When the trail was finally built and opened in 2016, the project had moved from a trail easement to a full donation of the railroad corridor, along with funding to build the trail.Īlong the way to the 47 miles, Ameren realized it would like to donate the next 144 miles of the Rock Island corridor for trail use as well.Īmeren has been working to donate that 144-mile portion of the corridor to State Parks since 2014. Rock Island Background - 47 miles starting in 2005, 144 more miles starting in 2014Īmeren agreed to donate a trail easement for the 47-mile Katy-Kansas City connecting trail in 2005, after the Taum Sauk disaster. The president of the Missouri State Parks Foundation, the entity put in charge of raising $9.8 million as a down payment on the 144-mile section, said the organization had raised about $1 million. Parks boosters working to fund the 144-mile Rock Island Corridor are millions of dollars short of their fundraising goal with just five months to go in a two-year campaign. Now, with about five months to go until the deadline created by that agreement, the effort to raise the $9.8 million seems to be falling short: However, there was a big catch: To finalize the transfer, Missouri State Parks and its supporter had to raise $9.8 million dollars in private or other non-state, non-state parks funding, so that Missouri State Parks could accept the corridor.īuilding statewide trail connections, preserving trail corridors like the Rock Island, and taking full advantage of your trail connection when it finally happens, will be some of the main topics of discussion at the Missouri Active Transportation Summit, Friday August 13th, 2021.
to present over 12,000 signatures of support for the Rock Island Trail to Ameren and Missouri State Parks It was cost prohibitive to use cast-iron for replacement so it was suggested to frame out the openings for the new window installation and then clad the framing with FRP.Īt the street level up to the third floor cornice, missing and damaged limestone and granite was replaced with new limestone and granite.In 2014, MoBikeFed partnered with Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and thousands of supporting organizations and individuals across Missouri and the U.S. Many of the cast-iron pieces were missing.
The first floor of the building consisted of a number of cast-iron stone fronts. Replica pieces were also utilized on the third floor water table and isolated decorative pieces throughout the building. New replica limestone headers were installed at the eighth floor windows. This included the entire roof cornice on the west and south elevations and the damaged ornate limestone pieces below the seventh floor. Slightly damaged limestone was patched with Jahn Restoration materials.Ī number of severely damaged or missing limestone units were replaced with FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer) replicas. The limestone and brick mortar joints were solidly tuckpointed and the granite based joints were caulked. The entire building was cleaned using ProSoCo limestone prewash and afterwash on limestone and heavy duty restoration cleaner on the brick. The facade of the building is composed of several different types of materials, limestone and a granite base on the west and south elevations and brick on the east and north sides. Western Waterproofing Company’s Masonry Department was involved with the exterior restoration. A two year renovation program was undertaken in 2002.
The installer jackhammered through the stone to install verticals for the metal panel skin (severely damaged limestone and granite). Not only it’s age with more than 80 years of exposure to the elements, but in 1965 a metal skin was mounted on the north and south facades and the installer of the metal skin jackhammered through the stone to install verticals for the metal panel skin (severly damaging limestone and granite), contributed to deterioration. The limestone and granite building was home to St. The construction of the Post Dispatch building was completed in 1916.