"During the early stage of the mall redevelopment, it became clear that the city did not simply want 'a set of stairs and utilitarian switchbacks,'" Public Works Director James Eckrich told West Newsmagazine. "Instead, the city desires a unique, iconic pedestrian link between the former mall site and Central Park."
That link will sit on the bare dirt slope where Chesterfield Parkway meets Lydia Hill Drive. Anyone who has driven to Central Park lately has passed it. Most coverage of Downtown Chesterfield is about apartments, a renovated Macy's building and the long wait for vertical construction. The piece that matters most to people who already live here is this slope. It is the part the city controls, it will likely be the first part of the downtown most residents walk on, and the city is deciding its design this fall, years before anyone moves into the new buildings.
The one piece of downtown the city is building itself
The Staenberg Group is redeveloping the old mall property. The hillside works differently. Under the development agreement, the city manages the grand entry project and TSG contributes $300,000. The site covers about 3.89 acres at 16301 West Chesterfield Parkway, between Park Circle Drive and the planned Downtown Chesterfield Boulevard, on the west side of the former mall property, directly across from Central Park.
The City Council approved a contract with LJC Design & Engineering for the first phase, called the Character Plan, not to exceed $140,000. That total covers a negotiated fee of $126,500 plus a contingency, paid from a deposit TSG made under the development agreement. Eckrich described it as a multi-approval process. Detailed design does not start until phase 2.
Because this is a city project, it goes through public meetings, council sessions and resident feedback. That process is why residents still have a say in the result.
Forty-eight feet, two ways down
Every design choice starts with the slope. "It's a 48-foot grade change from top to bottom," Elliot Brown, Chesterfield's assistant city administrator, told First Alert 4. "So we have to come up with a way that transports people quickly and safely down the hillside, but we also want to provide an opportunity for them to slow down and savor the environment."
At a special City Council meeting on Aug. 18, Chip Crawford and Tim Buescher of Kanopi Gap presented two design options. Public Works Director Jim Eckrich introduced them.
| Option 1 | Option 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated cost | $5.1 million | $7.9 million |
| Character | A walk through nature or a sculpture garden | Flexible space for a range of activities |
| Getting down the slope | Stairs, a switchback ramp and a path through the grass | Stairs and a more engineered accessible ramp with modular retaining walls |
| How it uses the 3.9-acre site | Concentrated along the site's straight edge, with planted beds between ramps | The accessible path loops twice around the site, forming a gathering area |
| Council reaction on Aug. 18 | General consensus in favor | No consensus reported |
The difference between the two is about more than $2.8 million. Option 1 is a route with gardens along it. Option 2 makes the slope a destination, with activities spread across the whole hillside. Neither one has been adopted. Council members generally favored Option 1 on Aug. 18 but took no vote.
There is also a third decision. Either option can include a bridge or walkway over Chesterfield Parkway, at an estimated $5 million more. The city could build it right away or add it later. Brown put the overall range plainly, calling it "a project that could cost $5 million-$10 million when all is said and done." The bridge decides how people cross the parkway on foot between the park and the new downtown. It may matter more to daily foot traffic than anything planted on the slope.
What residents said on Sept. 24
The city held an open house at City Hall on Sept. 24 from 4 to 7 p.m. City staff and the project consultant answered questions and collected input. Brown said the feedback is meant to give the council "the backup that they need to make the decision."
Several attendees told local TV crews what they wanted:
- One attendee asked the city to "hold onto as much nature as you can."
- Another attendee said the landscaping "would be gorgeous" and suggested adding water features.
- A third attendee said he was optimistic about the project and the city's development.
- A fourth attendee told FOX 2 the entry "provides a little bit of peace and beauty amidst all the buildings and housing going up in the area."
Most of these comments favor the gentler, more natural approach the council already leaned toward. FOX 2 summarized the proposal as native landscaping, public art, gathering spaces and room to enjoy the outdoors. Next, the architects will make final adjustments and submit a proposal to the City Council. As of today, no vote date and no construction start date have been reported.
Why the hillside comes before the downtown
TSG's published timeline shows how far ahead of the downtown this decision is:
- Fall 2026: Construction begins on the 3.31-acre park TSG calls the centerpiece of the project.
- Spring 2027: With grading and infrastructure done, residential construction begins.
- Fall 2029: The first residents move in, which marks the end of Phase 1.
West Newsmagazine has reported a slightly later start for vertical construction, in the summer of 2027. Either way, the gap is several years. The city is choosing how people will move between Central Park and the new downtown while the top of the hill is still a construction site.
That puts current residents in an unusual position. For now, the main reason to climb that slope is the established park at its base, which already draws Chesterfield families. The comments from Sept. 24 come from people who use Central Park today, and they will shape a route that the downtown's future residents will also use for decades.
The bottom of the hill this October
Central Park, at 16365 Lydia Hill Drive, has a full fall calendar, and the hillside is right across Chesterfield Parkway.
Trucks and Treats, Saturday, Oct. 3, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This free event at Central Park brings trucks, emergency vehicles and treats, along with Monarch Fire Protection District's Safety Town. It is a good chance to see the grand entry site from the bottom before anything is built.
Chesterfield Fall Festival, Saturday, Oct. 17. The Chesterfield Amphitheater lists free admission, food and market vendors, carnival rides, a pumpkin patch, a hayride and live music from Russo & Co. and Box of Chocolates.
Chesterfield Turkey Trot, Thursday, Nov. 26. This Thanksgiving morning race starts at Chesterfield First Community Athletic Complex, 17925 N. Outer 40 Road, with a 5K at 8:30 a.m. and a kids' run at 9:30 a.m.
For something after the festival, St. Louis Magazine reported in mid-September that Dolce Napoli is open at 17089 N. Outer 40 Road in The District, serving gelato, Italian pastries and sandwiches.
Event times and details can change, so check the City of Chesterfield's listings before you go.
Choosing between a garden path and an activity space, or between building a crossing now and adding it later, is a familiar trade-off between cost and character. Homeowners make the same kind of call when they decide what to improve before selling. Liz McDonald works through those decisions with Chesterfield clients every season, from sequencing projects to staging. If you are thinking about how a project like the grand entry might affect your own plans, request your free home valuation and start with a clear picture of your home's value.
