Botanica, Inc. is Louisville's Horticultural Connection, bringing together a network of nearly 70 groups and serving as a community resource for information on garden club meetings, plant sales, garden tours and horticultural events produced by numerous garden and garden-related organizations throughout the region. Botanica's annual directory of gardening associations is online at http://www.botanicakentucky.org/.

For the past three years, Botanica has aggressively led the movement to establish and maintain a Conservatory and Botanical Gardens near downtown Louisville. A Master Plan was developed and a design proposed. The design features a tropical conservatory, exhibit areas, presentation and meeting rooms, a gift shop, café and other visitor amenities. The purpose of the Gardens is to provide an educational and leisure tourist activity for residents and visitors alike.

Feasibility Study results released in 2005 indicate that the community can support such an amenity and supports Botanica's goal to develop the project on or near the Waterfront to take advantage of burgeoning residential and commercial development there. Additionally, and of great importance, is that this is an easily accessed and centrally located site for local and regional residents. Based on an urban site in close proximity to other tourist attractions, the Study determines that a Botanical Garden would generate more than $2 million in economic impact in its first stable year.

At the request of Louisville Mayor Jerry E. Abramson, Botanica submitted a formal proposal to the Louisville Metro Government detailing the organization's plans to build a Botanical Garden near the city's developing waterfront. The request came two months after members of the Botanica board met with Abramson and 9th District Councilwoman Tina Ward Pugh to discuss obtaining an option to lease the property - a 30 acre, city-owned tract across from the river at the intersection of River Road and Frankfort Avenue. The parcel, which lies along Beargrass Creek, long was used as a scrap yard and now is a capped landfill.

While city officials have expressed concerns about the stability of the tract, Botanica is addressing those concerns with information about new engineering technology and samples of other development stabilization techniques being used along the river.

In the meantime, Metro Parks has included this tract into its design of the new Champions Park, a linear park running along the waterfront which will feature sports fields and amenities. The 20-acre site Botanica as identified, has been slated for soccer practice fields.

Botanica continues to try to make its voice heard to champion the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens project as a much-needed addition to Louisville's landscape. For both residents and visitors, a Botanical Garden is a natural extension of this community's welcoming front door and a wonderful window to the natural surroundings found throughout the world. Through its economic, education and conservation opportunities, it will be yet another jewel in Louisville's crown.

If you would like to be part of this important community conversation, please call 311 (574-5000 from some cell phones) or go to http://www.louisvilleky.gov/ and click on "contact us" and let the Mayor know that you support a Botanical Garden on the waterfront.

For more information or to become a member of Botanica, please go to http://www.botanicakentucky.org/.