Sprawl Alert: Home Depot proposed at Goodfellow & I-70

Last night the St. Louis Planning Commission voted to approve a zoning change on two large parcels located at Goodfellow & I-70 from a mix of A, F & J to H – basically to regional shopping & office. This is in prep for making it easier to redevelop the site. The only proposal received thus far is from Komen Properties for a big box Home Depot and typical out lot buildings. Geez, not another massive big box development…

Anyone that has lived in St. Louis for any length of time has seen the above building, part of a former Army ammunition plant. Though well known the building has been vacant for many years. This is the largest of the six existing buildings on the roughly 21 acre parcel. A 4 acre parcel to the South, also part of the proposed rezoning, will be discussed in a bit.

Map of
Goodfellow Blvd At Woodland Ave
St Louis, MO 63120

The view above is looking North at the vacant site.

The view above is along the Southern boundary of the large parcel. The proposed Home Depot would be located in the exact spot where this beautiful commercial building now sits.

The above picture is the back of those same buildings along the southern edge of the main parcel.

This view is looking East while on the smaller parcel. The fence in the left of the picture is the dividing line between the large & small parcels. The buildings on the left would all be razed for the Home Depot. The buildings on the right, currently in use, would presumably be part of a phase two.

More of the same commercial buildings are located on the smaller parcel which is just North of Stratford Avenue. So, you’ve got the picture?

So, where do I begin? While I consider myself more of an urbanist than a preservationist, I really like these buildings. I’m very fond of them and would hate to see them go. But, I am realistic to know this site needs to be developed as it should not continue to remain vacant (21 acre north parcel). But, the urbanist in me isn’t thrilled about another big box project with boring buildings, massive parking lots and nothing approaching any urban value.

The realist in me also thinks this project could end up like St. Louis Marketplace – largely vacant (I’m planning a future post on this failed sprawl project). We’ve got Alderman Villa pushing for a big box development with a Lowe’s at I-55 and Loughborough. I guess this is meant to balance “amenities” on the North & South?

This site is about halfway between a Home Depot in North County at Halls Ferry & I-270 and the sole city Home Depot on South Kingshighway. So, I can see some logic behind a building supply store to make it easier to renovate the surrounding homes. I’m more opposed to a bland big box development than a Home Depot. Some might think these are synonymous.

Above is a new Home Depot store on Halstead in Chicago – literally on Halstead. You see, big box stores can be integrated into an urban context. Like so many good things, it takes a willingness on the part of all involved to make urban things happen.

Vancouver’s Granville Island was recently named the #1 North American District, Downtown or Neighborhood by the Project for Public Spaces. Granville Island was a largely abandoned industrial site in the 1970s but visionary leaders saw the potential. My visits to Granville Island in both 2002 & 2003 were very enlightening. The area retains many original industrial buildings & character while attracting full time residents and tourists. The public market is a wonderful space. A major benefit Granville Island has is its waterfront location – but that is true for much of Vancouver.

A creative team could find a way to reuse the metal ammunition plant but, while I love this building, I can also see the need to raze it. But, the two story commercial buildings on the site have lots of potential for reuse. Apparently the Army has placed restrictions on the use of the property – no residential. This is due to environmental reasons. I’d like to know if the site can be cleaned sufficiently for a true mixed use development retaining some if not all the existing buildings while adding new residential buildings. Apartments over new storefronts and some attached townhouses would be great in the mix.

What is needed is a pro-urban planning approach – not just how can we build a suburban big box development in the city and face it with red brick to make us feel better about it.

– Steve