Project Description
The St. Charles riverfront consists of approximately 300 acres located on the Missouri River between highway 70 and the Family Arena. There is a 104-acre park directly across the slough, which is planned to be recreated by dredging sand. The slough will be approximately 200- 300 feet wide and approximately ¾ of a mile in length.
The Katy trail will run along the entire slough and in front of the river walk portion of the project. There will be approximately 85 acres of private development. The project is linear, thus placing the entire development on the riverfront and directly across from the Bangert Island Park. The Katy trail is expected to have three (3) bridges connecting it to Bangert Island, which will allow easy access from anywhere on the development to the park. This project as planned will create a work, live and play environment, in other words a lifestyle and entertainment development unrivaled in the Midwest region of the country.
Harbor San Carlos will create a River Walk district, enhance Bangert Island as a highly accessible green space, enhance the Katy Trail by allowing more direct interaction with the Missouri River and the slough, create a unique, high-quality residential environment on the river, convert the riverfront into a regional and national draw, convert an underutilized island park into a safe educational resource, create a new connection to St. Charles culture and heritage, create a marina and recreational industry on the Missouri River and create a multi-use live, work and entertainment environment on a scenic portion of the River only minutes from Historic St. Charles.
The goal of Harbor San Carlos is to capitalize upon the existing natural surroundings. One example of this is San Antonio’s River Walk, which is a world famous green space visited by people from around the world. The citizens of San Antonio capitalized upon a project that was originally created to control flooding. By bringing people in contact with the natural environment that already existed they have a social and economic engine which has changed their community and will continue to have positive impact for generations to come. Cincinnati, Ohio and Newport, Kentucky are two other examples of communities investing in their natural waterfronts that remained under utilized for decades. More than $1 Billon dollars of investment is planned or already under way in these two communities.
The Missouri river is referred to as the back bone of the Great River Greenway District. This beautiful river is the central jewel of the River Ring, making it the center piece of the Great Rivers Greenway Trail system that is being built throughout our communities in the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. Bangert Island is a part if this trail system and currently has approximately 3 miles of trails on the island.
When developing great projects, those that will continue to shape a community for generations to come, one must always consider the social impact by not only maximizing and enhancing the use of the natural resource, but by simultaneously enhancing the protection of the environment. Great developments of this nature contribute to health, pride, interaction, and education that strengthen community bonds and improve the quality of life. Such developments become catalysts for economic developments in surrounding locations and have ripple effects far greater than originally anticipated. Through the proper stewardship of our natural environment, St. Charles will preserve and protect this incredible natural resource while giving its population the ability to interact with its natural surroundings in new and exciting ways.
The entire development of Harbor San Carlos will remain outside of the floodway line of the Missouri River. There will be no levees required, thus minimizing the impact on the natural environment. The slough that once existed will be reopened and add much needed flood capacity to the river. The Sturgeon will have a slow water habitat in the slough allowing increased spawning. For years the Corps of Engineers has channeled the Missouri River and reduced the slow water habitats that once supported much more abundant wild life. The Corps is now supporting the revival of sloughs up and down the Missouri River. The St. Charles Riverfront supports the Corps’ endeavor in this important work in slough reclamation.
The project master plan will have four phases and will have a construction schedule of 20 years. Phase one, which is already complete, consisted of the dedication of the Bangert Island Park along with the construction of the trail system on the island. Phase 2 of the project will consist of raising main street approximately 23 feet between the Ameristar casino entrance and Fifth Street, reclamation of the slough, building of a sea wall, relocation of the Katy trail to the waterfront, connecting the Katy Trail to Bangert Island through bridge construction and installation of utilities, sewer and water infrastructure.
From start to finish, Harbor San Carlos is expected to be $1.3 billion in scope and will not only have an immediate effect on the local economy by creating construction jobs over a 20-year period, but also during the decades after construction as the district matures into the retail, residential, entertainment complex envisioned.
Connected to Natural Resources, the Harbor San Carlos will enhance the social capital – health, pride, interaction, education, –that strengthens community bonds and improves quality of life.