The city of Lexington held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the final leg of the Legacy Trail.
An official ribbon cutting ceremony was held earlier today on the final leg of the Legacy Trail, a 12-mile-long, mixed use trail in Lexington.
“This is a day to celebrate,” said Mayor Linda Gorton. “We have a trail that thousands of local citizens enjoy, and an attraction that will bring in visitors from across the country.”
The Legacy Trail has been a long time coming. The 12-mile-long, mixed use trail project started in 2007. With the decision to hold the Alltech FEI World Equestrians Game would be held in Lexington in 2010 came the decision for legacy projects. These projects would be created for Lexington citizens to enjoy after the Games were over.
The trail connects the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden in the East End to the Kentucky Horse Park. The final, 1.5-mile segment of the trail is located mainly in the Third and Fourth street area, between Winchester Road and Jefferson Street.
“Neighbors in the East End have worked together on so many projects to improve their neighborhood. They are an incredible group of people,” said Mayor Gorton.
“I believe this phase has had the most challenges, but I also believe that this phase has the most opportunity to bring people together and build relationships, in addition to sharing the rich history of several downtown neighborhoods,” said Councilmember James Brown. He serves the district where the final segment is located.
Along with the funding from local, state and federal governments, Bluegrass Community Foundation and the Knight Foundation helped make the trail a reality.
“The Legacy Trail is the crown jewel in Lexington’s system of public trails,” said Lisa Adkins, President/CEO of Bluegrass Community Foundation. “More importantly, it’s a powerful catalyst for the development of more equitable green space in the city, including Town Branch Commons and Town Branch Park.
The Legacy Trail will soon connect to Town Branch Commons Trail in downtown, completing 22 miles of uninterrupted trails, and a 5.5-mile loop downtown.
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