SplashJAM
a water play pilot becomes a catalyst for investment in an underserved neighborhood
As a director at Gehl, working with the Lexington Downtown Development Authority and community volunteers, I and the Gehl team led a public space and public life survey to observe and measure life in downtown Lexington, and to explore opportunities for investment in new public spaces. The PSPL allowed us to better understand what life is like for Lexingtonians and how the city can lead their transformation.
Through the survey, we observed that during the sweltering summer months, local children were often found playing in a water fountain in East Lexington’s Thoroughbred Park. The fountain was not designed for water play and often children were asked to leave (to the embarrassment of their parents). Nearby was an underutilized public park at the intersection of four neighborhoods of differing socioeconomic demographics. We worked with the community to identify and prioritize the need for safe, accessible water-play.
In 2016, the Bluegrass Community Foundation sponsored the creation of our custom-designed splash pad pilot project; SplashJAM, that included pedestrian safety improvements, park amenities, and an interactive temporary splash pad and sound system. SplashJAM addressed the local need for water-play and the connection of the surrounding neighborhoods by making a real place of activity. Gehl’s follow up survey of SplashJAM showed that creating a place to play was a catalyst to bringing people together from the different neighborhoods. The pilot was re-created for several subsequent summers.
In May 2022, Mayor Linda Gorton, several sponsors, and council members broke ground Splash!, a permanent water play project in the East End Neighborhood’s Charles Young Park, a block away from Thoroughbred Park and the original SplashJam installation scheduled to open on 2023.
In 1930, when the city bought four acres downtown for Charles Young Park, it was the second parcel of land purchased to serve the recreation needs of the African-American community in what was then a segregated city. Like its namesake, now Brigadier General Charles Young, the first African American to achieve the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army, the park has overcome its humble beginnings.
“A new playground, resurfaced basketball courts, and now Splash! will make Charles Young Park a real attraction in the East End,” Gorton said. Splash! is largely funded by private donors. Total cost of the project is estimated at $1.5 million, with $1.3 million coming from private funds. Splash! also received a grant from the American Water Charitable Foundation’s Building Better Communities Grant, administered by the National Recreation and Park Association.
Collaborators: Lexington Downtown Development Authority, Bluegrass Community Foundation, Geoff Dyke and Alec Shucknecht (Gehl)
