June 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 66

master plan includes extensive input from the residents of the Louisville Metro region.
" I think in 50 to 100 years people will be as astondeveloped the idea
ished by this park as they are by Central Park in New
of the American
York today. It will be an awesome legacy for future
public park in the
generations if our community adopts it and cares for
19th century he saw
it respectfully, as stewards of the Floyds Fork ecosysparks as critical
tem, " says John Hodgson, chair of the Fisherville Area
infrastructure for a Neighborhood Association near Floyds Fork.
When Frederick
Law Olmsted

diverse and rapidly
changing

Conservation and Environmental Stewardship

democracy. That

First and foremost, the master plan protects the
importance will not Floyds Fork watershed and its abundant natural resources. Mature hardwood forests, meadows, and
diminish as we
wetlands comprise 80 percent of the Parklands acremove into the 21st
age. True to Olmsted's vision, development of reccentury. "
reation amenities will not compromise the natural
-21st Century Parks
environment.
CEO Dan Jones
Floyds Fork is the least environmentally impacted watershed within the
Louisville metropolitan area. The
master plan includes strategies
to mitigate environmental impacts and protect the natural
resou rces that

support quality outdoor recreation. Water quality will
be protected by expanding the stream buffer to 150
feet. The mature hardwood trees will be preserved
and new trees will be planted where none exist. The
park system provides a continuous 20-mile corridor
for wildlife to travel and forage.

Recreation Features
The Parklands design features four main parks and
will include the PNC Achievement Center for Education and Interpretation, a spray ground, athletic fields,
a promenade, a 23-acre great lawn, children's playgrounds, a bark park, and an extensive trail system.
The agricultural heritage of the area will also be preserved. The parks will be connected by a system of
vehicular roads and more than 100 miles of bike and
pedestrian trails. Park users can also enjoy the beauty
of the Parklands by canoeing or kayaking on Floyds
Fork Creek.
Construction on a demonstration project began
in summer 2010. Phase I construction is planned to
begin in summer 2011 and The Parklands will open
in phases, beginning in 2012, with the entire system scheduled to be open by 2015.
One exciting aspect of this project is its connection with Metro Parks's Louisville Loop, a 100-mile
recreational trail and transportation system of interconnected paths that will ring the city and link existing and new parks and neighborhoods. About 20
miles of the Louisville Loop will run though the
Parklands of Floyds Fork.

A Mighty Lever
A key provision in the
complex plans to create
the 4,000-acre Parklands
project in Louisville, Kentucky, eschews tax monies
for its upkeep and operations. Instead, proceeds
from a projected $40 million endowment will help
to sustain the park
system.
64 Parks & Recreation

J U NE 2 0 1 1

To date, 21st Century
Parks has raised $106 million
of the $113 million capital
needed to complete the land
acquisition and development
for The Parklands project.
21st Century Parks Endowment made the key
step in bolstering its coffers
this year when it allocated
$4.5 million to acquire a
www . N R P A . O R G

nearby distressed 600-acre
subdivision. According to
the Louisville Courier-Journal, 21st Century Parks Endowment will eventually
sell portions of the subdivision to developers and
landowners, while leaving
other parts in their natural
state. It estimates that as
much as $10 million could

be raised from the land
sales, providing the endowment with a big boost.
" We promised that we
would not use any taxpayer
money for the park's upkeep and management, "
Parklands co-founder and
chairman of 21st Century
Parks Dan Jones told the
Louisville newspaper.

June 2011 - Parks & Recreation

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