Area residents invited to attend open house on The Trestle project on June 18
The Trestle, a transformational project being developed by the Great Rivers Greenway District, which has been in the early design and planning phases until now, is looking to move forward with the help and input of the public. The abandoned rail trestle will be transformed into an elevated park, putting St. Louis on a short list with New York City and Paris, France, as one of the only cities in the world with such an attraction.
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An open house will be held Tuesday, June 18, from 4:30-7:30 pm, in the Crown District of Old North St. Louis at 2617 North 14th Street. With every project the District undertakes, it seeks public input to ensure that the work carried out reflects the desires of the people it serves. At The Trestle open house, the District will showcase early renderings of the project and ask St. Louis residents for their input on project design and amenities. The Trestle is planned to be a unique destination, and getting feedback on the visitor experience and priorities is important.
The Trestle project will transform the abandoned Iron Horse Trestle into a 1.5-mile elevated park, spanning from Branch Street to 14th Street in the heart of Old North St. Louis. The project will be unique as the only elevated rail park in the world that ties into a comprehensive network of trails and greenways. The Great Rivers Greenway District, which serves St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County, has developed more than 114 miles of off-street trails to date in its 600-mile regional plan. The Trestle would tie into the Confluence Greenway along the Mississippi River. Trail users would have multiple options to travel north to the McKinley Bridge or Old Chain of Rocks Bridge to access trails in Illinois; south to downtown St. Louis along the Riverfront Trail, or west overlooking Produce Row, Broadway and Interstate 70 into Old North St. Louis.
The District purchased the abandoned railroad trestle, which spans over Interstate 70 just two blocks north of where the new Mississippi River Bridge now crosses, in 2004 for $1.5 million. The elevated rail was built 100 years ago for electric-powered passenger trains that connected downtown to the metro east. Construction of the elevated park will likely be a combination of public and private funding and will be built in phases as funding becomes available. Last summer, Great Rivers Greenway launched the “Friends of the Trestle” organization to assist in raising awareness of the project, soliciting donations and ensuring long-term conservation of the Trestle once it is completed.
“When we launched the Friends of the Trestle last summer, the public immediately saw the potential of this project to improve the quality of life for the entire region,” said Todd Antoine, Director for Planning at Great Rivers Greenway. “The Trestle will move our region forward, as a unique destination and a model for sustainable redevelopment, while honoring and highlighting all of the things that have always made the surrounding neighborhood unique – the history, the architecture, the river. We’re excited to take this next step towards construction, and to invite the public to be a part of this project.”
For more information on the Open House and The Trestle, visit www.GreatRiversGreenway.org or www.FriendsoftheTrestle.org.
About Great Rivers Greenway:
The Great Rivers Greenway District was created by a vote of the people in 2000 with the goal of making the St. Louis region a better place to live. The public organization is carrying this goal by creating community connections with the River Ring, an interconnected system of trails and greenways. The District also works to provide transportation alternatives, preserve nature, improve health and increase the economic vitality of the region. Great Rivers Greenway’s district includes St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. For more information, visit www.greatriversgreenway.org.
