Great Rivers Greenway District Wins Award

The Great Rivers Greenway District recently won an award from the National Recreation and Park Association.

The award is for the District's role in developing a new 85-acre park and 3-mile trail for the Dardenne Greenway at BaratHaven:

The Great Rivers Greenway District, the public organization leading the development of a region-wide system of interconnected greenways, parks and trails known as The River Ring, has received the Partnership Award from the National Recreation and Park Association’s (NRPA) Great Lakes Region. The award was presented to The Great Rivers Greenway District on September 28 at NRPA’s 2007 Congress & Exposition in Indianapolis.

The award recognizes the Great Rivers Greenway District’s leadership in developing a new 85-acre park and the first 3-miles of trail along the Dardenne Greenway at BaratHaven in St. Charles County, which was completed and opened to the public in June 2007. As part of a development that also includes housing, a school, athletic facilities, etc., the project exemplifies how individual components developed through a partnership enhance each other.

The new park and greenway trail at BaratHaven was developed as a public-private partnership between the Great Rivers Greenway District, McEagle Properties LLC, Barat Academy, Vantage Homes, Hayden Homes and the City of Dardenne Prairie. BaratHaven is a 165-acre master plan community featuring residential and commercial areas, as well as Barat Academy, a private, independent faith-based high school that opened in fall 2007. Barat Academy has a 99-year agreement with the Great Rivers Greenway District to lease 25 acres of the park land to construct athletic facilities for use by students and the general public. The park will provide an “outdoor classroom” for students to learn firsthand about the area’s streams and native environment, while providing recreation amenities for the public that would not have existed without the school’s participation.

“The BaratHaven project is unique because of the connections it creates between communities, allowing for shared access to amenities and services. It is also a testament to the successful collaboration of various public and private partners who have been committed to this project,” said David Fisher, Executive Director of the Great Rivers Greenway District.

About The National Recreation and Park Association:
The National Recreation and Park Association, headquartered in Ashburn, Va., is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people. Through its network of some 20,000 recreation and park professionals and citizens, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy lifestyles, recreation initiatives, and conservation of natural and cultural resources. More information is available at www.nrpa.org.

About The Great Rivers Greenway District:
The Great Rivers Greenway District is the public organization leading the development of a region-wide system of interconnected greenways, parks and trails, known as the River Ring. The River Ring will join two states and cover an area of 1,216 square miles. The Greenway District was established in November 2000 by the successful passage of the Clean Water, Safe Parks and Community Trails Initiative (Proposition C) in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County, Missouri. For more information about Great Rivers Greenway District, visit www.greatrivers.info.