KIRKWOOD, Mo. — There’s renewed hope in Kirkwood for youth ballfields set to be demolished. Neighbors are joining forces to do what they can to prevent it.
The city says it can no longer afford to keep it going. That’s why neighbors gathered at a community meeting Thursday determined to act.
Across from the vibrant Green Tree Park along the Meramec River sits the less attractive former home of the Kirkwood Athletic Association. The 14 acres of land have sat vacant since several floods left it in disrepair. The city of Kirkwood says it doesn't have money to re-open it.
"The number of kids that it has served over those years, you can't count. (It) served my kids, served me. It's been a big part of the community,” said Ben Caffey, a Kirkwood School Board Member who is leading a grassroots effort to unite neighbors who want to save the ballfields.
Thursday was the group’s first public meeting and there was considerable interest.
"Virtually everybody who's in the room tonight and many hundreds perhaps thousands more played baseball down at Marshall Fields. They coached down there and some of us played and did both, played and coached,” said Rick Stream with the American Legion.
The group hosted the meeting for anyone interested in their fight. Demolition was set to happen in July but the city council agreed to delay that when neighbors started uniting.
A few council members showed up Thursday.
Councilman Al Rheinnecker told the group that time is of the essence.
“We can't come to this meeting three years from now and nothing has happened," he said.
Now the group is working to determine the best use of the site. Should it remain baseball and softball fields or should other sports like lacrosse, soccer, or pickleball come in?
Depending on what they decide, the price tag could be tens of thousands of dollars or even six figures.
"We got to get the fields back into shape. We probably can't do anything for this year or even this fall. But for next spring, we'd like to be able to open the field for competitive play,” Stream said.
City leaders say trees and five buildings need to be torn down, including the concession stand, which is already falling. Fuel tanks on the property have already been removed.
To contact the organizer of the plan to revive the ballfields, email bcaffey5117@gmail.com.