Veterans Honor Park in Chesterfield scheduled to break ground in 2016

Seeking bids in March for Phase 1.

The City of Chesterfield and the Veterans Honor Park Committee is proud to announce plans to move forward on the construction of the Veterans Honor Park. The Veterans Honor Park Committee has raised $500,000 in donations and the City has committed to match an additional $500,000 for the design and construction.  The City also received a grant of approximately $525,000 from the St. Louis County Municipal Parks Grant Commission. The current level of funding, noted above, is not sufficient to complete the entire park. Therefore the project has been divided into two phases.  Phase 1 will include the heart of the park design, including a granite monument fountain, military seals and threshold pavers, paved sidewalks, inner ring precast benches and flagpoles. Phase 2 of the construction will enhance the street approach by creating a sanctuary occupied by arcing benches orbiting around the central monument fountain, as well as a grove of trees, granite paths, and additional landscaping that will provide a calm, yet engaging space for the community to honor and recognize veterans. 

City staff has been authorized to seek bids for the project and anticipates releasing the bid documents in March. The bid documents will include Phase 1 as well as an option to include Phase 2.  Bidders (and their proposed sub-contractors) will be encouraged to consider including donations as part of their bid for the project. Donations will effectively reduce the bid amount which the City will use to determine the overall lowest and best bid.  Donations for the project will be tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.  It is anticipated that the bid will be awarded in May with construction to start soon after.  The determination of whether or not Phase 2 can be included in the project will be dependent upon the bids received and continued fundraising by the Veterans Honor Park Committee.  More information about the ground-breaking ceremony will follow.

The Veterans Honor Park will be a monument site to honor past, present and future veterans of the United States Armed Forces. The park will be located on the west side of Veterans Place Drive in Chesterfield’s Central Park, and will occupy a 16,500 square foot area next to the south entrance of the Chesterfield Amphitheater. A model of the park is on display in the lobby at Chesterfield City Hall, 690 Chesterfield Parkway West. 

The design vision of the park was created by architectural firm, Powers Bowersox Associates, as a calm and peaceful gathering monument that is inviting, uplifting, engaging and inspirational.  The park will accommodate visitors day and night during regular park hours, providing opportunities for individuals, families, or groups to gather for both educational discovery and contemplative retrospection.

As noted above, the Veterans Honor Park Committee will continue to raise funds for the park through donations to complete Phase 2. Support from the public is critical to the construction of Phase 2. Lee Wall, U.S. Army Veteran and Chair of the Veterans Honor Park Committee says, “As a World War II veteran, this park is important to me because it honors all who have served or will serve our country to protect the freedoms enjoyed in the United States of America. The Veterans Honor Park strives to acknowledge these sacrifices. We want to provide the brave individuals, their families, and the general public a place to remember those veterans who walk among us every day and those who paid the ultimate price in the service to their country.”

The City of Chesterfield and the Veterans Honor Park Committee would like to extend a special thank you to all of the members of the citizen volunteers on the Veterans Honor Park Committee, members of the City’s staff who have assisted them, AEP River Operations - a major donor, as well as all the generous individual and corporate donors. 

The Veterans Honor Park offers a variety of donation opportunities including title sponsors, benches, and donor strips, as well as engraved pressed-concrete pavers. Details on all of the donation opportunities are available on the website, https://vhp.chesterfield.mo.us/donate.html. Renderings of the park are also available on https://vhp.chesterfield.mo.us or on the Veterans Honor Park Facebook page.