Readers Agree: Biondi Destroyed The Formerly Urban Midtown Area Around Saint Louis University
The majority of the readers that voted last week agreed that Saint Louis University President Biondi has destroyed midtown since 1987 — a decade after it became a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. Here were the final results:
Biondi has destroyed the formerly urban midtown area around the Saint Louis University campus:
- Strongly agree 78 [40.41%]
- Somewhat agree 48 [24.87%]
- Strongly disagree 41 [21.24%]
- Somewhat disagree 12 [6.22%]
- Neutral 7 [3.63%]
- Other: 7 [3.63%]
The “other” comments were:
- It was destroyed long before he got there; he hasn’t done enough to renew it.
- By Urban do you mean the drug infested Laclede Town?
- responding to his market,suburban parents wont send kids to school in “the hood”
- I don’t know.
- He isn’t responsible for all of it, but he most certainly has made it worse.
- I wasn’t here back then.
- Biondi could have done so much better … so much better.
The original post (Agree or Disagree: Biondi has destroyed the formerly urban midtown area around the Saint Louis University campus) generated many comments on both sides of the issue. Â I’ve pulled some of my favorite comments of the more than 60:
- In an architecturally signigicant urban district, there is a great difference between demolition for re-purpose and demolition for grassy lots and parking.
- Soulard hardly had critical mass when people started rehabbing it in the 70s. it was a slum with a 50% vacancy rate, and city “leaders” had designated it as blighted and marked it for wholesale demolition. It had even been gashed in half by the highway, just as Midtown is gashed by the train yard. moreover, people DO live and/or work in Midtown. and more people COULD live there if SLU would stop demolishing homes and buildings that could be converted to residential (like the Metropolitan and Pevely). how are people supposed to live in fountains and sculpture parks?
- Midtown Alley has been developing over the last decade arguable independent of SLU, and on some levels in spite of SLU’s intervention.
- I attended SLU from 1970 to 1974. I lived in Laclede Town my junior and senior years in college. Many a night I walked or rode my bike home from Piux XII libary to my apartment on Ewing Avenue. I also worked evenings at 3800 Lindell, which was occupied by IBM at the time. I was never afraid for my safety because there were always people about, either on campus or walking up Lawton Place in Laclede Town. Would I do that same walk today? Absolutely not. Why: Because after 5:00PM, the entire stretch of land from what used to be Channing Avenue to Ewing is totally deserted most nights, the perfect setting for a crime. The last time I was in St. Louis, on a beautiful summer afternoon, the entire area was completely deserted with no pedestrians in sight and little, if any vehicular traffic. What is wrong with this picture?The City of St. Louis SLU conspired to get rid of Laclede Town, and once again both institutions were extremely short sighted. Having lived there and visited all sections, Park, Town, East and West, all 1000+ of those apartments could have been rehabbed and adapted to today’s modern standards and once again made a viable, walkable urban communhity. But once again, the slash and burn attitudes of SLU and the complete dysfunction at St. Louis City Hall prevailed and what you have today is the veritable no man’s land 2/3 of the time. And don’t tell me AG Edwards couldn’t have expanded the way it did if Laclede Town was still there. God knows there’s is still enough vacant, underutilized land in that area with plenty of room for AG Edwards and a lot of other companies to grow and expand. This slash and burn tactic is now being used to isolate the medical center from the greater city.
I expressed my feelings about this destruction of the city to Biondi via email, and surprisingly, he responded. Not surprisingly, he was a total, arrogant tool in his response, basically telling me I didn’t know what I was talking about. I have news for Biondi and his supporters in STL: if he were at St. Joe’s here in Philly, or Fordham in NYC, he’d wouldn’t be allowed to do a fraction of the things he has done in STL. If Biondi is upset about the grief he’s getting in STL, he’d be seething in rage if he tried that crap in Wynnewood where St. Joe’s is located. He’d need an asbestos suit for the firestorm of flack he’d get.
- It disturbs me that Biondi and SLU doesnt care that it they have a huge image problem with the urban educated middle class – the very people that should (and do) support SLU and importantly as well the city around SLU. Boy, he needs to go sooner than later.
- I have lived in bombed crime infested areas all over the United States, and I am sure I would have walked around the area.
