From a recent Deb Peterson column in the Post-Distpach:
BUSINESS PER USUAL: THF Realty took the acronym out of its name and put the words back in – To Have Fun – at the company’s annual meeting Thursday night at the St. Louis Zoo’s Living World. About 300 people – including 100 employees and 200 business partners – listened and danced to rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Famer Johnnie Johnson. The revelers were toasting THF for being recognized as the fastest-growing privately held developer in the country. 

The Post-Disptach reported a few days ago that THF is seeking TIF financing for a project in Arnold. In the way is a VFW Hall. Municipalities across the region are doing whatever they can to increase their budgets. Unfortunately, many seek auto-centric big box developments.

So who is this THF Realty and is big box so bad? THF Realty is a privately held developer responsible for projects in nearly 20 states. Many of these include either a Wal-Mart, Sam’s or Lowes. Given that Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the US this is hardly a surprise right? But it isn’t really a coincidence. The chairman of privately owned THF Realty is Wal-Mart heir Stanley Kroenke. The THF website bio of Kroenke says he is a member of Wal-Mart’s board but a check of that site does not list him.

Wal-Mart is pro sprawl and therefore anti-urban.

Maplewood has been doing everything it can to take in more tax revenue – at the expense of its once-charming urbanity. The new Shop-N-Save grocery store along Manchester road subtracts from the charming main street buildings across the street. Their latest attempt to destroy their city is a massive suburban center along Hanley. Two of the three boxes are complete – Wal-Mart and Sam’s. The third, a Lowe’s Home Improvement is still being constructed. All three are Wal-Mart owned stores.

The picture below is the view a pedestrian has as they leave the remaining neighborhood and walk toward the development. I think the highline wires will be removed once the project is complete so I am not faulting those. However, those are the only thing that separate a pedestrian from passing cars. While the grass may be green and the shrubs attractive this is not a pedestrian-friendly environment. You’ve got a massive retaining wall to one side and cars flying past you on the other. You have no shade because street trees are not being planted around this project. People walk when they have something engaging to look at but here it is plainness all the way to the entry.

Below is a picture from the side street on the North edge of the development. In the far left you can see the residential houses adjacent to this super-sized project. Facing the pedestrian is the cross walk from the street into the development. The distance to cross this entry is far greater than crossing the actual street! The generous radius of the entrance is designed to keep the cars moving in and out at great speeds – never mind the safety of pedestrians crossing the drive.

Continuing down the same road (see below) we see the sidewalk is pushed up against the curb. Funny how a project with over 30 acres can’t afford a 3ft strip to plan trees. The side of the street adjacent to the development is now marked as ‘No Parking.’ Not that anyone going to Wal-Mart is going to park on the street and walk through the holiday season sized parking lot anyway. But, if I lived in a house across the street it might be nice if guests could park on the street. A row of parked cars would give pedestrians a greater sense of safety.

And finally we get to the point adjacent to the side of the Wal-Mart, the side with the automotive center and greenhouse. Changes in grade mean the home owners next door are not subjected to the sight of all the cars. Unfortunately they are subjected to the massive parking lot lights. This part of the street actually has good separation of the sidewalk from the street but the landscaping is done and street trees are not important. Street parking is prohibited.

I measured the width of the street at this point which is narrower than it is closer to Hanley. The street is 30ft wide – more than sufficient for parking on both sides. Just allowing street parking could have reduced some of the parking lot size. Many other cities have adopted guidelines for streets - click here to view.

But my going on about THF’s development not being pedestrian friendly is really a waste of time. It’s a fucking big box development – it isn’t supposed to be pedestrian friendly. You are supposed to drive there – even if you live a block away. They want you to drive a big SUV so you can buy lots of cheap goods. Like you are going to walk to Sam’s and carry back a 3-gallon tub of mayo?

The THF website says it best:

“When we drive down the street, we do not only see what is in front of us…we see the future.

We see growing communities where none exist. We imagine innovative ways to attract businesses that will invest in building successful operations in new communities. We see economic growth that attracts new residents, and results in new homes, new schools and new playgrounds.

When we drive down the street, we see much more than the potential for a new shopping center. We see – and build – developments that become the economic engine of the community.

Our projects turn out the way they do not just because we dream bigger or brighter. Our developments are successful because we have built a unique organization focused on consistently delivering a signature product. How? By executing better than everyone else.”

Wow, when we drive down the street. What about when we walk to the corner store? When we bike to the library? Nope. When we DRIVE. They see communities where none exist – aka sprawl. They see a world of continued sprawl that puts work, home, school and leisure in an auto-centric world that is the “economic engine of the community.” And when the fuel prices skyrocket these communities will come crashing down first.

