Friends of Lucas Park Update & Scope of Improvements

innov8ion · PostApr 25, 2008#12008-04-25T17:26+00:00

Preface: I ask that you please try to limit feedback to the subject matter. If you'd like to discuss the homeless or other related matters, please utilize an appropriate existing thread or create a new one.

Lucas Park Cleanup

Kind of late notice, but we're conducting a "spring cleaning" of Lucas Park Saturday morning the 26th @ 9am. Scope of work will include picking up garbage and if we can borrow wheelbarrow(s), sturdy push brooms and shovels then we can clean up strewn pea gravel and other debris around the edges of the park. If you have this equip and could let us borrow it, please contact me at innov8ion @ gmail dot com. Much appreciated!

Fundraising Benefit

We're throwing a fundraising benefit from a beautiful downtown penthouse loft to help pay for park improvements. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $25 at the Flamingo Bowl and The Time Boutique. This will include appetizers, drinks and entertainment. Tickets can also be purchased at the door of the event, however we encourage you to purchase them in advance as tickets are limited to 100.

For more information, see http://lucaspark.org/component/content/ ... /2-benefit

Regards,

Dave

President, Friends of Lucas Park

PostApr 25, 2008#22008-04-25T18:00+00:00

Preface

Again, please try to limit the scope of discussion to the subject matter. If you would like to discuss homeless issues, please do that here: http://urbanstl.com/viewtopic.php?t=1821

Friends of Lucas Park Update

Sorry, we've been quiet for a while but that doesn't mean we haven't been moving forward. An existing 501(c)(3) corporation, Lucas Park Beautification, has graciously transferred operations to us to carry on the common mission of improving the park for all to enjoy. They have also promised to transfer approximately $9000 in funds which will help out greatly, however we will still face a shortfall that will be surmounted with help from you.

If you live in the 6th Ward, I encourage you to contact alderwoman Kacie Starr Triplett and ask that the city contribute funding to support this project as well. Even if she isn't your alderman, please ask your alderman for their support! Kacie's contact info here: http://stlcin.missouri.org/alderman/alderman.cfm?Ward=6. And all aldermen: http://stlcin.missouri.org/alderman/WardMap.cfm

For further background, we are tied in with the city as Kacie is an ex-officio member of the organization. We also maintain communication with the Public Library, the development community and other stakeholders.

Tentative Scope of Improvements

We have compiled a tentative scope of improvements and plan (based off a prior plan) that we believe will please a broad swath of the community. However, it could still use some refinement and thus we seek feedback from urban planners and the community. Does anyone know an architect / graphic designer that could help us bring this plan to life via a gratis graphic design? I have an autocad drawing that could be used as a starting point. It would truly help us in the fundraising process. If so, please contact me.

The tentative list of improvements below aims to bring more inhabitants and greater vitality to the park and may include but is not necessarily limited to the following line items. Please know that we can't please everyone, but our goal is to respect the history of the park, all inhabitants (to include downtown residents and the homeless), and help foster an increase in park vitality.

- Lighting for the fountain. Here are some pictorial examples of how lighting can greatly enhance fountains: http://snipr.com/25t9n. Imagine how such a simple addition could bring back a touch of elegance and serenity.

- Repaired, repainted benches

- Small two-person tables w/ backless seats to play chess or other board games. Imagine being able to play chess or another game with a friend in a newly revamped, serene location. Have you ever been to Washington Square Park or Bryant Park in NYC? They are the inspiration! These board games could potentially be checked out from the library or other local establishments such as a coffee shop. See examples here: http://concrete-classics.com/photos_fixed.html

- Enhanced landscaping: To include planting beds throughout and ivy ground cover along the southern, sloped edge of the park

- Improved lighting

- Four foot, black ornamental fencing around the perimeter of the park to add definition. Please note, the park would not have gates and thus remain physically open at all times! Example: http://www.fenceonline.com/commercialcl ... emier.html

- A dog park (possibly along the northern edge): There are tons of dogs downtown but no dog park. This addition would be an obvious quality of life improvement for the neighborhood and a means to help further establish vitality and a sense of community. It can also help to limit dog poop in the greater park area! It's not huge, but its serviceable and would be approximately 28' wide and encompass a nice-sized length.

