December 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 40

PA R K S B U I L D CO M M U N I T Y

Alumni from the community's long-since-closed
high school proudly
display the black
and red school
colors.

Drummers lead
the parade to
the new
Trojan
Park.

Parks & Recreation

greenways to connect parks and communities throughout the greater St. Louis
area. One of Great Rivers Greenway's
core projects, the St. Vincent Greenway, was established to connect St.
Vincent Park to the University of
Missouri - St. Louis campus.
This greenway provides
conductivity to these
two major sites and
access to several
MetroLink stations along
the route.
" Trojan
Park was one of
the more complex
projects we have ever
done, but it was absolutely the most rewarding, "
says Susan Trautman, executive director of Great Rivers Greenway. " The collaboration with the
city of Wellston and all the amazing
donors brought to life a dream come
true for the children and families in
this community. I have never witnessed
so many people, so happy in one place
at one time. It was a powerful experience and a tribute to how partnership
can transform a community. "
To fully understand the needs of this
community, Great Rivers Greenway
teamed up with Beyond Housing, a community development
charity, and Forum Studio,
a full-service architecture practice, to conduct
stakeholder meetings with
Wellston's Mayor, Nate Griffin,
and community members to define
their needs. " What we wanted to do is
make the community the center of the
project, " explains Neil Eisenberger, an
associate principal and senior project
manager at Forum Studio. This attention to detail helped create a park that
is specific to the needs of this population, from the young children who
wanted a place to play, to the adults

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who wanted a place for social interaction and community events.
Trojan Park was designed to integrate
play equipment with benches and social
areas in the immediate vicinity so caregivers could watch their children play
while they socialized. The state-of-theart playground, splash pad, picnic areas
and shade structures provide for a variety of activities. ADA-accessible fitness
equipment offers health opportunities
for those with physical limitations, and
music fills the air with outdoor musical
instruments. The pavilion provides a
place for family events and serves as a
community gathering place. For Mayor
Griffin, the park is about Wellston's future. " We have so much pride, dedication
and commitment to our community, "
and this park " will change the culture of
our city, " he says.
The full-court basketball court is a
favorite among the Wellston residents
who remember the record wins of the
local high school's basketball team. Although the school no longer exists, the
park is named after the school's mascot - the Trojan. Mayor Griffin recalls
that the school " won three state titles,
made seven state appearances, had
more than 10 league titles and over 15
district championships. "
Valued at $2 million, Trojan Park
would not have been possible without
the generous contributions from project donors. They understand that their
efforts result in much more than a physical structure. " NRPA's Parks Build
Community initiative doesn't just build
or renovate parks, it helps transform
the communities around them, " says
Jeff Rogers, vice president of Musco
Lighting. " We're proud to donate our
industry-leading LED system and are
excited to see the impact Trojan Park
will have on the Wellston community. "
Brian D. Johnson, vice president of
marketing and product development,
BCI Burke, adds: " Giving back and
leaving a positive mark on all of the ar-

December 2016 - Parks & Recreation

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