Through September 24, 2020, you have the chance to submit your comments about projects that seek federal funding through East-West Gateway’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). TAP funds can be used for projects such as bicycle and pedestrian facilities, Safe Routes to School infrastructure or programming, community improvement and environmental mitigation activities, and preservation of historic transportation facilities.
We’ve tried to make it as easy as possible – use the form below to send your feedback on this greenway project. We also encourage you to look through their full list (there are several of our partners seeking funding on greenway projects) and give any feedback you have on any or all of the opportunities. It only takes a moment and is a great way to make sure your voice is heard. East-West Gateway staff will evaluate the feedback, applications and make recommendations in January 2021 to the Transportation Planning Committee.
The Chouteau Greenway will provide a critical link between two of the city’s greatest assets: Forest Park and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Gateway Arch). The Chouteau Greenway is envisioned to be a vibrant corridor, dense with experiential opportunities, that leverages community, institutional, and private assets in creating a unique piece of urban infrastructure. As the “backbone” of the central city area, it will provide junctures for other connections to communities, institutions, and natural resources in and around the core of St. Louis.
The following Design and Community Goals define the qualities that the greenway must embrace in its conception and execution.
ESTABLISH A TRANSFORMATIVE FRAMEWORK
Design Goals:
Build on existing resources to create an armature connecting communities and institutions, enhance existing public and private development, and organize future development within the greenway corridor.
Community Goals:
Provide many points of access and opportunities for meaningful north/south connections that are high quality and done with extensive engagement. These are equally important to the main east-west greenway. All facilities should encourage further exploration of both the greenway and the communities it connects.
CATALYZE COMMUNITY BUILDING
Design Goals:
Utilize the greenway as common ground to enrich lives, strengthen relationships and bridge communities. Encourage individual communities to embrace the greenway as integral infrastructure and incorporate elements in or near the greenway that celebrate the individual character of each community and neighborhood.
Community Goals:
Design the greenway to be meaningful to St. Louisans. Listen to a variety of perspectives and needs across many demographics and design projects to be representative and reflective of neighborhoods.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE REGIONAL SYSTEM
Design Goals:
The Chouteau Greenway plays a role as a primary connector of two major city treasures, Forest Park and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. As the regional greenway system continues to evolve within the vision portrayed in the Great Rivers Greenway Plan, each greenway segment needs to both support the overall plan and contribute to a regional greenway experience.
Community Goals:
Adding this missing link in the center of the city will provide critical connections in the project area, as well as invite people into the regional system to explore. Design projects to become a common ground where all feel welcome; this is an opportunity to be a launch point for people to connect with each other across previously insurmountable socioeconomic, transportation and perceived barriers to venture further from their routine routes, discover the region and connect with each other.
CHOREOGRAPH URBAN LIFE
Design Goals:
Create opportunities for uses along the greenway corridor to interact with the pathway through providing a “front porch” or “civic room” that might add to the activity along the corridor. Within the greenway framework, provide for design interventions from neighboring institutions and communities that create integrated and sequential experiences. Define the corridor as a sequence of spaces and activities, not just a pathway. Determine how existing and future communities, buildings, and spaces will interact with the greenway.
Community Goals:
Innovate by adding value to existing amenities, infrastructure, institutions, service providers and with new elements that make sense in context, building upon what exists.
CREATE DIVERSE AND ACCESSIBLE EXPERIENCES
Design Goals:
Provide an urban experience with ranges of intense and passive activity. Honor principles of universal design as determinants of form. Explore day/night and seasonal variations to ensure the greenway is a year-round, all day experience for all. Provide pathways and spaces that encourage diverse programming opportunities that celebrate the unique history and culture of St. Louis and welcome all possible visitors through intentional inclusionary practices.
Community Goals:
Consider access and comfort in all seasons, especially availability of shade, seating and water. Think about design for activities beyond walking, running and biking, such as skateboarding, food trucks, public discourse, outdoor classrooms and education, public and private events and programs.
PROVIDE A SAFE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT
Design Goals:
Through “defensible space” and “eyes on the street” principles, engender a sense that users of the greenway enjoy a safe environment. Provide the vehicle for a coordinated and collaborative security system that ties together programs and institutions.
Community Goals:
Create a greenway and connections that include lighting, emergency phones for immediate connections with security or emergency personnel, published and enforced rules and no hiding spots. Consider ambassador or ranger programs (and necessary facilities for them) that populate the greenway 24 hours per day. Remember all ages and abilities for safety considerations.
