Olmsted Parks Conservancy and Louisville Parks & Recreation seek community input to enhance Elliott Park and Bingham Park
Master Plans are in progress for Elliott Park (in Russell) and Bingham Park (in Clifton)
LOUISVILLE, KY (July 6, 2020) — Olmsted Parks Conservancy and Louisville Parks & Recreation are teaming up with landscape architecture and design groups, Gresham Smith and Taylor Siefker Williams, to create Master Plans for Elliott Park, an Olmsted Park in the Russell neighborhood, and Bingham Park, an Olmsted Park in the Clifton neighborhood.
Our Olmsted Parks play a vital role in ensuring all Louisville residents – regardless of race, income, or background – have easy access to vibrant greenspaces to maintain their mental and physical health. Both Elliott and Bingham parks serve diverse communities in West and East Louisville but have seen little capital investment from the city over the past three decades.
Elliott Park
Elliott Park, a 4-acre Olmsted Park, located at 630 S 28th Street in the Russell neighborhood, was designed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1906. 89% of the Russell neighborhood is Black and approximately 2,700 people live within a 10-minute walk of Elliott Park. 30% of park neighbors are children and 15% seniors. Elliott Park did receive a new playground, funded by Louisville Parks and Recreation in 2019.
Bingham Park
Bingham Park, a 4.39-acre Olmsted Park, located at 160 Coral Ave in the Clifton neighborhood, was designed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1915. Nearly 3,744 people reside within a 10-minute walk of Bingham Park. Out of those residents, 16% are children and 15% are seniors. Bingham Park is located near the Kentucky School for the Blind and used often by its students.
Each new Master Plan will serve as a guide for Olmsted Parks Conservancy and Louisville Parks and Recreation, outlining recommended improvements to the park that will be executed in phases over the coming years as funds are raised.
“Olmsted Parks Conservancy believes in the power of neighborhood parks – they enhance the quality of life in Louisville,” expressed Sarah Wolff, Program Director of Community Engagement at Olmsted Parks Conservancy. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be working with neighbors and park users and listening to their experiences and vision for Elliott and Bingham Park. Their feedback will help us make future improvements that we hope we can make our citizens happy, our communities stronger, and our city more sustainable.”
The Master Planning process will evaluate historic intent, current conditions, and potential improvements to Elliot and Bingham Parks based on three key principles: Equity, to provide all park users with extraordinary parks which provide relaxation and recreation opportunities; Accessibility, to ensure that everyone can safely and comfortably access the park and their amenities; and Sustainability, to continue to make our Olmsted Parks the most sustainable spaces in our city.
“Knowing the value of our community greenspaces, I am thrilled to be working with the Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Louisville Parks & Recreation, and neighborhood stakeholders to begin the visioning of what is possible for Bingham Park,” said District 9 Councilman Bill Hollander. “It is a hidden gem of our community, and we encourage everyone to become involved in ways we can keep our neighborhood park a vibrant space that will serve generations to come.”
During the Master Planning process, the community surrounding the park is invited and encouraged to give feedback on what they’d like to see the park become in the future. Marrying the past and the present, the Master Planning process seeks to bring together diverse community voices and perspectives to help ensure the plan for the future of Elliott and Bingham parks reflect the needs of park users.
After spending months listening to groups of stakeholders about community priorities for improving Elliott and Bingham parks, Olmsted Parks Conservancy and the project team is now seeking to gather feedback from neighbors, park users, and the public at large on preliminary plan ideas.
“This is an opportunity for neighbors and park users to be part of the conversation and revitalization effort for Elliott Park,” urged district 5 Councilwoman Donna Purvis. “We want everyone will take a moment to be sure their voice is heard and expresses their hopes for this community park.”
Your voice matters.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project team will not be holding traditional in-person public meetings but have made it easy for those who use the park most to share input. Starting on [date], signage will be installed in Elliott Park and Bingham Park outlining the goals of the project, showcasing proposed designs, and collecting feedback.
To give feedback on Elliott Park:
- Text “Elliott” to 502.466.7213 (preferred)
- Take the survey at olmstedparks.org/elliott502
- Email elliott@olmstedparks.org to get involved
- Follow Friends of Elliott Park on Facebook at facebook.com/elliottpark502
To give feedback on Bingham Park:
- Text “Bingham” to 502.513.6279 (preferred)
- Take the survey at olmstedparks.org/bingham502
- Email bingham@olmstedparks.org to get involved
- Follow Friends of Bingham Park on Facebook at facebook.com/binghampark502
Olmsted Parks Conservancy will be collecting feedback by [deadline.] Public input will be collected and factored into revised plan, available for to be completed later this fall.
“I am so excited to see all the advance planning go into Bingham park to ensure it is accessible,” said Martin Monson, Ed.D. with Kentucky School for the Blind. It is a great resource for the community and our students often use it.”
The Elliott Park Master Plan is generously funded by the Humana Foundation.
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About Olmsted Parks Conservancy
Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Inc., a non-profit organization, was established in 1989 to restore, enhance and forever protect Louisville’s historic 17 Olmsted Parks and 6 Parkways. Working as a non-profit partner with Louisville Parks and Recreation, the Conservancy provides planning and funding for park improvements and natural areas management through donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. In 2019, Olmsted Parks Conservancy celebrated our 30th year connecting nature and neighborhood and overseeing $40 million in investment in our Olmsted Parks. olmstedparks.org
About Louisville Parks and Recreation
Louisville Parks and Recreation, a nationally accredited parks and recreation agency, manages 120 parks and six parkways on more than 13,000 acres of land, and operates recreation programs for all ages. Its mission is to create a City of Parks where people can play, learn, grow and be healthy. The mission is accomplished by taking care of all parks properties and creating new ones, by providing safe and diverse recreational programs, and by protecting our public lands and resources for future generations. www.bestparksever.com
About Taylor Siefker Williams Design Group
Taylor Siefker Williams Design Group is an award-winning landscape architecture, urban design and community planning studio that focuses on creating innovative and visionary public-space and community-based projects. Our core services include urban design, landscape architecture, community planning, visioning, public outreach and strategic planning. Our design process combines creativity with technical experience on projects ranging from large-scale regional community planning initiatives to infrastructure design to open space, trail and greenway projects. We believe that quality design, strategic planning and bold vision are among the most long-lasting and powerful instruments of healthy, thriving communities By collaborating and integrating community feedback and ideas, the end result is not “our” plan or design, but one that is rooted in community ownership.
About Gresham Smith
Gresham Smith is an architecture, landscape architecture, engineering and design practice that provides creative solutions while genuinely caring for each other, our clients and our communities. With 27 locations throughout the US and Asia, and an office in Louisville, we offer a global perspective with a local feel. That means we not only bring a broad range of experience to the picture, but we also really get to know our clients, their communities and the entire landscape of their project. It’s not about our personal accolades or portfolio—we define success by how well we solved the problem and served the greater good of the community.
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