That’s cool and all, but clicking on the right radio buttons really going to lead to anything new? Maybe if we’re all busy reading the mayor’s website we won’t notice what the bulldozers are up to.
That would be nice, “Jill.” (FYI, most of us have gotten tired of looking over our shoulders and worrying about what we imagine Chicago and New York are thinking. We’ve decided we’re going to be St. Louis.)
[REPLY – I think it is important to consider how others, from bigger and smaller cities, view and perceive St. Louis. – SLP]
Bass Pro? It would be great if a good Missouri-based corp like BP decided to put its best store in the state’s best city.
[REPLY – Yikes, I’d hate to see a Bass Pro in the City of St. Louis unless they found a way to reduce the size of the parking lot and traffic jambs. The BP in downtown Oklahoma City just doesn’t seem to work well. – SLP]
Agreed, Steve. And what they ought to think is that St. Louis is smart to be figuring out ways to use former manufacturing sites too expensive to clean up for other uses as retail sites that replace revenue lost when the manufacturing moved. (Not sure I could diagram that last sentence, tho.)
BTW: Is a traffic jamb the crowd of cars leaving a Doors concert?
“Or the sand blasters, the construction cranes, the dry-wallers, the painters . . .”
last time i checked, rehab and upkeep of an unbulldozed neighborhood creates work, too. just ask the dry-wallers, painters, masons, roofers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, tuckpointers, ETC. working on my rehab and the rehabs of all my neighbors.
“FYI, most of us have gotten tired of looking over our shoulders and worrying about what we imagine Chicago and New York are thinking. We’ve decided we’re going to be St. Louis.”
huzzah!
what a great rationalization of the slay krew’s lack of vision and acceptance of the small town mindset. yes, let’s stop looking to great american cities for ideas and just push more of the sub-urban status quo. at least you’re trying to sound smart, callow. the guys who pay you can’t even do that.
[REPLY – well put! I agree that we can have value at looking at others for ideas on what to do and what not to do. Other have learned from our mistakes, we can learn from theirs (and hopefully ours).
I don’t want the comments to be a back and forth about personalities. If someone wants to blast the administration on their ideas (or lack of ideas) then be all means go ahead but lets stay focused on issues and ideas and not people. Except, that sometimes it is true the people can be the issue. Hmmm….. – SLP]
Sure, it is a little ironic that a Lowe’s taking homes will help those “sand blasters, dry-wallers, and painters.”
And granted, I think the Southtown Home Depot could use some competition, and I’m not sure where my grandmother gets her fishing gear for Carondelet and Wilmore Parks, but how many big boxes do we really need?
And as for PE’s justification:
“And what they ought to think is that St. Louis is smart to be figuring out ways to use former manufacturing sites too expensive to clean up for other uses as retail sites that replace revenue lost when the manufacturing moved.”
My reply is that we tried that with Scullin Steel. And now that we’ve long learned how much a flop the Marketplace is, we’re converting parts into light industrial.
Well then, seems like we could replace some of that “lost revenue” with other light industrial as well, not so much the low-wage retail employees of Bass Pro or any other big box.
Callow says, “And what they ought to think is that St. Louis is smart to be figuring out ways to use former manufacturing sites too expensive to clean up for other uses as retail sites that replace revenue lost when the manufacturing moved.”
Well, we tried that with Scullin Steel. And now the best thing for the Marketplace-flop is to reinvent the space with light industrial. Seems like that strategy is better than going after the low-wage big-boxes.
I’m sorry Brian, but since when do light-manufacturing production line workers make so much more that retail clerks?
We need to quit talking about what “should” be somewhere in these abstract terms. Land should be used for what the neighborhood demands it to be.
Remember the lesson from “The Death & Life of Great American Cities”. It is easy to look at things from an academic perspective and proclaim there should be a park, or a mall, or a factory in a certain spot. In the end, if they neighborhood doesn’t want it there, it will fail. Regardless of what “it” happens to be.
That is not to say that St. Louis neighborhoods are clamoring for big box stores. As far as I can tell they are not.
AARP Livibility Index
The Livability Index scores neighborhoods and communities across the U.S. for the services and amenities that impact your life the most
Built St. Louis
historic architecture of St. Louis, Missouri – mourning the losses, celebrating the survivors.
Geo St. Louis
a guide to geospatial data about the City of St. Louis
McClellan shed light today on an interesting ED-related story in Maplewood. Does anyone know the planned redevelopment?
