Having lived in Fox Park now for nearly ten years, I’ve watched our park transform from a decidedly negative space to one I could not be more proud of. Also a joy to witness has been the massive investment and attention given to the Compton Hill Reservoir Park in the Compton Heights Neighborhood.
The park is home to one of the three St. Louis standpipes or water towers.
There is an amazing group of people working to pull together public, private, organizational and neighborhood resources to transform this park into a fully active, amazing place.
Back in December, 2013 I highlighted the tennis court project and then again in March, 2019 I spoke to the massive lighting project that was underway.
Well, here we are again in 2020 able to read about, witness and share some more positive news for this park.
My issue of Tower Tribune was chock full of great stuff.
Here are just a few items:
The six year lighting project is complete! 66 new high-efficiency 75 watt LED lights were installed on pink granitoid poles bringing the grand total to 103 throughout the park. I cannot thank the persistent leadership and politicians who contributed time and $ to this effort. The lighting is incredible and encourages walking the paved paths at all hours.
Tree planting continues, with an emphasis on biodiversity of species. Three Dawn Redwoods, a persimmon and pussywillow have been installed. This constant renewal of tree planting is important for the health and look of the park.
A new billboard was installed at Russell and Grand encouraging folks to visit the water tower tours. Cheers to the Water Division for the new look!
A small commemorative garden had a $2,000 brick addition surrounding it. Thanks Compton Heights Neighborhood Association for your commitment to public spaces we ALL enjoy.
Last but certainly not least is the reason for this update: The Water Tower and Park Preservation Society is joining Landmarks Association of St. Louis to raise funds for the repair and preservation of all 3 historic water towers! The other two of course are in North City and in much need of repair and leadership to help them stand the test of time. It will take time and $, estimated at ~$7M to save them. The good news is, this might be just the leadership team to get things done. A 2016 private donation allowed for an engineering firm to assess the water towers. The North Grand Tower (most call it the white tower) was determined NOT to be in imminent danger of collapse, but it is eroding and needs water proofing, tuckpointing and cast iron repairs. It has an interior ladder to the top, but no staircase. The Bissell Point Tower (most call it the red tower) needs tuckpointing, a redo of the interior stairway and foundation and landscaping around the base. Next steps are to form a committee and recruit interested stakeholders.
This group could not be more dedicated and we all benefit from their efforts and consistent results.
If you can make a donation to help this group, visit their website to learn more.