GENERATE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
Design Goals:
Utilize the greenway to support and create economic vitality while maintaining economic stability. Explore how the greenway can contribute to job growth and equitable economic opportunities for all. Make the greenway a canvas for future generations to circulate, play, work, and learn.
Community Goals:
Take into account design elements that encourage and support small businesses, vendors, musicians, artists. Make it easy to use the greenway to extend business opportunities or create new ones.
INTEGRATE ART AND CULTURE
Design Goals:
Incorporate art that provides an interpretive layer of individual and collective expression. Consider the interactive relationship of the art to the various age groups and diverse cultures that activate the greenway. Connect to, and celebrate, existing cultural institutions within and adjacent to the corridor.
Community Goals:
Showcase the past, present and future of this region and reflect the spirit and ideals of many different residents. Provide experiences to help visitors visualize and explore key regional themes such as music, industry, race relations, green space and architecture. Art and programs should be locally-focused but internationally relevant, in conjunction with and inclusive of the community – diversity of artists and mediums.
IMPROVE MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY
Design Goals:
Recognize the role mobility plays as a physical and functional determinant of the greenway—providing opportunities for multiple modes and reducing conflicts between modes. Provide junctures where future connectivity to the regional system is facilitated, especially to ensure equity in transportation options.
Community Goals:
Create compelling places that will encourage use and that are clearly delineated for walking, bicycling and driving. Direct, seamless connections to transit and parking resources for all ages and abilities are very important, as are bridges and underpasses over/under major streets.
SHAPE A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Design Goals:
Incorporate technology and opportunities for programming that create environmental, economic, and cultural sustainability for the greenway. Adopt best practices to improve watershed health, air and water quality and urban biodiversity. Ensure the greenway corridor is sustainable operationally through a coordinated program between Great Rivers Greenway, the City of St. Louis, and other partners.
Community Goals:
Address the health of the natural environment throughout the project and consider wildlife. Use sustainable practices to reduce maintenance and replacement needs such as native plantings, locally-sourced, recycled materials, thoughtful water use and renewable energy.
PROMOTE DESIGN EXCELLENCE
Design Goals:
Set a standard for future greenway improvements through fundamental urban design methodologies and placemaking techniques. Recognize that the sum of the increments defines the whole. Determine design guidelines that set the standard for future and evolving greenway improvements.
Community Goals:
Use evidence-based professional expertise to show St. Louisans what a world-class project looks like and demonstrate why design choices were made.
BE ASPIRATIONAL AND ACHIEVABLE
Design Goals:
Design a greenway that answers to functional and programmatic needs but has elements that celebrate its uniqueness and its importance as a fundamental element of infrastructure for the continuing evolution of the city.
Community Goals:
Create a unique, compelling and dynamic experience that connects people to St. Louis that can be built “in my lifetime” and created to last for future generations.
Our team has been busy planning and building new greenways for you to explore and enjoy! Thanks to our many partners, and tremendous community feedback, we’ll be cutting the ribbon on several expanded greenways this year. We’ll also break ground on a few new projects in 2018. Here’s a quick update:
River des Peres Greenway
We’re putting the finishing touches on the extension of the River des Peres Greenway from the Shrewsbury- Lansdowne MetroLink to Slay Park. Trees and shrubs are all in place and wayfinding signs will be placed in the coming weeks. Thanks to this most recent expansion, the greenway now stretches a full 9.6 miles and connects to more places than ever before!
Centennial Greenway: Bridges over 364 & 94 in St. Charles County
In April, we’ll celebrate the expansion of the Centennial Greenway in St. Charles County over Highways 364 and 94. It now connects both sides of the community so people can safely walk or ride a bike across these busy highways. New connections to parks, schools, businesses and the Katy Trail on foot or bike are now possible thanks to these two bridges. Save the date for a ribbon cutting celebration with our partners on April 7, 2018!
Mississippi Greenway: Cliff Cave Park
In May, we’ll open the expanded greenway in Cliff Cave Park with a ribbon cutting May 4th and Community Day May 6th. This 2 mile expansion connects the existing greenway to the upper section of the park so it is more accessible for everyone. There’s also a new parking lot, restrooms and a neighborhood spur that connects to Telegraph Road. Wait ‘til you see the amazing view of the Mississippi River from the new overlook on the bluff!
