Readers Skeptical About Ballpark Village

Last week readers showed they are skeptical about the stalled Ballpark Village project that was first announced in the fall of 2006.

Q: Two of six blocks of Ballpark Village are to begin, thoughts?

1. I’ll believe it when I see it 83 [49.4%]
2. It is good to phase the project rather than try to do it all at once. 46 [27.38%]
3. As long as they don’t get more tax money I don’t care 29 [17.26%]
4. Other answer… 8 [4.76%]
5. They should wait until it can all be done at once. 2 [1.19%]
6. Unsure/no opinion 0 [0%]

The second choice selected shows many think phasing the project is a good idea.  The “other” answers were:

1. the only 2 blocks we’ll likely see developed
2. We should keep the land so we have it for the “new stadium” needed in
3. It will be better than a softball field!
4. Crooks!!!
5. we need an aquarium
6. Boycott the Cards who not only welched on payroll, but also BPV!
7. its a shell game
8. We need a new city cemetery, why not here?

In time we will see if the Cardinals & Cordish come through.

– Steve Patterson

Salazar & LaHood Show Support For City+Arch+River Project

Last week I attended a press event held at the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park in East St. Louis IL.

The event featured some big names showing support for the City+Arch+River project.  Representing the Obama administration was Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior; and Ray LaHood, Secretary of Transportation.  Missouri’s Senator Claire McCaskill was also there , the one that got two cabinet members here at the same time. Additional speakers included East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay.

This video is long — 24 minutes.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0ZJ48du9jQ

I look forward to being able to reach this park without being a pedestrian in the road.

– Steve Patterson

Kansas City’s Power & Light District An Open-Air Food Court

Kansas City’s Power & Light District was developed by The Cordish Companies, the same developer selected by the Cardinals in 2006 for Ballpark Village.  I’ve over simplified in the headline — it is more than a food court.

There are streets that continue the existing downtown street grid but the main area is a self contained central area.  As with an indoor mall, this is private –not public, space. Unlike the public square, don’t plan to organize any government protests here.  It has the generic feel of an indoor mall, without the air conditioning or heating.

Granted it is dressed in the latest style — lots of metal internally and brick facing the streets.

I visited on a very cold Saturday morning so both the sidewalks and the central Main Stage area were largely vacant.  I will visit again in the Spring on a weekday and weekend night.

The evening after my morning visit three friends picked me up at my midtown hotel for dinner downtown.  Did we go to a place at the Power & Light?  Uh, no.  We went to a locally owned restaurant in the nearby River Market District. Like St. Louis, Kansas City has a great restaurant scene but projects like Power & Light and Ballpark Village are more about formula restaurants than local places.   The question I have is if both can co-exist?  Will the influx of a concentration of tax subsidized new eateries make it difficult for existing places to compete?  Or will downtown see an increase in the number of diners so existing & new survive?

Call me a snob, but I don’t see myself patronizing restaurants at Ballpark Village.

– Steve Patterson

Downtown Grocery Stores: St. Louis vs. Kansas City

On a recent visit to Kansas City I visited the downtown Cosentino’s Market in the Power & Light District.   I was impressed., I left thinking the store had to be twice as big as St. Louis’ downtown market, Culinaria.   It is bigger, but only 22% (27,000sf vs 33,000sf).

Both stores are operated by local family chains.

The older & larger chain is the St. Louis-based Schnucks:

“Associates of Schnuck Markets Inc., have been serving customers a unique combination of quality food, variety and value for nearly seven decades. Founded in north St. Louis in 1939, the family-owned grocery company has grown to include more than 100 stores in seven states: Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Tennessee and Mississippi.”

But the Cosentino chain is only a quarter the size of Schnucks:

The Cosentino family opened their first market in 1948, located on Blue Ridge Boulevard in Kansas City. Since that time the local family owned grocer has aspired to provide excellent customer service in an exceptionally clean environment. It was with immense pride that Cosentino’s Market grew from a dream into a reality. The first Cosentino’s Market was opened in Brookside in 2004 followed by the location in the Kansas City Power & Light District in 2009. “We were so honored to be chosen as part of this historical project and to have the chance to develop such an innovative store.” John Cosentino says of the Downtown project.

Cosentino’s Food Stores currently operates 25 stores in the Kansas City area. The first generation is proud to watch the third generation of Cosentino’s Family members now taking part in the day to day operations and management of the company.

So the newer, smaller chain built a larger downtown market.

The Cosentino’s didn’t receive any direct subsidies.  However, it is part of the Power & Light District, which was financed in part through the state MODESA program.  Culinaria, on the other hand, got plenty of incentives.  First the parking garage it is located in is owned by  the Missouri Development Finance Board.  The structure was developed by DESCO, the Schnucks’ development company.  But they also got specific help:

Schnucks will pay $3.42 million necessary for tenant improvements, inventory and other opening expenses at the downtown location, at Ninth and Olive streets, according to state finance board documents. The remaining money will come from a combination of state, federal and city subsidies. (St. Louis Business Journal)

To my knowledge no criteria was put in place to have Schnucks repay the taxpayers if the store exceeded a certain threshold.

– Steve Patterson

Poll: Your Thoughts On The Latest Ballpark Village Announcement?

On Friday December 3, 2010 some new news about the stalled Ballpark Village project was announced:

“Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III said Friday that the long-awaited, $800 million Ballpark Village development has tenant agreements and private financing.
The first phase of the project, slated for two blocks that face the ballpark at a cost of $150 million, will have a new office tower and retail space.
St. Louis-based Stifel Financial Corp. has indicated it wants to take at least 175,000 square feet of office space at Ballpark Village. The financial services firm is currently based at 501 N. Broadway, and signed a three-year renewal on its lease there last year as Ballpark Village faced delays.”  Full Story

I’m personally glad to see they’ve decided to phase the project, rather than do it all at once.  A year ago I wrote:

As originally outlined, the project was to have nearly 800,000 total square feet and a total cost of $387 million.  The site between the garages was once again going to have Elm, thus being divided into six blocks.  That works out to $64.5 million per block – a substantial sum to raise.  The Cardinals and developer Cordish should abandon the mega project methodology by 1) creating the through street grid to form the six blocks 2) subdivide each of the six blocks into 3-10 parcels of land to be developed by them and/or sold to qualified buyers for them to build on the land.  Deed restrictions would not allow surface parking and would require minimum building heights (3-15 floors depending upon parcel).  Each block should have a minimum of two buildings.  Blank walls should be forbidden while numerous doors and windows required/encouraged.

As part of the site’s infrastructure, internal parking structures may be required to meet the total future need.  Streets, sidewalks and parking are built first and future buildings would surround the parking structures eventually.  With six blocks it would probably have 3-6 garages, ideally partially underground.  These garages could be built out in phases as lots are sold.

Other developers and investors could build within the site.  Say one group can finance $30 million for a single building, that is one more toward the goal.  Piece by piece the area would fill in.

Their phasing is different than I outlined but it still starts the ball rolling.  It also means we must watch how often their hand is out for tax incentives on top of those they already got for the stadium deal.

The poll this week asks your thoughts on the recent announcement.  The poll is in the upper right corner of the site.

– Steve Patterson