Local Motion Receives Love Your Block Mini-Grant to Help Launch Ridgeway Neighborhood Park

Local Motion has been awarded a $2,498 mini-grant through Columbia’s Love Your Block program to support the creation of a small public park at the corner of Garth Avenue and Sexton Road. The site, located in the Ridgeway neighborhood, has long been envisioned as a welcoming green space that meets the needs of neighbors with limited mobility and provides a place to gather, rest, and connect.

This project is rooted in community leadership. Pat Kelley, President of the Ridgeway Neighborhood Association and a participant in Local Motion’s Move the Community program, helped elevate the need for accessible green space after hearing from neighbors and residents of Oak Towers, which sits just across the street. Many residents rely on mobility aids and currently lack nearby spaces for rest, recreation, and social connection.

For over a decade, Ridgeway neighbors have imagined transforming the City-owned lot at Garth and Sexton into a community park. They have hosted engagement events, partnered with local nonprofits, and worked with University of Missouri students to develop a design that includes walking paths, native plants, benches, and shaded areas for gathering. Even with strong neighborhood support, the project has faced challenges moving forward.

In 2023, Ridgeway Neighborhood Association began working with Local Motion to continue pushing the project ahead. Together, they came across the Love Your Block opportunity and applied for funds to make this vision a reality. The mini-grant will fund entrance features such as a bike rack, sign, planters, and benches.

Ridgeway residents will take part in selecting designs for the new amenities and will help install them through upcoming volunteer workdays. Local Motion and Ridgeway neighbors are working side by side to bring these pieces to life.

This project is one step toward a bigger goal. The long-term vision is to create a safe, accessible, and community-driven public space for all who live nearby. Local Motion is proud to support neighborhood-led projects like this, where residents take the lead in shaping their surroundings!