New pocket park opens on Laclede's Landing; offers disc golf, views

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - On Thursday, a brand new park opened on the St. Louis Riverfront, north of the Arch.

This one is on Laclede's Landing and it features a unique feature, aside from spectacular views of the Mississippi River.

"A pocket park is a small piece of land that we transform into a community space," said Samantha Smugula, Pocketparks President and Founder on Total Information A.M. Thursday. "Pocketparks is all about turning vacant properties that are underutilized or blighted into something that can be valuable to the community."

Smugala says with St. Louis being a city that is on the riverfront, they need to celebrate that, and having a pocket park on the riverfront in Laclede's Landing is one way to do that.

"Activating the riverfront with these parcel of land and this park is going to be so important for the neighborhood," said Smugala. "We've been talking with Laclede's Landing about a park in their neighborhood for a while now, but this was just the perfect opportunity."

The pocket park at Laclede's Landing has some unique features, from sculptures which were created by STL Artworks and a disc golf cages."

"(The park) has disk golf cages, and any frisbee players that are out, this isn't the full regulation-sized course, it's a putting course," said Smugala. "So we have smaller games that are easy and accessible for anyone to come and play. You can be a novice disk golf player or you might be someone who is just working on your accuracy. But we have three different games that you can play."

Smugala says that the sculptures at the park can also be used by disc golf players as obstacles.

"You can throw threw them, you can throw around them to meet that target and its just another amazing add for the community that has been revitalized and rebuilding in Laclede's Landing," said Smugala.