Sunday is the Giro della Montagna on The Hill. Afterwards is the Giro Pasta Dinner “Sunday, September 2nd 4:00-8:00pm: St Louis Bocce Club 2210 Marconi @ Bischoff on race course. Menu includes all the Pasta you can eat, plus 2 meatballs, salad, Italian Bread, and dessert. $7 adults/$4 children. Tickets available at the door.”
Monday is Benton Park Classic in…Benton Park, the neighborhood, not the actual park.
Please consider biking or taking public transit if you plan to watch these events, parking is limited. Some bus routes will be rerouted due to the races to plan accordingly. The races happen rain or shine.
On Monday August 20, 2012 the Grand MetroBus stop and Grand MetroLink stations reopened. On the overhead speakers in all stations Metro, speaking in transit jargon, announced the Grand station was open for “revenue service.” Really Metro, revenue service?
1. the language, especially the vocabulary, peculiar to a particular trade, profession, or group: medical jargon.
2. unintelligible or meaningless talk or writing; gibberish.
3. any talk or writing that one does not understand.
4. pidgin.
5. language that is characterized by uncommon or pretentious vocabulary and convoluted syntax and is often vague in meaning.
What’s the big deal, so they used transit agency speak? The use of technical jargon by any business shows it doesn’t know how to communicate with its customers. If they announcement had been that Grand was “open for service” nobody would’ve thought they didn’t have to pay since they didn’t say “revenue” before service. Metro has problems relating to those of us that use transit, largely because Metro employes drive instead of use transit.
From the joint City/Metro press release:
On Saturday the ribbon cutting was held for the Grand viaduct (bridge).
WHERE: South end (Chouteau side) of Grand Bridge.
(VIP and media parking will be available off Papin Street.)
The public is encouraged to take the #70 Grand MetroBus or MetroLink to the Grand Station. Parking at the new Grand MetroLink Station Park-Ride lot is also an option. The lot is located at Scott Avenue and Theresa Avenue at the northeast end of the bridge.
At least they mentioned transit after parking. I took transit to the event, but not the #70 MetroBus or MetroLink. I caught the #32 just two blocks east of my loft downtown and it dropped my off right at Grand & Chouteau, much closer than the MetroLink or rerouted #70.
ABOVE: The westbound #32 MetroBus on Chouteau just barely west of Grand. The Pevely bldg is to the left, for now.
But the real problem is how Metro didn’t connect their new work to the city. I’ve already shared this concern with folks from Metro, some who were in agreement with me and others with the attitude that created the disconnect. Let me show you what I’m talking about.
ABOVE: Metro built a small parking lot for the Grand station which included a new sidewalk for the south side of Scott Ave. The other side of Scott Ave doesn’t have a sidewalk at all.ABOVE: But Metro assumed the only folks that would walk on this sidewalk are going to their car in their parking lot. They changed the grade and didn’t bother to connect the sidewalk so that people, like myself, can cross Scott or Theresa Avenues. One Metro employee said it’s just an employee entrance at the business across the street. WTF!?! If they use transit they’ll be a pedestrian!ABOVE: The little bit of sidewalk along Theresa next to Metro’s new parking lot is useless anyway. Why wasn’t it removed?
What is there to connect to east of here? Lots actually, including a Metro facility. I doubt those who designed the station, parking lot and sidewalk ever bothered to walk around the area before starting the design. Designers must literally put themselves in the shoes of those that’ll use what they design.
ABOVE: Businesses exist directly east of the station, Metro could’ve helped provide a place for pedestrians rather than force them into the street or walk on grass.ABOVE: Some buildings are vacant but being so close to a major transit hub should be helpful in getting them occupied.
ABOVE: And 4/10th of a mile east is a Metro facility.
I continued on Spruce to Compton. This would be a good route for people going to the Chaifetz Arena, Harris-Stowe and Sigma-Aldrich.
I took lots of pictures and some video at the Grand viaduct/bridge ribbon cutting but I’m not going to show you those. The speakers all talked about how great it’ll be for pedestrians. True, it’s a massive improvement as I acknowledged here. I’m just furious the most basic/obvious pedestrian connection wasn’t planned for yet again.
To Metro engineers/planners/designers: Transit users are pedestrians when arriving & leaving transit stations. We come from and go in all directions. Able bodied pedestrians take the shortest route — a straight line. This isn’t complicated stuff.
