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Citizens for Modern Transit, AARP to Host Pop-Up Metro Market at the No. Hanley MetroLink Station Oct. 11
Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) and AARP in St. Louis have announced plans to host a pop-up Metro Market on Wednesday, Oct. 11, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the North Hanley MetroLink Station (4398 Hanley Road).
The event will temporarily transform a portion of the expansive parking lot into an active space that connects people to products, services and green spaces; showcasing how areas around transit stations can become focal points for activity. This event is free, and community members of all ages are encouraged to attend.
Last year, CMT, AARP and community stakeholders completed walk audits of three key MetroLink stations, including the one at North Hanley. Short and long-term recommendations for improving the functionality of the stations were identified, as well as means for making them safer and more vibrant destinations.
An action plan is currently being executed, and a series of improvements have been completed with others currently underway. The next step is to give stakeholders, riders and the general public a peek at what is possible by way of the pop-up Metro Market on Oct. 11. A main area of focus for organizers is getting community feedback.
“This event is designed to give community members a sneak peek at what the area around this MetroLink station could look like,” commented Kim Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. “But, it doesn’t stop there. We want it to serve as catalyst for obtaining community input. We want to find out what matters to local residents, determine what they want to see come to life. And, we are going to have a number of creative means for allowing them to do so.”
The St. Louis County Department of Planning will be facilitating an activity that allows residents to help create an oversized, three dimensional, Monopoly game board-type model illustrating what they would like to see onsite. There will be a video taped. For inspiration, several murals – created by Brock Seals, a local artist and student at the University of Missouri-St. Louis – will be on display.
The event will also feature the “2 Girls, 4 Wheels” and “STL Kettle Corn” food trucks, Tai Chi mini-sessions, and educational resources on how to build a healthy plate from the St. Louis County Department of Health. There will be live music from WFUN 95.5 FM R&B Old School, a St. Louis County Police Department recruiting station, and the opportunity to meet and interact with adoptable animals through the St. Louis County Animal Shelter, a cooking demonstration, free apples, an appearance by MoDOT’s Barrel Bob. There will be information from the Central County Precinct Neighborhood Policing Unit.
The brand new onsite Link Market (LINK) will also be open for business providing access to healthy, affordable food options that can be purchased through any form of payment, including EBT and the EBT DoubleBucks programs. Plus, area residents will be able to learn more about the new community library box being considered for this site. No library card is required to borrow the materials, and there are no fines or due dates. Individuals are asked to return the items whenever they’re finished. A total of 10 Promise Zone Community Libraries are planned this year to increase literacy in North County.
The pop-up Metro Market is being made possible thanks to funding received through the AARP Community Challenge Grant program, which invested $780,000 in 89 different community projects nationwide to help create change and improve the quality of life for all ages.
To learn more, call Citizens for Modern Transit at (314) 231-7272, visit www.cmt-stl.org, or search for the event on Facebook and other social channels using #GrowingwithTransit.
