Great Rivers Greenway and St. Louis County Parks invite area residents to celebrate the latest expansion of the Gravois Greenway / Grant’s Trail at a ribbon-cutting and open house from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 24. The ribbon cutting will take place at the new Mysun Charitable Foundation Trailhead, located at 4300 Hoffmeister Ave.

The festivities will include light refreshments, games and a planetary walk along the new stretch of greenway hosted by the Saint Louis Science Center. As part of the event, there will also be an open house from 3 to 5 p.m. at Orlando’s Event and Conference Center, located next to the trailhead, to learn about the next phase to extend the Gravois Greenway / Grant’s Trail two miles north and connect it with the River des Peres Greenway.

The new Mysun Charitable Foundation Trailhead replaces the southern trailhead, which has been closed since last fall. The new trailhead features a drinking fountain, restrooms, greenway parking, seating walls, a play structure, a bike fix-it station and landscaping to help manage storm water, filter pollutants and provide wildlife habitat and food sources. The project also extends the existing 10-mile Gravois Greenway an additional 2,000 feet closer to its planned connection with the River des Peres Greenway.

“We can’t wait to open this trailhead and first stretch of greenway. We know people are ready to enjoy it,” said Susan Trautman, CEO of Great Rivers Greenway. “Thanks to the generosity of Mysun Charitable Foundation, which provided a $1 million challenge grant, and our wonderful matching donors, we were able to build an enhanced trailhead so people can refill their water bottle, use the restroom, perform a quick fix on their bike, or just sit and enjoy the fresh air on this popular greenway. Whether they are walking, riding a bike, pushing a stroller or using a wheelchair, all of these new amenities will make for a better experience for all.”

Speaker remarks and the ribbon-cutting will take place at approximately 2:15 p.m. Beginning at 3 p.m., all are invited to an open house at Orlando’s Event & Conference Center. Area residents can stop by anytime between 3 and 5 p.m. to learn about the second phase of the project, which will begin construction later this year. Duplicate presentations will be given at 3:30 and 4:30 p.m., and staff will be on hand to answer questions and share details about the project timeline.

“Expanding the Gravois Greenway to connect with the River des Peres Greenway is a high priority project for greenway users across the region,” said Trautman. “We encourage everyone to stop by the open house to get the latest updates as we work towards the second phase of this powerful connection.”

When the Gravois Greenway-River des Peres Greenway connection is complete, there will be 21 miles of paved paths for walking, jogging, riding a bicycle, pushing a stroller and using a wheelchair. The greenways will also connect destinations such as the City of Kirkwood, Grant’s Farm, Blake C. Snyder Memorial Park, Jefferson Barracks County Park, River City Casino, Carondelet Park and the Lansdowne/Shrewsbury MetroLink Station.

The Matching Donors for this project were:

  • William T. Kemper Foundation
  • Kathryn W. Burg Trust
  • Finerty Family Foundation
  • Ward and Carol Klein
  • William S. Anheuser Charitable Fund of YouthBridge Community Foundation
  • Shaughnessy Family Foundation
  • Lotsie and Rick Holton
  • Midwest BankCenter
  • Wm. R. and Laura Rand Orthwein Foundation
  • William A. Kerr Foundation
  • Stupp Bridge & Iron Co. Foundation

For more information about the expanded Gravois Greenway and other greenways throughout the St. Louis area, visit www.GreatRiversGreenway.org.