AFFTON, Mo. — Big things are happening in the city of Affton. The first-ever Food Truck Garden is coming to the area this spring.
Food trucks have become increasingly popular in the St. Louis area in recent years. Now, Affton residents will have an array of food trucks to choose from six days a week.
Residents like Michael Owens couldn't be happier.
"I think it's good for the neighborhood. I really do," Owens said.
It's called 9 Mile Garden and will be located in the Affton Plaza on Gravois Road. It will feature five food trucks for lunch and seven for dinner Monday through Saturday. It will also have outdoor movies, live music and community events.
People in the area were notified about the project and even had the opportunity to submit feedback.
Yvonne Merlotti is the Project Manager. She said the top three complaints have been addressed. They included exhaust from the generators used to run the food trucks.
"The food trucks will actually plug-in,” Merlotti said. “We are creating places where they can just plug right in. No need to run a generator.”
Noise was also a concern, but Merlotti said they hired sound engineers to help manage that.
The last big fear was trash, which Merlotti said people will be on-site every day to handle clean up.
Not only will the garden be dog-friendly, but the grounds can also be reserved for private events with all the amenities.
"I think that’s exactly what Affton needs is a place where they can all come together and hang out with their neighbors and have a safe wonderful gathering place where they can enjoy good food, do a little shopping. Fun things like that,” Merlotti said.
The name 9 Mile Garden comes from the days before streets had names and locations or landmarks were named for their distance from St. Louis' Old Courthouse.
The plans are still being finalized, but construction is expected to begin next month.
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