“'Bring the community hope': Foundation aims to revive Kinloch Park for $1 million — and seeks donations”

AUTHOR: Nassim Benchaabane
DATE: May 26, 2021

KINLOCH — Kinloch Park was a centerpiece of fire Chief Kevin Stewart’s childhood in the historic north St. Louis County suburb.

Bike rides. Softball and basketball games. The playground. Barbecues and reunions with family and friends. The annual Kinloch Festival, complete with a carnival and kids’ rides.

“That’s what parks are for,” said Stewart, now 38. “It’s the place for your community to come together.”

But today, the park is a reminder of the long-term disinvestment and decline in Kinloch, the first Missouri city to be incorporated by African Americans. Once home to 10,000 residents, fewer than 300 residents remain. And the park stands in need of decades’ worth of repairs.