RB
That’s cool and all, but clicking on the right radio buttons really going to lead to anything new? Maybe if we’re all busy reading the mayor’s website we won’t notice what the bulldozers are up to.
Or the sand blasters, the construction cranes, the dry-wallers, the painters . . .
Hey Richard Callow (publiceye?):
Can’t wait for that Bass Pro Shop, eh? Chicago and NYC will be so jealous.
LOL
That would be nice, “Jill.” (FYI, most of us have gotten tired of looking over our shoulders and worrying about what we imagine Chicago and New York are thinking. We’ve decided we’re going to be St. Louis.)
[REPLY – I think it is important to consider how others, from bigger and smaller cities, view and perceive St. Louis. – SLP]
Bass Pro? It would be great if a good Missouri-based corp like BP decided to put its best store in the state’s best city.
[REPLY – Yikes, I’d hate to see a Bass Pro in the City of St. Louis unless they found a way to reduce the size of the parking lot and traffic jambs. The BP in downtown Oklahoma City just doesn’t seem to work well. – SLP]
Agreed, Steve. And what they ought to think is that St. Louis is smart to be figuring out ways to use former manufacturing sites too expensive to clean up for other uses as retail sites that replace revenue lost when the manufacturing moved. (Not sure I could diagram that last sentence, tho.)
BTW: Is a traffic jamb the crowd of cars leaving a Doors concert?
“Or the sand blasters, the construction cranes, the dry-wallers, the painters . . .”
last time i checked, rehab and upkeep of an unbulldozed neighborhood creates work, too. just ask the dry-wallers, painters, masons, roofers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, tuckpointers, ETC. working on my rehab and the rehabs of all my neighbors.
“FYI, most of us have gotten tired of looking over our shoulders and worrying about what we imagine Chicago and New York are thinking. We’ve decided we’re going to be St. Louis.”
huzzah!
what a great rationalization of the slay krew’s lack of vision and acceptance of the small town mindset. yes, let’s stop looking to great american cities for ideas and just push more of the sub-urban status quo. at least you’re trying to sound smart, callow. the guys who pay you can’t even do that.
[REPLY – well put! I agree that we can have value at looking at others for ideas on what to do and what not to do. Other have learned from our mistakes, we can learn from theirs (and hopefully ours).
I don’t want the comments to be a back and forth about personalities. If someone wants to blast the administration on their ideas (or lack of ideas) then be all means go ahead but lets stay focused on issues and ideas and not people. Except, that sometimes it is true the people can be the issue. Hmmm….. – SLP]
Sure, it is a little ironic that a Lowe’s taking homes will help those “sand blasters, dry-wallers, and painters.”
And granted, I think the Southtown Home Depot could use some competition, and I’m not sure where my grandmother gets her fishing gear for Carondelet and Wilmore Parks, but how many big boxes do we really need?
And as for PE’s justification:
“And what they ought to think is that St. Louis is smart to be figuring out ways to use former manufacturing sites too expensive to clean up for other uses as retail sites that replace revenue lost when the manufacturing moved.”
My reply is that we tried that with Scullin Steel. And now that we’ve long learned how much a flop the Marketplace is, we’re converting parts into light industrial.
Well then, seems like we could replace some of that “lost revenue” with other light industrial as well, not so much the low-wage retail employees of Bass Pro or any other big box.
Callow says, “And what they ought to think is that St. Louis is smart to be figuring out ways to use former manufacturing sites too expensive to clean up for other uses as retail sites that replace revenue lost when the manufacturing moved.”
Well, we tried that with Scullin Steel. And now the best thing for the Marketplace-flop is to reinvent the space with light industrial. Seems like that strategy is better than going after the low-wage big-boxes.
I’m sorry Brian, but since when do light-manufacturing production line workers make so much more that retail clerks?
We need to quit talking about what “should” be somewhere in these abstract terms. Land should be used for what the neighborhood demands it to be.
Remember the lesson from “The Death & Life of Great American Cities”. It is easy to look at things from an academic perspective and proclaim there should be a park, or a mall, or a factory in a certain spot. In the end, if they neighborhood doesn’t want it there, it will fail. Regardless of what “it” happens to be.
That is not to say that St. Louis neighborhoods are clamoring for big box stores. As far as I can tell they are not.