About 50 people, including Jefferson County officials and local business owners, attended a recent ribbon cutting ceremony to mark completion of a new playground, pavilion and other improvements at Kimmswick Park.
Parks and Recreation Department Director Tim Pigg said the park features were completed as part of a joint effort of his department and the Port Authority. They also are the first steps in a larger development plan for the park.
The 20-acre park, at 5900 Mississippi Street, has a 1-mile nature trail, picnic tables and restrooms. Further down Mississippi Street is access to the Mississippi River and paved parking. The river access could be used by riverboats when water levels are higher, said Port Administrator Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway.
She said fundraising efforts are underway to build out the port, which would allow riverboats to access Kimmswick during periods of low water levels.
“If anybody has been down to the port, you can see we actually own about a mile and a half or so along the riverfront,” Pigg said. “We’re working on trying to get more property, but currently we can’t afford it. If that property were given to us or we were able to buy it, we’d be able to expand some of the trails and maybe even eventually connect with some other trails up in the Arnold area. That’s a goal, but that’s a future goal because it takes a lot of effort.”
Derrick Good, president of the Port Authority Board, said the Port is looking to raise funds for a riverfront amphitheater to be built near Kimmswick Park and within walking distance of the port and business district.
“The ultimate vision is to have an amphitheater,” he said. “There are a couple of conceptual drawings. When we’re really ready to start that, I’d take any checks. Would anybody like that named after them? I’m happy to do that.”
The county hired Integra Inc. in St. Charles in 2023 to design and build the 30-by-22-foot metal pavilion for $176,925, which was completed last fall.
In the spring of 2024, an additional $12,926 was approved for Integra to remove unstable soil from the site of the pavilion.
The county paid PlayPower LT Farmington up to $70,000 to build and install the playground in early 2024. Pigg said it’s a two-tiered, boat-themed playground with two slides and a swing set. The playground was finished in March.
Kimmswick Mayor Kenneth Kraft III said the park sits on property once owned by German American merchant Theodore Kimm, who established the town in 1859, using a mixture of his name and his hometown of Brunswick, Germany.
“I don’t think most people know that, but for me, it’s exciting that everyone is being brought right to the original source,” Kraft said. “I do believe it’s going to help the people of the community be a little closer. Everybody is already starting to use the benches and the playground and enjoying it. This is something for the neighborhood; it’s free, and the kids can enjoy it.”