St. Louis-based Byrne & Jones Construction Inc. is expanding operations with the launch of a new Parks Division.
The division will design, engineer and install recreational spaces and amenities for state, county and municipal governments and schools. It will tap the full breadth of Byrne & Jones civil site development and improvement services.
Recreational consultant Ben Brown will lead business development efforts for the division, which employs seven dedicated team members, with additional support from more than 50 specialists in other Byrne & Jones divisions.
“All of our divisions in one way or another have served the recreational market, building athletic fields and amenities along with roads, sidewalks, hiking/biking paths and more,” said Brian Goggins, president of Byrne and Jones. “With Ben Brown on our team, we can engage customers on a deeper level to tailor recreational space to fit their needs and optimize the value of their open space assets.”
Brown has 20 years of business development and project management experience, operating the last five years as a dedicated recreational consultant working with public and private entities and recreational equipment and material providers.
“There is a psychology of play that can be woven into the design of parks and recreational venues, creating playgrounds, athletic fields and hiking/biking trails that appeal to all age groups and abilities,” said Brown. “But the most successful are ones that communities can proudly take ownership because it meets their specific needs.
“If there’s one thing we learned during this pandemic, it’s that parks and open spaces are essential to mental and physical health and well-being. There’s a lot of new data coming in on how people and families use parks and recreational facilities that we can use to help communities and institutions improve playgrounds, park design, and physical fitness amenities,” Brown said.
A recent landmark study by the Trust for Public Land noted:
Parks are widely recognized as critical for health and wellness, reducing stress, anxiety and depression and improving physical health – all the more necessary during a public health crisis.
Over the past 16 months, parks and public land have experienced some of their highest usages in modern times, with public officials reporting dramatic upticks in visitors.
Parks are proving to be an essential part of how the nation copes and recovers from the global pandemic.
Among the types of recreational spaces that Byrne & Jones will create include:
Multi-purpose fields
Sport-specific fields such as football, baseball, lacrosse and soccer
Dynamic play areas
Universal playgrounds for all abilities
Pocket parks
Multi-use Trailways
Tennis and pickleball courts
Running tracks
In addition, Byrne & Jones will build amenities and supportive infrastructure including roads, parking, sidewalks concession stands, restrooms, public seating and more.
In launching the new Parks Division, Byrne & Jones will tap its extensive experience in building more than 450 athletic fields for high schools, colleges and communities as well as other recreational venues. Key projects have included.
Forest Park biking and walking trails
O’Fallon Family Sports Park, O’Fallon, Ill.
O’Fallon Sports Park, O’Fallon, Mo.
Centennial Greenway for the Great Rivers Greenway.
Rantoul Family Sports Complex
Plummer Family Park, Edwardsville, Ill.
St. Louis College of Health Careers
Tower Grove Park, St. Louis, Mo.
Columbia Bottom Conservation Area
Founded in 1976, Byrne & Jones Construction is a diversified St. Louis civil site contractor serving clients through divisions that include concrete, asphalt, microsurfacing, soil stabilization, sports and parks. The firm builds and maintains parking lots, roads and highways, athletic fields, running tracks, tennis courts, underground drainage systems and paved surfaces. More information can be found at www.byrneandjones.com.