Lexington starts construction on ‘transformational’ Kentucky River park. It’s a first

One of the first things Mayor Linda Gorton tackled when she entered office in 2019 was the acquisition of 30-acres along the Kentucky River in Fayette County.

It took more than four years of negotiations and planning but on Wednesday, workers officially broke ground on Kelley’s Landing, Lexington’s first river park.

“This is a really great day in Lexington,” Gorton said Wednesday during the formal groundbreaking for Kelley’s Landing, located on Old Richmond Road off Interstate 75.

Scheduled to open this fall, the natural area will allow kayakers, canoeists and paddle board enthusiasts to enter the Kentucky River. The plans also include several miles of hiking trails. In total, paddlers will be able to travel 12 miles of the Kentucky River from Kelley’s Landing, Gorton said.

The city announced in May 2022 the purchase of the 30-acre property from John Kelley for $1.6 million. The city was able to tap funds from a parks acquisition account, which is funded through a fee paid by developers, to pay for the new 30 acres.

Raven Run, a wooded nature sanctuary not far from Kelley’s Landing, is on the Kentucky River but does not have direct water access.

The city has spent more than two years planning and preparing the site.

Thanks to private funding, the city was able to move up the groundbreaking for the site.

The Fund for Greater Lexington, a nonprofit, will pay $150,000 for a master plan for the natural area.

“With an investment of $150,000, the Fund for Greater Lexington is thrilled to announce the selection of Greshamn Smith, an outstanding and experienced design firm, to develop a master plan for Kelley’s Landing,” said Noa Gimelli, co-chair for the Fund for Greater Lexington.

Gimelli said the master planning process will include community input.

History of the future park

The park is named for John Kelley, who recently died. The Kelley family purchased the property in 1924 and ran a general store there. When boating boomed in the 1960s and 70s, the family opened a boat dock. Kelley ran the dock until the late 1980s before closing it and concentrating on farming.

Since 2022, the city has cleared unsafe buildings and debris from the site that is adjacent to Proud Mary’s, a BBQ restaurant.

Multiple members of the Kelley family attended Wednesday’s groundbreaking.

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilwoman Kathy Plomin, whose council district includes Kelley’s Landing, said her husband, who was then her boyfriend, and his fraternity brothers had a boat that was parked at Kelley’s dock. The boat very rarely ran and Plomin said Wednesday that she spent a lot of time in this area waiting for the boat to be repaired.

The boat eventually sank not far from Wednesday’s groundbreaking site, Plomin said.

Plomin said Kelley’s Landing is one of the most unique parks the city has developed in decades.

“Today we are adding what I believe is one of the most exciting and unique park projects in our city’s history,” Plomin said. “Kelley’s Landing will provide direct access to the Kentucky River and will allow new and unique outdoor recreational uses.”

Lexington Parks and Recreation Director Monica Conrad said in addition to allowing water access to paddlers, the unique topography or Kelley’s Landing allows for a host of educational opportunities — including environmental education about watersheds and limestone formations.

“We will create a transformational park for Lexington,” Conrad said.