The City Branch Park will be given a new name.
The Bill Gatton Foundation, named for Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, recently announced a $14.5 million donation to the 10-acre public park under construction next to Rupp Arena and the Central Bank Center in downtown Lexington.
The park, where construction began in August 2023, will now be known as ‘Gatton Park on the Town Branch’.
Gatton, a graduate of the University of Kentucky, has given significant donations to UK and other Lexington organizations, including the YMCA of Central Kentucky. Gatton died in 2022. He is Britain’s biggest donor, giving $70 million to the state’s flagship university throughout his life.
“If Mr. Gatton were here today, he would tell you that Lexington has been good to him, and that he is pleased to be able to help fund the cost of this new park,” said Gatton Administrator Danny L. Dunn Foundation. “He would be honored and humbled if park officials would like to name the park ‘Gatton Park on the Town Branch.’ This park will be a tremendous asset to the city and the residents of Lexington.”
The $14.5 million donation will begin in 2025 with annual commitments over several years. It will help Town Branch Park complete fundraising for the 10-acre park with walking trails, a large outdoor amphitheater, a dog park and children’s play areas. The Gatton donation will also help the group seed an endowment and fund future operating costs.
The park will open at the end of summer 2025.
Naming Gatton Park on the city branch
To date, the park has raised $52 million.
“This incredible gift will allow our organization to focus our future fundraising efforts on an annual sustainability campaign and growing our endowment, which will ensure the park will be operated, programmed, maintained and maintained to the highest standards for decades to come” , said Allison Lankford. , director of the park.
Lankford said it’s likely people will want to shorten the name to “Gatton Park” in the future. But the group wanted to keep Town Branch in the name. Part of the city branch runs through the park.
“While we understand that many will refer to the park as Gatton Park in the future, we have deliberately kept Town Branch in the name to pay tribute to its history and location and to reflect what we have affectionately called this space for many years – when it was just a dream,” Lankford added.
