Title
Lynch Park (B)
Explanation
Lynch Park is an approximately 1.4-acre park located along the 400 block of South Main Street. The park, which is adjacent to the Porters Neighborhood, consists of an open grassy space punctuated by numerous shade trees. The location of the park provides excellent potential to serve the central city and adjacent neighborhoods; however the park is poorly linked to the surrounding area and is currently underutilized. The site does not operate as a functional public space, and draws very few visits (if any) for its intended recreational use. Because the site is almost always vacant, it has essentially created a void in the downtown cityscape. Members of the community have no reason to visit the park, which contains no recreational amenities/facilities (such as benches, exercise equipment, playgrounds, etc), and the space serves no particular purpose. These factors contribute to the park's isolation.
At the October 31, 2007 meeting, DRAB members suggested converting a portion of Lynch Park into an off-leash area for dogs; the CRA subsequently approved this concept on December 17, 2007. Such a facility would provide a purpose to the park space and would also attract a variety of new visitors to the park. Pet ownership is an increasing trend, particularly in urban areas where residents may have little or no private yard space in which to exercise dogs. Residents of downtown Gainesville currently do not have access to an off-leash facility within walking distance of the area. The closest off-leash area is located in the Northeast Park, off of NE 16th Avenue, so an additional facility downtown would likely draw many new visitors to Lynch Park on a daily basis. New visitors using the park for recreation green space, as it is intended, will contribute greatly to continued redevelopment and revitalization efforts in the Porters area. Two buildings adjacent to Lynch Park have applied for façade grants. The anticipated re...
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