartments bordering the park for 14 years, has spent a decade urging area leaders to upgrade, re-imagine and re-do the largely concrete small park at one of Lexington’s key intersections.

“It has become this random block that no one wants to invest in,” Ervin said.

Phoenix Park, at the corner of Main and South Limestone streets, may finally be getting its long-awaited glow up.

On Tuesday, Mayor Linda Gorton unveiled a $505 million budget that includes $2 million in city money for Phoenix Park. That’s in addition to $1 million that has already been set aside from American Rescue Plan Act money, commonly called coronavirus relief money, for the redesign of Phoenix Park.

If the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council gives final approval for the project as part of Gorton’s budget request, downtown groups that have pushed for the redesign of Phoenix Park hope to raise an additional $1.6 million in private funding for the park overhaul.

A stage, playground and upgraded dog park

The city has already spent $135,000 for design and public input on a redesigned Phoenix Park.

Those Element Design/Gresham Smith plans include a small stage, a possible water spray feature, play area and a tiered step system that would allow people to congregate. A small dog park, which was installed in 2017 and was paid for in part by Anderson Communities, would also get upgraded as part of the redesign. Anderson Communities owns Park Plaza Apartments.

The dog park, which was a pilot project, is one of the few dog parks inside New Circle Road.

“Basically, I’ve been hearing about Phoenix Park since before I was elected,” said Councilwoman Hannah LeGris, who represents most of downtown and Phoenix Park.

In 2021, LeGris, was able to get money set aside for a contract for Element and Gresham Smith to do designs for the reimagined park, which included extensive input from people and businesses in the downtown area.

“We have thousands of people who live downtown,” LeGris said of the need to overhaul the park.

And thousands more come downtown through the Town Branch Trail or stay in the city’s downtown hotels, LeGris and Ervin said.

Phoenix Park is not used as a gathering spot by locals or tourists.

“When we think about our downtown, we have this space that is a big space for opportunity,” LeGris said.

The current design has sunken steps into the park, which is not welcoming and also confusing. The redesign puts the entrance to the park on Main and South Limestone streets on the same level as the street, which is also safer, LeGris said.

There are several public safety memorials in Phoenix Park. Those memorials will remain, she said.

The fountains that border Limestone Street have not worked in years, Ervin said.

“I’m not sure when the last time those pools were filled with water,” Ervin said. “It had become a floating trash can.”

Ervin said maintenance on the busted fountains cost taxpayers a lot of money over the years.

There are other complicating factors to the redesign that drive up costs, such as utilities that go through that park both under and above ground, Ervin said.

Ervin, who has worked in hospitality for most of his career, said Phoenix Park could be an asset and a draw for tourists and local businesses rather than an eyesore.

Moreover, there has been a lot of private and public investment in the area surrounding Phoenix Park including Town Branch Trail through downtown and City Center, a long-delayed multi-use development that includes hotels, office, retail and restaurant space, across the street from Phoenix Park.

“It could be an asset to all these surrounding businesses,” Ervin said.

A park that has a lot of people and programming is a safer park, Ervin said.

‘Thrilled’

One of the park’s neighbors said they are ecstatic plans for an overhaul are finally moving forward after years of discussions and planning.

Anne Donworth, director of development, marketing and communications with the Lexington Public Library, said the library system has worked with the city for years to make Phoenix Park more welcoming and user-friendly for patrons of the Central Library, particularly children and families. The Central Library borders the park.

“We are thrilled,” Donworth said of Gorton’s inclusion of funding for the Phoenix Park redesign. “Since we have re-done our children’s section and added our STEM lab, we have seen a lot more children and families coming downtown.

“This will help us expand our programming,” Donworth said.

Ervin and LeGris believe there are people who are willing to donate to the park if the council gives final approval for the $2 million included in Gorton’s budget.

“In talking with several private groups, there is a lot of appetite to support that park,” Ervin said. However, public funding for a public park is key.

“I think people also had to see the designs first so they could envision what it could be,” LeGris said.

If the council approves the $2 million allocation later this year, construction could start as early as spring 2024, Lexington Parks and Recreation officials said.