Best & Worst Events & Projects from 2004

Developing a list of the best & worst urban places &/or events of 2004 in our region seemed like a good idea a month ago when I started making the list. But, it has proven to be much more work than I thought. Here it is New Year’s Eve and I’m finishing up the list, searching for relevant links, and worrying about the order of the list. But, I think it is a pretty good list so check it out…

Worst of 2004

10 – New Plaza in Lafayette Square

Placing a plaza on random corners was a favorite of architects in decades past. We had kind of gotten away from it more recently but idea of creating ‘open space’ for the sake of space always seem popular. Seldom is the open space needed but the quest to create a feel-good place is often more important than something trivial like need. Read my review here

9 – Issuance of Zoning Variance on Virginia Mansion

In an act of political spinelessness, the St. Louis Board of Adjustment granted a variance to zoning to an organization to allow a 7-unit apartment building in an area zoned one and two family and on a site located between two modest single family residences. Now, I’m an advocate of maintaining/increasing our unit density in the city but I want to do so in a planned way – not by having well funded non-profit groups get political favors that a private developer would not. I’m one of eleven people that have sued the City of St. Louis over this variance – the case is still pending in circuit court. Click here for more info

8 – Proposed SLU Research Building

This 2004 proposal will break ground soon and will guarantee that Grand & Chouteau willl never be as urban as it could or should be. This is on my to-do list of topics to cover in detail so for the moment I’ll just leave you with a link to the official SLU Research Building website.

7 – St. Louis Mills Mall

A December 2003 opening but late enough to be included in the 2004 list. Did our region really need another mall? Do we really need more retail in a flood zone? I’m at a complete loss why building highways and levees in the suburbs is progress and why building more mass transit is subsidizing the poor. What if the MetroLink cars looked like Hummers – would that make the suburbanites more comfortable with mass transit? This mall, like most of the others, will eventually fail.

6 – New Busch Stadium & Ballpark Village?

In the coming months I will take a closer look at this on-going project in a lengthy essay. Basically I like the current Busch Stadium, I’m not fond of “retro” new stadiums and have little hope the so-called ballpark village will be a genuine neighborhood – if it ever comes to be. The desire for new luxury boxes and more money is costing tax payers plenty. Of course, the current stadium area is dreadful from an urban perspective so I doubt it will be any worse.

5 – Plans to raze part of Cupples Station

As part of our tried and true notion of progress we’ve got the “we need to tear part of it way to save the whole” concept being applied to a great series of 19th and early 20th century warehouses. St. Louis’s AIA chapter actually spoke out against this one (their buddy Andy Trivers wasn’t involved in the project).

4 – THF Realty’s sprawl center on Hanley

A huge neighborhood is razed so more big box sprawl can be built. One of the best examples of abuse of eminent domain. THF Realty, the locally celebrated developer, is responsible for the visual assault here and elsewhere throughout the country. Another Wal-Mart, Sam’s and Lowe’s. Great…

Read my review from November 17, 2004

3 – McRee Town

Maybe someone at City Hall or the Home Builders Association got sentimental about the good ole days of urban renewal where entire neighborhoods were leveled. “The 50s were such great times of displacing poor people and destroying history – let’s do it again!” Yes, the area had social ills but the wonderful old buildings that were razed didn’t do anything wrong. This was a people & poverty problem – one that has only been displaced to other neighborhoods by displacing people by use of eminent domain. Like Julia Roberts said in Pretty Woman, “Big Mistake, Huge.”

2 – Page Avenue Extension

This costly highway project opened in December 2003 but that is close enough for me – it saw most of it’s use in 2004. That use, of course, is to drain residents, commerce and taxes away from St. Louis County. The promises of relieved traffic congestion will soon go away once enough suckers buy more front-garage vinyl clad boxes on cul-de-sac streets in St. Charles County.

1 – Demolition of Century Building

Mistake of tragic proportions. Greed and back room politics won over urbanity and common sense. This story involved so many players it will be hard to name them all. But, in a future essay, I will do just that. In the meantime, check out the Remember the Century web site.

