I’ve used many sidewalks throughout St. Louis, most are adequate. It just takes one bad point though to made a decent sidewalk barely adequate. That happened to me on Saturday going from Kingshighway to Grand for yesterday’s post. The entire length, over 1.5 miles, was good until I was almost at Grand.
The worn grass shows many pedestrians avoid the obstacle in this sidewalk along the south side of Forest Park Ave, just west of Grand.Close up view shows the significant height
I see these often, I think they’re lids for vaults. Everyone I’ve encountered are raised above the adjacent sidewalk. Who’s responsible? The City? MSD (Metropolitan Sewer District)? The adjacent property owner, Saint Louis University? I haven’t a clue, but I’ll email this post to a few people and find out.
Forest Park Ave from Kingshighway to Grand (map) is 1.6 miles long with the potential to be a dense urban corridor. Developers, however, would like to make it a typical low-density big box chain retail corridor. I’d like to show you why I believe two big box retail developments at Forest Park Avenue & Vandeventer are out of character, why these will undo the work others have done recently.
I had enough photos of various buildings along Forest Park Ave to write this post, but Saturday I spent about 90 minutes taking around 150 photos as I traveled the entire length in my wheelchair. Why go to such trouble? I believe cities can’t be properly understood driving through in a car, or worse, relying on Google street view. You’ve got to hit the pavement to really get what an area is about.
I got off the bus on Forest Park Ave at the first stop east of Kingshighway and returned downtown from the Grand MetroLink station, about 2 miles of travel. Don’t worry, I’m only going to show you a small percentage of the images I took.
Looking east toward Euclid Ave we see numerous multi-story buildings, including medical, hotel, & apartments, all recent structuresOne low-rise strip center exists on the NE corner at Taylor Ave. If the St. Louis Streetcar gets built expect this 1985 building to be replaced with something more denseThe 1972 Parkview Apts next door contain 192 units on a lot just 65% bigger than the strip center.This 3-story apt building was built in 1930, it contains 24 units. The building next door was built in 1908Across Forest Park is the Rehab Institute, I had some outpatient physical therapy here.Back on the north side of Forest Park we have a 242 unit building built in 1977This block contains older buildings as well, all 2-3 storiesSame is true on the south side of Forest Park AveThis is a very pleasant place to be a pedestrian even with many cars passing byThe 3-story Cortex building from 2006 faces Forest Park AveUnfortunately this 2-story structure at S. Boyle, built in 1919, will be razed for a wide pedestrian mall leading to a new MetroLink station to be built 2 blocks southAcross the street a similar building was successfully renovated for an independence center and upscale resale store. This was built in 1931.One of the few 1-story buildings, this one dates to 1912 and has many windows on the street-facing facade. Currently used as a dialysis center.The general rule, however, is 2-levels up to 6 or more at times. All front Forest Park AveFormer Ford plant is now apartments with street-level retailTwo of the four storefronts are still available.The 3-story warehouse from 1901 is now part of the Center for Emerging TechnologiesA long-time Salvation Army facility, 3-stories facing Forest Park AveA 2-story Laclede Gas buildingThe 2-story firehouse at Vandeventer was built in 1965A former warehouse facing Forest Park, and another facing Laclede, are apartments geared toward SLU students. The parking garage was set back enough to permit a shallow liner building.At Spring Ave millions have been invested in existing urban buildingsMicrobrewer Six Row is in the urban building on the SE corner at Spring AveFinally at Grand we have one of SLU’s residence halls, though not oriented to Forest Park Ave
As you can see each block for the last 1.5 miles from Kingshighway has buildings fronting Forest Park Ave, nearly all 2 or more floors. Seems like every decade since the early 20th century new buildings have followed this pattern. But now Pace wants to change the pattern drastically, a new vision.
Pace Properties wants to build a retail center, called Midtown Station, on Forest Park Ave. between Vandeventer and Spring.
Pace says the site is ideal because of its proximity to St. Louis University and Washington University, as well as major employers like Ameren Missouri, BJC and Wells Fargo. (KSDK)
Pace wants to have the backs of big boxes facing Forest Park Ave & Vandeventer AveThis big box development (yellow) coupled with another to the west (purple) will completely undo the hard work and investment of others along the Forest Park Ave corridor
Next to Saint Louis University should be walkable retail shops, not the blank walls of the back of big boxes. I’m not opposed to retail, I’m opposed to the form these developments will likely take. I’m gathering examples of how this could be done much better, look for another post next month.
