LOUISVILLE, Ky. — You'll notice improvements next time you're near Victory Park.
"A new playground, new sprayground, a renovated kitchen inside the lodge," Sarah Wolff who is with Olmsted Parks Conservancy said.
This goes along with the improvements that have happened over the past couple of years, like a new walking path, lighting and basketball court.
"That already helped to increase the safety of the park and we started getting more interaction with the community and how positive they feel about the changes. Having this new playground and sprayground we're hoping that will continue that," Wolff said.
The sprayground is brand new and opened a couple of weeks ago. This is part of a new Friends of Olmsted Parks program to get communities more involved.
"We're piloting in Victory Park, Tyler Park, and Shelby Park as well," Wolff said.
They hope to eventually expand this program to their other parks. Each community has different needs. In Victory Park, they renovated the kitchen in their lodge and have partnered with A.M.P.E.D. to get music classes in one of the rooms.
"So anything we can do I think to engage with everyone and be inclusive in the parks and activate them helps to make them clean, safe and for everyone," Wolff said.
There has been violence at Victory Park in the past, a teen was killed in early June. Wolff said violence is not this parks identity.
"We're hoping to focus more on moving forward with positive activities and engagement and get away from the image of the violence that perhaps has been associated with this neighborhood previously," Wolff said.
The Friends of Victory Park's clean-up and barbecue starts at 6 p.m. and goes until 8 p.m. They'll be picking up trash and also painting the lodge.
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