Multi-Family Dog Park - St. Louis, MO
Before
After
Challenge
An apartment complex in west St Louis county was experiencing high use of their existing dog park, and the grass was not standing up to increased traffic. They did not want to permanently cover the ground with layers of rock to put a traditional turf over top – that was simply more than what was needed. With the promise of a wet winter ahead, they knew they needed a fast solution that would protect the ground and be seen as a valuable amenity by their residents who have dogs. They wanted a dog park that could stay open all winter long; rain or snow, and still look great come spring.
Approach & Results
Taking advantage of some unseasonably warm November days in St Louis the complex’s grounds crew removed the old, worn dog obstacles and cut the grass down low to prepare the 2,000 sq ft park for a full Natura™ covering. Natura was rolled out from the high point of the pack to the low point, anchoring seams along the way.
Natura® provided a great value with low installation costs (their own crew) and low on-going costs (no need to re-sod annually). The complete installation was complete in about 7 hours – which includes ground prep to level the yard and the installation. This was significantly less than a traditional artificial turf installation that likely would have taken days, if not weeks to install.
Additional Natura was later installed at the gate to complete the installation. Natura is bound to reduce resident complaints about dog park closures or muddy conditions that leads to excessive puppy baths. In fact, in talking to a resident enjoying the park with her dog, she said, “honestly, it was so $%^# and muddy before we would not even use the dog park. We have been here twice already because of the new turf.” Satisfaction ratings are improving already!
The property manager, Jamie, says, “residents love the turf, although you always hear more if people are unhappy.” Such is the life of an on-site property manager. Luckily, with Natura now installed for the multiple freeze / thaws ahead for a St. Louis winter, Jamie will be able to focus on the next complaint, not the dog park – that one is taken care of.
Additional Photos
Another Install Case Study
Don’t stop here, look at another installation case study in Indiana. This beautiful apartment complex north of downtown now has a outdoor exercise yard that equals the rest of the amenities offered on-property.