Fee Fee Greenway: Aquaport to Creve Coeur Park
On June 14th, we’ll cut another ribbon on the expanded Fee Fee Greenway. This two mile extension along Quarry at Crystal Springs golf course makes it possible to walk or ride a bike all the way from Aquaport in Maryland Heights to Creve Coeur Park.
Gravois Greenway: Grant’s Trail
On June 24th, we’ll open the new trailhead at the south end of the greenway near Orlando’s. The first phase of this eagerly anticipated expansion includes restrooms, benches, landscaping and a play structure. As part of the festivities, we’ll also host an open house so you can learn more about the second phase of the project that will extend the greenway an additional two miles to connect with the River des Peres Greenway.
Deer Creek Greenway: Deer Creek Park to Lorraine Davis Park
Next fall, we’ll celebrate the 1.5 mile extension of the Deer Creek Greenway from Webster Groves Deer Creek Park to Lorraine Davis Park. When complete, there will be a total of 2.2 miles to explore and enjoy! There will also be a new boardwalk, landscaping with native plants, and a new pavilion with picnic tables and a drinking fountain in Lorraine Davis Park.
What’s Coming in 2018
The Great Rivers Greenway Board has approved funding to advance several projects in 2018. Here are a few highlights:
Chouteau Greenway
Together with our partners, we’ll advance the concepts for the Chouteau Greenway as the design competition continues through the end of June. See the latest updates here. Get the latest information on the Chouteau Greenway here.
Maline Greenway
Construction will soon begin on the first segment of the Maline Greenway in Bella Fontaine Park. Plans include the renovation of existing trails, replacement of three pedestrian bridges, and construction of an underpass beneath Lewis and Clark Boulevard that will connect both sides of the park, providing area residents with a safer way to enjoy all the park’s amenities and improved options for accessing transit.
New Trailhead on Deer Creek Greenway
Bids are out for a new trailhead on Marshall Avenue along the route of the Deer Creek Greenway that’s currently under construction. It will offer parking, a water fountain, a pavilion, benches, restored streambank habitat and more!
Centennial Greenway: Interstate I-70 and Delmar Improvements
We are working with our partners on the final designs to improve the greenway where it crosses over Delmar at I-170 in the City of University City. The goal is to make it safer and easier for people to navigate this intersection whether they are on foot, bike or in a car.
Great Rivers Greenway and partners received a total of 19 team qualifications submittals for the first stage of the Chouteau Greenway competition. A total of 124 firms from seven countries and 13 U.S. states made up the team submissions, with 44 of the firms being local to the St. Louis region.
JCFO | New York, NY
[dtls] | St. Louis, MO
WSP | St. Louis, MO
MIC | Milan, Italy & New York, NY
HR&A Advisors | New York, NY
Sherwood Design Engineers | New York, NY
L’Observatorie | New York, NY
Lord Cultural Resources | Toronto, Canada & New York, NY
ETM Associates | Highland Park, NJ
High Line | New York, NY
Navy Pier | Chicago, IL
Public Square | Cleveland, OH
South Park at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park | London, United Kingdom
Central Riverfront | Seattle, WA
Stoss Landscape Urbanism | Boston, MA & Los Angeles, CA
Amanda Williams | Chicago, IL
Urban Planning and Design for the American City | New York, NY
Alta Planning + Design | St. Louis, MO & Durham, NC
Marlon Blackwell Architects | Fayetteville, AR
David Mason & Associates | St. Louis, MO
HR&A Advisors | New York, NY
Fox Riverfront + The CityDeck | Green Bay, WI
Olive West Development Framework | Midwest
Coastal Resilience Solutions for East Boston & Charlestown | Boston, MA
GR Forward Riverfront Framework Plan | Grand Rapids, MI
Harvard Science Center Plaza | Cambridge, MA
TLS Landscape Architecture | Berkeley, CA
OBJECT TERRITORIES | New York, NY & Hong Kong, China
[dhd] derek hoeferlin design | St. Louis, MO
Linda Samuels | St. Louis, MO
Paola Aguirre Serrano | Chicago, IL
Kristin Fleischmann Brewer | St. Louis, MO
Preservation Research Office | St. Louis, MO
Langan | San Francisco, CA & New York, NY
EDSI | St. Louis, MO
Ramboll | St. Louis, MO
eDesign Dynamics | New York, NY
Silman | New York, NY
Econsult Solutions | Philadelphia, PA
Bryan Cave LLP | St. Louis, MO
Railroad Park | Birmingham, AL
Riverfirst | Minneapolis, MN
Stanford Medical Center | Palo Alto, CA
Projecting the Waterfront | Da Nang, Vietnam
Cut & Spill (Over) Lost Erie Canal | Syracuse & DeWitt, NY
W Architecture & Landscape Architecture | New York, NY
Kiku Obata & Co. | St. Louis, MO
ABNA Engineering | St. Louis, MO
Arup | New York, NY
Regina Myer | New York, NY
Gardiner & Theobald | New York, NY
The Edge | Williamsburg, NY
West Harlem Piers Park | New York, NY
St. Patrick’s Island | Calgary, Canada
Penn Plaza | New York, NY
Hamilton River Plan | Hamilton, OH
