Project Description:

Ideal Landscape Group recently completed this ground-up construction project in Collinsville, IL, featuring a minimalist landscape design. The installation included sod, landscape plants, rock features, mulch, and an irrigation system. The clean and understated outdoor environment harmonizes with the modern aesthetics of the new construction. The carefully placed landscape elements, such as the minimal sod and strategically selected plants, create a polished and visually appealing space. Rock features and mulch provide natural accents, while the irrigation system ensures the health of the landscape with efficient water management. This collaboration demonstrates Ideal Landscape Group’s ability to create a modest and well-integrated landscape design that enhances the overall aesthetics of the project.

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Project Description:

Ideal Landscape Group recently completed a landscape enhancement project for The Village at Schneithorst in Frontenac, MO. The project included the installation of sod, landscape plants, mulch, and irrigation, resulting in an inviting outdoor environment. The careful placement of landscape elements, along with the application of high-quality materials and an efficient irrigation system, created a polished and cohesive landscape that enhances the charm and elegance of The Village. This project highlights Ideal Landscape Group’s commitment to excellence, improving the overall appeal and functionality of the outdoor space for guests to enjoy at The Village at Schneithorst.

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Project Description:

Hartry Park in Shrewsbury, MO, has been upgraded with a fantastic playground and pavilion installed by Ideal Landscape Group’s recreational division. The new playground offers a delightful play area for children, encouraging active fun and imaginative adventures. The pavilion provides a covered spot for park visitors to gather, relax, and enjoy the park’s surroundings. Ideal Landscape Group’s skilled work has added value to Hartry Park, creating a more enjoyable experience for families and individuals looking to spend quality time outdoors.

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Project Description:

Ideal Landscape Group’s recreational division recently completed an exciting project at Ferris Park in Ballwin, MO. The team installed a small playground, a rain garden, and a pavilion, adding value and enhancing the park’s amenities. The new playground provides a safe and enjoyable space for children to play and explore. Additionally, the pavilion offers a versatile and covered area for gatherings and events, further enriching the park experience for visitors of all ages. Ideal Landscape Group’s expertise in recreational installations shines through in this project, creating an inviting and functional space for the community to enjoy outdoor activities and nature.

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Project Description:

Ideal Landscape Group recently completed this outdoor transformation for Hawaiian Bros, a new restaurant in Edwardsville, IL. Their comprehensive services included sod installation, landscape plant selection, rock features, mulching, and irrigation system installation. The project resulted in a visually captivating and inviting environment that reflects the restaurant’s commitment to excellence. Ideal Landscape Group’s expertise and attention to detail shine through in every aspect of the project, providing Hawaiian Bros with a remarkable outdoor space that enhances the overall dining experience and embraces the natural beauty of the surroundings.

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Project Description:

Introducing the stunning new Brentwood City Park, built by Ideal Landscape Group for the Great Rivers Greenway (GRG) in the City of Brentwood, MO. This exceptional park is a testament to GRG’s commitment to creating unparalleled outdoor spaces that inspire and invigorate.

Spanning an impressive 37 acres, Brentwood City Park beckons visitors with a remarkable array of amenities designed to cater to every age and interest. Nestled amidst the scenic surroundings, you’ll discover a striking pavilion, inviting you to gather with friends and family for memorable picnics and social gatherings.

Embracing the spirit of cultural enrichment, an exquisite amphitheater takes center stage, providing an enchanting venue for captivating performances and engaging events that will leave you awe-inspired. Feel the exhilaration as you explore the winding bike trail that winds through the park, offering a delightful journey for cyclists of all skill levels.

As you meander along the path, you’ll encounter a serene lake, its shimmering waters reflecting the beauty of the surrounding landscape. This tranquil oasis provides an idyllic setting for moments of relaxation and introspection, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

For those seeking vibrant entertainment experiences, the park boasts a sprawling concert lawn where melodies fill the air, bringing joy and harmony to all who gather. Lose yourself in the music, surrounded by the camaraderie of fellow enthusiasts.

Brentwood City Park is an epitome of the union between nature and community. Its meticulous design ensures that residents and visitors alike can revel in the boundless possibilities for recreation, connection, and rejuvenation. Come, immerse yourself in this breathtaking oasis where endless adventures await at every turn.

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Project Description:

Ideal is currently engaged in the ongoing renovation of the Ackert Park splash pad and playground in the vibrant city of University City. We are pleased to report that the project is progressing smoothly, and the park is scheduled to open its doors to the public in May, right on track. What’s more, we are thrilled to announce that the project has been diligently managed to stay within the allocated budget of $650,000.

Ackert Park is set to offer an array of exciting features that will undoubtedly captivate visitors of all ages. Among these noteworthy attractions are the enchanting rain and sculpture gardens, which promise to provide a serene and visually stunning experience for park-goers. Additionally, an awe-inspiring art mural wall will add a vibrant touch to the park, showcasing the talents of local artists.

