Bikers and hikers in St. Louis got two pieces of good news today.
Great Rivers Greenway, which is trying to develop 600 miles of trails throughout the region, announced it had, as expected, purchased about 12 acres at the foot of the Chain of Rocks bridge.
It was all part of a deal the Greenway struck with the Komen family, which wanted to develop a casino at the foot of the bridge in north city. If Komen won the 13th license, the developer would purchase the land Great Rivers already owned. If it lost, Great Rivers would buy the land Komen owned.
The casino went to Cape Girardeau. And so today, the $1.25 million sale went through.
Great Rivers plans to get secure parking and make upgrades to the bathrooms on the Missouri side of the bridge.
And also on Wednesday, Metro, the region's mass transit agency, announced it had received a $1 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to help improve biking along the grounds of the Gateway Arch. A spokeswoman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the agency will use the money to make improvements along the North Riverfront Trail and a proposed South Chouteau Trial, as well as do some work on Lenor K. Sullivan Boulevard along the Mississippi River.
