Chouteau Greenway is now Brickline Greenway

A three-month engagement process wrapped up on March 10, 2020 with the Great Rivers Greenway Board of Directors choosing a new name for the Chouteau Greenway, the proposed path to connect Forest Park to the Gateway Arch National Park and Fairground Park to Tower Grove Park, spanning up to 20 miles and 17 neighborhoods, including all the destinations in between.

A call for name ideas December 11-January 31 included an online toolkit to get creativity flowing. Great Rivers Greenway staff also conducted workshops and pop ups around the city. People went online or texted in to submit nearly 1,000 name ideas! The criteria for an ideal name included:

• Specific and unique to St. Louis
• Fits with a vision for a vibrant, diverse and inclusive future for the region
• Broad enough to encompass the scope of the project, not just one place or theme
• Mix of fun and fundamental – should be relatable and meaningful
• Easy to say, spell and understand
• Ideally is “____ Greenway” to fit into the existing network in the region

After removing the duplicates, Artists of Color Council, Steering Committee and Working Groups (including several City of St. Louis department heads) reviewed approximately 600 name ideas before attending a workshop to narrow down the selections. The group reviewed the criteria and discussed all options before choosing their top 3 recommendations. The City of St. Louis provided input and the names were then legally vetted. Lastly, the Great Rivers Greenway Board of Directors met to choose the final name.

After a robust discussion at their March meeting, the Board selected “Brickline Greenway” to be the new name of this greenway, part of the overall network throughout the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. The experience of this greenway will weave you through the heart of our city – no matter which of the many neighborhoods you’re passing through, you’re sure to notice one thing: brick. From the clay mines beneath your feet, this strong, gritty and gorgeous material has literally shaped our city for hundreds of years. It’s a testament to the sturdy, self-made attitude embodied by our city and our people. The newly renamed Brickline Greenway gives visitors an idea of what they’ll see as they explore – the combination of beautiful brick and native Missouri trees and plants. It pays homage to our history and invites everyone to collaborate toward building a more connected St. Louis.

The new name will feed directly into the project’s next steps, which include finishing the concept design, beginning more in-depth engagement in the neighborhoods, developing a fundraising plan and creating a brand platform. Any given segment will then move forward through engagement and design, coordinating with many other projects such as the MLS stadium, NGA development, SLDC’s Equitable Economic Development Plan, City Foundry and Armory District. Projects will involve a variety of stakeholders and will move at different paces with an emphasis on connecting north city routes to the central part of the project area and building upon the existing segment.