- Playground equipment: The equipment along the western edge seems more oriented toward older children at best and is in poor condition. Try checking it out yourself, the monkey bars are extremely high and seem somewhat unsafe for children. So perhaps we remove this equipment, pea gravel and railroad ties. Then, replace it with grass and plant new trees. Seeing as most children living downtown are younger, perhaps we keep the children's equipment along the eastern edge. It's likely more apt as it's in better condition and better serves the younger children demographic. Next, replace the wood chips or other material, sod it with grass, and take down the fence that surrounds the former Children's Center area.

Other Thoughts

Additionally, it could be a great idea to have some kind of landscaping company (or St. Patrick's Center?) manage the landscaping portion and actually hire homeless persons w/ the proper background to perform the necessary scope of work as much as possible. Why? What greater way to help the homeless get back on their feet than by providing them with work that can help instill a greater sense of pride? It can also give them a greater sense of ownership in the park and thus a vested interest in keeping it nice. I think it beneficial that we all work together for a common benefit. I realize there may be differences of opinion, however the park will never be successful in a contentious "Us. vs. Them" environment. Everyone, whether homeless or typical downtown resident, must be treated with respect.

These are just ideas. Your input is both needed and welcomed. Let's work to refine and create a workable plan to greatly improve Lucas Park. With your help, whether it be through donations, expert input, or sweat equity; we can create great change downtown! Our website is located at http://lucaspark.org

watcher · PostApr 25, 2008#32008-04-25T19:35+00:00

Good luck. I will contact Ms. Young to voice my support.

downtown2007 · PostApr 28, 2008#42008-04-28T03:56+00:00

I think this is a pretty good idea. Hopefully you can follow through with it. I will email Kacie to voice my support.

innov8ion · PostMay 09, 2008#52008-05-09T02:13+00:00

Thanks for the support! Just a reminder, the fundraiser is this Friday from 5-8pm. You can buy tix at the door, so no worries!

Take part of the beautification of Downtown while enjoying yourself at one of the most exclusive penthouses on Washington Avenue! Included are cocktails, appetizers and entertainment while taking in the breathtaking views from the rooftop deck. You can also win a wide variety of raffled items to include gift certificates to some of the best shopping, dining and services that the city has to offer. Join us on Friday, May 9th from 5-8pm to help raise funds for the revitalization of Lucas Park! Don't forget to invite all your friends and act fast as tickets are limited.

Key Specifics

* Location: Beautiful loft condominium @ Unit #901 of Railway Lofts, Unit #901, 1620 Lucas Ave. Click here for directions...

* Date & Time: 5-8pm on Friday, May 9th

* Food & Drink: Included is delicious food from Baladas, Lucas Park Grille and Mosaic. Assorted drinks too!

* Tickets: can be purchased for $25 at the event.

* Raffle: Over $1000 in various items to be raffled off! From local restaurants, services, shops, etc... I'll post the donor's information later because they truly are awesome.

John, the owner of Baladas is hosting the party. He's a great guy and an ardent downtown supporter. Be sure to give Baladas and the other donors some love! http://www.baladasbistro.com/. I'll post the other awesome donors (to include business owners on this forum!) when I get a breath in the upcoming few days.

Hope to see you there!

Dave

citywatcher · PostAug 19, 2008#62008-08-19T19:35+00:00

not to bash

but this effort seems like a total failure

since the Childrens center move, the homeless have taken over the park and it is worse than before.

You would think a group like this would STEP UP their efforts,

what happened to all the planning?

what happened with the alderman involvement?

what happened to the police involvement?

