An expansion of Sanders Park in Crestwood is underway. Three of five residential homes — 971, 1001 and 1005 Sanders Drive — have already been demolished as part of the park expansion, which will transform the “formerly flood-prone residential lots” into a public green space.

Crestwood has plans to demolish 963 and 967 Sanders Drive, as well, in the continuation of this project. The funding for purchasing these lots came from a grant by the St. Louis County Municipal Parks Grant Commission. 

The park expansion is part of a larger collaboration between Crestwood and the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) to address recurring overland flooding issues on Sanders Drive. Heavy rainfall would overwhelm the ground and stormwater systems. In 2025, the city entered an intergovernmental agreement with MSD to purchase properties that had been affected by that flooding.

“The Sanders Park Expansion Project is among MSD’s top 10 Capital Improvement Projects in the region and represents a key example of interagency cooperation to improve public safety and enhance community recreation,” a release by the city of Crestwood stated.

According to the release, MSD engineers conducted a study of the area and found that the current storm sewers could not be expanded to handle the volume of water necessary. 

The homes that have been and are being demolished to make way for more Sanders Park green space were part of a voluntary buyout by the city.