St. Louis Union Station reopened 27 years ago today as a “festival marketplace.” Roughly translated that means cheesy mall in an old space built for some other purpose, in this case an old train shed. Actually part of the train shed is used for hotel rooms and meeting space, under the south end is parking and part is used for retail shops and food court.
ABOVE: The midway was once lined with shops, additional glass booths in the center have been removed.ABOVE: One of the many former restaurant spaces that’s closed, in a very ugly wayABOVE: Former Nature Co. space now a small retailer.ABOVE: Under the train shed one of the few remaining restaurants, Landry’s, mentions parking validation. The MetroLink light rail station probably brings more people to Union Station than cars.
In the poll last week I was pleasantly surprised by often readers had been to Union Station in the last year, I thought many more would pick “0”.
Q: How many times have you been to St. Louis Union Station in the last 12 months?
0 116: [54.21%]
1-3: 78 [36.45%]
4-6: 12 [5.61%]
7-10: 4 [1.87%]
13+: 3 [1.4%]
10-12: 1 [0.47%]
Still more than half did indicate they hadn’t been to Union Station in the last year. To my knowledge the hotel does well so hopefully someone will buy the place and rethink it once again.
In July one modest house in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson got the attention of many:
A Ferguson resident has won a battle with city officials that could be considered a matter of taste.
The resident, Karl Tricamo, had been feuding with the city for months over the vegetable garden he had planted in front of his house in the 300 block of Louisa Avenue.
The city saw the garden as a blot on the landscape and issued Tricamo a citation demanding he uproot the corn, tomatoes, sorghum, peppers and other crops sprouting there and, instead, seed the yard for grass. The garden measures 35 feet by 25 feet. (stltoday.com)
Numerous pictures were circulated on Facebook & Twitter as front yard gardening advocates celebrated this victory. But all the pictures concentrated tightly on the garden, I wanted to understand the context. I went to Google Maps but no streetview was available just an aerial.
The 45 degree view of the house in Ferguson, before the lawn was replaced with the garden. Click image to view in Google Maps.
I knew I wanted to see the garden and street in person but it’s a 12+ mile drive — and I don’t have a car. So I caught a bus at the North Hanley MetroLink station and I was within blocks.
ABOVE: The MetroBus dropped me off at Suburban Ave and S. Clark Ave, this is looking north on ClarkABOVE: Looking west on Louisa St from Clark., nice but well-maintained homes. No manicured lawns.ABOVE: Continuing on Louisa looking for the house & garden on the right.ABOVE: I’m visiting on Monday August 20, 2012. The garden looks good to my eye given how dry it has been and how late in the growing season it is.ABOVE: Lawn remains between the sidewalk and drivewayABOVE: Another view
In an older neighborhood with mature trees locations for a vegetable garden are often limited, most vegetables need full sun. I applaud Tricamo for fighting the City of Ferguson so he could grow food for his family.
Every city probably has a Broadway; I grew up on Broadway Ave in Oklahoma City, I’ve been to Broadway in NYC and I’ve seen traveled all of Broadway in St. Louis. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Broadway is the only road in the City of St. Louis that crosses the city limits in opposite ends, north and south.
Broadway in St. Louis varies in feel as it curves along following bends in the Mississippi River. To my eye one the mile stretch through the Marine Villa neighborhood is the most interesting. I’d driven, scootered and bicycled this mile stretch of Broadway from Keokuk St. on the south to Cherokee St on the north numerous times in my 22 years in St. Louis but recently I “walked” both sides using my power wheelchair.
Naturally my mind started thinking of ways to revitalize this corridor so this post is a look at the good, the bad, and some of what’s needed. I’ll share some of the 250+ pictures I took on Sunday August 19, 2012.