Neightborhood watch? WHAT neighborhood watch?

what happened with the fundraiser and support that was being offered?

terribly utterly miserable failure

thanks for the thought though

innov8ion · PostAug 19, 2008#72008-08-19T19:57+00:00

^ Thank you for your interest and encouragement. Plans are still moving forward. The fundraiser earned approximately $1000 which will add to the funds the organization maintains currently.

Does anyone have contacts w/ the Purina organization downtown? Perhaps they would be interested in sponsoring the proposed dog park section of Lucas Park.

Next Steps

1. Finalizing the Phase One plan

2. Meeting with the City Parks Department to communicate the plan and understand their interests. Particularly, they may be interested in discussing funding for the maintenance of park upgrades.

I'll post updates as progress is made.

Thanks,

Dave Goldstick

Friends of Lucas Park

juiceinkirkwood · PostAug 19, 2008#82008-08-19T22:37+00:00

citywatcher wrote:not to bash

but this effort seems like a total failure

since the Childrens center move, the homeless have taken over the park and it is worse than before.

You would think a group like this would STEP UP their efforts,

what happened to all the planning?

what happened with the alderman involvement?

what happened to the police involvement?

Neightborhood watch? WHAT neighborhood watch?

what happened with the fundraiser and support that was being offered?

terribly utterly miserable failure

thanks for the thought though

[sarcasm]

I agree with citywatcher. This program ("Friends of Lucas Park") have been around for like...4 months, and there has been no drastic changes to Lucas Park or the clientelle it currently serves.

[/sarcasm]

gopher · PostSep 11, 2008#92008-09-11T03:51+00:00

Event: Lucas Park Cleanup and Picnic

Date: This Saturday 9/13/08

Time: 8:00 a.m. - noon (cleanup); noon on (picnic)

Rain Date: following Saturday (9/20/08, same time)

Dear Neighbor, last Wednesday 10 individuals formed a group with the sole purpose of making the neighborhood better. The 10 of us share a simple philosophy: Get 'er done

We all agreed that while there are many things that we can do to make the neighborhood better, the first thing that needs to be done is beautify the park.

Rather than spend a lot of time planning, we decided to act NOW. So, we hereby invite you to join us to clean up the park this Saturday, September 13th from 8 a.m. until noon. After noon, we will be having a picnic in the park.

We will be doing more to improve the neighborhood in the near future. We could wait for the city and others to help us with this. But do you really want to wait?

We don't.

See you Saturday.

innov8ion · PostSep 11, 2008#102008-09-11T14:35+00:00

I think it's great that there is now interest in taking the time to spruce up Lucas Park. Friends of Lucas Park advertised a park cleaning months ago but only two people came. Perhaps people just weren't upset enough.

I don't know if you 10 had thought about it, but the remaining benches are deserving of fresh black paint. They would likely need to be stripped first...

In any case, I and another board member held a meeting this Tuesday with the parks director and Alderwoman Kacie Starr Triplett. Taking a walk through Lucas Park the day before, it was apparent that Parks could improve on some near-term problems in the park. The items below were addressed with them:

1. Tree trimming - Several trees have overgrowth and are in need of trimming.

2. Sprinkler system - Several sprinklers have been vandalized/broken and need repair as flooding/mudpits are now formed in areas when the water is turned on.

3. Railroad ties - on the western edge of the park surrounding the children's area area are in a high state of disrepair and may pose safety risks. They will assess and remedy this issue.

I will follow up with Parks in two weeks to determine their plan to address these issues.

Other Info

We've determined the process for applying for two pots of city funds that can be targeted toward Lucas Park improvements. This appropriation process begins with an application in December. Also, we know the process for plan approval. No, capital improvements won't be immediate but they are still a piece of the puzzle.

But really, the most critical aspect may not involve capital outlay -- it involves residents actually coming to the park. Now, some people are "mad as hell and they're not going to take it anymore." That's great, but are you going to stay mad forever? Is that sustainable?

