Temporary Barriers Still Surround The Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse In Downtown St. Louis
Fourteen years ago today the new Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse opened in downtown St. Louis, a year later was the terrorist attack on U.S. soil. The 9/11 attack meant immediate security changes around the year-old courthouse, these temporary fixes remain with us today. The big change involved Jersey barriers — lots of them.
This courthouse was designed well after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, yet despite the built-in efforts to protect the building, the Jersey barriers have been in place for all but the first year. I’d like to see a different solution, something that looks less temporary.
— Steve Patterson
And that different solution would be? Wider sidewalks with more attractive bollards? Close the streets, completely? Relocate the federal courts to Scott Air Force Base? How about a little less paranoia? Just remove the Jersey barriers and go back to the original design! EVERY facility has its vulnerabilities, and any terrorist, domestic or foreign, will exploit them/adjust their method of attack. In some ways, we can never be too safe or too cautious, but I, for one, don’t want to live my life in a bubble. I’m willing to accept a reasonable amount of risk because I, like everyone else, am going to die from something, and my risk of gettin’ blowed up is really, really low . . .
The first step is to evaluate removing the barriers. If it’s determined to be insufficient, determine an attractive permanent solution.
Get rid of the jersey barriers. They make the town look like hoosierville. Put up some bollards like they have in front of store openings. While they’re at it, get rid of the Schoemehl pots too.