The City of Wildwood is a community with a commitment to preserving the unique character of western St. Louis County and creating a livable sustainable community. The City values planning for the future, having created a planning process for all aspects of its government. This ensures the community’s native lands, open space, recreational needs and general lifestyle will be preserved.
Wildwood currently does not have a central community park of its own and so aspires to create a world-class park system to support the avid recreational community. The City purchased a sixty-six acre tract of land near its Town Center, which will be the location of the new park. The area features gently rolling hills, abundant grasslands, native woodlands, and a creek streaming through. Oates Associates’ goal is to create a diverse set of memorable spaces for the community while protecting the unique topography of the land and embodying Wildwood’s unique character. For Wildwood residents, the park’s facilities will support the everyday activities of social and recreational life while balancing the site’s natural amenities.
The planning program began with the public engagement process to obtain input from residents about their recreational needs. The best layout for the appropriate facilities and recreational areas were based on the desires of the citizens, the surrounding development pattern and the physical characteristics of the land. The plan focuses on creating a community park that balances stewardship, connects programmatic elements, and creates a recreational vision that represents Wildwood. After the preliminary concept of the park was developed, a community forum was conducted to solicit additional public input on the physical layout, form and character. Afterwards, the steering committee, city staff and the design team determined a single plan to refine, which developed into the Community Park Master Plan. Future use includes community pavilions, playgrounds, multi-purpose courts, a dog park, multi-use trails, open play areas and an amphitheater.
