Readers Say Keep Washington Ave’s Zipper Motif, No Consensus How
Over half of those who voted in the non-scientific Sunday Poll favor retaining the cobblestone zipper design motif in the center of Washington Ave:
Q: Wash Ave’s 12+ year old streetscape includes a cobblestone “zipper” motif down the center, which makes repaving from 14th-18th Streets a challenge. We shou[ld]:
- Lose the zipper motif, not important to the well-being of the area 18 [32.14%]
- Retain zipper, just don’t resurface the center where cobblestones are located 17 [30.36%]
- Retain zipper, incurring extra costs to resurface street 15 [26.79%]
- Unsure/No Opinion 5 [8.93%]
- Other: 1 [1.79%] “Let the residents decide and let them pay for any extra costs.”
As you can see from the numbers, there isn’t a consensus view.
You can count me among those who say rip out the zipper from 14th-18th Streets. The two blocks from Tucker to 14th is different — Washington Ave is brick pavers, not asphalt.
It won’t be long until the new asphalt fades and it’ll be hard to see the difference between the old & new. Setting cobblestones in asphalt was a very poor decision, and as a motif I doubt anyone could guess what it’s supposed to be.
— Steve Patterson
I know this: as a visitor to the area, I feel that the zippered detailing, along with the period lighting fixtures, the brick paving, the cobblestones, all adds to the area’s overall luminous effect–the loft district energy. And that energy quickly diminishes once you’ve traveled west on Washington, past 16th street (or so). The lofts west of 16th street appear to be located in a part of town less regarded than a redheaded stepchild. Sporting News, Magic Chef, Motor Lofts and those located up there around Jefferson just don’t share in the aura created by the busy street-scape to the east, IMHO. So I think there’s definitely something to be said for the value of a distinctive and creative street-scape–beyond trees and bushes which seldom if ever get watered and are choked out by poorly bulk-headed planters, asphalt streets that definitely create a hostile growing environment, buses that dash by and keep the trees flattened on the street face. (If I were a tree, give me a pasture, not a 4 x 4 hole in the middle of a field of concrete in downtown STL)
I’ve not studied the detailing of the “zipper,” but I can’t imagine that, if the initial detailing had been done to facilitate repaving and routine street maintenance, the cost of repaving would be much (if any) more expensive than if the zipper were absent. I probably would have set the cobblestones in a tight sand bed, bearing on a concrete substrate, separated from adjacent paving using continuous 8-12″ wide concrete ribbons, against with the repaving contractor could screed when placing the new pavement. This detail would have totally separated the zipper from the adjacent paving. I don’t have the benefit of actually seeing the detail, but I can’t imagine that an experienced civil engineer/architect would have allowed a detail that makes maintenance so expensive.
The primary things the streetscape did over a decade ago was widen sidewalks, reduce travel lanes from 4 to 2, show government convidence through investment. The “zipper”, expensive custom lights, etc made no substantial contribution to the investment in the area.
I really have to disagree. From my perspective, a condo located between 7th Street west to 15th Street holds more value than those west of 16th, largely because those to the east are located within the boundaries of the total “loft” experience, partially created by the interesting street-scape–the whimsical custom lighting included. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. While my family and I would be miserable living in a loft–for sure–if I bought one for rental/ investment, I’d want it to be within the boundaries of the elaborate street-scape, which by design is where the more popular nightclubs, restaurants etc are located. Restaurants and bars on Washington Ave west of 16th street are mediocre and “fast-foodish” at best–certainly not destination locations. The elaborate street-scape invites pedestrians to enjoy the area not just during daylight hours, but also during the later hours, when merchants are hopeful to continue to attract patrons. When’s the last time you saw pedestrians walking leisurely around 20th and Washington around 10:00 in the evening? Maybe a hooker or dealer, but probably not a vacationer! I personally feel that would change if the more elaborate steet-scape were extended to Jefferson. I don’t think restaurants located west of 16th currently draw much business from pedestrians out for a leisurely walk before going to bed. They miss out because the “loft experience” is missing! Another opinion from a conservative republican who grew up on a goat farm in Southern Alabama: I also think the interesting lighting and paving east of 16th street goes farther to create a sense of “community” among residents, moreso than along the patched asphalt streets, bland sidewalks and cobre-head-lit streets with their characteristic hot-spot lighting patterns found west of 16th Street. I really don’t think the loft area would have “caught on” if the elaborate street-scape, expensive lighting and zipper cobblestone patterns hadn’t been introduced.
Thr expensive streetscape finished about a dozen years ago was from Tucker (12th) to 18th. After that the streetscape was done East of Ticker. It was cheaper, and in a different esthetic. I was involved in the project West of 18th, a private developer funded the reduction from four to two traffic lanes — completed in 2008. The parking lots for the former CPI are a huge drag between 16th-19th.
It’s all part of the curb appeal and helps to sell the concept. I remember 10 years ago having an early dinner with my wife and two of my three sons on the sidewalk at the restaurant/bar next to what is now Fitness Factory Gym. The food was mediocre. The servers were oblivious. But the ambiance, created not just by the street-scape but by all the energy in the area, is what made us want to return. You just don’t get that on 19th/Washington.
Yes, Tucker to 14th feels very different than at 19th. Wider sidewalks in paver brick, paver brick street. At issue is the cobblestone zipper in the asphalt street 14th-18th.
The zipper motif isn’t obvious, it must be explained.
Why does it have to be explained? Robert Frost laughed when people thought they had to “understand” his poetry. He wanted them to enjoy it for what it meant to them–on face value! The same with the “zipper”. I certainly don’t know what the “zipper” is supposed to represent, but I do know that I think it’s kinda neat sitting out there in the middle of the street–especially at night when the lighting is displayed. If it had been properly detailed initially, this conversation wouldn’t be happening.
No visitor arriving for the first time will look at the center the street and go “oh look a zipper to represent the area’s history making clothes.” Because it’s in a paver street, the zipper from Tucker is very different than the zipper from 18th to 14th — cobblestones set within asphalt — the very definition of poor detailing.
The two blocks from Tucker to 14th were always considered special: curbless design, brick paver street, lights strung over the roadway, and blue lights in the center zipper. Those have mostly burned out by now…
My point exactly: no visitor arriving for the first time will understand the significance of the “zipper”. However, I’ll bet that most visitors arriving for the first time will notice the cobblestones in the middle of the street and won’t think twice about what they may represent.
And it’s a disgrace that the City has allowed the lights to burn out! How much effort would it take to keep the lamps current?