Most of the region is so auto based I don’t know if it matters that THF wants to raze a VFW Hall in Arnold. But, the City of St. Louis is still quite urban in design so I ask that Kroenke/THF not try to help us out. Mr. Kroenke, we don’t need what THF has to offer.

Related Sites to visit:
• Sprawl-Busters
• Wal-Mart Watch
• Sprawl Watch
• Natural Resources Defense Council
• Smart Growth
• Congress for the New Urbanism
• New Urban News (free subscription with membership in CNU!)

Steve

I haven’t lost my mind. I mean, parking for bicycles. Look around, how many bike racks do you see in city or burbs? Sadly, too few. It does little to no good to have striped bike lanes to encourage cycling if you don’t have a place to secure your bike when you get there.

Schlafly’s Bottleworks in the old Shop-N-Save store in Manchester provides quite a bit of parking as shown below.

Sunday’s annual meeting of the St. Louis Regional Bike Federation overflowed the available bike parking so much that some had to use the patio railing to secure their bikes.

I’m happy to report I was elected to the Board of Directors of the St. Louis Regional Bike Federation at our annual meeting held yesterday at TheBottleworks in Maplewood. Daily cyclist Bob Foster returns as Chair and John Sweet remained Treasurer. Another daily cyclist, Jason McClelland, became Vice-Chair, and well-known cyclist Carrie Zukoski was elected Secretary. Other members of the board are Ben Hockenhull, Karen Karabell, Michael Macheca, Mike Murray, Martin Pion, Luis Porrello, Wes Ridgeway, Steve Sleet, Patrick Van Der Tuin and Russ Willis.

Steve

According to the sign at the new plaza and parking lot at 18th & Park Ave, it is the Heart of Lafayette Square. Silly me, I assumed the heart of Lafayette Square was actually Lafayette Square. Maybe someone voted to move the heart?

Yeah, that’s it. Someone voted to move the heart away from the 30 acre park platted in 1836. Come on, that stunningly beautiful park has had 168 years as the heart of the neighborhood so why not give a tiny plaza with fountain designed to conceal a surface parking lot a chance at being the heart?

The picture below is looking East along Park Ave. Keeping with much of LS the street parking is angled parking. I have no objection to this, especially when you have a really wide street as you can get more parking along a street this way verses parallel parking.

But look at that picture again. I’ve got lots of problems with this “plaza.” First, no fucking street trees! People – trees should be along every street between parked cars and the sidewalk. Exceptions to this rule, in my mind, are limited to the entrance to major civic structures such as a courthouse, city hall, school or house of worship. Otherwise, I want to see street trees.

The picture below is of the of the same view but a little closer to the corner. The planting area in the right of the picture is completely lacking trees as well. I guess the designers didn’t want to block the view of the fountain when you parked your car? One of the most disturbing aspects of this design is the lighting. Along the street is the neighborhood standard with its yellow cast. Inside the “plaza” and the parking lot is obnoxiously bright white lighting.

This bright lighting overpowers the entire corner. It is completely inappropriate for anything except a suburban parking lot. Oh wait, that is what this really is. The plaza, fountain and park benches are not about creating a pleasant park space but making a parking lot for suburbanites acceptable to an otherwise strict neighborhood. I believe Squires restaurant wanted visibility from Park Ave. as well as a parking lot for their West County customers.

In 1973 the velodrome in St. Louis’ Penrose Park was barely 10 years old when R&B signer/songwriter Billy Preston had a #1 hit with Will It Go Round In Circles. But while folks were “riding high like a bird up in the sky” the cyclists were doing less riding in circles and more riding cross country. Track racing became less popular as touring helped fuel a 1970s bike boom. The 1973 oil shortage and long gas lines also led to increased bike commuting. Changing demographics (read: continued white flight) made Penrose Park at Kingshighway and I-70 less desirable to many cyclists.

On Thursday the Post-Dispatch reported, “Members of the area’s burgeoning cycling community, riding the wave of popularity Armstrong and others have brought to the sport, are seeking private funding and the city’s permission to repair the velodrome and restore it to its former glory.” While many in the cycling community (of which I consider myself a part) are elated by the effort to bring back the velodrome. I must admit I’m a bit torn on the subject.

About six years ago I used to work only a few blocks from Penrose Park and I commuted from my home in Dutchtown to work three days a week on a Raleigh mountain bike outfitted with a rear rack and front panniers. Sometimes at lunch I’d ride over to the velodrome for the fun of it. A guy in professional clothing riding a commuter bike slowly around a velodrome looks silly – trust me. But, it was fun.