Area Residents Invited to Two Events in Early January to Kick off Second Phase of Design Competition
Great Rivers Greenway and our partners have finished the first stage in the Chouteau Greenway Design Competition process. The four selected teams will officially begin working on their respective conceptual plans to connect Forest Park and Washington University to Downtown and the Gateway Arch in early January after receiving a full briefing on the project’s goals, challenges and opportunities. Residents of the region will have a chance to meet the project teams and learn more about their qualifications at the “Meet the Designers” night, being held on Jan. 4, and can make their mark on a community mural at a Community Day event, being held on Jan. 6.
Great Rivers Greenway and partners received a total of 19 team qualifications submittals for the first stage of the competition. A jury, comprised of nine local and international experts, reviewed all submissions and recommended the four winning teams. A total of 124 firms from seven countries and 13 U.S. states made up the team submissions, with 44 of the firms being local to the St. Louis region. Teams represent the disciplines of urban planning, economics, cultural programming, art, sustainability, Universal Design, landscape architecture, architecture, civil and structural engineering, hydrology, open space programming, acoustics, lighting and traffic engineering.
The second stage of the competition will require the teams to prepare conceptual designs for the Chouteau Greenway that address the design and experience of the greenway, while also addressing the economic development and equity issues in the region. All four teams chosen include local St. Louis team members and are as follows:
James Corner Field Operations in association with [dtls], WSP, HR & A Advisors, Lord Cultural Resources, Sherwood Design Engineers, MIC, L’Observatorie, ETM Associates
STOSS Landscape Urbanism in association with Amanda Williams, Urban Planning and Design for the American City, Alta Planning + Design, Marlon Blackwell Architects, HR & A Advisors and David Mason and Associates
TLS Landscape Architecture, OBJECT TERRITORIES, [dhd] derek hoeferlin design in association with Langan, Linda Samuels, Paola Serrano, EDSI, Ramboll, Kristin Fleischmann Brewer, eDesign Dynamics, Silman, Econsult Solutions, Bryan Cave, Preservation Research Office
W Architecture & Landscape Architecture in association with Arup, ABNA Engineering, Gardiner & Theobald, Kiku Obata & Co., Regina Myer
“Our nation is trying to figure out what equitable cities look like and this competition is an opportunity to take on those issues and bring St. Louis to the forefront of this dialogue,” according to a statement provided by the Chouteau Greenway International Design Competition jury. “The four teams selected showed that they have the diversity of disciplines, experience and capacity needed to take on such a complex problem. Using terms such as ‘authentic engagement’, ‘radical listening’ and ‘empathy-driven approaches’, they described people as being the center of a transformation that will strengthen the fabric of St. Louis.”
Since September, Great Rivers Greenway has gathered community input on the project in a variety of ways. A survey, which 2,000 regional residents have taken to date, has thus far captured the community’s desire for the project to be inclusive on multiple levels. People have asked that the greenway create a physical common ground, but also that the process and implementation be intentional. Many respondents requested policy around the types of economic development the greenway could bring to ensure opportunities for all. Specific requests listed include small business development, job creation and affordable housing. The survey remains open online at www.ChouteauGreenway.org until Dec. 22, 2017.
Moving forward, community members are invited to attend two events to help them further connect with the project. A Meet the Designers Night will be held on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Local 36 Sheet Metal Workers Union Hall, located at 2319 Chouteau Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103. The event will feature presentations from 6:15-7:30 p.m. from project partners and all four design teams, so everyone will have an opportunity to learn about their qualifications and approach. The event is free to attend and will have a cash bar. Residents of the region are also invited to a Community Day on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018 from 9am to noon at Harris-Stowe State University’s William L. Clay Professional Development Center, located at 3026 Laclede Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103. People of all ages will have the opportunity to help create a mural for the project, in partnership with Freedom Arts & Education Center. Local performers will show off their skills and door prizes will be given out all morning. Information about the project will be displayed, with 10 minute presentations every hour. The event is free and food and drink are provided.
