Note: In the December 20 edition of the Dining Out newsletter, we mistakenly linked to the wrong story. Here is the correct link to the ‘Arch Eats’ episode we intended to share. We apologize for the error!
To kids, the world is a playground, and in Brentwood, that playground just got an upgrade.
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It’s not often a community is given the opportunity to dream up new ideas and see them turned to reality, but that’s exactly what happened with Brentwood’s newest destination. The resulting Brentwood Park playground, which is slated to open April 6, is an accessible, over-the-top playscape featuring specific community requests such as a zip line, waterfall, climbing wall, net climber, splash pad, and more.
“I hope the takeaway from this is what municipalities can do when they really go for it,” Brentwood Mayor David Dimmitt says.
This project was born out of Brentwood Bound—a $79.6 million flood mitigation project aimed at reclaiming the floodplain between Brentwood Boulevard and Hanley Road. A large part of Brentwood Bound includes adding 32 acres of park space, and when the city surveyed residents about their top requests for the non-flood zone region of that space, a destination playground was the No. 1 suggestion.
The 3-acre playground broke ground in December 2022, ran $7 million, and connects to the Great Rivers Greenway trail system. “We really wanted to focus on it being a unique place that you haven’t seen before in the St. Louis area,” Director of Parks and Recreation Eric Gruenenfelder explains. “We wanted to have pieces of equipment that you haven’t seen. We want to use things like topography and landscaping to really create a dimensional play experience.”
SWT Design, which also designed O’Day Park in O’Fallon and Veteran’s Tribute Park in Weldon Spring, orchestrated the design for the playground, which features fully accessible equipment. The structure of the playground is more or less organized by age groups, with a 2- to 5-year-old section that includes a mommy-and-me swing, a roller slide designed to be inclusive for children with cochlear implants, and an accessible swing and merry-go-round.
The area for older children includes a climbing wall, a three-story net climber, logs for hopping (or “the floor is lava,” Gruenenfelder says), heat-resistant turf for barefoot-running, and multiple hills for rolling. The viking swing was a special request from Gruenenfelder’s daughter, and the zip line inspiration came from an 8-year-old boy in town who set up a meeting with Gruenenfelder to specifically make the case for one. “We have a lot of areas perfect for imaginative play and free play—the hope is that we design this space, and then the kids will show us how to play in it.”
Two shaded, rentable pavilions with game tables and sensory features, as well as a bridge to an overlook, which includes a speedy slide down to the playground, musical instruments for tinkering, and a netted nest for adventurous kiddos, are expected to be favorite features. The splash pad, which is an homage to the Deer Creek Watershed, includes activation pillars that will set off waterflow 10—15 minutes at a time, and the waterfall includes a shaded area for parents to sit and watch kids play. The entire water feature is designed to reach 6 inches in depth. Planning for a race anytime soon? The paths along the playscape’s grounds also encapsulate a full 5K.
About 250 trees have been planted throughout the area, all intended to provide additional shade for families and a natural barrier for nearby homes and streets, and benches will be placed nearby the trees for relaxing away from the excitement. “We wanted to create a place where people wanted to come back and rediscover every time,” Gruenenfelder says. “They find something new that they didn’t see before every time. Also, a lot of what we did was not only for kids, but also intergenerational. We looked at every detail to try to make the experience enjoyable forever.”
Speaking of forever, another aspect that makes this project unique is its focus on sustainability. From a reclamation tower that recycles all of the water used at the playground to solar panels on the all-seasons pavilion, this project is just the latest effort by the city of Brentwood to improve its community’s environmental impact. In recent years, Brentwood has also installed EV chargers in its recreation center parking lot and has assembled a sustainability committee within its Board of Aldermen.
The festivities have only begun to be planned, Gruenenfelder explains. Spring birthday parties have already been booked at the all-seasons pavilion, which is host to a fireplace, accordion-style doors, and accessible bathrooms that are visible from the playground. An amphitheater at the foot of the playground will be the setting for performances—from storytellers to musical acts to jugglers—that will kick off on the second Saturdays each month beginning in May. Regular food trucks are also in the plans for the playground’s near future. Check the city’s website for the schedule.
As for the future of the surrounding area beyond the playground, the Brentwood team has its sights set on a future of restaurants, farmers markets, bakeries, and beyond. “The dream is being able to grab lunch up the hill and then walk over here and spend the afternoon at the playground,” Gruenenfelder describes. “Or, you know, grab a glass of wine and enjoy a concert at the amphitheater area back over here.”
But the big reason you should be keeping tabs on Brentwood? Mayor Dimmitt explains: “With I-64’s intersection with I-170, how quickly you can get to the airport, and how quickly you can get to downtown or Chesterfield—this truly is a centrally located community. I think that’s one of the huge benefits of why this is a great place to have this playground. We’re trying to be as inclusive as we can. We are an inviting, welcoming community. I mean, our motto is The City of Warmth. And it has nothing to do with the temperature.”
