LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new public space in the Parkland neighborhood was unveiled on Saturday.
Parkland Plaza, a community-designed space, provides an outdoor venue and natural playground in west Louisville. The project transformed an asphalt lot that sits next to the Parkland Community Garden into a green space with a natural playground and community venue.
A grand opening for Parkland Plaza was held on July 23, 2022.
"It's important because it gives the people, especially in this area somewhere to come picnic, to come have events, to come relax, to come bring their family," Johni Ison with Center for Neighborhoods said. "To see this transform and to know what it used to be a beautiful business district and watch it transform back into that is amazing."
The grand opening celebration at 2757 Dumesnil Street had local vendors, music by DJ John Q and the River City Drum Corps. There was also a tree giveaway led by TreesLouisville.
A grand opening for Parkland Plaza was held on July 23, 2022.
Cindi Sullivan, Director of TreesLouisville, called the project an amazing transformation from an "underutilized" asphalt parking lot to a beautiful green space.
"It's been an amazing project because it never could have happened without so many community groups and Metro Government getting together and saying 'this is going to be amazing and we're going to make it happen,'" Sullivan said.
Construction for the $187,000 project began last October to create an additional green space for the community. It was a partnership between residents of Parkland, Metro Council District 1, Parkland Business Development Association, TreesLouisville, 1200 LLC, Center for Neighborhoods and Louisville Metro Government.
A grand opening for Parkland Plaza was held on July 23, 2022.
"We want to build community, we want to sustain community and we want to have spaces to hold community," Ison said.
Twelve trees were planted at the plaza last spring. There will be another 12 to 15 trees planted in an adjacent lot.
"The Parkland neighborhood has no parks so this is an amenity for this community that we hope will be the first of many," Sullivan said.
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- Parkland celebrates upcoming community green space
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