St. Louis, Mo., June 4, 2012 … On Friday, June 15, the Great Rivers Greenway District, along with the City of St. Charles Parks and Recreation Department, will host a ribbon cutting ceremony to unveil the latest segment of the Boschert Greenway. The new 2.1-mile segment marks the completion of the second phase of a nearly 4-mile trail that connects New Town with the Katy Trail. The public is invited to gather at 10 a.m. at the newly constructed overlook and rest area – Boschert Pointe – located along the new segment at Fifth St. (Mel Wetter Parkway) and Little Hills Expressway in St. Charles, to experience the new trail and celebrate this milestone.
The Boschert Greenway, built by Great Rivers Greenway with the support of the City of St. Charles, will create a safe and appealing connected park and trail system to benefit residents of St. Charles for generations to come. The first phase, a 1.8-mile trail running from New Town to Fox Hill Park along Boschert Creek, was completed in 2008. This new 2.1-mile second phase of the greenway will run from Fox Hill Park to Blanchette Park to Eco Park at Blanchette Landing where it will provide residents of New Town, Frenchtown and various neighborhoods in between with a vital connection to the Katy Trail.
A unique feature that residents can now see along the section of the trail that runs parallel to highway 370 is a planted retaining wall, or living wall. Rather than use a traditional retaining wall, Great Rivers Greenway wanted to create additional green space that would enhance the surrounding habitats and environment. The vegetated retaining wall system transforms hardscape into landscape while providing storm water retention and erosion control. The wall was developed by St. Louis-based The Living Wall Company, in partnership with Maryland-based SmartSlope, LLC, and it is the first SmartSlope® Living Wall to be built in Missouri.
At the ribbon cutting ceremony, attendees will be able to view the new living wall, and will also be among the first to view new artwork that will be incorporated along the trail at Boschert Pointe. The artwork, titled Blomstré, is a 24-foot-high flower sculpture made from recycled bicycle parts, created by artist Andrew Andrasko of Dras Fabrication & Design.
“The Boschert Greenway is an important connector for residents in the City of St. Charles,” said Susan Trautman, Executive Director of Great Rivers Greenway. “With the completion of this second phase, whether walking or bicycling, St. Charles residents now have direct access from their own backyards to the Katy Trail and several great area parks and neighborhoods.”
The Boschert Greenway is a part of Great Rivers Greenway’s River Ring, a planned interconnected system of trails, greenways, on-street bicycle routes and parks that will encircle the region. The River Ring will encompass a 600-mile web of more than 45 greenways that will crisscross St. Louis City and County and St. Charles County, covering 1,200 square miles and two million people. The greenways being developed in our region can take several years to build and are a collaborative effort between Great Rivers Greenway, neighborhood stakeholders and local municipalities. They connect people and communities, protect and preserve the environment, create access to natural places, promote good health, expand transportation options and transit connections and stimulate economic vitality in our region.
About Great Rivers Greenway:
Great Rivers Greenway is a public organization established in November 2000 with the passage of the Clean Water, Safe Parks and Community Initiative in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. The organization is developing an interconnected system of trails and greenways to make the region a better place to live. For more information, visit www.grgstl.org.
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Editor’s Note: To attend the event from Mo. Route 370, take Mo. 94 or N 3rd St. north, make a left on Little Hills Expressway, and continue west to Fifth St. Parking is available on the street or nearby lots.