This summer I was so happy I had the Outdoor Life Network (OLN) on my satellite dish – I was literally glued to the Tour de France coverage and Lance Armstrong’s record breaking sixth win. Every year I also enjoy watching the local racing scene at the Tuesday Night Criterium Series in Carondelet Park and the annual Gateway Cup over Labor Day weekend. I even put together a cute little video of the Giro della Montagna – the race held on the Hill as part of the Gateway Cup. Click here to see the video. Have I sufficiently established that I love cycling and racing? No? Oh yes, I wear my yellow Lance Armstrong ‘Live Strong’ bracelet everywhere. Satisfied?

I’m not yet convinced we should use public money to build sports facilities for professional sports. Do we have any precedent? Oh yeah, we built a dome costing hundreds of millions of dollars before we had a football team. Millions more on Kiel Center and the new ballpark village. OK, we’ve established a pattern. The P-D article says the cycling community estimates restoration costs of $40K-$50K. That is pocket change in the world of city officials used to giving away hundreds of millions.

But wait, the cyclists are raising private donations and asking the City of St. Louis for permission to restore a facility in a public park. What? Don’t they know how the system works? I guess local bike shop, Big Shark, that sponsors many events is not big enough to extort millions (or $50K) in tax dollars? So you are wondering if private money is being raised how can I possibly be torn on the restoration of this velodrome, right?

We’ve been down this road before. Well, not me personally – but over the years various efforts were made to bring back the velodrome. Each time a pitifully small amount of money was raised, the track was improved and it fell again into disrepair and eventual abandonment. I’m not sure anyone has stopped to ask why. Blame is being leveled primarily at the city park’s department. Sure, some blame lies here but citizens must voice their opinions for something to stay a top priority. Cyclists raise money, cyclists ride on track, track deteriorates, cyclists abandon track, cyclists bitch. Rinse & repeat until exhausted.

If it is going to work we collectively must figure out a way to restore the track and keep it in use and maintained. It needs to be become a valuable asset to the community. This is where I am torn. The velodrome is located in this little left over wedge of Penrose Park between train tracks, I-70 and Kingshighway. Access is awkward. The new Kingshighway bridge will, as I understand, be even closer to the velodrome. Active use of the velodrome for events will require quite a bit of parking because those boys (and girls) that race don’t commute – they come fully loaded with extra wheels, trainers and other gear. If we are really objective we’d admit this is not an ideal setting.

I don’t think the location on the predominately black North side is a problem. Other parts of Penrose Park would be much better suited to a veledrome. A larger park such as Fairgrounds Park, also on the North Side, would be even better for accommodating large crowds. A velodrome at the downtown trail head for the Riverfront Trail might also be a logical connection to make. I think I’ve convinced myself that if we want a velodrome in the St. Louis region we need to determine the best location for one, not just keep sinking money into one that was built in left over land because highway 40 displaced the old one. This will take more time and far more money.

The P-D article mentions Chicago cyclists are raising in excess of $200K to resurface a track in Northbrook and a rider that drives to Indianapolis to race at their velodrome. About 18-20 public velodromes operate in the US and I think one private velodrome is in Portland (part of Alpenrose Dairy). Again, I think bicycle racing is really cool and although I haven’t seen racing on a velodrome I’m certain I’d love it.

Indy’s Major Taylor Velodrome was built in 1982 and is part of their park system. I haven’t the slightest idea if it has been well maintained in the last 22 years, how their park system is funded, how much the velodrome receives in revenues verses expenses. I’d like to no how Indianapolis and other cities fund the maintenance of their velodromes.

Here is the bottom line for me: If we are going to have a velodrome then dammit lets have a useful velodrome that riders from other cities will want to drive four hours to ride on. A $50K facelift on the Penrose bowl, I’m afraid, is not such a destination. Maybe someone can prove me wrong?

Let’s go back to Indianapolis for a moment. I want to talk about the man for whom their velodrome is named – Major Taylor. For those that do not know about Major Taylor, he was the first professional black athlete in the world. In 1899 he was the world cycling champion. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King weren’t even born yet when Major Taylor was breaking records and fighting unbelievable prejudice. Taylor faced vicious hatred for daring to one up the white racers in his childhood home of Indianapolis. He also faced racial problems in St. Louis and southern cities. Although not free of prejudice he ended up living many years and with much greater acceptance in Massachusetts. He was widely accepted as a hero in Paris. Wait a minute, prejudice and hatred in the midwest and south but acceptance in Massachusetts and even greater acceptance outside the US? Sound familiar to anyone?

Sadly Taylor, as a black man in a largely prejudiced US, had a hard time securing work after his racing career ended. While he had earned huge sums of money racing professionally around the world he died a pauper in Chicago at the age of 53. I strongly recommend reading the 1972 biography entitled: Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer. Not only does the book give you an excellent understanding of this very determined man but also of the birth of the sport of bicycle racing. The St. Louis Library has a copy of this book in their collection. Recommended websites are: The Major Taylor Association and the Major Taylor Society.

Keep riding,

Steve