ABOVE: Vacant Foodland store was built in 1984. Click to view map.
The long-vacant Foodland grocery store (1601-45 S. Jefferson) was in the news recently:
Developer Green Street Properties has filed plans with the City of St. Louis to rehab the empty 47,000 supermarket, and hopes to fill it with a smaller grocery store and other retailers. It has a contract to buy the building and hopes to start a $6.6 million first phase in the spring, with a second phase potentially to come later.
The store – just across Jefferson Ave. from Lafayette Square – has sat empty since 2004, when Foodland closed after failing to get neighborhood support for a liquor license. It had previously been a National store. Much of the surrounding neighborhood is now considered a “food desert” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for lack of grocery options. (STLtoday)
On Saturday I posted about the SE corner of Jefferson & Lafayette, how a 2007 residential & retail building is a starting point for reurbanizing this intersection. This grocery store was occupied for only 20 years (1984-2004) before being vacated 7 years ago. That’s a rather sad statement but not really surprising given how out of context it is.
This post will critique of 70s & 80s planning theory that created the existing problems. Part 3 tomorrow will look at possible solutions.
Street Grid:
The short-block walkable street grid was always decimated by development. Street closures are still common practice in St. Louis.
ABOVE: Google Maps aerial of the Foodland and Eads Park (click image for larger version)
Eads Ave east of California Ave was removed, Ohio Ave was removed from St. Vincent Ave to Henrietta Pl and Texas Ave became lost in a sea of parking. Cul-de-sacs were created for new housing built in 1979, the same year the television series Knots Landing premiered (set on a California cul-de-sac). Yes, Eads Park was created from the replatting of the land but that doesn’t justify the disruption in the grid — the connectedness of the area.
Isolation:
ABOVE: Since opening the message has been this is a place to be driven to, remaining disconnected from the less functional sidewalk grid
The nearby houses were only 5 years old when this grocery store opened as a National in 1984. Still, it wasn’t designed to be walked to from houses that could see the store from their windows. The single access point from Jefferson Ave is an auto drive where Eads Ave used to be located. St. Louis’ population in 1980 was 452,801 and in 1990 it was 396,685 — both significantly greater than our 2010 count of 319,294.
Today those remaining still walk to the store, but now their choices are limited to gas station convenience stores.
ABOVE: A man walks northbound in front of the closed Foodland carrying groceries from the corner convenience store
ABOVE: Two men walking under the front overhang of the store after shopping at the same convenience store.
These last two guys cut by the side of the store to go through an opening in the fence to reach the park and residences beyond.
ABOVE: The last guy walking northwest toward the neighborhood
ABOVE: Opening in fence gives pedestrians the access they need but it's hardly friendly
Lack of Connection within the development
In addition to deliberately not connecting to the city beyond the boundaries of the property even new construction isn’t connected to each other, everyone is expected to drive from place to place.
ABOVE: Looking east from the walk at the front of the store out the driveway, formerly Eads Ave
In 1991 a small retail building was built on a separate parcel to the north of the grocery (far left above). The auto access drive, once a public street, is part of the grocery property. The parcel with the retail building was likely  granted an easement to use the drive for auto access. Developed after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it has no concern for pedestrians entering from Jefferson or even the adjacent grocery store. Plenty of auto parking though.
ABOVE: Pedestrians using wheelchairs can't access the side, the only ramp provided is in the middle of the facade reached via the parking lot
ABOVE: The grocery building is very close to the retail building but in pedestrian terms it is miles away
Reaching the site
The problems aren’t limited to the site.
ABOVE: Crosswalks with pedestrian signals aren't accessible, are unfriendly even to the able-bodied
Perhaps the attitude was “why bother?” since no pedestrian route exits to the front of the buildings. It’s no surprise to me this has failed as a retail draw, urban customers must be able to reach the stores by foot as well as car.
Corner Gas Station:
The NW corner of Jefferson & Lafayette has had a gas station since  1950. The building has changed but the issues have been the same for more than six decades.
ABOVE: This is currently the neighborhood's grocery store, but it's no more walkable
ABOVE: Sidewalk and auto drives merge into one, with autos winning the territory
The pedestrian space is lost, overtaken by autos. A public library branch is across Lafayette Ave., Â in the background. Let’s get around to Lafayette Ave, the south edge of the area.
ABOVE: The former Texas Ave (left) is now a driveway into the Foodland site but it lacks sidewalks for pedestrian use
In 1998 a Holiday Inn Express was built on a separate parcel south of the still-open grocery store.
ABOVE: Pedestrian access to Lafayette Ave is provided but it's too narrow
I was barely able to get past the brick columns and I had to move a bench on the sidewalk under the canopy to be able to head toward the grocery store.
ABOVE: A connection to allow guests to walk to the grocery wasn't provided.
ABOVE: The hotel as seen from the grocery
I reviewed Historic Aerials from 1958, 1971, 1998 and later for this post. Â Search for 1601 S. Jefferson 63104 to view for yourself. Tomorrow I will offer my thoughts on how Green Street Properties together with adjacent property owners and the city can connect the retail to the surroundings.
- Steve Patterson