I don’t want this new suburban big box vision to reverse the urban corridor.
Most signalized intersections in St. Louis don’t require pedestrians to push buttons to get a “walk” sign, but this is changing as sidewalks & signals are updated. The biggest challenge is hunting for the right button to press. Take 14th & Olive, for example.
The NW corner has both buttons on the same poll, top for Olive, lower for 14thThe NE corner also has both buttons on the same poll, top for Olive, lower for 14thLike the others, the SE corner has both buttons on the same poll, top for Olive, lower for 14thThe SW corner, however, is totally different from the other 3 corners. The button on the left is next to the ramp to cross Olive, but it is for 14th. The button at right is closest to the ramp to cross 14th, but controls Olive. What were they thinking?
On the SW corner I’m not sure why both buttons aren’t on the same poll, with the top one for Olive, the one already controls the 14th signal. Typically when the buttons are separated from each other the one nearest a ramp controls that signal.
Every time I go through this intersection I forget and have to circle around to hit the right button. I’m not sure if this can easily be rectified, but I’ll find out.
The project to redo Tucker Blvd from Cass Ave to Washington Ave is nearly complete. The Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge will be open in early 2014, bringing many into downtown along the rebuilt Tucker Blvd, but the rebuild stops at Washington Ave, because that’s where the old passenger rail tunnel stopped.
Looking west across Tucker from the NE corner at Olive. Too wide, no directional ramp.
The public right-of-way (PROW) north of Washington Ave is a generous 80 feet wide, the new streetscape is fresh looking, with 2 lanes in each direction plus parking protected by curb bulbs. The half mile from Washington Ave south to Spruce St the width nearly doubles to a massive 150 feet. It has too many lanes — seven total travel lanes, a center turn lane, plus two parking lanes. See map.
Pedestrians crossing Tucker on the south side of Washington Ave, the wide side
This half mile stretch of Tucker Blvd looks dated and functionally it’s awful as a motorist and as a pedestrian.
SLU at least did directional ramps in front of their new law school building, but the crossing distances are excessive. Bulbs at the ends of the parking lanes would reduce crossing widths.Example of curb bulb behind a parking lane, Tucker & MLK in front of the Post-Dispatch
Plus in a busy central business district the minimum width ADA ramp is way too narrow for all the pedestrians, strollers, wheelchairs, & [mobility] scooters. Just north of Market St the future Gateway Mall “hallway”, the wide sidewalk planned to connect the mall from Broadway to 20th can be planned for.
The Gateway Mall master plan calls for this “hallway” to run from Broadway to 20th, only two blocks exist currently, in Citygarden shown hereLooking south across Clark St toward the soon to be former police headquarters on the west side of Tucker.
Of course, many other streets throughout the city also need a road diet. I know, there’s no money for any of them. We need to figure out which ones need a diet and what we’d like to do. Then work to fund them.
In a July 2010 post I described 500 North Broadway as a “prison-like office building.” The building was sold in January 2011, the new owners intent to change its image:
Robert Guller, principal of BEB Management of Town and Country, said Friday that he will invest $10 million to $15 million on improvements to 500 North Broadway over the next year or so. He also plans to sell the naming rights of the 40-year-old building.
Guller and his father, Arthur, completed their cash purchase of the building on Wednesday. (stltoday)
Two and a half years later the building remains heavy& dark, but the new entry/lobby is very welcoming, especially at night.
The new glass entry at 500 N. Broadway (@ Washington Ave)
We should go back to see what it used to look like to appreciate the changes.
In July 2010 I used this image to illustrate the “prison-like office building”. Five levels of parking on top of the ground floor kill the appearance. The building opened in 1970.I didn’t use this pic in July 2010 of the Broadway facade with main entry but it shows the awful before condition.During construction in April 2013Still prison-like, but a welcoming prisonNew lobby at 500 N. Broadway
When the building was sold in 2011 it was mostly vacant, still is based on the tenant list out front. Now that construction is complete there will be tenants interested in relocating to this location. Other buildings, like One Financial across Broadway, are also getting new lobbies to shed tired old looks so they can retain/attract tenants.
Kuddos to the owners & architects for improving the outward appearance of this building.
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