I understand the desire for pretty streets but I also understand financial realities. Pretty costs more, usually a lot more, and costs more to maintain over time. I’d much rather see boring-but-plain streets IF the money that would have been spent creating “interesting” patterns and textures, were spent, instead, in the third dimension, planting and maintaining street trees and installing and maintaining good/better street furniture.
The current problem (resurfacing) is not a maintenance problem. Ameren paid streets to “put Wash AVE back the way it was before Ameren tore it apart” BUT the City Streets DEPT failed to do so. This (current condition of Wash AVE resurfacing between 14th & 18th) was a FULLY FUNDED AMEREN UE UNDERGROUND PROJECT. The poll is misleading.
Not to be a smart ass, but EVERY street with underground utilities will be torn up, repeatedly. And, no, when you patch a street, it will never, ever, look “like new”, again (until it’s completely repaved or rebuilt, again). Here, Ameren paid for an inferior product from an entity known for margnal quality, at best. And no, the poll is not “misleading”. We all agree that the street needs to be repaved; the reason why is never stated in the poll. And “the way it was” is not in brand-new condition, it’s back to what a heavily-used 12+ year old urban street would look like!
Wash AVE does not contain utilities. They are on side streets. Hence, since the $17M 1999 streetscape project was completed, Wash AVE was untouched asphalt-wise.
Apart from Ameren’s work recently completed, and a fiber optic network that was installed as part of the $17M 1999 streetscape project, ALL other utilities (sewer, water, cable, AT&T) are on side streets (like 15th) or “alleys” (St. Charles). Exceptions are Laclede & Trigen (steam loop). I’ve not seen either have to go outside their existing manhole network on Wash AVE and dig new trenches like Ameren just did.
Ameren’s representives personally told me at the outset of their recent Wash AVE underground NEW construction project that Wash AVE would be “put back exactly the way we found it, zipper and all …” Clearly Ameren has not managed that.
I think it’s short-sighted to not hold Ameren, manager of their recent Wash AVE underground project, accountable – and short-sighted on any lay-persons part reading this not to review WRT’s design intents for arguably the Main Street in our downtown. Especially since the street’s customization kicked off major investment – which is still ongoing. Let’s not forget St. Louis Fashion Fund just announced a $2,000,000 along this stretch. I’d guess they like the zipper “motif”. More about the original 1999 design firm here: http://www.wrtdesign.com
Why the street needs to be repaved is a separate issue from whether (or not) the zipper should be preserved. And it really doesn’t matter what Ameren people told you verbally. If it ain’t in writing, it ain’t enforceable!
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Your poll supposes the existing botched resurfacing was paid for by the tax payer. It was not. It was part of a funded Ameren UE underground project.
Your poll also excludes functional and form related considerations by professional planners that helped spark the loft boom after the street was built w/ $17,000,000 in state & fed money: http://www.mo-apa.org/resources/apa-great-places/113-washington-avenue
The poll was designed to not get into specifics of the current resurfacing –to generalize the issue. Eventually the city will be responsible.
I understand the desire for pretty streets but I also understand financial realities. Pretty costs more, usually a lot more, and costs more to maintain over time. I’d much rather see boring-but-plain streets IF the money that would have been spent creating “interesting” patterns and textures, were spent, instead, in the third dimension, planting and maintaining street trees and installing and maintaining good/better street furniture.
The current problem (resurfacing) is not a maintenance problem. Ameren paid streets to “put Wash AVE back the way it was before Ameren tore it apart” BUT the City Streets DEPT failed to do so. This (current condition of Wash AVE resurfacing between 14th & 18th) was a FULLY FUNDED AMEREN UE UNDERGROUND PROJECT. The poll is misleading.
Not to be a smart ass, but EVERY street with underground utilities will be torn up, repeatedly. And, no, when you patch a street, it will never, ever, look “like new”, again (until it’s completely repaved or rebuilt, again). Here, Ameren paid for an inferior product from an entity known for margnal quality, at best. And no, the poll is not “misleading”. We all agree that the street needs to be repaved; the reason why is never stated in the poll. And “the way it was” is not in brand-new condition, it’s back to what a heavily-used 12+ year old urban street would look like!
Wash AVE does not contain utilities. They are on side streets. Hence, since the $17M 1999 streetscape project was completed, Wash AVE was untouched asphalt-wise.
Apart from Ameren’s work recently completed, and a fiber optic network that was installed as part of the $17M 1999 streetscape project, ALL other utilities (sewer, water, cable, AT&T) are on side streets (like 15th) or “alleys” (St. Charles). Exceptions are Laclede & Trigen (steam loop). I’ve not seen either have to go outside their existing manhole network on Wash AVE and dig new trenches like Ameren just did.
Ameren’s representives personally told me at the outset of their recent Wash AVE underground NEW construction project that Wash AVE would be “put back exactly the way we found it, zipper and all …” Clearly Ameren has not managed that.
I think it’s short-sighted to not hold Ameren, manager of their recent Wash AVE underground project, accountable – and short-sighted on any lay-persons part reading this not to review WRT’s design intents for arguably the Main Street in our downtown. Especially since the street’s customization kicked off major investment – which is still ongoing. Let’s not forget St. Louis Fashion Fund just announced a $2,000,000 along this stretch. I’d guess they like the zipper “motif”. More about the original 1999 design firm here: http://www.wrtdesign.com
*Edit: St. Louis Fashion Fund just announced a $2,000,000 investment on the stretch of Wash AVE that includes the zipper. http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/morning_call/2015/11/fashion-incubator-coming-downtown.html?ana=twt
Why the street needs to be repaved is a separate issue from whether (or not) the zipper should be preserved. And it really doesn’t matter what Ameren people told you verbally. If it ain’t in writing, it ain’t enforceable!