- There is also a light rail station just down the street on the Grand Ave Bridge connecting with the Airport, Galleria etc. The point is that if you do not complement transit with appropriate urban planning the it harms the success of transit. By designing the Doisy Center and the new medical center to be exclusively auto orientated it devalues huge public investments in mass transit. not to mention in making it more difficult to make the city a walkable environment by creating parking and open space wastelands. (The Doisy Center is not parkland, even the fountain on Lindell and Grand is a unused joke of a space, not to mention the ridiculous sculpture garden across the street)
Again, check it out, the great cities of the world balance walking, transit and the automobile. Check out classical city planning also. Biondi is basically giving the finger to the City and to the people of St. Louis.
So I guess you, like Biondi have a problem with balance, is that it?- I’m 64 and remember the area well, saying it was not safe must mean you didn’t come into the city at all, Soulard, Lafayette Square and the West End were hardly in better shape at the time. I felt safe, I even remember wandering through the derelict Fox Theater, standing wide open in those days. The space above the ornate ceiling is amazing.
You sound like you are afraid of your own shadow. Nor are we talking about Pevely Corporation, we are talking about the extremely poor decision making of Biondi. As I point out above Wash U. shows how it is done. You are projecting your negative views saying only chains will be able to afford the commercial space. At least there is commercial space for locals to compete for, unlike Biondi and his hysterical, self serving agenda.
Biondi is nothing more than a greedy gangster supported by the useless City Government that lack the balls to stand up to even the dumbest morons that happen to have access to money.
Biondi’s plan would be laughed out of most city halls in the world. These are cities that put the concerns of the public over self serving developers.
It is absurd we even have to be talking about this, Biondi has so many other options that it is clear his underlying hate of the public drives his agenda. It can be nothing else. He certainly isn’t a peacemaker, a leader, a holy man or anything positive, face it, he is a jerk.- I went to SLU 55-57. Lived on North Grand near Sportsman’s Park, before it was Busch 1. It was a real city then. Took the Grand Streetcar to Lindell for classes; ate at the deli (Carneigies?) on Olive just west of Grand; would stop at a huge billards parlor over the deli and shoot a game or two for relaxation; would stop in a little bar east of grand on Lindell for a beer or two before taking the streetcar back to my apartment; would take the streetcar back to Washington, grab the Delmar bus to Stix, Baer & Fuller (became Dillards; then the hotel/apartments) to sell women’s shoes. A bus or streetcar came every couple of minutes so REAL public transportation existed.
After graduating, went across Grand to work at IBM on the South East corner of Grand/Lindell. Loved going to the Fox; the Missouri; the Shubert; the St. Lous; the Empress movie theaters in the 5 block area whenever we felt like it. The Melbourne hotel had a great bar loaded with after work guys and gals.It was no different from my neighborhood as a kid, an apartment at Delmar and Kingshighway. Look at the area now. Hiroshima Flats. There were at least 5 hotels in a four block radius and they were packed. I could go on, but you get the picture.The picture is … this was a city. People lived in the city day and night. They didn’t come into the city. We WERE the city. Of course we had 800,000 people IN the city then. Now it’s 350,000. That alone explains the lack of people. We also do not people willing to invest in the city. Take the “Bottle District” and “Ballpark Village”. Perfect examples. When we quit thinking in terms of Ladue, Clayton, etc. and think ST. LOUIS, it will continue to be a difficult battle to get back to what we were.
Biondi needs to step down and the entire community nerds to work on a plan that will reorganize this part of midtown over the next 25 years.
– Steve Patterson
Is there a way to organize SLU alums who disapprove of Biondi’s action? Maybe they could collectively put some pressure on him by threatening to withhold donations.
Is there a way to organize SLU alums who disapprove of Biondi’s action? Maybe they could collectively put some pressure on him by threatening to withhold donations.
Is there a way to organize SLU alums who disapprove of Biondi’s action? Maybe they could collectively put some pressure on him by threatening to withhold donations.
As I predicted, you’re using the results of your push polling to justify your pre-existing position. Hey, it’s your website and your blog and you have every right to do so. That said, I think that it’s disingenuous to be slamming an institution that you personally chose to attend, graduated from, and was supporting their efforts all along with your tuition dollars (before you became more enlightened?)!
As I predicted, you’re using the results of your push polling to justify your pre-existing position. Hey, it’s your website and your blog and you have every right to do so. That said, I think that it’s disingenuous to be slamming an institution that you personally chose to attend, graduated from, and was supporting their efforts all along with your tuition dollars (before you became more enlightened?)!
I attended SLU despite my objections. I wasn’t in a position to move to another city for grad school.
this comment is hilariously sad…
Steve has never let facts get in the way of his opinions.
I attended SLU despite my objections. I wasn’t in a position to move to another city for grad school.
