An open house to discuss the expansion of Grant’s Trail on the Gravois Greenway will be sponsored Tuesday, Oct. 15, by the Great Rivers Greenway District.

The open house will feature plans to extend the popular trail, connecting it to the River des Peres Greenway, and will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Orlando’s Event Center, 4300 Hoffmeister Ave., Lemay.

Ensuring that people have a voice in greenway projects is essential to the success of the district, according to a news release. The first open house for this project was conducted last November to gather feedback on the plan concept and the potential alignment for the proposed connection.

The second open house will provide plan updates to those in attendance and will serve as an opportunity for those who utilize the trails and have a vested interest in the outcome of this expansion to provide their feedback, the release stated. The feedback received will be reviewed and taken into consideration by Great Rivers Greenway, as the organization works to improve the qualify of life for the region, through projects like this, according to the release.

The proposed plan would extend Grant’s Trail, the bicycle and pedestrian “superhighway” of the St. Louis region, to a total of 10 miles, and provide connection to River des Peres Greenway. The extension would begin on the south end of Grant’s Trail, near Interstate 55 and Union Road, and would connect cyclists and other Grant’s Trail users from Kirkwood to Lemay.

The connection to the River des Peres Greenway would create total through connectivity of more than 16 miles, and may include potential amenities and improvements such as a sculpture park, meadow restoration and a floodplain park.  Construction of the 2-mile extension is slated to begin in early 2015.

“Grant’s Trail serves more than 761,000 people each year — and that number has grown steadily over the years,” Susan Trautman, Great Rivers Greenway executive director, stated in the release. “It has truly become a beloved regional destination. We are thrilled to be working to make the connection between Grant’s Trail and the River des Peres.

“Moving forward with this project will not only improve the quality of life for the people near the trail, but it will also improve the quality of the trail experience for everyone using that trail. We are thankful to have the opportunity to reach out to the public for their partnership in moving this plan forward.”