Bike Parking an Afterthought at the International Institute

St. Louis’ International Institute serves thousands of new immigrants each year. Unfortunately, it seems these new Americans adopt cars for transportation just like the rest of us.

A few years back when the International Institute redid their building on South Grand they forgot more than just windows. They forgot a bike rack.

They do have a rack — well somewhat. They have the tired old “dish drainer” type rack, one of the worst. It was clearly an afterthought (nothing pre-planned should be done this poorly).

When I was biking home yesterday on Grand I spotted this bike locked to the rack. I’m not sure if it belongs to their staff or a client.

The owner only locked the front wheel to the rack. This bike doesn’t have quick release hubs so you’d need a wrench to undue the front wheel to steal the bike. The lock the owner uses is good — a short cable loop. But, due to the poor design of this rack the owner cannot use the rack and lock properly. One must be compromised. I personally would have taken one side of the rack or the end and locked the frame to the rack.

The rack is halfway into their planting space despite a large area of concrete at the building entrance (which faces their parking lot rather than the street).

Anytime you’ve got a dish drain bike rack sitting in a planting bed locked to a lamp post with a rusty chain you send the message that bike parking isn’t very important.

– Steve

Adler Lofts Will Close Part of Street Grid

Just a few short years ago this area on the West edge of downtown St. Louis saw little construction activity. When Pyramid began lofts in the Sporting News Building at 2020 Washington some thought they were crazy. But in the year or so the Sporting News has been completed we are seeing lots of activity in the immediate area, including the Adler Frame Building across the street and the Majestic Stove complex to the North of that.

At right is the Washington Avenue face of the Adler Lofts. While I think their floor plans are quite creative and prices reasonable, their site plan sucks.

The one story section in the foreground should be some sort of retail space such as a market, deli, coffee house or other space serving local residents. Instead, it will be covered parking. What is the likelihood that once the area is booming that residents will give up these spaces so a needed retail space can move in? Highly unlikely. We will forever be stuck with a huge section of dead sidewalk for indoor parking.

This view is the SW corner of the building at Washington & 21st. Street (map). Well, I should say the former 21st Street.

The site plan for the Adler Lofts indicates the street will be vacated and combined with a small parcel to the West of the building (shown to the left in the picture). Big deal right? Just one short block? Well, yes and no.

The distance from Washington Avenue to Lucas Avenue to the North is very short. And it is true this street has not seen much traffic in recent years. But, once 21st is missing the length of this block will be substantial as the distance from 20th to 22nd is quite long on foot.

In the coming five years this area will be rebuilt with all existing buildings becoming lofts with lots of street-level retail and restaurants. However, if start chipping away at the street grid we will compromise future walkability in this area. We must look ahead and not be so short sided.

At right is the view looking South on 21st street from Delmar. If I rented one of the new lofts in the Majestic (at left in picture) and wanted to walk to the Tap Room at Locust & 21st I’d have to either go over to 20th or to 22nd to do so. It just doesn’t seem right to be starting off an area with such clear compromises. Would it be so bad if residents had to cross 21st street to get to their secured parking? My friend in Seattle has secured parking across the street from his condo and it seems like no big deal. In fact, having his car across the street we will often just keep walking rather than rely on his car to get around.

If you go back to the site plan and look closer you’ll see that not only is 21st Street closed but the folks to the North get to look at fenced in services. When we do close streets we need to make sure we do it with some style and class. Terminating 21st street into a service gate is not a good idea.

As upset as I am about the closing of 21st Street I am even more concerned about Lucas Avenue. Looking closely at the Adler site plan it looks like the interestingly narrow Lucas Avenue will be closed from 20th to 21st as part of the Majestic Lofts project. This is as bad as closing 21st unless the general public can continue to cross this area by foot & bike. I’ve had no luck securing any documentation on the site plan for the Majestic Lofts. Anyone know what is going on with Lucas?

Our street grid is just as important as the buildings. They work together. Destroying the street grid is damaging the area’s potential. Sure, it will still be interesting and exciting just not as functional as it could or should be.

– Steve

A Brief Look at St. Louis’ Kiener Plaza

This morning I attended a presentation by Fred Kent and Kathy Madden of the Project for Public Spaces. Great folks doing great work. They are about creating places, not “projects.” Afterwards I was taking a guest downtown to the media conference in town so I thought I’d stop by Kiener Plaza to check my email (the park is a free wi-fi zone).

First, crossing the street into Kiener plaza was interesting. Check out the photo at right. See anything wrong? Note the location of the pedestrian crosswalk and the location of the pedestrian signal. Standing at the crosswalk I was unable to make out the cross signal. Instead, I crossed based on traffic.

Kiener Plaza is so full of mistakes there is not way I could cover them all in one post. Much of the lack of use can also be contributed to the dreadful buildings, mostly parking garages, facing the space.

But, I was there to check my email. Coincidentally I ran into PPS’ Fred Kent and Kathy Madden while I was there. They had just been interviewed by Charlie Brennan on KMOX. We had a nice conversation. We agreed that St. Louis has the potential to be a great place.

I settle down to check my email and glare is a problem so I move to a shady area near the amphitheater. No wi-fi signal detected. I head back toward the middle of the park and I get a signal. Great. One problem, no internet. The folks at the tourist information office seemed clueless about the wi-fi.

Originally Kiener Plaza was only a block in size. Bounded by Broadway, Market, 6th and Chestnut. During the 80s make over the block to the West was cleared if its historic buildings and given an amphitheater. In the process 6th street was closed.

Map of Kiener Plaza

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South Grand Improvements Miss the Mark in Areas

Last night I was biking along Grand where new improvements were made, including the designation of bike lanes. The main improvement to Grand was to reduce the amount of paving. To narrow the street to two lanes in each direction plus a striped bike lane. On-street parking remains in places and in others the room simply doesn’t exist.

At Arsenal the shops on the East side of the street facing Tower Grove Park gained a bit more “green” space between the sidewalk and curb line. Since no on-street parking exists in this area one might assume you don’t need any concrete between curb and sidewalk. But that would be a wrong assumption. I was on the bike lane and wanted to get to the sidewalk. My choices were either continue ahead to where parking is permitted and then double back or walk my bike through the planting area. At this point it is just mulch but eventually this will be planted.

Also, this is a pretty active corner. The hair salon, florist and corner restaurant are all popular. Auto parking is in the back of the building. Bike parking is non-existent. The one lamp post in the mulched area doesn’t give cyclists many choices for securing their bikes when visiting these businesses. I’d like to see two or three inverted-U racks added in this section.


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St. Louis’ Clifton Heights Neighborhood Quite Unique

It amazes me that some lifetime St. Louis area residents still haven’t discovered the Clifton Heights neighborhood. I love to take visitors through the area as well, after seeing blocks of solid red brick housing in a mostly grid pattern the curvy streets and topography of Clifton Heights is an unexpected change.

I’ve sold two houses in the Clifton Heights neighborhood in the last few years. One just off the lake but still with a good view and another a couple of blocks away. I was back in Clifton Heights on Thursday showing a house to a client. I couldn’t help but grin as I arrived. I love Clifton Heights.

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