I respectfully disagree with the headline and the sentiment of the above article. Crime, fear and urban decay was the Midtown context when Larry Biondi took over the SLU administration. SLU, for better and worse, has recreated an urban fabric, including a growing community of present and active people. Some buildings have been lost. A lot of life has been added. We have all been part of that.
As a life-long City resident, (a SLU alum) and a committed re-habber and urbanist, I have seen our City lose many buildings. We will certainly lose more, some by neglect, some by design, some for good, some for ill. We will also save some, and add some more. (And we will add green, and art, and streets and sidewalks and schools and and and…)
In the triage after this five decade ‘train-wreck’ of urban flight, sprawl, decay, decline and renewal, we will continue to to need to marshal our resources and pick our battles. Also, I believe that we should work, as much as possible, to understand and to respect and to confront and to compromise and to cooperate with the Powers that move this City. They have got issues, too. They will have successes. They will make mistakes.
In my opinion, and having watched SLU carefully for decades, I believe that Larry Biondi, tough as he might be sometimes, has been a blessing for Mid-town, and for our City. I do not agree with or appreciate many of his real-estate or architectural decisions, but I never doubt his motives or his intentions. It seems to me that his sole and unwavering concern is for the best interest of his University. This can only be good for our Midtown.   Â
I respectfully disagree with the headline and the sentiment of the above article. Crime, fear and urban decay was the Midtown context when Larry Biondi took over the SLU administration. SLU, for better and worse, has recreated an urban fabric, including a growing community of present and active people. Some buildings have been lost. A lot of life has been added. We have all been part of that.
As a life-long City resident, (a SLU alum) and a committed re-habber and urbanist, I have seen our City lose many buildings. We will certainly lose more, some by neglect, some by design, some for good, some for ill. We will also save some, and add some more. (And we will add green, and art, and streets and sidewalks and schools and and and…)
In the triage after this five decade ‘train-wreck’ of urban flight, sprawl, decay, decline and renewal, we will continue to to need to marshal our resources and pick our battles. Also, I believe that we should work, as much as possible, to understand and to respect and to confront and to compromise and to cooperate with the Powers that move this City. They have got issues, too. They will have successes. They will make mistakes.
In my opinion, and having watched SLU carefully for decades, I believe that Larry Biondi, tough as he might be sometimes, has been a blessing for Mid-town, and for our City. I do not agree with or appreciate many of his real-estate or architectural decisions, but I never doubt his motives or his intentions. It seems to me that his sole and unwavering concern is for the best interest of his University. This can only be good for our Midtown.
Unfortunately, what is good for SLU is not always and necessarily “good for Midtown”, especially if Midtown is to retain an urban flavor and identity. It is not (or shouldn’t be!) a blank page for Biondi to write whatever he believes St. Louis ought to read. Similarly, Forest Park is not merely a campus for the institutions inside it. Interests must co-exist in the name of fairness and intelligent, urban development.
“Tough” is a euphemistic term for someone who publicly threatens to abandon the city to which he also claims to be so devoted. Other terms come to mind that I will not write here.
The decades-long “trainwreck” you refer to was characterized by precisely the same urban renewal/slash and burn wholesale destruction that Biondi engages in in 2012.
Finally, I fail to see how grass, fences, benches, and public art of questionable caliber constitute an “urban fabric”. Compared to what? A suburban format? Surely not the density and demolished structures that have been reduced and demolished.
Demolition does not get rid of crime or poverty. It simply displaces them to another part of the city. The real solution is to rebuild communities that care about their neighborhoods. Grass and fountains are not able to participate in this process. I am sure Biondi believes he is doing midtown a favor but he is slowly breaking down whatever hope there was of a 24/7 neighborhood around the medical campus.
Demolition does not get rid of crime or poverty. It simply displaces them to another part of the city. The real solution is to rebuild communities that care about their neighborhoods. Grass and fountains are not able to participate in this process. I am sure Biondi believes he is doing midtown a favor but he is slowly breaking down whatever hope there was of a 24/7 neighborhood around the medical campus.
Unfortunately, what is good for SLU is not always and necessarily “good for Midtown”, especially if Midtown is to retain an urban flavor and identity. It is not (or shouldn’t be!)Â a blank page for Biondi to write whatever he believes St. Louis ought to read. Similarly, Forest Park is not merely a campus for the institutions inside it. Interests must co-exist in the name of fairness and intelligent, urban development.
