Public Invited to Enjoy Activities; Help Plan Future Hyde Park Pocketpark on March 5
St. Louis, MO (March 3, 2022) – Four vacant lots are under consideration in Hyde Park for a new Pocketpark development. This will be the fifth Pocketpark location in the city. Pocketparks, established January of 2021, is a nonprofit that develops vacant lots into vibrant community spaces. Current Pocketparks locations include Downtown St. Louis, Laclede’s Landing, the Cortex Innovation District, and the West End Neighborhood.
“Our first year was a great success…” recalls Samantha Lee Smugala, Founder of Pocketparks. “…but there is still more work to be done. We are excited to partner with the Hyde Park community to reduce vacancy and make a positive impact.”
Discussions have begun with other collaborators including Dreambuilders4Equity, the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association, Be Well Café, WEPOWER, Alderman Brandon Bosley, and more.
The community is invited to join the Pop-Up event located at 2101 Salisbury Street, St. Louis, MO 6107, on Saturday, March 5 (from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM) to meet community organizations, play games, enjoy ice cream from Scoops of Joy, and leave feedback for their desired pocket park.
After community feedback is gathered, young designers from Maryville University will put their pencils to paper to develop a park design that meets the community’s needs and desires. The design will be presented to the community in April, with groundbreaking following in May. The intent is to deliver the finished park by the end of summer.
The event is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted to help support the project. Food and beverages sold separately.
About Pocketparks
Pocketparks is a non-profit organization that reimagines and redevelops unused plots of land to provide communities with active and beautiful recreational areas. Through community engagement, the vacant lots are designed to meet the specific needs of the neighborhoods in which they are located. Each park incorporates three things: activity, artwork, and opportunity. Pocketparks are small, but make a big impact. Focusing on reactivating small outdoor spaces allows Pocketparks to create a quick impact without extensive resources. In addition to offering beautiful recreational areas, Parketparks projects help to increase safety, boost community pride, and contribute to economic development.
Established in St. Louis in 2021, Pocketparks plans to grow into a network of parks that sprawl across the region, and eventually expand to other cities and states. To learn more, visit www.pocketparks.co and follow us on social media.
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