Release Date: September 23, 2014

Contact: Lindy Allen, Public Affairs Specialist, National Park Service

Phone: 303-396-7970

Contact(s): Denise Bentele or Jenna Todoroff, Common Ground PR

Phone: 636-530-1235

National Park Service Hosts Groundbreaking for  CityArchRiver 2015 Renovations  
September 25th ceremony to take place on north walkway of Gateway Arch Grounds 

WHAT: The National Park Service officially breaks ground on what will be the renovated Jefferson National Expansion Memorial grounds under the Gateway Arch in a ceremony on Thursday, September 25.

Speakers at the ceremony include City of St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay; Patty Trap, Acting Midwest Regional Director, National Park Service; Stephanie Toothman, Associate Director for Cultural Resources and Science, National Park Service; Sam Whittington, Director, Denver Service Center, National Park Service; Tom Bradley, Superintendent, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial; Maggie Hales, Executive Director, CityArchRiver 2015 Foundation; and Susan Trautman, Executive Director, Great Rivers Greenway.

WHERE:  North walkway of the Gateway Arch Grounds

WHEN: Thursday, September 25; 12:30 p.m.

DAY-OF CONTACT: Denise Bentele, Common Ground Public Relations, 314-226-8574

                                    Jenna Todoroff, Common Ground Public Relations, 618-580-8187
 

MEDIA NOTE: Tom Bradley and other speakers will be available for media interviews. Please advise us of your interest, and we will assist in coordination.

This event is open to the public. Ceremony attendees are encouraged to park in the Gateway Arch Parking Garage, located at 200 Washington Avenue. 

For the most up-to-date directions to the garage, please visit www.gatewayarch.com/directions.

The Gateway Arch is expected to remain open during park renovations; however, some aspects of the visitor experience may be unavailable for short durations. Public access to the visitor center at the Gateway Arch from the Arch parking garage through the North Grounds will remain open until December 2014. After the removal of the parking garage, construction fences will guide visitors from the temporary west entrance located at Walnut Street through the construction area to the Arch entrance.

Visitors are encouraged to check www.gatewayarch.com or www.nps.gov/jeff for the most up-to-date information on the visitor experience during construction. For more detail and webcam views of construction, visit www.cityarchriver.org/construction.