“Tough” is a euphemistic term for someone who publicly threatens to abandon the city to which he also claims to be so devoted. Other terms come to mind that I will not write here. Â
The decades-long “trainwreck” you refer to was characterized by precisely the same urban renewal/slash and burn wholesale destruction that Biondi engages in in 2012. Â
Finally, I fail to see how grass, fences, benches, and public art of questionable caliber constitute an “urban fabric”. Compared to what? A suburban format? Surely not the density and demolished structures that have been reduced and demolished.Â
Is crime really that much lower in Midtown? I would like to see statistics that bear out what all of the apologists claim is a substantial drop in crime because of Biondi’s genius. Note that crime has fallen all over America, not just Midtown.
Is crime really that much lower in Midtown? I would like to see statistics that bear out what all of the apologists claim is a substantial drop in crime because of Biondi’s genius. Note that crime has fallen all over America, not just Midtown.
At Mark…..you are preaching to a decidedly slanted anti-Biondi group. As I’ve said before, they think that just because he wears black, he is Darth Vader. I will continue to support Fr. Biondi and SLU.
At Mark…..you are preaching to a decidedly slanted anti-Biondi group. As I’ve said before, they think that just because he wears black, he is Darth Vader. I will continue to support Fr. Biondi and SLU.
This ex-Catholic believes that because he wears the black, he should hold himself to a higher standard. His behavior his shameful, and his decisions are not exactly those of a good Christian. Although they are consistent with the way the Church has been heading since Pope John Paul II was chosen. I always found it odd that a man who grew up during fascism, and then through the authoritarian depredations visited upon Poland by statist communism would embrace with such vigor the very same authoritarianism that sought to silence him. The Church, and by extension, the “reverend” Biondi, have strayed much too far from the reforms of Vatican II.
SLU has clearly stabilized midtown. The problem is the St. Louis and the Nation need leadership from the University and it is not getting it. How much more evidence do we need that oil is a poison and is killing all that is valuable? I don’t care if you are talking about economics, health, global implications of pollution or any other aspect, oil is a dead end and finite (and will cost much more as the supply dwindles).
Even without these serious concerns the evidence abounds that the successful, great cities of the world employ a strategy of transportation that includes a balance between walking, transit and the automobile.
That is where SLU, Rev Biondi and the City of St. Louis for that matter, fail.
Everybody complains that transit does not work. Here is why it doesn’t work. SLU is proposing an overblown, glorified Walgreens style site plan. In contrast the Pevely building is historic for its urban siting, as well as architectural values.
If society makes a major investment in light rail adjacent to this site, it would only make sense for the city to demand urban plans that respond to this fact. St. Louis does not do this. Pevely, the remant of a walking, transit orientated city responds to the light rail in numerous ways, unlike the SLU proposal.
Developers and governments of great cities around the world would jump to enhance and profit from the experiences of all clientele, including those in transit and walking. (Ever notice how other cities have people in the streets, but not St. Louis)
One can only conclude that SLU, Biondi and City government consider St. Louisians second class citizens. The media plays a big part, and East West Gateway Coordinating Committee is a useless appendage. They have a “sustainability” grant right now. What is more sustainable than this crucial project? How can they be silent?
Or even the Metro toes transit blog, I can’t remember the name, you know the imaginary citizen transit organization. Where are they?
As a people we are facing critical issues, and all I see is the usual, corporate dominated set of solutions that continue us on our path to destruction.
Maybe a question to ask is just who pulling Biondi’s strings? some big donor, no doubt.
The odd thing in all of this is that SLU is hurting itself along with the city it calls home.
SLU has clearly stabilized midtown. The problem is the St. Louis and the Nation need leadership from the University and it is not getting it. How much more evidence do we need that oil is a poison and is killing all that is valuable? I don’t care if you are talking about economics, health, global implications of pollution or any other aspect, oil is a dead end and finite (and will cost much more as the supply dwindles).
Even without these serious concerns the evidence abounds that the successful, great cities of the world employ a strategy of transportation that includes a balance between walking, transit and the automobile.
That is where SLU, Rev Biondi and the City of St. Louis for that matter, fail.
Everybody complains that transit does not work. Here is why it doesn’t work. SLU is proposing an overblown, glorified Walgreens style site plan. In contrast the Pevely building is historic for its urban siting, as well as architectural values.
If society makes a major investment in light rail adjacent to this site, it would only make sense for the city to demand urban plans that respond to this fact. St. Louis does not do this. Pevely, the remant of a walking, transit orientated city responds to the light rail in numerous ways, unlike the SLU proposal.
