Forest Park continues to amaze. The last time we visited the park in March, we noticed the construction work on Liberal Arts Bridge and Tributary.
But, we didn't even notice what was happening at Central Fields.
The home of LouFest and the Great Forest Park Balloon Race has seen some very significant upgrades of late with the addition of a pavilion and a concession stand. Both have restrooms.
The entire field has been reseeded to provide the turf necessary to withstand the heavy use this part of the park gets. In fact, the turf is still being established, so you can't walk on it just yet. But it's green, lush and coming in beautifully. These fields are also used for rugby and soccer.
The concession stand is at the top of the hill just east of the Jewel Box. The building is handsome and has the features we've come to expect in the park including bike racks and water fountains with the bottle filler, human and dog taps.
There are tables of wood and metal construction and trees that will provide the necessary shade to make this a pleasant place to sit and have a snack.
Also underway is the necessary infrastructure work to sustainably manage storm water. The landscaping is being installed as well, but not yet fully realized. No doubt it will be top shelf, just like the other new projects in the park.
The views directly to the east of this spot of the park are very "big city" with the Washington University Medical Center/Barnes Jewish/Children's Hospital rising above the trees.
The pavilion is just north of the concession stand. It has restrooms and a water fountain and features stairways on each side of the building.
One of our favorite features is the open air roof design which allows the breeze to cool the gathering area.
Trees are being planted and landscaping is on-going.
Just another example of why Forest Park is a local, regional and national treasure.
