When the Gateway Arch was being built and this reporter was much younger, there was a joke circulating that East St Louis was going to build a giant croquet mallet and ball to complete the picture that the Arch presented of a croquet wicket. But officials on the east side had a much grander vision, which will be dedicated this weekend: a thousand feet of gently sloping ramps that takes you from a view of rail lines to a one-of-a-kind view of the St. Louis Arch.

Mike Buehlhorn, head of the Metro East Park and Recreation District, told KMOX news that a 40 foot high platform, dubbed the Mississippi River Overlook, is a key feature of the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park on the East St. Louis riverfront. Originally, the key feature was to be the “Gateway Geyser” -- a  fountain that shoots some 600 feet in the air. But the Mississippi River Overlook adds a majestic touch to this lovely park that sits across the river from the “gateway to the west.”  

For more than a decade, the fountain was all she wrote for the green space that sits next to the MetroLink, the Casino Queen and the Cargill silos. This park was part of the original vision of Arch architect Eero Saarinen, and was carried forward by late  St. Louis attorney and philanthropist Malcolm Martin. The Gateway Center he created donated the grounds and funding for the $15 million site to the Metro East Park and Recreation District. That money is also supporting on-going maintenance and round-the-clock security. The park also boasts a terraced lawn and will eventually house a visitor’s center.