The City of Louisville wants to hand the keys to 25 acres of Joe Creason Park's 62 beautiful acres of land to Kentucky Tennis & Pickleball Center Inc to build a massive pay-to-play sports complex.

This complex would blanket the area with concrete lots and towering buildings; destroying trees, wiping out greenspaces, and robbing the community of access to soccer and track fields, walking paths, and overall, limit the areas of free public use. Coupled with the loss of land, the city plans to give $20 million dollars of tax payer money to help fund this project. 

As avid park goer, nature lover, and community advocate, I'm deeply troubled by the proposed sports complex. I moved to this area some time ago specifically for its tranquility and natural beauty and access to this treasured park, and I am frustrated watching greed win, and nature and community lose.

The proposed sports complex threatens the peace and essence of this public sanctuary, irrevocably damaging the park, destroying century-old trees, and would remove public access to traditionally open spaces that foster community and physical health, and decimate beautiful natural habitats for local fauna.

Furthermore, this vast complex will inevitably increase traffic in an area that is already sufficiently congested, placing additional strain on local infrastructure and endangering the safety of children and families.

Noise and light pollution are further consequences of this project. A significant section of this quiet, serene neighborhood park will be replaced by excessive light, traffic, and amplified sound, disrupting not only human residents, but also the park's and adjacent Beargrass State Park's wildlife. 

Parks are a crucial part of any community, offering a place for exercise, relaxation, and connection with nature. They also contribute positively to the environment, enhancing air quality, noise control, and providing habitats for wildlife. In fact, one mature tree can absorb 48 pounds of carbon dioxide annually (American Forests). The proposed construction will uproot countless such trees, in addition to the concrete lots to house 300+ parking spaces, and inflict measurable harm on our climate, effectively stealing the silent voices of our trees.

The transformation of Joe Creason Park into a sports complex is not merely an inconsequential alteration - it's a destruction of a pivotal community resource and an ecological haven. Let's raise our voices to preserve our park, our peace, and our environment. Please consider lending your signature to this petition to oppose the construction of the Kentucky Tennis and Pickleball Center at Joe Creason Park.

Community meetings will take place May 6th at the Cryil Allgeier Community Center from 6p - 8p, and a second meeting will occur on May 10th at St. Xavier High School from 8:30a - 11a.

Lastly, if you live in the surrounding area (District 10), your Metro Councilwoman is Josie Raymond (574-1110). She's a great asset to the community, and I would encourage reaching out to her to express your concerns. Ben Reno-Weber is a good direct Councilman contact as well, as his district is also affected (574-1108). If you live outside of this district/area, please contact your local Councilperson. 

This project will be voted on by Louisville Metro Council, and will need Council majority to pass... Your voices matter!

Thank you!