We will hear from Allison Lankford with Town Branch Park at the Central Bank Center!
Please Note: Registration closes on Thursday, April 28th, at noon!
As Town Branch Park's Executive Director, Allison oversees the Town Branch Park project.
In addition to raising the money necessary to build the park, Allison leads the planning related to design, programming, revenue model, and governance structure for the future park. Until her recent focus on the Town Branch Park, Allison led the Community Foundation’s advancement efforts for over a decade, serving as Sr. Vice-President and General Counsel.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Allison was an attorney at the Lexington firm of McBrayer, McGinnis, Leslie & Kirkland, and Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs in Louisville. A graduate of Furman University in Greenville, SC with a degree in Sociology and Political Science, she received her law degree at the University of Kentucky School of Law.
Choose this option if you paid for all your luncheons at the beginning of the year.
IMPORTANT: Please park in the High Street Parking Lot upon arrival. We will be in Pavilion Meeting Room 14.
Central Bank Center is one of the nation’s most storied entertainment and convention destinations. To preserve its unique history and ensure the venue’s relevance for generations to come, a design team comprising NBBJ in Los Angeles and EOP Architects of Lexington has come together to re-envision its future.
The new $300 million expansion, to be completed in January of 2022, features 100,000 square feet of contemporary exhibit space, 16 meeting rooms, 11,000 square feet of flexible event space, and a 24,300-square-foot ballroom. The expansion also includes many new amenities that will make the center one the most high-tech, user-friendly meeting and event spaces in the region. New sustainability features will also target LEED certification.
The redesign provides a transparent exterior for Rupp Arena and the convention center, with distinctive building identities and entrances. By making activities inside more visible, it encourages passersby to participate and links those inside to the city.
Located in the heart of downtown Lexington—within easy walking distance of over 1,200 hotel rooms; 75 restaurants; numerous theaters, shops, and galleries; the distillery district; and a wide variety of nightlife—the Central Bank Center offers small town charm with big city amenities.
Inside the iconic Rupp Arena—home to the University of Kentucky basketball program—there is seating for up to 20,500 with approximately 50,000 square feet of club space and expanded concourses. Nearby, the historic 900-seat Lexington Opera House, built in 1886, is a jewel-box setting for concerts, touring Broadway shows, or your next meeting or special event.
With a pedestrian connection to an outdoor park, plaza, and water features, these venues together create a vibrant, lively experience for residents and visitors alike.