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We have one mission: to help our community create a Legacy in advance of the 2010 World Equestrian Games. Two specific projects were chosen by the community after a dynamic city-wide public visioning process in 2007.

The Legacy is this: we are going to help the community with the on-going renaissance in the East End neighborhood as well the creation of a biking and walking trail to the Horse Park. These are the projects that our fellow citizens deemed the most important for our city AFTER the Games are over.

Each is connected to the other – each is only whole in relation to the other – both must succeed. Both will.

Many parts. One Legacy.

Leave us a message. Share with your friends. Now is the time to make Lexington a better place.

To find out more about us, click on the "about us" tab in the menu.

The clock is ticking! We now have less than 450 days until the games begin.

Questions or comments? Email Steve Austin: saustin@bgcf.org
follow us on twitter: lexlegacycenter andeastendlegacy

A Trail of discovery. A Trail that connects.
A Trail that teaches. A Trail that inspires. The Legacy Trail!

The Legacy Trail will be a nine-mile walking and biking trail leading from downtown to the Horse Park . While in downtown the Trail will be located on existing streets. The Trail will go off-street north of Loudon Avenue. In the short term, there will be only one major street crossing at Newtown Pike and Citation. Eventually, the plan is to create a sculptural pedestrian bridge over Newtown Pike. Over time this Trail will grow and link to Georgetown to the north and to the Kentucky River on the south.

For a general overview watch this video:
We see the Legacy Trail as a nine-mile sculpture gallery, an extended book that will teach and reveal our past and future, and a great way to simply get healthy and enjoy our beautiful countryside.
This multi-use corridor will be a wonderful connection from urban Lexington to rural Fayette county - and over time it will tie into the other great trails being established here like the Town Branch Trail as well as into our northside neighborhoods.

The Trail will tie into the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden. Isaac Murphy was a leading African American Jockey in the late 19th Century who lived and worked in Lexington's East End. His final resting place is at the Kentucky Horse Park. Its a natural that the Trail and his park should become linked. The Issac Murphy Memorial Art Garden is also one of the city's Legacy Projects - there is much more information found below on this page.

Legacy Trail Design Booklet
The link below will take you to the final design booklet for the Trail. This booklet is the guiding document to the design and construction of the trail. Within it you'll find recommendations for the overall alignment, elements such as signage and amenities, as well as public art.
Construction planning is underway, adhering to this document, and we are anticipating a HUGE groundbreaking celebration in early October. This will give us plenty of time to complete the trail prior to the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

This is a very large file and will take a little bit to load - click here:
Legacy Trail Design Booklet.pdf


CHECK OUT THE PICTURES OF THE TRAIL ROUTE ON THIS SITE!

Legacy Trail Funding
At a news conference on Thursday, March 26, Mayor Newberry announced funding to complete the first phases of the Legacy Trail. We now have over $7 million with which to build the best trail in central Kentucky.

Steve Austin, director of the Legacy Center at Blue Grass Community Foundation, said the funds for the Legacy Trail will allow for completion of the first two phases of the trail from the Kentucky Horse Park to the Northside YMCA or over 7 miles, the longest trail in the county. The final phase stretches from the Northside YMCA to the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden on Third Street. Newberry said he is actively pursuing funding sources for the final phase so the entire trail can be completed in time for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010.

While we have shown generally the Trail route, the rural areas are NOT open to the public - please dont ride or walk on private property.

How you can help:
+ Become an official spokesperson for the Trail - we can teach you everything you need to know
+ Share with us what stories the Trail should tell - cultural, environmental, etc
+ Be a Legacy Trail "friend gatherer" - get folks to join this site, or become a friend of the Trail on Facebook: Legacy Trail!
+ Give us your ideas of how the Trail can be used - share videos, pictures, or your words on this website
+ You can make a tax deductible contribution to the Trail Fund at Blue Grass Community Foundation and help us make this a reality! www.bgcf.org

Its this simple: one essential ingredient of a great city is an extensive, well planned network of Trails. That’s one key point heard on the annual Chamber of Commerce Visit – this year in Madison, Wisconsin. Over 260 of our fellow citizens were on hand to hear this message, including Mayor Newberry, Vice Mayor Gray, and 13 other city council members.

And of course the Legacy and Town Branch Trails were front and center. And with last week’s announcement that the State and city will invest an additional $150,000 in the Legacy Trail to ensure its full completion by the games, we can really begin to believe that we are well on our way to creating a fantastic network of trails all over the city.

The design plans for the Legacy Trail are well underway – look for some more important announcements soon.

The pictures here are from a trail ride that about 50 Lexington citizens took around the trail system in Madison, Wisconsin. We also had a very informative session about how the city has created their 150 mile trail network and how they are planning to expand it in the next few years. We also got a nice overview of the status of the Legacy Trail from Mike Woollum of Strand Associates - look for some big announcements soon.

Check out two great stories about the Madison trip from the Herald-Leader’s Tom Ebelen
http://www.kentucky.com/785/story/800604.html/
http://www.kentucky.com/785/story/802928.html/

Art in Motion Bus Shelter Plans Complete - Groundbreaking Soon!
This Shelter - located on the corner of Elm Tree Lane and Third Street - will incorporate art, local heritage, and green technology - stay tuned for details.

Things are revving up in the East End

April 2009 saw a tremendous explosion of energy in the neighborhood:

• April 7 – East End/Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden Friend Raiser lunch – the gathering of many diverse groups and viewpoints is to promote and educate about the many wonderful things occurring in the East End and specifically designed to ensure a broad city-wide turnout for the “Event in the Tent” described below.

