ST. LOUIS — As the first 1.3 mile segment of the Brickline Greenway North Connector will break ground early next spring in north St. Louis, community members Tuesday learned about the details of the project.
Plans of the Brickline Greenway North Connector include linking Fairground Park to Grand Center, specifically from Fairground Park at Natural Bridge Road on North Grand Boulevard to Cass Avenue, west on Cass Avenue to Spring Street, and south on Spring Street to Page Avenue.
“We are connecting hundreds of destinations along the eventual stretch of the entire Brickline Greenway network, but here, we’re connecting a park to other amenities … to be able to introduce a different type of pedestrian experience into this corridor,” said Dallas Adams, communications manager for Great Rivers Greenway.
The sidewalks along the route will be widened to 12 feet and the roads will be narrower. There also will be an eight-foot buffer with plants and pedestrian islands.
“Unfortunately, (this corridor) has been so heavily impacted by violence to pedestrians,” Adams said. “We’ve been able to match the funding from the taxes that we pay with some federal funding to really make this a safe access way for pedestrians, bikers and for cars.”
This 1.3-mile segment is expected to continue the greenway south along Spring Avenue, past Lindell and through Saint Louis University’s campus and past the City Foundry. If possible, plans also include creating a bridge that goes between the two decks of eastbound and westbound Interstate 64 to connect to the Armory and Grand MetroLink Station.
Project plans also include featuring a six-foot bronze sculpture commissioned by Yinka Shonibare, a well-known British, Nigerian artist. The sculpture would be placed at North Grand and St. Louis Avenue. Community members Tuesday had the chance to vote on the pattern colors.
Featured along Grand Boulevard between Natural Bridge and Cass Avenue are street light banners of artwork by St. Louis artists that reflect the neighborhood's unique identity. Great Rivers Greenway commissioned the artists to create artwork for the street light banners that mark the route of the North Connector project.
Funding for the Brickline Greenway North Connector project will come from local sales tax, a $15 million federal grant through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program from the United States Department of Transportation, and $4 million in federal funds and private investment.
Additionally, the city of St. Louis will use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to make improvements along the east side of Grand Avenue.
The Brickline Greenway North Connector is part of the Brickline Greenway, which will incorporate 10 miles of greenway with plans to link 14 St. Louis City neighborhoods and connect Forest Park, the Gateway Arch National Park, Fairground Park and Tower Grove Park, in addition to destinations in between.