Developers and governments of great cities around the world would jump to enhance and profit from the experiences of all clientele, including those in transit and walking. (Ever notice how other cities have people in the streets, but not St. Louis)
One can only conclude that SLU, Biondi and City government consider St. Louisians second class citizens. The media plays a big part, and East West Gateway Coordinating Committee is a useless appendage. They have a “sustainability” grant right now. What is more sustainable than this crucial project? How can they be silent?
Or even the Metro toes transit blog, I can’t remember the name, you know the imaginary citizen transit organization. Where are they?
As a people we are facing critical issues, and all I see is the usual, corporate dominated set of solutions that continue us on our path to destruction.
Maybe a question to ask is just who pulling Biondi’s strings? some big donor, no doubt.
The odd thing in all of this is that SLU is hurting itself along with the city it calls home.
no, GMichaud! it’s the crime! it’s the crime! THAT’s why there’s nobody in the streets. it couldn’t possibly be the blocks and blocks of vacant land that deter people from walking.
More people in the streets means less crime. You’re like Rush Limbaugh, change the subject. World class urban design will deter crime.
^ i agree. i was hoping that would come across as EXTREME sarcasm… guess i need to work on my delivery. i like to think i’m about as far from rush as one can possibly get. 🙂
People here have short memories.
People here have short memories.
 no, GMichaud! it’s the crime! it’s the crime! THAT’s why there’s nobody in the streets. it couldn’t possibly be the blocks and blocks of vacant land that deter people from walking.
 More people in the streets means less crime. You’re like Rush Limbaugh, change the subject. World class urban design will deter crime.
 Steve has never let facts get in the way of his opinions.
Think for a minute. We have three organizations, East West Gateway Council of Governments, Citizens for Modern Transit and of course the Metro Transit blog site, all supposedly representing the public in some fashion, but no one takes a stand on the complete rape of transit and walking environments by SLU at the corner of Chouteau and Grand.
Why the silence?
Think for a minute. We have three organizations, East West Gateway Council of Governments, Citizens for Modern Transit and of course the Metro Transit blog site, all supposedly representing the public in some fashion, but no one takes a stand on the complete rape of transit and walking environments by SLU at the corner of Chouteau and Grand.
Why the silence?
Think for a minute. We have three organizations, East West Gateway Council of Governments, Citizens for Modern Transit and of course the Metro Transit blog site, all supposedly representing the public in some fashion, but no one takes a stand on the complete rape of transit and walking environments by SLU at the corner of Chouteau and Grand.
Why the silence?
Yeah, and nobody takes a stand on the holocaust of transit and walking environments either.
Try to use less hysterical language so that a discussion can actually take place.
So who are you, the word police? I see nothing to prevent a discussion.
Yes GMichaud…where is noise at Pevely for abandoning the City and leaving behind a worthless relic? God forbid anyone blame a company. If they were responsible citizens, they would have kept the plant going. And where was all this rukus about people on the streets when their front door was a cold, sterile, white-tiled room with a wagon in it, kept locked that you could not enter through?
Oh and let’s convinently forget that Chauteau has been transformed from Ameren to SLU with nothing but warehouses. That Metro Light warehouse, the State building…..all just sooooooooooooooo inviting.
But I will say these recent articles on the great evil empire SLU has made me think. I’m going to take action. I’m upping my donation to SLU.
Yes GMichaud…where is noise at Pevely for abandoning the City and leaving behind a worthless relic? God forbid anyone blame a company. If they were responsible citizens, they would have kept the plant going. And where was all this rukus about people on the streets when their front door was a cold, sterile, white-tiled room with a wagon in it, kept locked that you could not enter through?
Oh and let’s convinently forget that Chauteau has been transformed from Ameren to SLU with nothing but warehouses. That Metro Light warehouse, the State building…..all just sooooooooooooooo inviting.
But I will say these recent articles on the great evil empire SLU has made me think. I’m going to take action. I’m upping my donation to SLU.
SLU is not supporting an urban design that contributes to the city, it is that simple, it has nothing to do with Pevely leaving the city. As far as your remarks about other buildings, there is no question that the City is falling down on the job to insure a coherent urban environment. Not every walk or street can be ideal for all activities. But there is no question the City of St. Louis needs a better urban design effort, the attributes that make St. Louis unique are being chipped away and lost.
There’s a limit to what the city can do. What really needs to happen is for the private sector to “buy a clue” and realize that suburban densities aren’t in their own best interests, that St. Louis can (and likely will) support higher-density, mixed-use developments along certain corridors. Our current zoning is rarely the hurdle, it’s the apparent inability to finance and sell or lease something other than auto-centric suburban stuff . . .
