April 12, 2017

Park in the center of Downtown St. Louis reopens after a year-long renovation with new amenities for visitors

The new Kiener Plaza will reopen to visitors with a ribbon cutting at noon on Friday, May 19, and a community celebration on Saturday, May 20, from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Kiener Plaza has undergone a one year renovation as part of the $380 million CityArchRiver project and is a partnership between Great Rivers Greenway, CityArchRiver Foundation and the City of St. Louis.

Some of the features in the new Kiener Plaza include:

• More than 140 new trees and a shade garden so people can enjoy a relaxing park setting during their workday or visit
• The Courthouse Lawn – which can hold more than 2,000 people for concerts and events
• A playground for children of all ages
• An interactive water feature (often known as a splash pad)
• The iconic Runner Statue, which will return to its home at the center of Kiener Plaza with a new fountain and LED lighting
• Abundant seating, tables and benches for people to enjoy the fresh air, eat a meal or hold an event
• Improved pedestrian connections and street parking for easy access to the park
• Improved lighting across the park

The $23.7 million Kiener Plaza project is funded privately through the CityArchRiver Foundation and with Proposition P funding overseen by Great Rivers Greenway.

On May 19, project leaders and dignitaries will cut the ribbon at Kiener Plaza at noon. The community is invited to come enjoy live music and food trucks during lunchtime for the opening of the park.

On May 20, CityArchRiver Foundation will host a free community celebration in Kiener Plaza that will include live music by Acoustik Element, Boderline, Phi, and Javier Mendoza with Hobo Cane, food and drink vendors, kids’ activities, appearances by Fredbird and Team Fredbird, and much more. The Kiener Plaza Opening Celebration will take place just prior to the St. Louis Cardinals home game against the San Francisco Giants at 6:15 p.m. and is a family and pet friendly event. For more details like parking and directions, visit www.cityarchriver.org/kiener.

The opening events at Kiener Plaza kick off a slate of fun events in 2017 throughout the CityArchRiver area. You can learn about all of the events at www.cityarchriver.org/visit.