“Please join us for one or both of these events to get to know the project and see how the whole community can bring the greenway to life,” said Susan Trautman, Chief Executive Officer for Great Rivers Greenway. “We are thrilled with the forthright feedback people have given us so far and look forward to this project and process being transformational for our region.”
Teams will work on their designs throughout the first quarter of the year, meeting frequently with technical and community advisors from many disciplines across the region to guide the teams through questions to determine feasibility and relevance. Final design concepts will be presented to the community through exhibits, online surveys, open houses and direct outreach in April 2018. The jury will then evaluate the plans based on design and community goals in late April and choose the winning team to finalize its design, completing the competition, in June 2018. Partners will then determine how to bring the project to life through further design, phasing, engineering, construction, activation, operations and maintenance.
The full list of qualification submittals and the submissions from the four teams chosen, along with information about the jury, Technical Advisory Group and Community Advisory Committee, the open survey and upcoming events are posted online at www.ChouteauGreenway.org.
Great Rivers Greenway and partners announce project goals, process and
submission deadline of Nov. 21
St. Louis, MO – Sept. 14, 2017 – Great Rivers Greenway has announced it is now accepting qualification submissions from interested design teams for an international design competition. The competition is a major public-private partnership to bring a long-time vision to life for the Chouteau Greenway in the core of St. Louis City. The process, led by architect Donald J. Stastny, FAIA, who managed the design competition for the CityArchRiver project, will result in a conceptual plan that will connect Forest Park and Washington University to the Gateway Arch grounds. Interested design teams can register to download the competition manual at www.ChouteauGreenway.org and must submit their qualifications by November 21, 2017 to be considered.
“The Chouteau Greenway is envisioned to be a vibrant corridor, dense with experiential opportunities, that leverages community, institutional, and private assets in creating a unique piece of urban infrastructure,” said Stastny, Competition Manager. “As the ‘backbone’ of the central city, it will provide junctures for connections to communities, institutions, and natural resources in and around the core of St. Louis.”
Once all qualifications have been submitted by interested design teams, a jury, comprised of nine local and international experts, will utilize a series of design goals and input from the community to evaluate each design team’s submitted qualifications and recommend four teams to compete. Those four teams will be offered a stipend to work on a conceptual design, which will be reviewed by the public and presented to the jury in late April 2018. The winning team will finalize their design, completing the program, in June 2018.
The goal of the project is to connect the areas of Washington University and Forest Park to the Washington University Medical Center & BJC, the Cortex Innovation District, the City Foundry STL and Armory projects, Grand Center Arts District, Saint Louis University, Harris-Stowe State University, Midtown, Downtown and the Gateway Arch and Mississippi Riverfront. With spurs north and south, the greenway will likely stretch 5-7 miles, connecting area neighborhoods, employment centers, parks, transit and dozens of cultural and educational institutions.
The Chouteau Greenway will be part of the overall network of greenways being built by Great Rivers Greenway and partners. The competition invites designers to think beyond the trail itself to create active, vibrant spaces and destinations along the way. The goal is to have the greenway be a dynamic and unique St. Louis experience, similar to the High Line in New York City or the Atlanta Beltline.
“Imagine changing the landscape in a way that transcends traditional physical, cultural or political barriers,” said Susan Trautman, CEO of Great Rivers Greenway. “Designing Chouteau Greenway is a complex and challenging opportunity that we seek talented and innovative design teams to undertake.”
Jury members, chosen by the competition manager, who will be overseeing the design competition and reviewing the submissions include Maurice Cox, FAIA, Planning and Development Director for the City of Detroit; Antionette D. Carroll, Founder and CEO of Creative Reaction Lab in St. Louis; Gavin Kroeber, Artist and Head of the Interdisciplinary Curatorial Office for The Studio for Art & Urbanism; Deborah J. Patterson, retired VP of Global Contributions and Employee Engagement at Monsanto in St. Louis; Mark W. Johnson, FASLA, Founder of Civitas in Denver; Ed Hassinger, P.E., Chief Engineer of the Missouri Department of Transportation; Adèle Naudé Santos, FAIA, Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Allison Grace Williams, FAIA, Architect and Urban Designer at AGWms_studio; and Alternate Juror Don Roe, Executive Director of the City of St. Louis’ Planning and Urban Design Agency.
