Forest Park Basketball
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
Forest Park Forever Inc.Support the construction and early programming of the Nicholas J. Booker Basketball Courts.
$180
raised by 5 people
April, 2024
Located north of the Visitor Center, next to the racquetball and handball courts, the Forest Park Basketball construction site is taking shape with raised posts, laid utilities and new sidewalks. A birds-eye view shows the Nicholas J. Booker Basketball Courts are prepped for asphalt pouring—the playing surface requested for St. Louis City's next courts.
As some project teams remove debris for surfacing and pour footings for retaining walls, others manage the orange construction perimeter fencing to protect tree roots while allowing access for folks traveling the trails. Maintaining an active construction site means heavy equipment will travel in and out of Forest Park. Our experts align with vendors and local partners to sustain Forest Park Forever's planting and maintenance standards across the Park's 1,300 acres, especially during restoration and construction.
Ultimately, the Forest Park Basketball site will include more features that community members frequently emphasized: two full courts, two half courts, dark sky-compliant lighting, a shade pavilion and player benches. Our Arbor Team is also planting 35 new trees!
When Forest Park opened in 1876, it did not have recreational features. Former St. Louis City Parks Commissioner Dwight Davis advocated for public resources and access to physical activities in the early 1900s. By the 1920s, new amenities for tennis, soccer, baseball, handball and rugby established the Park's athletics footprint. Now, for the first time and with wide input from the community, basketball courts will become part of the sporting mix in the Park.
The City of St. Louis is our teammate and individual donors are the sixth player in bringing basketball to Forest Park! As the Nicholas J. Booker Basketball Courts take shape, we invite you to join the team.
The courts are named in memory of Nicholas J. Booker, a St. Louis youth and beloved basketball enthusiast with a personal connection to Forest Park. When completed this summer, the site will include two full courts, two half courts, dark sky-compliant lighting, a shade pavilion, 35 new trees, player benches and other features that community members frequently emphasized through outreach over the past year.
Your donation will directly support final stages of construction and early programming for Forest Park Basketball. Zone in on the project here.