The final stage of the $380 million, decade-long CityArchRiver project was completed in May with the reopening of the historic Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis.
The project sought to enhance the Gateway Arch National Park grounds and make them more accessible to the general public. Prior to the project, the Arch was separated from the rest of the city and the Mississippi River.
Improvements included expanding the visitor center by 50,000 square feet, building a new museum and making the Gateway Arch more accessible, McClure said.
“The goal of the project was really to reconnect the Arch to St. Louis,” McClure said.
An economic impact study commissioned by the Gateway Arch Park Foundation, the park’s philanthropic partner, found that the park and surrounding area generated more than $486 million in economic impact for St. Louis and St. Louis County and more than $572 million for the entire St. Louis region in 2024.
More than 2.5 million people visited the park last year.
“I think it shows the power of investing in Gateway Arch National Park,” McClure said. “When we continue to invest in that through philanthropic and public dollars, it not only brings in economic impact, but it is investing in the one thing that represents our city to the world.”
The Old Courthouse, located between Kiener Plaza Park and the Gateway Arch, is best known as the site where Dred and Harriet Scott sued their enslaver for their freedom. A new exhibit in the courthouse is devoted to the Scotts and their history.
McClure said the courthouse had about 15,000 visitors in May.
“There’s been more people walking through that building than I remember seeing throughout my time working there,” McClure said. He has been with the Gateway Arch Park Foundation since 2011.
From 2013 to 2018, construction for the CityArchRiver Project:
- Generated $599.4 million in regional economic impact.
- Supported 4,458 jobs.
- Generated $14.1 million in tax revenue.
Operations and visitors at project sites in 2024:
- Generated $572.1 million in regional economic impact.
- Supported 4,854 jobs.
- Generated $30.7 million in tax revenue in the St. Louis region.
The study also found that special events at the park, such as the Blues at the Arch Festival and Winterfest, brought more than 70,000 visitors and generated $9.7 million for the region.
“We’re just really encouraged by the results of this study,” McClure said. “We just want to see that impact continue to grow.”
