Forest Park Forever, City of St. Louis Renew Public-Private Partnership to Sustain Forest Park for Decades

Celebrating the signing by Mayor Tishaura O. Jones (seated), from left to right: Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard; Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Director Greg Hayes; Forest Park Forever President and Executive Director Lesley Hoffarth; Forest Park Chair of the Board John Kemper; Comptroller Darlene Green; Alderwoman Pamela Boyd; Alderman Bret Narayan.

It’s hard to imagine today, but back in 1986, Forest Park was crumbling and many in St. Louis worried it was beyond repair. That's when a passionate group of citizens formed Forest Park Forever, leading to a partnership between our nonprofit conservancy and the City of St. Louis that launched the dramatic restoration of what is now a beloved urban green space considered among the best in the country.

On Aug. 28, City of St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones signed Board Bill No. 66 to update and renew that partnership, extending our shared commitment to Forest Park for the next 20 to 30 years. In a public-private partnership that is a model for peers across the country, Forest Park Forever is honored to continue working alongside the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry to make Forest Park a place of joy and memories for another generation.

Building upon an expiring agreement in place for the past decade — during which Forest Park was voted “Best City Park” in the United States multiple times — the new Maintenance Cooperation Agreement outlines the partners’ day-to-day maintenance responsibilities and collaborative decision-making on Forest Park care, while ensuring Park-dedicated public and private funds continue to support the needs of its 1,300 acres and 15.5 million annual visits.

It also opens a new chapter, with Forest Park Forever committing to raise the funds to revitalize Steinberg Rink and its 22.5-acre surroundings for all-season activity following the Forest Park Master Plan’s vision for that amenity, which was built in 1957.

With this new partnership agreement in place, the partners now continue a St. Louis success story. What was once in decline is now renewed, with a community-driven commitment to sustain it. The generous annual contributions of Forest Park Forever members and donors provide the funding necessary to sustain Forest Park as a community gathering place that invites our whole community to enjoy nature, recreation and culture.

Shared Commitment to Forest Park for the Next Generation

Mayor Tishaura O. Jones signed the bill authorizing this agreement during a singing ceremony in the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center in Forest Park.

“This extends and reaffirms our city’s commitment to working with Forest Park Forever to fund and sustain the largest and most beautiful and most vibrant municipal park in the country,” Jones said.

“Forest Park creates so much joy in the lives of thousands of people every single day,” said Greg Hayes, Director of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry. “We wouldn’t be able to do all this without our partnership with Forest Park Forever, ensuring Forest Park will be even more spectacular for future generations.”

“This nonprofit raised half of the funds to bring Forest Park back from the brink. Its infrastructure was rebuilt, iconic destinations like Art Hill, Emerson Grand Basin, the Boathouse, were restored — places that now draw thousands of people together like never before,” said Forest Park Forever President and Executive Director Lesley Hoffarth. “New amenities have been added like the Anne O’C. Albrecht Nature Playscape and the Nicholas J. Booker Basketball Courts” — places that draw families and children to create new memories in Forest Park.

“Ours is truly a best-in-class public-private partnership, one that has stood the test of time,” said John Kemper, Chair of the Forest Park Forever Board of Directors. “Talented teams in the Parks Department and in Forest Park Forever work together every day to address the Park’s needs, and the result is this crown jewel of a civic asset that we all enjoy in this region.”

See their full remarks, as well as remarks from Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard and Comptroller Darlene Green, in the video below: