City of Lexington
Town Branch Commons Program Management
Lexington, KY
In March 2011, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray announced the appointment of the 47-member Arena, Arts & Entertainment District Task Force.
The Task Force, led by Lord Aeck Sargent, conducted a year-long planning process, which culminated in the creation of the Rupp Arena Arts & Entertainment District Master Plan. The Plan called for a comprehensive renovation of historic Rupp Arena, a new Lexington Convention Center, a major new public park and mixed-use development in the current High Street parking lot.
The public centerpiece of the plan is the larger Town Branch Commons, a unified thread of public space that runs throughout the district and connects the center of Downtown to the edges. The Town Branch Commons plan, completed in collaboration with SCAPE Studio, explores possibilities of day lighting Town Branch and creating new water features in Downtown.
Lord Aeck Sargent continues to serve as the city’s Program Manager as the design and funding of Town Branch Commons evolves. This includes design review, community involvement and coordination with partners and stakeholders.