Best of 2004

10 – Riversplash

Riversplash was a great series of concerts on the riverfront. Thousands took MetroLink to get to the riverfront while others walked from downtown. I never made it to “Eats” Bridge for the food – I heard the lines were long. The B-52s were awesome!

9 – Gateway Cup

The annual bike races held on Labor Day weekend each year are not to be missed. Known as the Gateway Cup, these races take place in the evening in Lafayette Square (around the park, not the token plaza mentioned above), at Kirkwood’s Greentree Park, on the Hill and the Loop. I must admit I’ve never been to the race in the park but I was at the other three this year and in the past. While Lafayette Square, the Hill and the Loop could not be more different from both an urban planning & architecture perspective they all offer a great backdrop to the races. I made a short quicktime movie from the Giro della Montagna race on the Hill – click here to view.

8- Denial of demo permit on Virginia Mansion

I mentioned the Virginia Mansion above – In that case the million dollar charity got a variance to ignore the applicable zoning. But, when it came to getting the demolition permit to raze the current historic structure their influence hit a brick wall. I’m just guessing but I’m thinking that telling the Preservation Board the area isn’t historic just wasn’t wise – it certainly offended me. The Preservation Board voted to deny the demolition permit and the property owner is now suing to have that decision overturned. That case is also pending in circuit court. Click here for more info

7 – New Town at St. Charles

Despite being built in a flood plain in St. Charles County I have high expectations for this project. Designed by the best in the business – DPZ – this will hopefully raise the bar on new development in the region. Suckers living in typical suburban sprawl will realize a better alternative does exist and it doesn’t have garages facing a cul-de-sac. Click here for more info

6 – Eastward expansion of the Delmar Loop

What was once known as the U-City Loop is quickly becoming the Delmar Loop as the area exists both in the City of St. Louis and University City. While the Pageant has been open for a few years now, the addition of new shops, restaurants and the trendy bowling alley – Pin Up Bowl – has quickly transformed the area.
Read my take on the street improvements

5 – Moolah Temple

The reopening of the Moolah Temple as a movie theatre, lounge, bowling alley and apartments shows what can be done when you’ve got creative and persistent developers like Amrit & Amy Gill. Perhaps one day we’ll Mayor Gill? Click here for more info on Moolah Temple

4 – Bike St. Louis

A project started by the Great Rivers Greenway, Bike St. Louis is working to create striped bike lanes and signage to both encourage cycling and to let motorists know us cyclists have the right to be on the road. The project aims to connect various destinations in the St. Louis area by bike – a highly worthy goal. The Bike St. Louis website
is still under construction.

3 – Development of new land use plan

Given that development in St. Louis is based on our 1947 urban renewal-era plan it is wonderful news to see a draft of its replacement. I haven’t had a chance to read the full document yet but knowing Rollin Stanley I have high hopes. Here is the Strategic Land Use Plan and my earlier comments on this draft and others.

2 – Downtown Lofts, Restaurants, Shops & Galleries

Downtown hasn’t seen this much positive activity in decades. A genuine neighborhood is emerging right before our eyes. From UMA’s home accessories to Lucas Park Grille & Market’s combination of a classy restaurant & neighborhood market – downtown is the place to be. So much so, the Ambiente Collection, moved from it’s West County location to downtown.

1 – City Grocers

A grocery store as the best of 2004? YES! Nothing else will have such an impact on the future of downtown as a grocery store. Schnuck’s Markets development arm, Desco, is busy razing the Century Building for a fucking parking garage – they can’t be bothered with serving the real needs of downtown. But, local developer Craig Heller and grocer Rance Baker decided to fill the void by opening City Grocers in the ground floor of Heller’s Bell Lofts. Heller, Baker and the staff of City Grocers are the urban heros of 2004!

Did I miss anything you’d put on the best or worst of list? If so, use the comments section to share your thoughts.

I hope everyone had a great 2004 and that in 2005 we will see the City of St. Louis and indeed the entire region become more urban by being pedestrian, bike & transit friendly.

– Steve