The benefit of parks and trails to an individual has been well documented, from physical improvements through exercise to mental benefits through a connection with nature and the outdoors. Yet, that benefit goes beyond the individual to the betterment of a community as a whole. The presence of parks increases neighborhood property values and decreases crime rates. Local economies often benefit through increased tourism and the creation of a stable community. For many struggling communities, however, financial constraints limit the creation, renovation and upkeep of parks in the area. NRPA addresses this issue with its trailblazing Parks Build Community initiative.
The Parks Build Community Initiative
In 2009, NRPA launched its Parks Build Community initiative. This annual program examines underserved communities in various locations across the nation and creates a park that’s custom designed for the community’s specific needs and desires. Project sites coincide with the host city of NRPA’s Annual Conference. These “legacy parks” are revealed during Conference and, to date, include Marvin Gaye Park (District of Columbia, 2009), Selena Butler Park (Georgia, 2011), El Sereno Arroyo Park (California, 2012), Shady Lane Park (Texas, 2013), Lincoln Heights Park (North Carolina, 2014) and Joe Kneip Park (Nevada, 2015).
Legacy park locations are selected using needs-based criteria and the parks receive an overhaul in equipment and facilities that is geared toward providing community gathering places for residents of all ages, promoting a healthy lifestyle and connecting children and adults with the outdoors. “Parks Build Community isn’t just about building another pretty park,” says Barbara Tulipane, NRPA president and CEO. “It’s about building an essential resource for a community that needs and deserves it.”
The Site
For the 2016 NRPA Annual Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, the Parks Build Community program will create a neighborhood park in the satellite city of Wellston. Located just 7 miles north of downtown St. Louis, Wellston is a small city that was established in the mid-1800s and is approximately one square mile in size with a little more than 2,000 residents. It was once a thriving tourism and business center, but during the past 50 years has seen a decline in its economic vitality and, today, is one of the poorest cities in Missouri.
Despite recent challenges — students being bussed to neighboring Normandy because their school was closed in 2010 for lack of funding and outsourcing of all services formerly provided by the Wellston Police Department, also a result of rising operational costs and lack of funds — Wellston residents are still optimistic and have a great love for their city. “Wellston has a very rich history — it used to be a vibrant shopping district,” says Emma Klues, director of communications and outreach, Great Rivers Greenway. “[People] would get really dressed up and go walk in Wellston to visit the shops on Sundays. The community looks quite a bit different now, but there are a lot of people that live in Wellston who have been there for generations and are very proud of their town. We’re very excited to be working with them to help them preserve part of that legacy.”
The park will be located on a 1-acre parcel at the southern entrance to Wellston, along a 7-mile greenway connecting the 1,300-acre Forest Park south of Wellston to the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis to the north. This greenway will provide a corridor for people to travel between the two anchor sites and for residents of Wellston to travel from their city to these areas. The greenway will also link to seven MetroLink stations, providing further transportation links in the area. “What we are really excited about is that idea of being able to connect people to places they wouldn’t normally go,” says Megan Riechmann, project manager, Great Rivers Greenway. “Wellston residents may never have explored a rural riverside but in [the future], as we finish some of these major connections, they will be able to easily get...to places they otherwise may not have explored.”
In honor of the graduates of Wellston High School, the park is being named Trojan Park. “The name of the park itself symbolizes the pride, love, dedication and commitment that we have in and for our city,” says Mayor Nathaniel Griffin.
“The community is very interested in intergenerational opportunities, and that ranges from a pavilion for family reunions or gatherings to specific areas and playground equipment for play between and among different generations,” Klues added. A full-sized basketball court is high on the list of favorite amenities.
The Partnerships
All Parks Build Community projects are collaborations among people, agencies and community groups. NRPA continues its role as the program administrator of the project, securing funding and sponsorship, as well as working in partnership with manufacturers of park equipment, community organizations and local municipalities. For the Trojan Park project, Parks Build Community has partnered with the St. Louis-based Great Rivers Greenway organization. Other partners that have contributed in-kind gifts include Forum Studio, David Mason and Associates, Kozeny-Wagner, Inc., Lochmueller Group, EFK Moen, LLC and Geotechnology, Inc.
Great Rivers Greenway has been working for the past few years on design and implementation of the St. Vincent Greenway. As part of the project, it is looking for park sites along this greenway. “The St. Vincent Greenway has two sections that are complete, and we have been working to try and figure out the best alignment for this 2-mile middle section. We started at the beginning of 2014, working with the communities...to meet with them and talk to them about where they think the best location for this segment of greenway would be,” Riechmann says.
The public engagement meetings are instrumental in determining the needs and desires of the Wellston community. A nonprofit partner, Beyond Housing, is donating its services by participating in and facilitating these meetings. Working in conjunction with all partners, a series of public meetings has focused and fine-tuned the planning process with the Wellston residents. “We’ve had about a one-year community engagement process,” says Neil Eisenberger, senior associate and landscape architect for Forum Studio. “We’ve spent a lot of time in the community — we’ve listened to the wishes of the residents, which were for mostly social activities, places for children and places for exercise.”
You Can Help
Trojan Park will celebrate its grand opening October 8, 2016, during the NRPA Annual Conference. Planning and design have already begun, but there is still much to be done and many places where you can lend a hand. Consider being part of this legacy park project and helping the community of Wellston move toward a brighter future. Then, join us for the opening in October. “Seeing the excitement of community members the day of a Parks Build Community reveal is extremely satisfying — the energy is amazing,” says Gina Mullins-Cohen, NRPA’s vice president of marketing, communications and publications. “But what’s even better is that the reveal isn’t the peak or the main event. The real satisfaction is hearing from the community about how their new park continually supports them — creating stronger friendships, increasing property values and promoting healthier lives from that point forward.”
For more information on how you can be involved, email Gina Mullins-Cohen.
Paula Jacoby-Garrett is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Thank You, Sponsors
NRPA’s Parks Build Community initiative would not be possible without the dedicated support of our partners and sponsors. The generous donations of time, equipment and labor from the below sponsors are a vital component of the 2016 Parks Build Community project at Trojan Park in Wellston, Missouri. Please join us in thanking them for their support!
Greenfields Outdoor Fitness Inc.
Whitewater West Industries Inc.