ST. LOUIS — The Brickline Greenway is getting “great momentum” as the project recently received significant investments that pushed the $245 million public-private partnership past the halfway funded mark.
That’s according to Emma Klues, vice president of communications and outreach for Great Rivers Greenway, who said the investments are thanks to BJC Health System, Washington University and Greater St. Louis, Inc.
Their contributions also will provide the matching funds necessary to apply for a federal grant that will connect the Cortex MetroLink station to Forest Park.
That section of the Brickline Greenway will link Boyle Street to Clayton Avenue, which will go under Kingshighway to get to Forest Park, according to Klues.
The federal grant application is due in February with the award announcement in August.
The Cortex MetroLink to Forest Park segment is still in the early planning stages. An open house was held Tuesday night for the community to hear and provide feedback on the project.
If the grant is awarded, the design process will follow with construction set to begin in 2028.
The vision of the Brickline Greenway is to connect 14 St. Louis City neighborhoods to more than 12 miles of greenways.
Other pieces of the Brickline Greenway also are underway.
The section on Market Street, between Energizer Park at 22nd Street and Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) at Compton Avenue, is currently under construction.
While this entire section will be completed next year, Klues said a good portion of it will be finished this year.
In October, she said new “Pillars of the Valley” art installations will be showcased to the community, which will be located near HSSU.
Construction for the North Grand Connector is out for bid, Klues said, with the project to begin in April.
This segment will go from Fairground Park, at Natural Bridge Avenue, south along Grand to Cass Avenue and then west on Cass to Spring Street.
A $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation has been awarded for the project, along with other grants funding it.
On Jan. 29, Great Rivers Greenway will hold a bid opportunity meeting for local companies interested in constructing the North Connector section of the project.
There will be a presentation at 8 a.m. followed by a Q&A and contractor networking. Vendors of all sizes and experience levels are encouraged to attend.
The meeting will at Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club, 2901 N. Grand Boulevard.
Approximately $9.9 million, which is half of the funding, has been secured for the I-64 Greenway Bridge thanks to the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhood grant program.
The project area has been planned for Midtown, spanning from Laclede Avenue, south on Spring Street and across Forest Park Avenue, past the City Foundry.
The greenway bridge will go above I-64’s eastbound lanes and below the westbound lanes, bridging through the current barrier created by the interstate to the Grand MetroLink station and Armory District on the other side.
This will create more access and options for the community.
This project is in coordination with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) because the department will be reconstructing the eastbound I-64 bridge over Vandeventer Avenue in 2027-28.
Great Rivers Greenway wanted to have construction done at the same time to minimize disruption to the community.