Last Downtown St. Louis Auto Dealership Closed in 1995
Two days ago I posted about the false story that an urban Fiat dealership was going to open in an existing downtown building. That prompted me to finally get around to doing a post on the last auto dealership in downtown St. Louis.
The FBI’s St. Louis office now occupies the 6.7 acre site of the former Boulevard Mercedes-Benz at 2222 Market St. The Mercedes-Benz dealership is visible in a 1971 image on HistoricAerials.com, but I’m unsure when it originally opened, my guess would be late 1960s. The dealership closed in 1995 with the franchise license moving to suburban Ellisville MO and becoming Tri-Star Mercedes-Benz.
On December 1, 1997 an application to raze the former dealership was made and the demolition was completed the following month per city records at Geo St. Louis. The old dealership was suburban and the FBI is not much of an improvement.
– Steve Patterson
And this is important, why?! You argue that we really don’t need cars, especialy in dense, urban areas, which downtown purports to be. Retailers go where their customers are, and auto dealers followed the bulk of their customers to the autocentric suburbs – duh! What we should be expecting more of downtown would be things like bike stores, short-term auto rentals, taxis and pedicabs, not auto dealers.
And this is important, why?! You argue that we really don’t need cars, especialy in dense, urban areas, which downtown purports to be. Retailers go where their customers are, and auto dealers followed the bulk of their customers to the autocentric suburbs – duh! What we should be expecting more of downtown would be things like bike stores, short-term auto rentals, taxis and pedicabs, not auto dealers.
The mini, BMW, and mercedes dealers on the east side of downtown Toronto do quite well. Affluent people still like cars if only for the weekend or on bad weather days. Some don’t use transit at all. There’s nothing wrong with car dealers in cities if they don’t ruin the street like on Kingshighway. In fact cities should work for all modes of transit which isn’t the case in St. Louis.
We are not Toronto, and most of of “affluent” residents do not live downtown. The big attraction for having a dealership downtown would not be for the buying part, it would be for the service and warranty work. Mini of St. Louis will be getting the best of both worlds with their new location, at the Sunnen Metrolink station.
What’s so offensive about the FBI building? It’s neat, clean and practical. It obviously serves the FBI well. Why do you complain about anything that is less than 100 years old?
What’s so offensive about the FBI building? It’s neat, clean and practical. It obviously serves the FBI well. Why do you complain about anything that is less than 100 years old?
I thought the FBI was in the Eagleton Courthouse?
I thought the FBI was in the Eagleton Courthouse?
The mini, BMW, and mercedes dealers on the east side of downtown Toronto do quite well. Affluent people still like cars if only for the weekend or on bad weather days. Some don’t use transit at all. There’s nothing wrong with car dealers in cities if they don’t ruin the street like on Kingshighway. In fact cities should work for all modes of transit which isn’t the case in St. Louis.
We are not Toronto, and most of of “affluent” residents do not live downtown. The big attraction for having a dealership downtown would not be for the buying part, it would be for the service and warranty work. Mini of St. Louis will be getting the best of both worlds with their new location, at the Sunnen Metrolink station.
The problem with the FBI building is that it is a suburban building that belongs in the suburbs. A secure urban building fcould have been built for the FBI in downtown STL.
The problem with the FBI building is that it is a suburban building that belongs in the suburbs. A secure urban building fcould have been built for the FBI in downtown STL.
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Some Red Bottom Shoes are fusions of individual folks rhythmical movements from distinct destinations and social influences.Â
WMXYLMTZMHJ
Some Red Bottom Shoes are fusions of individual folks rhythmical movements from distinct destinations and social influences.