New Covington event space to promote community

A city-owned space at Seventh and Washington streets in Covington won’t be a parking lot for much longer. Renaissance Covington and MKSK, along with other partners, are turning the lot into a pop-up performance park for public programming.
 
“This lot has been used for a variety of events over time, so one of the goals of the project is to make the space more accessible to the public and better equip it for outdoor events,” says Katie Meyer, Renaissance manager for the City of Covington.
 
Plans for the space include string lighting, painted pavement, landscaping, a kiosk, planters, outdoor electric and a covered stage that can be set up and torn down in less than 30 minutes. BLDG is currently working on the name and branding for the space.
 
The yet-to-be-named space has a slew of events coming up, including the Pop Up Park Launch Party on August 2, which will feature local musicians, food, drink and performances; a NKY Fairness event; UpStart on September 2; and Art Off Pike on September 28.
 
In 2013, Place from Space awarded Renaissance Covington and MKSK $1,000 for the project proposal. Then in 2014, Renaissance Covington and Keep Covington Beautiful received a $2,000 Place Matters grant from the Center for Great Neighborhoods.
 
Cov10, a local private citizen funding opportunity, awarded the project another $2,000, and the remaining costs for the space are being covered by Covington Arts and Art Off Pike.
 
Volunteers are needed for the Pop Up event, as well as for several cleanup days in July. You can sign up here.
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Caitlin Koenig is a Cincinnati transplant and 2012 grad of the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. She's the department editor for Soapbox Media and currently lives in Northside with her husband, Andrew, and their three furry children. Follow Caitlin on Twitter at @caite_13.