I would find it hard to believe that a dense, housing/medical center adjacent to a major light rail station would be a hard sell. Good design sells, ask Paris or any other number of cities.
A real problem is that the city itself offers no coherent vision of what St. Louis should be. One only has to look at the U City Loop to see a pedestrian friendly strip, and as they continue to redevelop parcels they maintain a balanced urban approach which includes the needs of the automobile as well as the general public.
I don’t think there is a limit to what the city can do. It is in the public interest to develop urban values in the city. Every city has codes for building setback lines, parking requirements and so on these can be modified either in districts or as the city as a whole to met goals of urban design like density, walkability and transit friendly environments.
It really doesn’t seem to me that it would be hard to transform the suburban thinking that has dominated in the past decades. (Do you think it is an accident the suburban urban form benefits big oil, centralized real estate holdings and large corporate chains the most).
I do find it hard to believe that dense TOD really isn’t happening around our Metrolink stations, unlike what’s happening in Portland, Dallas, DC, Chicago and Denver. My take is that it’s less on the public side (the various cities and Metro/Bi-State) and more on the private side. While BJC/Wash U Med Center and Wash U’s Danforth Campus both continue what they were doing all along, I don’t see private developers proposing new, high-density residential projects with ground-floor retail at locations like the Forest Park or the Maplewood/Manchester stations.
You state that “I don’t think there is a limit to what the city can do.” I disagree. Unless the city is willing to write some pretty big checks, the city can’t make developers build something, good or bad. Developers don’t spend money unless they think they can make money. Investors and banks won’t invest in a project unless they think they can make money. For whatever reason, people don’t think they can make money doing TOD here (much like why nothing is happening at BPV). I don’t know if it’s the economy, our demographics or simply no local projects to copy / proven track record, but it’s just not happening. Higher gas prices and more congestion could both increase transit ridership, but I doubt that “low” ridership numbers are the reason true TOD isn’t happening here.
My take, across the St. Louis region, is that zoning is never a hurdle when it comes to big projects. If someone wants to wipe out whole neighborhoods for new big boxes or a new runway, zoning changes are never a problem. And when it comes to parking ratios, especially for chain retail, they are driven more by the users than by the city – I doubt the city wanted as many spaces as CVS is providing at its new stores in the city. In contrast, Nashville is doing great things in their Gulch. I have no idea why something similar isn’t happening here, other than no one has either the cojones or the financing to try!
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2009-04-06-nashville_N.htm
http://explorethegulch.com/
http://www.nashvillegulch.com/
blaming the company still doesn’t excuse SLU’s poor development practices.
“I’m upping my donation to SLU.”
oh, we are SO burned. no, actually i don’t think anybody cares.
 Yeah, and nobody takes a stand on the holocaust of transit and walking environments either.
Try to use less hysterical language so that a discussion can actually take place.
I disagree with the idea that Biondi “destroyed” the fabric of Midtown. He Changed it, that’s for sure. But did he destroy it — No!
I remember the “fabric” of midtown before Biondi “destroyed” it. The area was a miserable, unsafe hodgepodge of alleys, streets and mostly-empty retail stores. The SLU was unidentifiable as a modern university campus. The closing of streets united the campus into a cohesive unit, with visual boundaries and a pedestrian-friendly center. There is no way anyone could have improved that campus without removing some buildings and closing streets. When I see the changes to that whole are since the mid-sixties, I want to congratulate Biondi — not bitch-slap him like many are doing now. If he had done nothing, the university would probably have moved on to Stl. county, and the whole area would be nothing but another bleak public housing reservation. God Bless Biondi!
I disagree with the idea that Biondi “destroyed” the fabric of Midtown. He Changed it, that’s for sure. But did he destroy it — No!
I remember the “fabric” of midtown before Biondi “destroyed” it. The area was a miserable, unsafe hodgepodge of alleys, streets and mostly-empty retail stores. The SLU was unidentifiable as a modern university campus. The closing of streets united the campus into a cohesive unit, with visual boundaries and a pedestrian-friendly center. There is no way anyone could have improved that campus without removing some buildings and closing streets. When I see the changes to that whole are since the mid-sixties, I want to congratulate Biondi — not bitch-slap him like many are doing now. If he had done nothing, the university would probably have moved on to Stl. county, and the whole area would be nothing but another bleak public housing reservation. God Bless Biondi!
