Thurman Ave Needs To Be Reopened
Exciting things are happening in neighborhoods like Shaw.  For example, Shasha’s on Shaw at Shaw Blvd & Thurman Ave is a great wine bar.  Suppose you live just to the north a couple of blocks  among the recently built homes in Botanical Heights (formerly McRee Town) and you wanted dinner and a glass of wine, walking to Sasha’s would be ideal. Except…
Walking the short distance via the most direct route takes you along Thurman Ave, long closed to vehicles and looking rather abandoned and unsafe.
Neither end is accessible so pushing that baby stroller will require effort to get over the high curb. Â Not sure exactly when or why Thurman Ave was closed to traffic, it has been closed for at least 20 years. Â My guess is it was done to contain crime in the area to the north of I-44.
More important than walking to a wine bar is access to transit. Â Two bus lines run on Shaw Blvd (08 & 80). The 80 bus also runs on 39th so residents living near that street can catch that line there.
Now that investment is happening on both sides of the highway keeping Thurman Ave closed just doesn’t make sense. Tower Grove Ave to the west and 39th to the east are both open but the distance between them is more than a half mile. This stretch of Thurman Ave between DeTonty St and Lafayette Ave is entirely within the 17th Ward, which ends at Shaw Blvd. Â I saw Ald Joe Roddy last Friday but I didn’t get a chance to discuss this issue with him, he might support opening the street for all I know.
Tomorrow’s post will be about more investment just north of I-44.
– Steve Patterson
Good idea. The first step is to get the support of the neighborhood associations.
I used to live near what was supposed to be a “temporary” closure of McCausland just north of Chippewa in Lindenwood Park. Of course, once the Lansdowne Bridge re-opened (the original intent of the closure), neighbors became accustomed to the isolation and fearful of any “cut-through” traffic returning.
And there's the problem in re-opening these streets — fear of change. But clearly, both sides of I-44 have improved, so crime prevention is no longer a strong rationale.
It takes leadership to be a uniter who can sway constituents that connectivity is better than isolation. Only a follower gives into resident fears against the change. Let's hope Roddy is more of a leader/uniter than a follower/divider.
I totally agree. Nice job highlighting this issue Steve.
Agreed, Steve. I wrote about it from our neighborhood's perspective, here. http://shawstlouis.wordpress.c…
Considering that the total crime index for this area went from 357 down to 48, it’s ready to rejoin the rest of the area?
Considering that the total crime index for this area went from 357 down to 48, it’s ready to rejoin the rest of the area?
If you are pushing a baby stroller, you shouldn’t be heading to Shasha’s!
Thurman was originally closed just like all the other streets with those stupid barriers – to cut down on crime. People use to come under the bridge, rob and then go back under into the whats left of Botanical Heights.
If you are pushing a baby stroller, you shouldn’t be heading to Shasha’s!
Thurman was originally closed just like all the other streets with those stupid barriers – to cut down on crime. People use to come under the bridge, rob and then go back under into the whats left of Botanical Heights.