There are several ways to plan for sustainable use. One good way is to form partnerships w/ various groups, businesses and services. For example, perhaps the library could host regular events in the park. What about partnering with an organization that could host monthly "Party in the Park" type events with bands, food and drink? With enough creativity, I'm sure we can come up with more ideas.

An official dog park would improve use of the park. There is an unofficial dog park now, but perhaps a proper and vetted dog park would improve utilization and activity. FYI, city legislation dictates that no greater than 1/4 of a park may be consumed by a dog park.

The bottom line is that this is somewhat of a "chicken or the egg" issue. If you care so much about the park, stop whining about it and instead start using and taking care of it. The goal is to make Lucas Park a vibrant place to be. Without you, it can't be.

moorlander · PostSep 11, 2008#112008-09-11T16:11+00:00

I have been a silent observer of this thread for a while, and I must say that I am very impressed. Great work getting organized. I applaud your efforts gopher and Inno (and others). This will really make a difference.

gopher · PostSep 11, 2008#122008-09-11T16:49+00:00

We can't expect the Parks department to do it alone nor should we, it's a combined effort as it should be.

We've already been in contact with parts of the library in order to increase cooperation and work to host more neighborhood events to further the library's goals and "put the central" back in "central library".

We've communicated with the parks department and there have been tickets submitted for tree trimming and playground maintenance.

We've been coordinating with Operation Brightside to borrow tools and receive additional support for beautification of the park.

The park benches have probably been around since the 20's and / or 60's and are in bad shape. They may even need to be replaced, but we're working with the Parks department on that one as well. To see what we CAN and CAN'T do.

The key point to realize is to USE the park as a Park, increase our visibility to abate the nuisance and illegal behavior in the park and surrounding area.

It's gotta start somewhere, so we're doing what we can NOW and get the neighborhood ACTIVELY involved instead of just talking about it.

We fully expect the park to get trashed again...

But, as far as I'm concerned I made a promise to my child that I'd clean up the park come hell or high water and I will personally be back, again, and again, and again, and again until the message is received loud and clear that trashing the park, nuisance behavior, and criminal activity is no longer tolerated.

You better believe we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore.

innov8ion · PostSep 11, 2008#132008-09-11T17:08+00:00

I recommend coordinating any tangible changes with myself and Friends of Lucas Park rather than fragmenting strategies. We already have approximately $9,000 in cash toward improvements and relationships in place with the alderwoman and Parks. Additionally, we will be applying for capital funds to supplement existing funds that will go toward park improvements which is to be approved by the Board of Public Service.

We're talking with Steve Patterson to gauge his interest in helping to organize a design process to create a capital improvement plan that will feed into the capital request and approval processes.

I understand your frustration and know that we can accomplish more together than apart. I think you know that too.

threeonefour · PostSep 12, 2008#142008-09-12T14:22+00:00

Moorlander wrote:I have been a silent observer of this thread for a while, and I must say that I am very impressed. Great work getting organized. I applaud your efforts gopher and Inno (and others). This will really make a difference.

+1

I'm really impressed by all of this as well. It's great to see so many people take an active role in this, and share information and updates with the rest of us. Many thanks to all on this forum that have been working to make a difference at Lucas Park. I was also encouraged to see the McGowans bring media attention to the situation a few weeks ago.

I'm up to my eyeballs in time commitments these days, but perhaps at some point, some of us from this forum that aren't directly involved could pitch in at some point. I think it'd be a great way for us to get to know each other better and make a difference all at once.

debaliviere · PostSep 12, 2008#152008-09-12T14:24+00:00

ThreeOneFour wrote:I'm up to my eyeballs in time commitments these days, but perhaps at some point, some of us from this forum that aren't directly involved could pitch in at some point. I think it'd be a great way for us to get to know each other better and make a difference all at once.

I think that's a good idea. I was even thinking of bringing my lunch to Lucas Park a few times a week, just as a one-man show of support for the park.

captainjackass · PostSep 12, 2008#162008-09-12T16:21+00:00

^Well the joke's on him. He didn't get my check, he only got my credit card number.

