Going Green

Introduction

Completed in October 1965, the Gateway Arch is a nationally-recognized symbol of westward expansion and an icon for the City of St. Louis. Following completion of the park’s new general management plan and coinciding with the 50^th anniversary of the completion of its construction, National Park Service and city leaders worked to improve the grounds, museum, visitor experience, and surrounding urban area. This led to the creation of the CityArchRiver Project, a publicly- and privately-funded $380 million renovation project for the park and riverfront, in 2010. Many amazing changes were made to Gateway Arch National Park through the project, including the expansion of Luther Ely Smith Square by creating a land bridge over I-44 to connect the previously separated park grounds and downtown St. Louis, the construction of a new Silver LEED Certified Visitor Center and Museum, the removal of a large parking garage at the north end of the park, the raising of the riverfront boulevard nearly 3 feet to mitigate future flooding, and the landscaping of 11 reclaimed acres of green space to the grounds. Combining sustainability, conservation, and the community was a primary focus of Gateway Arch National Park, both during construction and after it was completed in July 2018. Recycling and composting efforts were expanded throughout the park, new native green spaces were created, a more efficient irrigation system was installed, and a variety of green practices were put into place. As new projects and improvements to our urban national park continue to progress, sustainable development will remain a primary focus for Gateway Arch National Park.

Recycling & Composting
In an effort to increase recycling in the park and make it easier for both employees and visitors to recycle, Gateway Arch National Park installed many clearly-marked recycling bins in each building and around the grounds with signs stating the accepted materials, making them simple to use while reducing the amount of unrecyclable waste mixed in. Accepted materials include:

• Aluminum
• Plastic bottles and containers
• Office Paper
• Newspapers and magazines

During construction and renovation of the grounds and Visitor Center and Museum, contractors collected and reused the construction debris or recycled what could not be reused. When the grounds are mowed, the grass clippings are left on top of the freshly cut grass in order to decompose and fertilize the soil naturally. Additionally, any larger organic debris, such as tree branches, twigs, or plants, are added to a compost pile on the park grounds and, after breaking down, are used to top dress the soil or fill in the beds around bushes and flowers.

Greening the Grounds
The removal of the parking garage at the North Gateway and other renovations resulted in 11 acres of newly landscaped grounds. The area where the old parking garage used to stand has now been transformed into 7.5 acres of new, beautiful green space with a pollinator garden and nearly 3 acres of native prairie. The new green space created a large area for carbon sequestration, a process in which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and stored in the soil. This new green space at the North Gateway alone will sequester approximately 55,000 pounds of carbon annually.
Efforts to increase the biodiversity and amount of native plantings can be seen all over the park:

• New native gardens have been going in all over the grounds, including in the North Gateway and Luther Ely Smith Square
• The tree count has more than doubled to an amazing 4,200 total trees
• 800 Ash trees, prone to infestation by the Emerald Ash Borer, were removed
• Pest-resistant London Plane trees were planted as replacements
• 220 new trees were planted in Luther Ely Smith Square, compared to 20 trees that stood there before
• Plans are in the works to add new plantings around the Old Courthouse,
  including both native species and other plant species that were significant to the historic period of the Old Courthouse

During the planting stage, 35,605 gallons of liquid biological amendment, or an organic kind of “tea” made from compost, was added to the soil to increase microbial activity and promote root growth of trees, bushes, and flowers throughout the park. Additionally, radishes were planted all over the park in order to open up the ground for water and nutrients to reach the roots of new plants. The radishes were then left to decompose, adding even more nutrients into the soil.

Stormwater Management
Removal of the parking garage in the North Gateway also reduced the amount of toxic runoff in the area and now helps mitigate the impacts to water quality in the Mississippi River. Built in 1986, the parking garage did not have the devices in place to capture oils and heavy metals typical of runoff from vehicular pavements that are required today. The replacement of this large impervious structure with a new green space reduces the amount of runoff for the area and allows water to be absorbed and filtered through the soil.

• During the construction on the grounds, several new sustainable stormwater structures were installed, including:
• A new irrigation system that can shut off on its own if a line breaks or if the ground is wet from rainfall
• Two underground retention tanks separate silt and excess nutrients before releasing the water into one of the two reflection ponds
• A 37,000 gallon retention tank in Luther Ely Smith Square that filters out silt and nutrients from the water, which is then reused in the irrigation system
• A native rain garden at the ranger station that allows runoff to be absorbed and filtered through the soil
• Bioswales around the reflection ponds that help to absorb excess water, filter our pollutants, and reduce the likelihood of algae blooms
• New moisture meters will be installed that will direct the irrigation system to turn off and on accordingly

All of the new soils added to the park grounds are structural soils, which help to reduce compaction and runoff while allowing for absorption and promoting root growth. Additionally, permeable decomposed granite was added in the sitting areas in Luther Ely Smith Square and on each side of the new entrance to the Visitor Center and Museum along the north-south walkway, reducing runoff by allowing water to flow into the soil below.

Arch Café
Opened in July 2018, the Arch Café has made sustainable practices and local and organic foods their top priority. All of the lighting is LED and all the appliances are Energy Star, if available. The Zero Waste Initiative focuses on providing recyclable or compostable food and dining products, including straws and coffee cups made from plants, creating virtually no waste. All of their plastic bottles, cups, and lids can be recycled, as well as any aluminum, cardboard, or pallets their products are delivered in. The café composts all food scraps, coffee cups and sleeves, forks, knives, napkins, and straws. Multiple clearly-marked recycling and compost bins have been placed in the public areas of the café, as well as a single-stream recycling bin in the washroom.
Additionally, much of the café’s food is organic and comes from the local area, including:

• Organic lettuce and tomatoes
• Organic veggie burgers
• Antibiotic-free chicken and turkey
• Hamburger – East St. Louis, IL
• Ravioli, sausages, Italian cold cuts, breads, fruit mic, coffee, barbeque sauce – St. Louis, MO

Green Practices
Many sustainable practices have been put into effect at Gateway Arch National Park, both during and after construction.

• All cleaning products used in the buildings are green cleaners and are either neutral or vinegar-based
• All fertilizers used in the plantings and on the grounds are fully organic
• Almost all the lights in the buildings have been switched from standard lightbulbs to LED bulbs
• Changing the lights on the park grounds to LED is currently in the works
• Water bottle refill stations have been installed in every building in the park to promote reusing water bottles and to reduce plastic waste in the park

These water bottle refill stations also include a counter on the front showing how many plastic bottles have been kept out of the trash or recycling since they were installed. For example, as of early September 2018, the water bottle refill station in the Old Courthouse shows that 59,273 water bottles have been kept out of the trash and recycling thanks to visitors and employees reusing bottles. All of these sustainable efforts and more led to the Silver LEED Certification that was granted to the new building housing the Visitor Center and Museum.

 

 

Going Green

Recycling and Composting

Greening the Grounds

Stormwater Management

Green Practices