UPDATE: Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden/East End Friend-Raiser a Huge Success!
Over 65 people filled the beautiful Tuska Art Gallery on Old Park Avenue on April 7th to demonstrate their support for the many wonderful things beginning in the East End. Despite the snowy gloom outside, spirits were warm inside.

After a great lunch, the crowd heard the details of the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden and its role in helping to spur the Third Street/East End revival. The garden is dedicated to the first jockey ever inducted into the Hall of Fame, whose legacy of connections and deeper meaning inspires us today.

We heard from David Cozart, chair of the IMMAG board, 1st District Councilwoman Andrea James, and Mayor Jim Newberry. All spoke passionately about the importance of the projects gaining momentum in the East End.

The primary purpose of the event was to spur the attendees to bring themselves, their colleagues, and their friends and family to the “event in the tent” on April 23. We need a broad turnout to demonstrate that this neighborhood and garden truly has a city-wide importance.

We need everyone who reads this to come out on the 23rd as well! Now is the time!

• April 15-17 – Community Development Corporation discussions with Bryon Marshall, head of the Austin TX community redevelopment organization. A community development corporation is an organization charged with revitalizing an area – with people who wake up every day thinking “how can we move things forward?”
UPDATE: Meetings another success! Over 75 people participated in a series of sessions. Moving forward comes next - stay tuned!

• April 21 – Born Learning Trail Dedication at William Wells Brown School during Earth Week. The Born Learning Trail features ten signs and stations along a path with activities that encourage everyday, teachable moments with young children. This trail is the first one in Kentucky! Thanks to a great partnership between the Legacy Center at Blue Grass Community Foundation, the Knight Foundation, United Way of the Bluegrass, and the Fayette County Public Schools.

Check it out yourself: William Wells Brown School in the East End - Corner of Nelson and 6th Street.

DEDICATION TUESDAY, APRIL 21
The wind blew hard, but it only made us laugh! School Superintendent Stu Silberman, Mayor Newberry, First District Councilwoman Andrea James and Legacy Center Director Steve Austin were joined by 75 singing and smiling young people to officially open the Born Learning Trail.

ITS TAKING SHAPE - LEGACY CENTER,KNIGHT FOUNDATION, UNITED WAY, AND FAYETTE COUNTY SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS ARE GETTING IT DONE!

• April 23 – “Event in the Tent!” AWESOME!!! - Well over 300 people from all parts of the city dropped in to our party on the site of the Issac Murphy Memorial Art Garden to celebrate not only the beginning of that project but the resurgence of the East End as well. We had a great message, a variety of exhibitors including original art relating to African Americans in the Thoroughbred industry called Too Black Too Fast, fun kids events, great food, and a rockin band. Hall of Fame Jockey Chris McCarron talked about the historical importance of Isaac to the sport. We heard about the design for the garden, how it will tell stories of Isaac's life, as well as other African American jockeys all within a sustainable setting.

Fund-raising now begins in earnest to make the vision of this Garden a reality. Contact us to learn how you can help.

Plans are completed for the creation of a wonderful new park - the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden at the corner of Third Street and Midland Avenue. This innovative park will commemorate Murphy, a local resident and a winner of three Kentucky Derbies and the first inductee in the National Jockey Hall of Fame.

The Legacy Trail will tie into the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden. Isaac Murphy lived and worked in Lexington's East End. His final resting place is at the Kentucky Horse Park. Its a natural that the Trail and his park should become linked.

For more information: http://www.isaacmurphy.org/Garden.html

Check out the video below for more information about the importance of Isaac Murphy to our city.


You can contribute funds to help make this garden a reality! The Blue Grass Community Foundation has a Isaac Murphy Garden Fund www.bgcf.org

Leadership Lexington Class 2006/2007 Reunion

The 2006/2007 Class of Leadership Lexington held a reunion luncheon to update class members on the progress of the Garden. We held the lunch outdoors at the covered pavilion across the street from the Garden. Despite the rain, we had a great turn out and are ready to harness some positive energy.

There are also many ways that volunteers can get involved – give us a shout to find out how!

Watch Hall of Fame Thoroughbred jockey Chris McCarron and Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden Board Chair David Cozart discuss the importance of Isaac to the sport of racing and to the city of Lexington.
Here's a cool video showing scenes from the Isaac Murphy Art Garden Fall Party

EAST END PLAN COMPLETE!

The East End Small Area Plan is complete. What a wonderful plan it has turning out to be: citizen-based, inclusive, visionary yet realistic.

Here are the top ten planning priorities:
+Create an East End Community Development Corporation to guide the continued redevelopment of the area according to this plan.
+ A suitable, community‐led plan for the future of the Charles Young Center.
+Completion of the restoration of the Lyric Theatre.
+Implement a neighborhood beautification program.
+Request that a historic survey be completed for identified areas, and that appropriate markers and signage be erected.
+Design and constructed signage identifying the East End, as well as a banner program for various locations throughout the East End.
+Create and implement an infrastructure plan for repairing sidewalks, streets, and storm water.
+ Provide more street lighting.
+Maintain Affordable Housing within the East End.
+Completion of the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden and its connection to the Legacy Trail along 3rd Street

The next steps are to engage the community to ensure that these priorities become realities!

A East End Banner Program was also unveiled. Watch for more details!

The entire document can be found at: http://www.police.lfucg.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=6678

For more information contact Ed Holmes at EHI
holmes@ehiconsultants.org or 425-4881
http://www.ehiconsultants.org/
http://www.eastendlex.com/

To get involved please contact The Legacy Center

Below is an intial sketch of how the 3rd Street Corridor could be redeveloped. (EHI and Urban Collage)

Below is a complete video showing photohighlights from both community sessions in June 2008.

Click on "Archives" at the top of the page for more information about the East End.