One of the highlights of Ackert Park’s revitalization is the introduction of a state-of-the-art splash pad, providing a refreshing oasis for children and families to enjoy during warm summer days. The splash pad will undoubtedly become a beloved spot for laughter, play, and relief from the heat.

To further enhance the park experience, a unique sculpture playground will be incorporated into the design. This innovative and imaginative feature will engage children’s creativity and provide them with a one-of-a-kind play area that blends art and recreational activities.

With our meticulous attention to detail and commitment to quality, the Ackert Park renovation project aims to deliver a revitalized community space that will bring joy, inspiration, and endless fun to all who visit. We look forward to the grand opening in May, where the vibrant features and engaging amenities of Ackert Park will be unveiled for everyone to enjoy.

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Project Description:

Our construction division recently completed the installation of what we believe to be the largest paver parking lot in the city, spanning an impressive 64,000 square feet. Working collaboratively with the Metropolitan Sewer District, the West Side Missionary Baptist Church undertook this ambitious project, resulting in a paver parking lot that covered an area equivalent to nearly 1.5 acres.

The use of permeable pavers was a key component of this project, enabling stormwater to naturally drain through the surface while still remaining in place. By employing this innovative approach, we not only fulfilled the requirements set forth by MSD’s Project Clear but also secured $300,000 in funding to support the completion of the project.

To make way for the parking lot, we had to demolish several old city flats, creating ample space for the development. Over the course of approximately three months, our team worked diligently to bring this project to fruition. The finishing touches were skillfully applied, and by early January 2022, the project was successfully completed.

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Project Description:

Ideal Landscape Group Builds Two-Mile Mississippi Greenway Expansion in Unpredictable Bedrock on Steep Bluff

Cliff Cave Park’s New Accessible Path Features 4,000 Linear Feet of Retaining Walls Built where Highway Equipment Can’t Reach

The new extension to the Mississippi Greenway in St. Louis’ Cliff Cave County Park stretches just two miles – but working around an endangered species, steep bluffs, and variable, hard-to-define depths of bedrock covered by trees and vegetation required extensive planning and careful construction.

“Conceptually, we started planning when we finished the first phase of the park’s lower-level, five-mile loop in 2008,” said Pat Owens, Project Manager for Great Rivers Greenway, the St. Louis organization that oversaw development of the trail. “It took some time to work out the exact alignment. It’s a fairly sensitive area with Cliff Cave and the natural habitat. We were challenged by the topography and trying to find an alignment that would be the most cost-efficient, least damaging to the natural area, and presenting with a grade close to if not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.”

Designed for walking, jogging, pushing a stroller, riding a bike, or using a wheelchair, the paved greenway now runs along the Mississippi River up the bluff to a scenic overlook. “A great deal of acreage in the park was largely inaccessible to people who aren’t very able-bodied,” Owens said. “Now visitors can park in the upper lot that was constructed and walk a half mile to see the beautiful view at the new overlook.”

The new pathway required 13 retaining walls for switchbacks along the steep bluff, as well as a 210-foot pedestrian bridge over a busy road and a 70-foot bridge in the woods by the cave. Funded through sales tax dollars and opened this spring, the $5 million expansion project also features a new bike and pedestrian connection for nearby neighborhoods.

Accommodating Indiana Bats

General Contractor Ideal Landscape Group of St. Louis was awarded the low-bid construction contract in January 2017. They originally planned to start clearing trees right away, since that part of the project needed to finish by March 31. Around April 1, an estimated 10,000 to 14,000 Indiana Bats (an endangered species) end their hibernation in Cliff Cave to roost in the park’s trees through the summer.

Unfortunately, due to delays with permitting and other issues, tree clearing couldn’t start until March 1. Despite challenging spring weather, the work still finished by the end of March.

“We used three clearing crews instead of one and worked a lot of overtime,” said Dave Buckel, President of Ideal Landscape Group. “Because we started late and had the short window, we just worried about getting the trees on the ground. Once we met our deadline, we picked up the piles, made them into mulch, and scattered the mulch in the park.”

Unpredictable Bedrock

After the tree clearing, Ideal Landscape Group tackled the next challenge of keeping the trail’s grade under five percent. For the portion of the path coming down the bluff, that meant switchbacks with steep retaining walls. Constructing those in karst riddled with sinkholes – in an area that couldn’t be reached by heavy equipment for boring and drilling – required educated guesses.

“Topographically, the area is rolling hills with a lot of rock outcroppings,” Owens explained. “At some points on that hillside the contractor hit bedrock immediately; at other points they dropped down 20 or 30 feet before hitting the bedrock. Because of that, we couldn’t fully know how much rock we’d need to shore up the retaining walls, or whether they could simply connect into the bedrock.”

That significantly complicated the project budget. “Because the costs weren’t really knowable going in, we built a fairly large contingency,” Owens said. “We worked through that, even as we pared back costs at times, but our board saw the project’s value and remained committed.”

During construction, “We hit rock in areas we didn’t expect, and sometimes in areas where we expected rock it wasn’t there,” Buckel said. “We’d have a plan, then every few days something would change and everybody would meet. After the engineers consulted we would go deeper with foundations, do soil remediation to make sure the walls sat on firm ground, or modify grades underneath the walls.”

