Of all the amenities to enjoy at Forest Park, basketball isn't one of them. But Forest Park Forever and the Parks Department are now exploring the possibility of changing that starting with an online survey.
The park has never hosted basketball courts, and officials don't have an exact explanation. Some advocates say it's an issue of racism, as basketball courts are often populated by diverse groups, specifically young Black men.
"It's hard. I don't have any reason exactly why there have never been basketball courts up to this point," said John O'Gorman, senior VP of development at Forest Park. "But we certainly have to reckon with that they're not here. And at this point, we're very excited to work with the city to put the courts in the park."
While the survey is out for people to take, there are plans in the works to start designing and building.
"We have engaged a community engagement firm that's going to help us to find out what would be the most the amenities that would excite people about the courts," O'Gorman said. "And we have a design team that is working to design them."
Some of the things the park is hoping to learn from the survey are what people are looking for — something more competitive, or more casual? Full or half courts? Standard size or shorter and more accessible for kids? "So that those that are basketball enthusiasts, and those that would play could give us feedback on what would attract people to come to use them," O'Gorman said.
Hear more about the coming basketball courts in Forest Park, and fill out the survey here.
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