A nice surprise on the east bank of the Mississippi River
One task facing the selected teams in The City * The Arch * The River Competition to incorporate the Illinois side of the Mississippi River into their solutions. Last month I took my wheelchair across the Eads Bridge to check out the situation.
I was pleasantly surprised by the number of pedestrians crossing the river on foot. Granted, it was a very nice afternoon.
From the bridge you can see the casino and the grain elevator on the east bank of the river.
Up close the industrial nature of the working facility is pleasing but just as you pass the view changes dramatically.
You come upon the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park. The park contains two elements that can be seen from Missouri. First is the overlook:
The other feature is the geyser. Four times per day the geyser shoots water into the air, provided it is not too windy.
I suggest visiting the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park on the next nice day we have. I hope the design teams come up with a good way to get from the Eads Bridge to the park.
– Steve Patterson
A geyser! (slaps head) You just solved a mystery for me.
East St. Louis has been working on a sidewalk upgrade project on that side of the river. Do you have any specific suggestions for improving it? Metro owns part of the bridge approach and there may be something we can incorporate into another project over there.
what was the surprise?
The park!
That place saddens me. In the middle of crumbling infrastructure, poverty, and overall disrepair is this poorly-maintained monument to nothing. It's a desolate, sun-baked wasteland with a concrete ramp. Nothing inviting – not a working water fountain nor a restroom (there is a porta-john) – is there for those who come. Yet inexplicably, in the open dirt field, they have placed benches, out of sight of anything, as though pedestrians would happen to wander the half-mile in the scorching, weedy alley behind the Queen and through an abandoned factory to get there and then decide it would be a nice place to sit and view nothing.
As you can tell, I'm not a fan. A monument to government pork, and very little else.
Dirt field? Desolate? I rather enjoyed the green grass and the space. I found plenty to look at and shade when needed. I used the drinking fountain too.
If you look at picture four of the elevators, the one story building on the far right foreground is the restroom. I made the walk recently with one of our Ten Toe groups. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day and experience the park. It is a welcome gem in a place that needs help. Perhaps the Casino Queen, SSCTD and Metro can help with the pedestrian access to the park. Definitely needs improvement.