Readers Support Soulard Market Renovation
In the poll last week readers indicated they’re supportive of renovating Soulard Market. Read the original post and comments here.
Q: Support the Planned $14 Million Renovation of Soulard Market?
- Yes! 57 [62.64%]
- No! 14 [15.38%]
- Don’t know enough to decide 10 [10.99%]
- Unsure/no opinion 5 [5.49%]
- Other: 5 [5.49%]
The five “other” answers were:
- Let it be – OLD is OK…why is history such a crime in this City!
- I would support it if the food was local and not the same crap from Schnucks
- most underperforming venue
- Support some of the improvements, but not all
- what’s the vision?
The Soulard Market Master Plan can be downloaded here. I’ve not had an opportunity to study the plan so I’ll reserve any judgement. When I used to shop at Soulard I’d do a circle to see what looked good and would then return to the farmer vendors to buy from them — I rarely bought from those reselling produce row items. I’d like to see more farmers and fewer resellers.
– Steve Patterson
Thanks for the link to the plan. It seems like it includes a lot of good ideas. The real question is how do you pay for it? Cost vs. benefit? Priorities? Allocating scarce tax dollars?
Two thoughts. One, the plan does not mention public transit. I assume it’s on at least one bus route. Should better transit, not just improved parking, be a part of any future changes?
Two, whether it’s bond money or funded directly out of the budget, $14 million is a big hit for a relatively small facility – we spent $20.8 million to build a whole new rec center in Carondelet Park. Given the apparent need to fund pensions for retired city workers and pay for a new stadium for the Rams, can we afford to even consider these ideas?
$14m for Soulard, $400m (roughly) for the Rams stadium. The stadium is about 30 times as expensive, but probably attracts well over 30 times the visitors. So the stadium is a more worthwhile investment than Soulard.
H**L No
We could JZ if they got rid of TIFF’s and other tax breaks. Corporate sponsors??? Come one come all to Express Script’s Market? nah, doesn’t have a ring to it.
I think the priorities are going to change, sooner, rather than later. It is apparent America is on a self destruct path, deny global warming, suck up as much energy as possible, don’t support local agriculture, all are part of what St. Louis is doing to insure ultimate failure on both a local and broad scale.
What I am saying, predicating everything on money and funding is find and dandy, it does not lessen the truth of the situation.
And yes JZ I agree 14 million is way too much. Effective strategies must be devised. Certainly building some type of permanent structure in Old North St. Louis to support their fledgling operation would be a better use of a good chunk of that 14 million.
Supporting local farmers too, even growing our own on St. Louis land is probably a better use of money than tearing down a still useful bandstand at Soulard Market. (The lack of useful events is not the bandstands fault, has anyone analyzed how the current market master has handled its management?)
Next question, is there a farmers market strategy for the City of St. Louis? If not how can 14 million be planned for Soulard Market without consideration for its role in city development, mass transit and other relevant urban design considerations?
Actually, China uses more energy than the US already, so nothing we do will prevent global warming.
Gm…..such the downer. We’ve reached the bottom (or the pinacle) of America’s bottom…global warming is no longer deniable, energy conservation is ‘in vogue’. We have seen the enemy, it is us, and those denying it are part of a dying breed. But I digress…..On the other post there were various comments about how this can be part of the City, not just a seperate entity.
Is there an overall Farmer’s Market strategy? I don’t think so, but it does make good sense for them to all come together….maybe a Farmer’s Market Association?
From your tone, I guess you think everything is hunky dory. And also I express my concerns about unifying the city, which for some reason you seem to have a problem with. I guess the subject was mentioned before and now everyone should shut up?
A farmers market association would not necessarily be able to combine all city planning elements including transit and density (among others). In fact at this point the heroic version of capitalism is dead. It has not and will not solve any problems other than making a few wealthy beyond common sense.
Government, or more precisely the people, have a strong interest in developing their communities and cities.
Didn’t say that GM….but didn’t say that America is on a self-destructive path, denying global warming, sucking up energy, and on and on. Heroic capitalism is dead? Really? These thoughts are downers.
Sorry you have trouble coping with reality. That reality is not going away, and America, along with St. Louis refuse to act. That is the single biggest issue, the refusal to act in a way to solve problems. The biggest blockade is monopolistic capitalism and how it largely controls government policy.
And yes, it is a near crisis, my children and grandchildren (or any children) are not going to have much of a world to live in if we don’t get our act together, soon. It takes decades to develop farmers markets, transit, alternate energy sources and a wide array of other possible solutions, small and large.
Germany is around 50% renewable energy and is phasing out nuclear plants to boot. So it can be done. Think big, shot for the stars why don’t you?
Gm….re read my posts and those on the other page. We are on the same page. And an FYI…Germany’s push for renewable energy (i.e. solar) came only after the Japan earthquake where, with massive goverment subsidies, solar power was made doable. Here we pander too much to private interests. But all this has nothing to do with the Soulard Market. Re-read the other post by Steve please.