Partnering with the City of St. Louis and Great Rivers Greenway, the design competition is privately funded by Arch to Park Collaborative, Forest Park Forever, Grand Center Inc., Great Rivers Greenway Foundation, Green Street St. Louis, Lawrence Group, Saint Louis University, Washington University in St. Louis and Washington University Medical Center. Additional stakeholder groups are forming to provide input throughout the process from a wide variety of agencies, businesses and organizations.
To gather input from the community in advance of the design phase of the competition, Great Rivers Greenway is in the process of choosing 40 community members, out of the 206 who applied, to be a part of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to provide vision and guidance for the project. The regional public agency is also hiring local community members to serve as part of a team that will help gather input throughout the process through surveys, pop-up events and neighborhood meetings.
The first segment of the Chouteau Greenway is currently under construction as part of the TIGER grant project to build a new MetroLink station at the Cortex Innovation Community. The competition and resulting conceptual design will help partners determine a plan and schedule for designing and building additional portions of the overall greenway.
For more information about the project and to register to download the competition manual, visit www.ChouteauGreenway.org.
Some of the possible destinations along the future Chouteau Greenway Alignment has yet to be determined.
Great Rivers Greenway is looking for 40 citizens from throughout the St. Louis region to serve on our Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) for Chouteau Greenway, which will connect Washington University & Forest Park to Downtown & the Gateway Arch with spurs to the north and south. We are leading a major public-private partnership to establish the conceptual plan for this greenway through a design competition. To make it a success, we need a CAC.
As a CAC member, you will give input on the past and current conditions of the area and desired future connections and destinations. The goal is for the Chouteau Greenway to be an asset that connects, delights and serves all people in their everyday lives thus creating a dynamic, unique and memorable St. Louis greenway experience. Some of the CAC tasks will include:
Reviewing the goals and principles of the design competition;
Identifying the community’s assets, stories, character, history, destinations and desire connections;
Revealing any equity concerns or unintended consequences of this project and brainstorming solutions;
Discussing programs that would contribute to an overall unique and memorable experience; and
Envisioning a greenway that is inclusive and accessible to all residents
Our meetings will be monthly from September 2017 through April 2018 and will last about one to two hours. Transportation and childcare support are available, and food will be provided at each meeting. Meeting times and days will be set with the selected CAC members.
If you are interested in serving on the Chouteau Greenway, please fill out the application form below by Friday, September 8. Also feel free to encourage your neighbors, friends and/or co-workers in the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County to apply. We will select candidates who represent our region in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, age, and geography of where you live, work or learn. Thanks!
If you (or someone you know) prefers to fill out a paper copy, you can download that here. That can be scanned and emailed to info@grgstl.org, faxed to 314-436-8004 or mailed to 6178 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63112. Thanks!
Greenway gaining momentum along with development of Central Corridor in St. Louis
No matter how far or wide, every journey begins with a single step. After working with many partners for many years, we are about to take that all-important first step towards a project that will eventually connect the Gateway Arch and Forest Park –the Chouteau Greenway.
Construction of the first segment of the long-awaited Chouteau Greenway will begin in early 2017. Part of the Boyle MetroLink Light Rail Station project in Cortex, the quarter-mile section will be built between Boyle and Sarah Avenues.
“We are excited to see Chouteau Greenway start come to life,” says Mark Vogl, Great Rivers Greenway Project Manager. “The first segment is designed so that visitors, students, and employees can walk or ride bikes to connect with the Cortex Innovation Community as well as the rest of the destinations along the greenway’s path as it expands in the future.”
When the entire greenway is complete, you’ll be able to walk or ride a bike all the way from the riverfront to Forest Park—all on a greenway. The five-mile, paved path will not only serve as a recreational space, but also a way to commute between downtown St. Louis, St. Louis University, Cortex Innovation Community, Washington University Medical Center, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, the proposed City Foundry St. Louis, seven Metrolink Stations and everything else along the way.
Henry “Hank” Webber, Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration at Washington University, Chairman of the Cortex Innovation Community, and member of the Urban Planning Roundtable guiding the project, is eager to see Chouteau Greenway begin to connect the central corridor.
