Undoing a huge mistake from the 1980s

At 5:10pm Today a wrecking ball will take a swing at the 4-story pedestrian bridge over Washington Ave.  The bridge, and it’s twin across Locust St, were certainly a mistake but the real mistake was the construction of an indoor mall downtown.  The grand scheme to revitalize downtown by razing an entire city block between two large department stores to make a massive 3-block indoor shopping mecca was so amazingly flawed. The large blank walls of the pedestrian bridges  distract from an entire city block razed and the land assembled into a monolithic mall.

“St. Louis Centre, built in 1985 for $95 million, was once the largest enclosed urban shopping center in the country with 120 stores and a food court with 20 restaurants. The mall has deteriorated in recent years and now only a handful of stores remain.” [St. Louis Business Journal 2007]

“In April 1981, [Mayor] Schoemehl hit the office running. He continued the work begun by his predecessor, Jim Conway, on the St. Louis Centre shopping mall downtown and pushed to completion the long-discussed St. Louis Union Station renovation.” [St. Louis Post-Dispatch 11/1/1992]

Some would say the city was just responding to the market, that retailers wanted to be in indoor malls so we had to build an indoor mall to attract those retailers.  I don’t believe in chasing every trend in suburbia (malls, houses with front garages, etc) to attract that market.  I believe in working toward the best urban public streets and spaces as possible and people will follow and the retailers will follow the people.

Older urban centers can’t  — and shouldn’t — try to compete with new suburban areas on their terms — large parking lots, huge setbacks, etc.  No, the urban core needs to provide an urban experience.  Suburbia can build all the New Urbanist developments on greenfield sites or even retrofit a “downtown” into an once auto-centric suburb but they can never offer what an older core has to offer.  The core tossing aside what makes it unique to capture a suburban audience is just foolish.

But St. Louis and nearly every other city in America did just that — ignored existing urbanism to chase the suburbanite.  So we can take comfort knowing we were not alone — other cities were just as stupid as we were.

U.S. Bank is sponsoring a big street party tonight as the wrecking ball hits the bridge.  The event is timed for live coverage on the local TV news.  The bridge will take 3 weeks to remove so don’t expect to see down Washington Ave Saturday morning.

But what about the rest of the shuttered mall? Retail will finally face the direction it always should have — the sidewalk.

“When considering the future of vacant and underused space downtown, it is important to consider what I believe to be certain realities. Among these are the following: …. (2) Given the presence of world-class shopping at St. Louis Centre and Union Station, we cannot hope to fill all of the ground floor space downtown with retail shops.”

– Richard Ward in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch March 30, 1989

How times have changed!  The spaces are not full and it will be many years before they are full but building the “largest enclosed urban shopping center in the country” set us back at least a decade if not more.

The upper levels of the mall will be occupied as well — by parked cars, not people.  750 cars I believe! These spaces will help keep some firms located downtown but we really must get a handle on our supply and demand of parking.  To me our allowance of parking spaces is excessive except where it is really needed — on the street in front of sidewalk-level storefronts and restaurants. Those going to work for 8 hours shouldn’t park on the street just as those just hanging out downtown should be able to park on the street near their destination.  Arriving at a street with zero on-street says “good luck parking” whereas arriving at a street with on-street parking spaces — even if full — says “this is a popular area.”

I’m glad we are finally at this point but we still have a long way to go to undo the many mistakes made over the last few decades. The “Bridge Bash” will be held on Washington Ave (7th-9th Streets) from 4pm to 7pm tonight.

– Steve Patterson

Readers support changes to laws regarding Cannabis sativa

The results of last week’s poll are interesting.

Q: What are you thoughts on Cannabis sativa? (Pick up to three)

1. Industrial hemp is not a drug and farmers should be allowed to grow the crop 97 [24.49%]
2. Possession should be decriminalized 96 [24.24%]
3. Medical marijuana should be legalized in Missouri 74 [18.69%]
4. Possession of small quantities should be decriminalized 48 [12.12%]
5. The “medical” need is abused where allowed 38 [9.6%]
6. The drug is bad and possession should remain illegal 18 [4.55%]
7. Other answer… 16 [4.04%]
8. If industrial hemp is allowed it would be used to hide the growing of the drug 9 [2.27%]

Note that people could select up to three answers. Thankfully the ‘industrial hemp is not a drug’ answer got the most votes.  But it is also clear many of the readers that voted in the poll favor some form of decriminalization.

The “other” answers were:

1. It should be legalized and taxed.
2. it doesnt do as much damage as liquor so i dont see why its not legal already.
3. don’t care
4. This seems off topic
5. Legalize It!
6. Marijuana should be 100% completely legal!
7. Full legalization
8. Full legalization for all purposes
9. It’s a slippery slope but some new options should be investigated.
10. Legalize it!
11. It should be treated like alcohol
12. Full Legalization – How whiskey is legal but weed isn’t speaks of our hypoc
13. Marijuana should be legalized and taxed.
14. Legalize all uses
15. legalize it! and i don’t even smoke!
16. use taxes from its’ sale to finance states that are bankrupt.