 SLU is not supporting an urban design that contributes to the city, it is that simple, it has nothing to do with Pevely leaving the city. As far as your remarks about other buildings, there is no question that the City is falling down on the job to insure a coherent urban environment. Not every walk or street can be ideal for all activities. But there is no question the City of St. Louis needs a better urban design effort, the attributes that make St. Louis unique are being chipped away and lost.
 So who are you, the word police? I see nothing to prevent a discussion.
There’s a limit to what the city can do. What really needs to happen is for the private sector to “buy a clue” and realize that suburban densities aren’t in their own best interests, that St. Louis can (and likely will) support higher-density, mixed-use developments along certain corridors. Our current zoning is rarely the hurdle, it’s the apparent inability to finance and sell or lease something other than auto-centric suburban stuff . . .
^ i agree. i was hoping that would come across as EXTREME sarcasm… guess i need to work on my delivery. i like to think i’m about as far from rush as one can possibly get. 🙂
blaming the company still doesn’t excuse SLU’s poor development practices.
 “I’m upping my donation to SLU.”
oh, we are SO burned. no, actually i don’t think anybody cares.
 I would find it hard to believe that a dense, housing/medical center adjacent to a major light rail station would be a hard sell. Good design sells, ask Paris or any other number of cities.
A real problem is that the city itself offers no coherent vision of what St. Louis should be. One only has to look at the U City Loop to see a pedestrian friendly strip, and as they continue to redevelop parcels they maintain a balanced urban approach which includes the needs of the automobile as well as the general public.
I don’t think there is a limit to what the city can do. It is in the public interest to develop urban values in the city. Every city has codes for building setback lines, parking requirements and so on these can be modified either in districts or as the city as a whole to met goals of urban design like density, walkability and transit friendly environments.
It really doesn’t seem to me that it would be hard to transform the suburban thinking that has dominated in the past decades. (Do you think it is an accident the suburban urban form benefits big oil, centralized real estate holdings and large corporate chains the most).
this comment is hilariously sad…
It’s interesting that Marquette U. and U of I, Urbana-Champagne, among others,  both have unidentifiable campuses and are prospering. My wife attended Marquette and, because dorm space was scarce, she was forced to live on one of the top floors of a YMCA residential buiding. Transients lived below. She loved it and didn’t really want to move to a conventional dorm when space became available.  I attended U of I, Urbana, where the university and local business shared streets and sidewalks, storefronts, parking, etc. And it all worked. In the case of SLU, just maybe Fr. Biondi didn’t have to use an axe when a butter knife may have been more appropriate.
It’s interesting that Marquette U. and U of I, Urbana-Champagne, among others, both have unidentifiable campuses and are prospering. My wife attended Marquette and, because dorm space was scarce, she was forced to live on one of the top floors of a YMCA residential buiding. Transients lived below. She loved it and didn’t really want to move to a conventional dorm when space became available. I attended U of I, Urbana, where the university and local business shared streets and sidewalks, storefronts, parking, etc. And it all worked. In the case of SLU, just maybe Fr. Biondi didn’t have to use an axe when a butter knife may have been more appropriate.
I do find it hard to believe that dense TOD really isn’t happening around our Metrolink stations, unlike what’s happening in Portland, Dallas, DC, Chicago and Denver. My take is that it’s less on the public side (the various cities and Metro/Bi-State) and more on the private side. While BJC/Wash U Med Center and Wash U’s Danforth Campus both continue what they were doing all along, I don’t see private developers proposing new, high-density residential projects with ground-floor retail at locations like the Forest Park or the Maplewood/Manchester stations.
You state that “I don’t think there is a limit to what the city can do.” I disagree. Unless the city is willing to write some pretty big checks, the city can’t make developers build something, good or bad. Developers don’t spend money unless they think they can make money. Investors and banks won’t invest in a project unless they think they can make money. For whatever reason, people don’t think they can make money doing TOD here (much like why nothing is happening at BPV). I don’t know if it’s the economy, our demographics or simply no local projects to copy / proven track record, but it’s just not happening. Higher gas prices and more congestion could both increase transit ridership, but I doubt that “low” ridership numbers are the reason true TOD isn’t happening here.
My take, across the St. Louis region, is that zoning is never a hurdle when it comes to big projects. If someone wants to wipe out whole neighborhoods for new big boxes or a new runway, zoning changes are never a problem. And when it comes to parking ratios, especially for chain retail, they are driven more by the users than by the city – I doubt the city wanted as many spaces as CVS is providing at its new stores in the city. In contrast, Nashville is doing great things in their Gulch. I have no idea why something similar isn’t happening here, other than no one has either the cojones or the financing to try!