“As the Chouteau Greenway expands, it will link together many of our region’s anchoring institutions,” says Webber. “Offering this type of alternative connection is essential for attracting and retaining the best researchers and brightest minds to our universities, medical centers, and innovation districts like Cortex.”
As development within the central corridor gains momentum, so do the plans for further expansion of the Chouteau Greenway’s master plan.
“Building a separated space for walking or riding a bike directly through the heart of St. Louis requires a lot of coordination and planning,” says Susan Trautman, Great Rivers Greenway Executive Director. “We’ve been working in partnership with regional institutions, developers and public agencies for many years to make it a reality. It’s wonderful to see them embrace the greenway, recognize its value, and be eager to connect to it.”
As construction of the first segment begins, partners are actively collaborating to finalize the route for the next section of greenway to be constructed as it heads west from Boyle Avenue to Forest Park.
“Having transportation options is an international standard,” says Dennis Lower, President and CEO of the Cortex Innovation Community. “The greenway will not only help attract a vibrant workforce, it will also create a new recreational space that will improve livability in the heart of St. Louis.”
View maps and the Chouteau Greenway Master Plan here.
What’s happening around the greenways? Here are a few of the updates on what’s happening right now:
Gravois Greenway: Orlando’s to River des Peres Greenway (Grant’s Trail)
Designs for this much-anticipated extension that will extend the Gravois Greenway from Orlando’s to the River des Peres Greenway are underway. As with all projects, the safety of the people using the greenway is a priority. To make this connection a reality, it will require two bridges and an underpass for an estimated cost of $10.2 million. We are working to leverage grants and private donations to fund the project. We have already been approved for a $2 million Transportation Alternative Program Grant from East West Gateway and a $1 million private grant from the Mysun Foundation. The goal is to begin construction in mid-2017. Stay tuned!
River des Peres Greenway
The 1 mile extension of the River des Peres Greenway from the Alabama Bridge to the Mississippi Greenway near the River City Casino will begin construction in mid-June and be finished by fall so you can connect to the Mississippi River Greenway and Jefferson Barracks Park! On the other end, planning continues on the extension from Lansdowne to Francis Slay Park (Intersection of Canterbury & Ellendale). Final designs are being developed with construction slated for late 2016 through 2017.
When both projects are complete, there will be a continuous path from Francis Slay Park in the City of St. Louis all the way to Jefferson Barracks County Park in south St. Louis County. (That’s 13.5 total miles including the Christy Greenway and Carondelet Connector!)
Chouteau Greenway
The St. Louis region was awarded a $10.3 million US Department of Transportation TIGER grant (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) to construct a new MetroLink light rail station along with places for people to walk or ride bikes through the Cortex District.
As a primary partner on the application, Great Rivers Greenway will develop the first segment of the Chouteau Greenway between Boyle Avenue and Sarah Avenue as part of the overall project’s local match toward the TIGER grant. As soon as contract negotiations are complete, the project team will be announced and design work will begin immediately. Design and engineering should continue through the end of 2016 with an early 2017 ground breaking for the new Boyle Avenue MetroLink Station and first constructed segment of Chouteau Greenway.
Maline Greenway
Construction of three replacement bridges in Bella Fontaine Park, new and refurbished trails, and an underpass that will connect both sides of Lewis & Clark Boulevard on this first 3.5 mile segment of the Maline Greenway are expected to begin later this year.
Centennial Greenway: Bridges over 364 & 94
This project will connect the existing Centennial Greenway to neighboring communities on the other side of the intersection of highways 364 and 94. These two bridges will eliminate this barrier for people walking or riding bikes and connect the existing trail system to Wapelhorst Park in St. Charles and Laurel Park in St. Peters. MoDOT is currently reviewing final plans and construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2017.
St. Vincent Greenway
The Loop Trolley Project on DeBaliviere Avenue that is extending the St. Vincent Greenway from Delmar to Forest Park is underway and will be finished this fall. Design and engineering of the route identified in 2014 from Etzel and Skinker in Wellston to St. Vincent County Park will continue through 2017. A new 1-acre “pocket park” will come to life at the corner of Etzel and Skinker in October 2016! Click here for the details.
When this “missing link” is complete, it will connect the cities of Wellston and Pagedale to the Wellston and St. Charles Rock Road MetroLink stations and St. Vincent County Park. It will also complete a seven mile, continuous greenway stretching all the way from Forest Park, across the University of Missouri-St. Louis Campus, to the North Hanley MetroLink Station!
