Nearly Half of Readers Disappointed With The Amount of CityArchRiver Work Completed to Date, More 50th Anniversary Events Today

Fifty years ago today the final section of the Arch was lowered into place. Today’s date was a big deal to organizers of the CityArchRiver design competition and for a long time they said all the work to actually connect the Arch grounds to the city would be done. Many of us were highly skeptical of these claims, but I didn’t want to burst their civic bubble.

Here are the results from the Sunday Poll:

Q: Please rate the amount of CityArchRiver work completed to date

1. Somewhat dissatisfied 11 [36.67%]
2. Somewhat satisfied 6 [20%]
3. Neutral 4 [13.33%]
4. Very satisfied 3 [10%]
5. Very dissatisfied 3 [10%]
6. Unsure/No Answer 3 [10%]

Depending upon my mood I’m either neutral or somewhat satisfied.

Of course, I had low expectations.

There are numerous events today:

Recognition Ceremony and Birthday Party – Wednesday, October 28, 11 am

At 11 am—the moment when the final piece of the Gateway Arch was put into place 50 years ago—National Park Service leadership, along with local officials and partner dignitaries, will lead a special recognition ceremony commemorating the completion of the Arch on the Fourth Street side of the Old Courthouse.

Free Cupcakes! 

From 11:30am – 1:30pm, Sarah’s Cake Stop & Destination Desserts cupcake trucks will distribute free 50th anniversary-themed cupcakes to the first 1,000 visitors. The trucks will be located on 4th street on the east side of the Old Courthouse (11 North 4th Street). 

$1 Journey to the Top Tram Rides – October 28, all day

For one day only, Journey to the Top tram ride tickets will be sold at the original price of $1. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Old Courthouse, online at http://ticketsforthearch.com or by calling 877-982-1410.

Visitors to the top will receive:

• A “Top of the Arch” lapel button modeled after one that was originally distributed when the trams opened in 1967.
• An “I Went to the Top” certificate, similar to the certificate handed out to riders in the 1960s.

Limited-edition 50th Anniversary Merchandise

Custom-designed 50th anniversary items—including hats, shirts, jackets, mugs, coasters, and more—are available for purchase in the Museum Store located under the Gateway Arch, the Old Courthouse Gift Shop, and online at www.shop.jnpa.com.

Partners and sponsors of these events include the National Park Service, Bi-State Development , Jefferson National Parks Association, City of St. Louis, and the Missouri History Museum.

— Steve Patterson

Tomorrow: Arch 50 Fest

An event tomorrow, Saturday October 24th, will kick-off celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the final piece of the Arch being lowered into place.

Here’s the summary:

ARCH 50 FEST | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 10:30 AM – 8:30 PM 
To celebrate the golden birthday of the Gateway Arch, an all-day community celebration will take place on Saturday, October 24, in nearby Kiener Plaza. 

The St. Louis community and all visitors are invited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Arch during a day-long celebration at Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis. The event will include food and drink vendors, children’s activities, and live music throughout the day. The celebration will culminate with a world-class fireworks display showcasing the Arch. This event is sponsored and funded by the CityArchRiver Foundation and Great Rivers Greenway and entry is free.

We hope you’ll join us in celebrating the golden anniversary of our city’s iconic landmark! 

Click the image above or here to see more information.

— Steve Patterson

Fall Brings Out Halloween Decor

I love Fall, the humidity & temperature both drop, leaves begin to change colors. And Halloween decorations go up! We don’t get many trick or treaters in our building, but our neighbor’s young son enjoys our decorations.

Do you decorate for Halloween? Or do you do like I used to — turn off the porch light and pretend you aren’t home?

— Steve Patterson

Panel To Discuss ‘Where We Stand 7th Edition: The Strategic Assessment of the St. Louis Region’ Report

Today’s post is about a potentially interesting panel discussion, from the email I received:

St. Louis Public Library – Central Library Auditorium
Wednesday, October 14, 2015 6:30–8 p.m. 

100 Days Until 50th Anniversary of Final Piece of Arch Placed

On October 28, 1965 the last piece of the Arch was lowered into place, so October 28, 2015 is the 50th anniversary of that event.

I’ve been posting the following image when discussing the CityArchRiver project for nearly 3 years now, the view is looking East from the Old Courthouse.

Two weeks ago, looking out from the 7th floor balcony of the CityArchRiver offices, I saw the work underway.

At first I thought we were going to have lots of people crossing 4th Street between Market & Chestnut — going to & from the Old Courthouse and Luther Ely Square & Arch. But as I put the rendering into this post I looked closely at the bottom and it looks like a wall is shown keeping pedestrians from crossing 4th Street mid-block. Or it’s a cut-out to pull over and drop people off — not sure.

If there isn’t a wall people will cross mid-block. If there is a wall, pedestrians will be taken via a circuitous route.

Plans for the 50th anniversary will be announced shortly, but Luther Ely Square is supposed to be completed by then. The riverfront work maybe — the high river level has delayed the project.  If they can clean the mud off the work area quickly then it to should be complete, in a few weeks we’ll know.   Plans will include a festival the weekend before October 28th, and a ceremony that day.

Remember the original landscaping wasn’t finished until the early 80s, here’s a look from May 1982:

It has been almost five years since the CityArchRiver competition was reduced to five finalists.

The clock is ticking.

— Steve Patterson