The National Park Service announced the signing of the Record of Decision for the Final General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS) for Jefferson National Expansion Memorial on November 23.  The Final GMP/EIS was released to the public October 23, 2009 for a last public review prior to signing the decision document that signifies the completion of the planning process.  Superintendent Tom Bradley appreciated the “tremendous public interest throughout the planning process,” which was reflected in the final Record of Decision. 

The selected alternative includes a design competition initiated by the National Park Service in close coordination with others.  Funding for the competition will likely be a combination of non-federal and federal sources.  The alternative calls for revitalizing the Memorial, both through the competition and internally, by expanding programming, facilities, and partnerships to enhance the visitor experience. The grounds surrounding the Gateway Arch will be managed in such a way as to accommodate and promote more visitor activities and special events than are currently provided.

The National Park Service will actively coordinate with the City and State to enhance the pedestrian environment around the Memorial by developing a unifying streetscape along the Gateway Mall and the other streets adjacent to the Memorial, including Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard and the riverfront levee.  The full implementation of the general management plan will happen in stages over the next few years.
    
Sandra Washington, Chief of Planning for the National Park Service Midwest Region, stated “the NPS will use the design competition to seek opportunities to enhance existing approaches to the Memorial on the north and the south, as well as to establish a portal linking East St. Louis to the Gateway Arch grounds by water taxi.”

The GMP/EIS process is one common to the National Park system, and that develops planning documents that provide blueprints for a 10 to 20 year period, pointing the way toward the future for the individual park site.  Prior to 2008, the park had been using the 1964 Saarinen/Kiley plan as their General Management Plan, implementing the various phases of the original design for the Gateway Arch and the grounds which surround it.  Now that the design is nearly complete, with the exception of the pedestrian connector to downtown, the park decided to move forward to create a new General Management Plan to chart the future of the site.

For more information please visit the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial website at www.nps.gov/jeff or call (314) 655-1600.