More than $1.3 million in HUD grants have been released to the City of St. Louis for lead abatement and a “green loop” project.
Congressman William Lacy Clay announced last week that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released the Special Project grant to the Chouteau Lake & Greenway Project, a dream project of develop Richard Baron.
“The grant is for the Metropolitan Parks and Recreation District and will be used in St. Louis for feasibility, engineering and design of the Chouteau Lake & Greenway Project,” Rep. Clay said.
“This represents a significant financial contribution to the project.”
The Chouteau Lake & Greenway Project will link Tower Grove Park, Forest Park and the downtown St. Louis riverfront as part of a $400 million mixed-use development that would include a 15-acre lake and up to 3,500 units of housing and commercial buildings.
A “green loop” of landscaped park areas, bike paths and trails along the Mississippi River would connect the new district to the historic Soulard and LaSalle neighborhoods to the south, the commercial districts to the north and existing parks to the west.
Baron recently told the Post Dispatch that the project’s water and pond will be competed first near the new Busch Stadium.
“That would be adjacent to the new ballpark. The rest of the greenway would be developed over time,” he said.
” We think that the whole thing could get done over a period of, say, eight years or so. It will be a combination of federal, state and local and private financing. I think over the course of this coming year, we should have a much better sense of how all of that is going to fill in.
In addition to the Another $497,050 Special Project Grant will be used by the City of St. Louis for equipment and training for the Lead Abatement Project.
“These funds are a vital part of our continuing efforts to rid St. Louis of poisonous leads that are crippling our children,” Rep. Clay said.
“Much more is needed, however, this significant grant of nearly half a million dollars, is a major investment in the future of our children and this region.”