ABOVE: Broadway heads off to the right just past Keokuk. The intersection of Broadway, Jefferson & Chippewa has been a commercial center since the 19th century.ABOVE: Map of the mile stretch of Broadway through the Marine Villa neighborhood. Click image to view in Google Maps.ABOVE: Detail of 3812 S. Broadway, built in 1896!ABOVE: In the wedge where Broadway meets Jefferson at Chippewa is a fountain surrounded by overgrown shrubs. Really? Is this supposed to be positive public space? It looks like it was designed to repel, not attract, people.ABOVE: City records show this “park” was built in 1998, after Ald. Craig Schmid had the city buy and raze the existing building.ABOVE: On weekends many cyclists use S. BroadwayABOVE: Also in the space between Broadway & Jefferson is a former Hollywood Video store. The suburban parking lot, just behind Schmid Park, was never appropriate at this location.ABOVE: Monroe Elementary School has a prominent position on Broadway at Missouri AveABOVE: The next stretch of Broadway is mostly residentialABOVE: But not all are occupiedABOVE: Residential quickly changes to commercial/industrial, entrance to Anchor Moving & Storage,ABOVE: Parking lot for the school creates a long dead zone, needs buildings again.ABOVE: Widman Motorcycles has been a fixture on South Broadway for decadesABOVE: The gentle curve of Broadway creates interesting viewsABOVE: The way the orthogonal street grid intersects with the meandering Broadway creates interesting but awkward intersections.ABOVE: Former fire engine house #3 bounded by Broadway, Miami St & Salina Salena St., owned by the city but leased out to an individual for storage.ABOVE: View across Salina Salena St from the old firehouse. City records say this first building was built in 1941 but it must be from the 19th centuryABOVE: 3640 S. Broadway has seen better days but the barely visible old cast iron storefront is an obvious clue it was built long before 1941.ABOVE: City records are likely right on the building next door, says it was built in 1955We’re in the other mostly commercial section of S. Broadway in Marine VillaThis 6,000+ sq ft doctor’s office & residence was built in 1941. I had the pleasure to tour the building a number of years ago. One of my favorite buildings in St. Louis!Across Broadway is this 12-unit apartment building built in 1964Just 5-6 years ago an interesting grouping of a few 4-family buildings existed here, I was talked casually with an investor about buying and rehabbing them. This is where Lemp Ave intersects with Broadway.ABOVE: The bar/grill in the ground floor of this 1887 building at President St has closed. We have a President St?ABOVE: The bar may be closed but the residential is occupied. Across the street is the massive former Lemp Brewery complexABOVE: A long stretch of the Lemp Brewery property along Broadway is vacant and fenced, perfect for new constructionABOVE: The Lemp Brewery complex was built over a period of years and thus includes numerous buildings. Click the image for the Lemp Brewery Wikipedia entryABOVE: The design of the buildings presents many challenges, including accessibility for the disabled. It’s being marketed as the Lemp Brewery Business Park, click image for website.ABOVE: Heading south on Broadway the Lemp Brewery complex is the first thing you see as you go under I-55 at Cherokee St.
So what’s my take away? Lots of potential, lots of obstacles. Here are my recommendations, in no particular order:
Undertake a corridor study to take an in-depth look to inform future policy decisions (aka zoning, infill, etc).
Issue an RFP to replace the Schmid fountain and vacant Blockbuster Hollywood Video with a 2-3 story mixed-use structure with urban form, unless #1 above says a park at the intersection of three major streets is a good idea. I can’t imagine that being the case.
In the meantime remove overgrown plantings around the fountain and islands in the area. Replant with low maintenance plants that don’t get so massive.
Create a marketing campaign (brand identity) for the commercial area where Broadway, Jefferson & Chippewa meet. Get the name for this area circulated so it becomes recognizable.
Look at curb bulb outs or other treatments to visually narrow the roadway. Alternatively, this might be a good area to place the bike lane between the on-street parking and curb. Perhaps literally narrowing the road is a good idea, it was likely widened in the early 20th century.
Develop a form-based code to guide infill in vacant areas, in particular Lemp & Broadway. A free-standing McDonald’s with double drive-thru wouldn’t be desirable at that corner. But a CVS in a new multi-strory mixed-use urban building would be a nice addition in my view.
Look at the sidewalks, fix areas where broken or missing. Clean off other areas where grass has grown over the sidewalk in other areas. Organize monthly walks up and down the street.
Find a more positive use for the firehouse. Work with the Brewers & Maltster’s Union hall to the south on developing their vacant land between their hall and the firehouse.
I’m sure I’ll have many more thoughts the more I think about it. What are your thoughts? Generally negative (“location, location, location”) don’t offer any value to the dialog, constructive ways to improve the location do.
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