Ultimately Ideal Landscape Group excavated 3,500 cubic yards of hard rock. “There wasn’t enough room to bring a crusher onsite, but they had a spot in the park that we filled in for future development,” Buckel said.

Ideal Landscape Group’s subcontractor, Retaining Wall Solutions of St. Louis, constructed more than 4,000 linear feet of walls, with heights ranging from four feet to 18 feet. They used more than 20,000 square feet of modular block retaining walls and 50,000 tons of rock backfill.

“We had a very long, narrow corridor,” Buckel said. “It’s not like a road that’s up to 50 feet wide; the trail was 10 feet wide plus some shoulders. We had to move all our material roughly one-and-a-half miles through the woods on a dirt trail. We couldn’t get highway trucks anywhere close to where the walls were going, so we had major feats with off-highway equipment to get that material back there.”

Given the constraints, the process took longer than usual. “Our subcontractor couldn’t start paving until the walls were done, but the wall guy couldn’t finish until we had it excavated,” Buckel said. “It was very linear because we couldn’t access the area from different sides. We could only fit a three- or four-man crew. It just took time.”

Bridging the Road and Woods

Throughout the project, St. Louis County wanted to keep the park operating as usual. That became trickier during construction of the 210-foot bridge over the park’s main road.

The bridge came from Minnesota to St. Louis in four sections, each approximately 52 feet long and 16 feet tall. Ideal Landscape Group rented one of the largest cranes in the area – a 675-ton Link-Belt truck crane – from Sterett Crane & Rigging in St. Louis.

“If we didn’t use that big of a crane, we would’ve had to build a shore tower on the edge of the road to hold half of the bridge up while we set the other half in place,” Buckel said. “The larger crane allowed us to assemble the bridge on the road then set it in one operation, which saved time and money.”

To accommodate the huge crane, crews filled in a ravine with 2,000 tons of crushed stone to make a crane pad. After setting the bridge, they removed all that rock to protect the environment.

The road closed for just one week as crews assembled the bridge, then the crane lifted it, swung it perpendicular to the road, and put it in place. “We asked the crane operator to lift it high enough – about 40 feet – so most of the trees wouldn’t be damaged,” Owens said.

Construction of the other, 70-foot bridge over the creek by Cliff Cave proved easier, though not without its own challenges. “Getting a crane back there was pretty much impossible,” Buckel said. “We ordered that bridge in two halves, thinking we might need a shore tower. After we made our access road, we figured out we could assemble the bridge in the lower parking lot and use two excavators to walk it down the trail and set it in place.”

Breathtaking Views for All

For construction of the overlook above the Mississippi River, “It was literally 150 feet straight down to railroad tracks,” Buckel said. “We took extra safety precautions to make sure no one accidentally stepped off the edge. We drilled holes into the bedrock and put up heavy-duty chain link fencing. For a time, we also used a barrier with heavy concrete blocks and cable stretched between them.”

At the end of the project, Ideal Landscape Group planted more than 1,000 new native trees, shrubs, sedges, and flowers. “We wanted to be sure we planted back even more trees than we took out,” Owens said. “Vegetation is already growing back and looking really healthy.”

Open since May, “The expanded greenway allows people of all ages and abilities to see everything this incredible park has to offer,” said Susan Trautman, CEO of Great Rivers Greenway. “From the soaring bluffs and wooded hillsides, to the breathtaking views of the Mississippi River – Cliff Cave Park’s natural beauty is more accessible for all to explore and enjoy.”

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Project Description:

Ideal Landscape Group is proud to have built Jake’s Field of Dreams. It is a playground for children with disabilities in Wentzville, MO. Most playgrounds, kids could never get to the top if they’re in a wheel chair or some type of walker. Here you can get to the very top of the structures. It’s named in honor of Jake Vollmer who died in 2012 at age 19 from muscular dystrophy. His father, Jim, helped create the park in honor of his son.

“The biggest thing is to accept kids for who they are. In today’s world it’s really difficult. So, for kids to come out at an early age and learn to accept each other no matter their abilities it’s truly a magical thing,” said Vollmer.

The playground features wheelchair accessible merry-go-rounds, a jungle gym with ramps and ziplines among other things.

The playground was payed for through donations and a nonprofit called “Unlimited Play” that helps build structures like the one in Wentzville. The city also stepped in and helped cover the $1.1 million costs.

“Most playgrounds, kids could never get to the top if they’re in a wheel chair or some type of walker. Here you can get to the very top of the structures,” Natalie Mackay, executive director for Unlimited Play, said.

Karson Henderson, 7, is one of the many children who came out to Saturday’s grand opening of the park. He suffers from a brittle bone disease and has broken 40 bones in his lifetime, which is why he’s in a wheel chair. His mother, Katie Henderson, said it’s very special to have a playground like this.

“It’s a super tough thing has a parent to hear him get disappointed or frustrated that he can’t do certain things at certain times,” said Katie.

Here is some press coverage the project received:

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