I've semi-committed to helping Dave out with his group. From California...ha! Dave: great guy. My wife was impressed with your shoes.

I'm excited about coming back and seeing this park full of people eating lunch, talking, laughing, borrowing things, then returning them, you know...stuff people do in a park.

vollum · PostSep 12, 2008#172008-09-12T16:46+00:00

Gopher....What constitutes a rain out? Please post in this thread early tomorrow regarding whether this is a go tomorrow or not. I'll be there if it's a go, though I may not make it until 9:00.

THANKS

jlblues · PostSep 12, 2008#182008-09-12T18:16+00:00

innov8ion wrote:I don't know if you 10 had thought about it, but the remaining benches are deserving of fresh black paint. They would likely need to be stripped first...

I don't know, you might get arrested. You can defecate and fornicate on the benches, but I suspect the cops would show up pretty quickly if a bunch of snot-nosed kids started painting them.

MattnSTL · PostSep 12, 2008#192008-09-12T20:03+00:00

DeBaliviere wrote:
I think that's a good idea. I was even thinking of bringing my lunch to Lucas Park a few times a week, just as a one-man show of support for the park.

I'll join you on Thursday if you want to do it.

gopher · PostSep 12, 2008#202008-09-12T20:20+00:00

Well, the current thinking is we're gonna show up at the park at 8am and see what the status is...

Everyone here is pretty familiar with St. Louis weather. They were calling for thundershowers today, but so far there's only been a little rain.

So barring a torrential downpour I'll be there.

innov8ion · PostSep 13, 2008#212008-09-13T20:44+00:00

Ok, I'm tuckered out! There was an excellent showing this morning. Perhaps 25 or so? We accomplished a lot of work but still have more to do. Even had some homeless people helping us in the process.

My compliments to the chefs for the amazing barbeque. Some homeless asked us for food, but I politely explained that it was meant for those that had been cleaning the park and that we didn't have enough to feed everyone. They understood and went on their way.

The Post-Dispatch came by to interview some folks to include Ben Riley, Gopher, I, and some homeless as well.

We're going to better organize and keep progress in motion. Afterwards, we met with a group that is focused on improving a larger swath of downtown. A common agreement was formed that quality of life issues such as cleanliness, safety, and community vibrancy need to be more actively addressed.

vollum · PostSep 13, 2008#222008-09-13T21:26+00:00

Wow...It seemed to me there were more than 25. My own guesstimate was about 40. Are you and Gopher going to use the sign up list to communicate with the folks who entered their contact info? I know there were some folks who had to leave before the end and may not have had an opportunity to enter their contact info.

innov8ion · PostSep 13, 2008#232008-09-13T21:45+00:00

^ You're probably right that my guesstimate was too low, vollum. Thanks for helping out!!! Probably more important than cleaning the park itself was the amount of turnout and dedication we observed. I believe the groundswell will continue and through the efforts of many, we will make a big difference in the neighborhood.

We will be using the sign-up lists to better organize and communicate with those interested in the project. For now, people could email me their contact information to president@lucaspark.org and I'll forward it to the list maintainer. The website, http://lucaspark.org, needs an update as well.

The bbq was good, eh?

framer · PostSep 14, 2008#242008-09-14T03:03+00:00

Good job, guys! Hopefully you can keep the momentum going.

gopher · PostSep 14, 2008#252008-09-14T15:37+00:00

I can't thank everyone enough for their efforts yesterday

Cooking was the least I could do to show my appreciation for everyone's efforts.

We should all be very, very proud of the work that we put in yesterday...

Today's paper...

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/s ... enDocument

and Steve has a good link up on his site at

http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/?p=3928

Oh, and it was interesting...

Riley said that he'd extended an invitation to meet with Rice to discuss the possibility of building a new shelter, elsewhere in the city, but Rice rejected the offer.

-- St. Louis Post Dispatch