Readers: Aquarium A Good Fit For Union Station

I’ve never been to an aquarium before, but I know they’re popular attractions.  We recently spent the day at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, next to their Shedd Aquarium.  Shedd’s ticket prices range from $8/adult ($6/child) to $54.95/adult ($45.95/child). I assume most but the $37.95/28.95 “total experience” ticket, it allows you to see everything but you must wait in lines.

For years I’d heard about the World Aquarium, located within City Museum. Now it’s in Laclede’s Landing. Adult admission, for comparison, is only $6.

The new aquarium will be in addition to the existing:

St. Louis Aquarium will be a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, LHM said. The facility will employ marine biologists and aquarists to care for the creatures displayed and oversee water chemistry, animal nutrition, veterinary duties, education, staffing and safety.

The association, based in Silver Spring, Md., has more than 230 members. Among them is the Butterfly House, which opened in 1998 in Chesterfield and, since 2001, has been a division of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

The aquarium, expected to get a million visitors annually, will be a draw for school groups as well as an entertainment destination, LHM said. An 8,500-square-foot event space with the shark tank as a backdrop will be available for weddings, social gatherings and corporate parties. (Post-Dispatch)

As with zoos, I question the ethics of keeping wild animals in captivity for our amusement.

The results of the non-scientific Sunday Poll:

Q: Agree or disagree: An aquarium in the former shopping mall area is a good fit for Union Station

• Strongly agree 13 [27.08%]
• Agree 11 [22.92%]
• Somewhat agree 7 [14.58%]
• Neither agree or disagree 1 [2.08%]
• Somewhat disagree 2 [4.17%]
• Disagree 6 [12.5%]
• Strongly disagree 6 [12.5%]
• Unsure/No Answer 2 [4.17%]

I voted for “somewhat agree”, but it depends on the execution, admission price, etc. I’m more excited about the new hotel rooms to be built within the clock tower!

— Steve Patterson

Readers Impressed With St. Louis’ New Riverfront

The biggest group of readers in the latest non-scientfc Sunday Poll were “somewhat impressed” with the remake of Lenore K Sullivan Blvd.

Q: Impression of St. Louis’ new riverfront?

• Very impressed 8 [15.09%]
• Impressed 9 [16.98%]
• Somewhat impressed 15 [28.3%]
• Neither impressed or unimpressed 7 [13.21%]
• Somewhat unimpressed 6 [11.32%]
• Unimpressed 3 [5.66%]
• Very unimpressed 0 [0%]
• Unsure/No Answer 5 [9.43%]

More than 1 in 5 are neutral at this point.

The opening event didn’t work well for accessibility — they parked food trucks on the sidewalk. The end of the food lines were behind a curb. I too voted for “somewhat impressed” — I like the stainless steel railings and the raised streetlight bases.

— Steve Patterson

A Sneak Peak Inside The Lofts @ 625 North Euclid

Two weeks ago I visited a building I’d been in many times before. The 6-story warehouse on the SW corner of Euclid & Delmar, known as the Euclid Plaza Building for decades, is being transformed into high-end apartments known as 625 Lofts at Euclid. I got a personal tour from the developers. I previously posted about this project in May, see: Delmar & Euclid Building Will Soon Have New Use As Apartments.

The following are gone:

• The 70s/80s dated 2-story center lobby
• Former offices, hallways, bathrooms, etc
• The fixed windows
• Freight elevator in SW corner of the building

The following were retained:

• Three passenger elevators
• Medicine Shoppe pharmacy

Three of five floors are finished, residents have begun moving in. We took a look at the display units, plus a couple units on a floor still being completed.

Each unit is unique compared to others on the same floor. One bathroom featured a rain shower head, for example. Due to construction, we didn’t get up to the roof. When finished, it’ll be fully accessible, but it wasn’t yet when I visited. Interior parking is wisely unbundled — you pay extra if you need a parking space.

The developers say they’ve had no problems leasing the units, anticipate full occupancy despite rents on the high side. I think it’s important for cities to offer a variety of housing options — at a variety of price points. Purchase & rental.

After they get all the 82 residential units finished and occupied they’ll push for commercial tenants facing Euclid. Euclid & Delmar is a corner to watch. If you’re in the market for a nice apartment check out their website and visit the leasing office.

— Steve Patterson

Reuse Potential If The USPS Ever Moved Processing Out Of St. Louis’ Main Post Office

A week ago I posted some Historical Background on St. Louis’ Main Post Office, today I want to talk about the current building and options should the USPS ever decide to move processing to a newer, larger, facility. I have no idea if such a move is even being considered — this is a hypothetical exercise.

Let’s start in front and walk around…

Everything from 1909 is long gone, including 17th & Walnut streets.

There are a couple of ways to go with the post office, keep the 1070s addition or remove it. What could be another use for the windowless addition? One thought is an indoor grow from for produce or marijuana (medical or recreational). With LED lighting it might do well. The truck access could aid in distribution.

But I like the idea of razing every bit of the 1970s addition.

I picture a restaurant in the lobby of the post office, with outdoor seating on the raised terrace out front. Perhaps residential in the back portion?

Seventeenth & Walnut streets could both be continued through, 17th South to Clark and Walnut West to the new 17th. New buildings could front onto Market, 16th, 17th, and Clark. New building(s) facing Clark between 16th-17th and the 1939 building a 18th could begin to transform Clark. This could help with ideas I’ve stared before:

• November 2011: TOD Needed at Civic Center Transit Center
• October 2012: Building Over Light Rail
• May 2014: Connecting St. Louis’ Downtown Sports Facilities Via 7th & Clark

This could lead to filling in the wasteland of parking lots between the light rail line and the elevated I-64.  Again, this is hypothetical in case the USPS moves mail processing in the future.

— Steve Patterson

Our Sprawl Means Lots Of Grass To Cut, Room For Urban Food Production

During the recent Board of Aldermen session where the budget was passed, a lot of time was spent discussing the cost of grass cutting. The discussion mostly focused on city/LRA-owned lots. We’re fortunate enough to have many parks throughout the city, but we also have many useless patches of grass that require regular cutting for months.

One example:

Throughout the city we have areas like the one shown above, a result of decades of suburban planning. The state mows the grass in the highway right-of-ways, but the city must cut it elsewhere. Before moving downtown I’d see Forestry cutting grass at Minnesota & Delor — see Google Street View. No telling how many total acres areas like this we’re cutting.

For the vacant lots the city has a new mow to own program, but there’s no easy solution to these scattered strips throughout the city. Some might work for food production, crops or fruit trees. In 2014, Seattle harvested almost 14 tons of fruit from public trees.

St. Louisans will come up with a laundry list of reasons why public land can’t be used to produce food.

— Steve Patterson