Summary

A Public Meeting was held on November 18th, 2025, at the O’Fallon Park YMCA in St. Louis, MO, as part of the on-going Master Plan Update for Fairground Park. This was the second of three open houses planned for 2025-26. Attendees were presented with a brief summary of the 2006 Master Plan elements, and an overview of the preliminary updates proposed by the planning team based on previous input from Public Meeting No. 1. The presentation, as given at the public meeting in November, has been included above for reference. A summary of this feedback, and the major takeaways gathered during Public Meeting No. 2 can be found below. 

• Traffic and Accessibility: The Central Conflict

  • • This area generated the most intense and complex feedback.

    • Vocal support exists for removing roads to establish a pedestrian-friendly environment, prioritizing "People over cars" and allowing children to roam safely. Conversely, residents insisted on keeping the roads, citing historical function, fear of poor emergency vehicle access, and logistical concerns about centralized parking.

    • Safety Issues: Speeding vehicles using the roads as a pass-through are a pervasive safety concern.

    • Demand for Data: Multiple demands were made for studies and surveys to quantify vehicular traffic flow and incident rates before any road design decisions are finalized.

• Amenities and Design Priorities

  • • Feedback emphasized creating a park that is "children centered".

    • Highest Support: Water features received the highest overall votes among all precedent imagery presented.

    • Pervasive Need: Requests for shade were ubiquitous, specifically over the pool and splash pads.

    • Specific Features: Requests included accommodations for children with disabilities, modernized infrastructure, and facilities like a children's rec-center, rock wall, and obstacle course.

• Historical Acknowledgment and Preservation

  • • Historical preservation was deemed paramount, focusing on the park's history extending beyond the 1949 pool riot to account for its 175+ years of background.

    • Existing Structures: Questions centered on the restoration and historical interpretation of the remaining bear pit structure.

• Funding, Maintenance, and Social Concerns

  • • Logistical and financial feasibility questions were frequent, alongside significant concerns regarding community impact.

    • Funding and Taxation: Residents repeatedly asked about funding sources and expressed concern that the master plan's implementation might lead to additional taxation of neighborhood residents.

    • Maintenance: The audience questioned the city's plan (and the need) for supplying staff to maintain new elements and resolve the current issue of trash.

    • Gentrification Concerns: A major social concern raised was that the proposed changes could result in current residents being pushed out, leading to potential gentrification of the neighborhood.

Ultimately, feedback collected from this second meeting highlighted the community's desire for additional input in the planning process - particularly regarding the updates proposed for Fairground Park’s internal roads, Vandeventer and Fairgrounds Park Drive. Based on this feedback, it was determined that an additional public survey would be necessary to achieve greater consensus between the planning team, city officials, and the Fairground Park Community. The results of this survey have been included below.