As attitudes about Cannabis and the drug marijuana relax, cities will need polices to deal with the change.  The next ten years will be interesting as the laws change.

– Steve Patterson

Poll: Immigration law and cities

Arizona’s new immigration  law is the new hot topic being debated nationwide and cities are getting drawn into the debate:

At least three Arizona cities are considering a lawsuit to block the new immigration enforcement law.

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon is indicating he’s ready to go it alone and file suit to keep the law from taking effect.

Gordon criticized the measure as “economically devastating.” Councilman Claude Mattox said council approval is needed to challenge the law.

In Tucson, council members want more time to discuss whether they should take legal action.

City Councilwoman Regina Romero said it’s her belief the law is unconstitutional and urged her colleagues to challenge what she described as a misguided law.

Flagstaff council members are expected to review their legal options against the measure. (Source)

Here is a short video report from the Associated Press:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J-mEMLp9DQ

Under the ban, sent to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer by the state legislature Thursday, schools will lose state funding if they offer any courses that “promote the overthrow of the U.S. government, promote resentment of a particular race or class of people, are designed primarily for students of a particular ethnic group or advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.” (source)

In some St. Louis circles, Arizona’s new law is a growing concern.  As shown above, it was the most recent cover story on the Spanish language paper Red Latina.

The poll this week asks your views on the new law. I didn’t include specifics about St. Louis or cities in general but keep that in mind as you vote in the poll (Top right) and comment below.

– Steve Patterson

Poll: Cannabis sativa, medical marijuana and cities

I’ve inhaled once, the year was 2005 and I was 38 at the time (There Is A First Time For Everything). I was with three friends, all very responsible adults, and I was curious.  I see marijuana as less destructive than alcohol or tobacco.

DENVER — Medical marijuana dispensaries are springing up in Colorado’s major cities like coffee shops, nail parlors, tanning salons or taco shops.

It’s been 10 years since Colorado voted to allow the use and sale of marijuana for medical reasons. But in the past six months, the number of patients and dispensaries has skyrocketed.  (USA Today)

I should note that a friend, who is a doctor, sent me studies showing connections to cancer.  I don’t doubt the connection.  She questions the need for many that have prescriptions, where legal. As states begin to legalize medical marijuana the cities in those states are faced with policy issues about dispensaries.

OAKLAND, Calif. – Like hip-hop, health food and snowboarding, marijuana is going corporate.

As more and more states allow medical use of the drug, and California considers outright legalization, marijuana’s supporters are pushing hard to burnish the image of pot by franchising dispensaries and building brands; establishing consulting, lobbying and law firms; setting up trade shows and a seminar circuit; and constructing a range of other marijuana-related businesses.  (NY Times)

Cannabis sativa is often misunderstood:

Cannabis sativa is an annual plant in the Cannabaceae family. It is a herb that has been used throughout recorded history by humans as a source of fiber, for its seed oil, as food (see hemp), as a drug (see cannabis (drug)), as medicine (see medical cannabis), and for spiritual purposes (see spiritual use of cannabis). Each part of the plant is harvested differently, depending on the purpose of its use.

While hemp is not a drug, growing it is illegal.  Environmentally friendly hemp products are imported or hemp material is imported so products can be made.Federal lawmakers need to allow farmers to grow industrial hemp.

The poll this week is designed to get your thoughts on Cannabis sativa.  I hope I have a good variety of answers.  This week I’m testing the ability for you to select up to three answers.

– Steve Patterson

The Soulard voting riot of 1852

Voters in the region will go to the polls tomorrow.  In St. Louis County voters will be asked to approve Proposition A to help fund local public transit.

It was on this day in 1852 that voting led to a riot. From the book “St. Louis Day by Day” by Frances Hurd Stadler:

“This election day was filled with bloody rioting between recently enfranchised Germans and native-born Americans with the battlefield centered in the Soulard Market area. Early in the morning First Ward poll workers discouraged Whig voters from casting their ballots.  The discouragement increased until some would-be voters barely escaped with their lives. When the rumor spread that Germans had taken over the First Ward polls, a large group of Americans moved in.”

From the history of Soulard Market:

In St. Louis, the burgeoning German immigrant population sided fervently with the abolitionist North, while most of the Americans and French were Southern sympathizers. During mayoral election day in April 1852, some German men began preventing, by the threat of bodily harm, the presumed opposition from voting at the Soulard Market polling place.

Word quickly spread of this action, which enraged the American population. A mob of 5,000 Americans moved through the streets that afternoon toward the market. They were greeted by firsts, rocks, brickbats, and even gunshots, but 200 or so of the Americans broke through and seized the Soulard Market poll with shouts of “Free suffrage!”. The violence lasted into the night; persons were killed and a nearby tavern was set ablaze.

Voting tomorrow should be less dramatic!  If you are a registered voter in St. Louis County please support Prop A.

– Steve Patterson