ALTON - As of Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, Gordon Moore Park is officially reopened.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Following the sinkhole that occurred in the park on June 26, 2024, the park was closed so that mining company New Frontier Materials and the Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) could conduct an investigation. The park has since been deemed safe, and it has completely reopened except for Ballfield #1 and the soccer field where the sinkhole occurred. Alton Mayor David Goins unlocked the gates at 7 a.m. on Friday morning.
“This has been such a long time coming,” Goins said. “It’s just a sense of relief knowing that the park is open and that people can come back and start enjoying the park."
New Frontier Materials has been drilling near the sinkhole and bolting the mine ceiling to verify the thickness of the rock. New Frontier Materials, MSHA and the City’s civil and geotechnical engineers agree that there are sufficient rock ceilings in place to reopen the park.
Additional investigative drilling is needed before reopening Ballfield #1 and the soccer field. These areas will remain fenced off. The sinkhole itself will continue to be monitored with cameras, and there will be lights on the soccer field after dark.
As Goins opened the gates of the park, he noted that it was an exciting day for the City of Alton. He said he felt like “a real weight” had been lifted now that the park is open.
“There are things that you don’t anticipate when you sign up to do this and run to do this,” Goins explained. “With all the different challenges that come with running the city, there’s not a file that says ‘sinkhole,’ right? We have a file now.”
A small crowd of people watched as Goins unlocked the gates. Alan and Jeanie Nasello were first in line so they could walk their dog at the park. Alan explained that he works at Gordon Moore and can’t wait to return to his routine.
“It won’t be back to normal, but it’ll be as normal as it can be right now,” he said. “When I’m not working, I’m usually here every day just because I love the place.”
Goins hopes the park will welcome back many community members. He said the City has heard from a lot of parents who say they will not bring their kids back to the park due to safety concerns, but Goins reassured the community that the park is “completely safe.”
“We’ve heard that they’re not going to bring their kids back to the park and things like that. All I can say is, I hope that’s the minority until the majority feel this park is completely safe,” he said. “It was probably safe even when we closed it, but it was out of an abundance of caution and because of this rock ceiling that was going right underneath this road. We definitely wanted to make sure that this was safe, and that’s what we did. Come back out to the park.”
More like this:
Related Video:
