Historical February–March 2011 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
SDCC collaborated with the Urban Issues Symposium this fall to generate a series of strategies to transform Lucier Park from what has been perceived as neighborhood liability – to a community asset.
The Urban Issues Symposium is a joint program of Washington University Schools of Architecture and Social Work and St. Louis University Schools of Law and Urban Planning.
The students presented their final report at the January 10 SDCC board meeting. Lucier Park is located just west of Hamilton School.
It was created in the 1970’s on land that that had been cleared of abandoned housing and the vacated rights of way of portions of Hamilton and Washington Avenues.
The 2.9 acre park includes a soccer field and playground equipment, but has suffered from a lack of investment to develop it as an inviting, safe and active and community asset. “… the history and components of Lucier Park deter families from wanting to use the area, reinforcing the lack of activity and programming within the park. Due to its uninviting location, gang activity, and lack of park components and attractions, the area is seen as unsafe and unwelcoming.
The project at present is to generate and present proposals to better integrate Lucier Park into the community.
The project champions desire Lucier Park to transform from a liability into an asset, thereby becoming a real neighborhood anchor, and encouraging positive usage while naturally deterring negative usage and presences.
As one resident remarked, “I just want a place where I feel comfortable to take my daughter to play outside.
I don’t even consider Lucier Park as it is now.” The primary focus is to bring Lucier Park back into the prevailing narrative of the neighborhood, and allow residents an opportunity to claim the space as an indicator of community viability – a home for positive and public actions and interactions”.
The student team met with a number of neighborhood and constituent groups over the course of the study including representatives of SDCC committees, 5900 DeGiverville, Washington Heights, Enright the City Parks Commissioner, the 26th Ward, and Hamilton, St. Roch and Crossroads Schools. That process yielded the community’s concerns about the park as constituted today – and ideas to help the team understand desired uses for Lucier Park. Additionally, the team considered the impact of revitalized commercial activity on Delmar, the Trolley, and cooperative use of the park by Hamilton School In the end, the team generated a series of development concepts to help the community re-imagine the potential of Lucier Park.
The council felt that this approach would be more valuable tool to spark new thinking and engage the community than a single design proposal.
The concepts range from reconfiguring and upgrading the soccer and softball fields, to implementing the perimeter trail previously proposed by the Greenways Committee, to developing the park with a strong link to Delmar and the Trolley, to a developing housing along the northern edge of the park.
Each of the concepts includes elements such as a dog park, an amphitheater, water features and landscaping that are interchangeable from concept to concept. Additionally the team identified “low hanging fruit” improvements, such as signage, that should proceed now regardless of future development plans. What’s next?
The team recommended that SDCC establish a formal Lucier Park committee to maintain community engagement and shepherd the planning process forward.
If you are interested in being a part of the Lucier Park Committee, or if you would like to review the team’s full report, please stop by or call the SDCC office at 862-5122.
Original photograph caption
Existing Lucier Park diagram from Urban Issues Symposium report, with Hamilton School identified. Reportteamillustration; individualcreatornotcredited.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February–March 2011.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2011_02.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 6.
