The land at the northwest corner of Dorsett Road and Fee Fee Road is just over half an acre. It sits near Tony's Donuts and backs up to an old concrete retaining wall. As of this fall, the corner holds benches, flags, a short walking path, an eight-car parking lot, and bronze statues for military service members and first responders. There are also five polished granite stones, each with a bronze helmet on top.
The city calls it Memorial Park. The public grand opening is Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
The helmets are the place to start. They show something about Maryland Heights that is easy to live with for years and never think about. No single fire department serves this city. Four fire districts and one police department do, and this corner honors all five together.
Five helmets, five agencies
According to the City of Maryland Heights, each stone stands for one of the agencies that answer emergency calls here. The city's community overview names the four fire districts that serve Maryland Heights:
- Maryland Heights Fire Protection District
- Pattonville Fire Protection District
- Monarch Fire Protection District
- Creve Coeur Fire Protection District
The fifth stone is for the Maryland Heights Police Department.
The park treats the five agencies as one group of local first responders, with a polished granite stone and a bronze helmet for each.
A second memorial, built on a larger scale
Maryland Heights already had a veterans memorial. A statue near the entrance of the Government Center at 11911 Dorsett Road has honored service members who died for the country since 2018.
City Administrator Tracey Anderson describes the new park as an extension of that statue, and of its purpose. "Memorial Park furthers that tribute on a much larger scale, providing a place for our community to honor the service and sacrifice of both military and local first responders," Anderson said in the city's announcement.
The 2018 statue looks outward, to military service. The new park keeps that focus and adds the people who come when someone in Maryland Heights calls 911. Anderson said she hopes "our local service members, veterans, police, and firefighters feel acknowledged and appreciated by their community." She also hopes the site becomes "a reverent, peaceful place for reflection and remembering their loved ones who served and sacrificed for our community and country."
Why this corner, and how long it took
When ground was broken in 2024, Spectrum News quoted Thomas Auer, president of Oakline Studios, which designed the park: "This being sort of the front door to the city from the east. I think it's just a spectacular spot for something like this memorial park." FOX 2 reported that Oakline is based in Maryland Heights.
Mayor Mike Moeller attended the same ceremony and told Spectrum News, "It'll be a good place to meditate and reflect on the past."
When it opens, the park will be two years past its groundbreaking, and both ceremonies are set for Veterans Day:
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| May 16, 2024 | City Council moves $1 million from the General Reserve Fund to Parks Capital for design and construction, with existing Dorsett Road TIF funds also directed to the project |
| November 11, 2024 | Groundbreaking, invitation-only because of limited parking |
| April 17, 2025 | Council approves $343,704 in project purchases |
| July 2026 | St. Louis County begins Dorsett Road work between Progress Parkway and Old Dorsett Road |
| November 11, 2026 | Public grand opening and dedication at 10:00 a.m. |
The 2025 purchase resolution lists five vendors. The two largest amounts went to Monuments of St. Louis at $157,550 and Oakline Studios at $106,821. Schmittel's and Easter Fence are also on the list. The 2025 figure and the 2024 transfer come from separate council actions, so adding them together does not give a total project cost.
A park that is still being finished
Spectrum News reported the 2024 design with more detail than the city's 2026 announcement includes. That plan called for a bronze medallion for each of the six armed service branches, a fallen soldier statue, a first responder memorial with a bronze helmet for each department, landscaping, lighting, and a path linking the memorials. The city's current description covers the five helmet-topped stones, bronze statues for military and first responders, benches, flags, the path, and parking. A visit on opening day will show how the finished park compares with both descriptions.
The murals are still to come. Both the 2024 plan and the 2026 announcement describe murals for the retaining wall along the back of the property, and the city still lists them as planned. On November 11, that wall will still be waiting for its murals.
Planning for the morning of November 11
The program includes speeches and a dedication by local and state officials, representatives from the police and fire departments, and the MHPD honor guard. The event is open to the public.
What the city has published so far:
- Start time: 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, November 11
- Parking: No event parking on site. The city asks attendees to "plan accordingly" and has not named another lot or a shuttle. Watch the city's website for updates.
- Everyday parking: Once the opening is over, the eight-car lot is there for regular visits.
- Road work nearby: St. Louis County's AR-1840 Dorsett Road project covers Dorsett from Progress Parkway to Old Dorsett Road. The work includes resurfacing, curb and sidewalk repairs, curb-ramp replacement, and traffic-signal upgrades, and it is expected to finish in spring 2027. If your route that morning uses that part of Dorsett, give yourself extra time.
The 2024 groundbreaking was invitation-only because parking was so limited. The opening is public, and the city says there will be no event parking on site.
The rest of the city's November
The dedication falls in a month when the Maryland Heights Community Center at 2300 McKelvey Road has a full calendar. These events fall on either side of Veterans Day:
Feed the Masses, November 1 to 30. The city's food drive collects nonperishable donations at the Community Center for local food banks.
Wild West Bingo, Friday, November 6. Runs 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. at the Community Center, with doors at 6:15 p.m. Ages 21 and older. Tickets are $15 for Community Pass holders and $20 for general admission.
Craft and Vendor Fair, November 13 and 14. Free at the Community Center, 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Holiday Tree Lighting, Friday, December 4. Runs 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Community Center. Santa is expected at 6:00 p.m., and indoor activities start after he arrives. That day the gym closes at 2:00 p.m., the indoor pool at 4:00 p.m., and the center itself at 5:00 p.m.
The food drive is already running when the dedication happens, so a donation could be part of a Veterans Day outing. After the dedication, Memorial Park stays at Dorsett and Fee Fee, at what Auer called the city's front door from the east.
As a U.S. Navy veteran, I'm grateful to see Maryland Heights honor service members along with the firefighters and officers who serve our streets, all in the city where I live and work. If you're a veteran or military household thinking about a move here, or you just want to talk through what's coming up in the neighborhood, I'm glad to sit down with you. Daryl Holland offers a free consultation whenever you're ready.