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2009-04-06-nashville_N.htm
http://explorethegulch.com/
http://www.nashvillegulch.com/
The deli west of Grand on Olive was Garavelli’s. — reference to item #9 in post above of some of Steve’s favorite comments.
I attended SLU from Fall of 1973 through December 1977, in both undergraduate and graduate programs. I lived in Griesedieck dormitory, then in Laclede Town. I applaud Fr. Biondi and the Board of Directors of Saint Louis University for their commitment to the city of Saint Louis by retaining the urban Frost (North) campus and the medical school and campus (South). Several former warehouses on Laclede Avenue are now faculty offices/Department offices or apartment buildings. A former hotel on South Grand is now a dormitory. An apartment complex is now dormitories. The expansion north and east of Grand continues to provide a cohesive urban University. Vacant buildings east of Grand in the medical school area have developed into the Allied Health School and recreational park.
I walk around the campus and surrounding neighborhood today and marvel at the changes that have occurred. Sure, when I go by Channing Street and see it dead-end into undeveloped green space, I remember the good times from my two years of living in Laclede Town and walking to classes, and I wonder who or what will appear there next and add value to this area. I appreciate the new buildings of Harris-Stowe University and A.G.Edwards/Wells Fargo which coincide with a small building which was formerly a non-profit that sits next to the Teachers Retirement Home.
Spend some time and walk through campus and admire the artwork. See the students hustling to their classes, or sitting in the “quad” in between enjoying the day or handing out literature. Attend a performance or a game at The Chaiffetz Arena. Go to Mass at the College Church. See a play or attend a musical performance performed by the students on campus. Walk through Cupples Mansion and see the history of the area preserved in a home that sits on the highest point in the midtown area.
Stand in front of Griesedieck Hall and look east to the Arch. Then turn 180 degrees and look West towards Forest Park. Now appreciate what you are surrounded by and thank the University for adding being jewel of the City of Saint Louis.
Salvdr … thanks for reminding me the deli was of Garavelli’s. God, those lunches were great!
I don’t think it is fair to blame Biondi solely for the wide open spaces in Midtown or for “the destruction” of Midtown. The City of St. Louis gave him the keys, he turned the ignition, put the peddle to the metal and drove the car as he pleased. With that said, I have a couple of points.
1. While SLU hasn’t always made the best decisions with regards to development, it is undeniable that SLU has been instrumental in the resurgence of Midtown. Biondi SHOULD NOT resign. That is an overreaction to suggest it, I think.
2. Grand Center, Inc. deserves some blame too. There are VAST parking lots west of Grand Blvd. that keep Grand Center from looking “World Class”. Having 12,000 theater seats is a good asset. On the other hand, having 12,000 parking spaces stretched out for blocks is not. While Grand Center, Inc. can take a lot of credit for positive development, it must take credit for the negative as well. Redevelopment has happened a snail’s pace – even when the economy was booming. Regardless, of the pace, Grand Center IS looking better, but the parking expanses have to go. As I see it, there’s enough blame to go around.
In regards to Grand Center Inc. while garages are an evil necessity, they should be considering building a “green” garage or two with retail on the bottom floor(s). Grand Center is in desperate need of new retail spaces too. The multi-level garages could add the needed retail space plus free up land for infill projects such condos, art/live spaces, and a new art gallery strip etc. While lots of positive developments are happening, Powell Hall’s exterior looks a dirty mess. The Sun Theater should have been renovated like yesterday. The damaged church on Spring should have been renovated into a small venue already. There should be more way-finding signs and banners in Grand Center and there needs to be plans for infills on those vast parking lots – especially the underused parking lots. There should be more water fountains. And sometimes, it’s time okay to let the utilitarian dinosaurs – like Schoemehl – go and move on. He’s close to plateauing. Let fresh blood come in with new ideas. Bring in freshness with enthusiasm, experience and a mind for the arts, beauty and business.
Had no idea before attending SLU but Biondi does not seem like a selfless or genuine kind of guy. While walking with friends down campus one afternoon I experienced Biondi at his best. He was being driven in a golf cart by some assistant. He was clearly very drunk as he proceeded to slap my friend’s butt. Not long after a friend of mine who is a waitress down the street served Biondi. It was Ash Wednesday and Biondi enjoyed himself a nice steak.
Biondi is a piece of shit. a Dictator, IMO.