Downtown Springfield, MO, a follow-up visit & rehab update

Not even being a patient in a rehab hospital will prevent me from getting out and about. This past weekend my two older nieces and their mom came up from Oklahoma City to visit me. On Saturday they indulged me and we headed eastbound on I-44 to Springfield, MO. My last post on Springfield was nearly three years ago — from when I was there for a class to get certified as a bicycle safety instructor.

Our first stop was to satisfy my nieces’ husbands — we stopped at a Brown Derby Liquor store to get some He’Brew beer so they could take it back to them. It was here that I saw something a bit odd.

A bike rack at a liquor store.

Personally I think we need to have bike parking everywhere, including liquor stores. Such parking could serve employees as well as customers. However the way this rack is mounted up on that curb I think it reduces some of the utility — perhaps it works ok in practice.

Our real destination was downtown and the Park Central Square (see map).

According to When Missouri Took The Trolley by Andrew Young, Springfield’s first horse drawn trolley line originated in the Square, opening on April 15, 1881. In short order additional lines would open— most converging on the square but heading different directions. Eventually electric lines replaced horses for powering the vehicles. St. Louis investors were among some of the early backers of these lines.

St Louis based developer Kevin McGowan and his company Blue Urban have plans to convert the old Heer’s Department store (above) into lofts. Several other smaller buildings on the square have already been converted and at sidewalk level are a couple of coffee houses. A hip new public library branch is open in one of the storefront spaces.

Around a portion of the square remains an earlier attempt to revitalize the area — a concrete canopy that once encircled the square. Facades of once beautiful buildings were blocked by this attempt to give the area a uniform open air mall look. Thankfully this awning has been removed from the other three corners.

The Square’s center is still a bit on the dated side. It was a nice day while we were there but we saw few people out.

Despite the dated appearance we ventured into the center and took time to pose for a picture — On my left is Patty and on my right is Shelley — their mom, my oldest brothers first wife, Sam, took the picture.

Well, since I am sharing personal family photos, above is me & Sam on the square. All three are Oklahoma State fans so I wore my Oklahoma University shirt to get a rise out of them — mission accomplished.

We had lunch at a cute Italian deli, St Michaels bar & grille. We didn’t have to worry about cigarette smoke since Springfield banned smoking a number of years ago — somehow the restaurants managed to stay in business. Imagine that? I guess people do go to restaurants to eat and not to smoke.

Just South of the square is one of Springfield’s more tragic buildings . I’m guessing this is actually an old building that got a horrible new skin a few decades ago. Whenever it was done, they shouldn’t have.

When I was here in 2005 the parking arrangement on South Ave was different than it is now. In 2005 the left side of the street above had angeled parking but now it is basic parallel. All parking downtown is free, a mistake in my book.

At the end of a side street, not far from the square, is a large parking garage. It seems that they left their old downtown intact but chipped away at the edges. Although Springfield is the county seat I didn’t spot the courthouse or the city hall.

After we had toured downtown Springfield it was time to head back to the hospital. Yes, that is me getting into Sam’s big gas-sucking SUV. As my right side remains strong, I was able to pull myself into the vehicle along with a little push from Patty.

That evening we went to dinner here in Mt Vernon and we decided to leave the wheelchair in the vehicle — my physical therapist had given me the OK to walk out in public as long as one of my relatives “guarded” me against falling (holding onto a gait belt around my upper torso). It felt good to walk into into a restaurant rather than being wheeled in.

OKC Bombing Memorial Good Place for a cry

Following my father’s burial in early January I needed to be alone and have a nice cry — it happens that I was passing by the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial so I figured that was an appropriate place for a grown man to openly cry in public.

The calmness of the water stands in stark contrast to the horror of that morning 13 years ago today. The simplicity of the design is powerful and moving. I’d been there numerous times over the years but this time it proved a more personal place to grieve.

Rumor: Pyramid Ceasing Operations

If the rumor is true developer Pyramid Cos.will cease operations today. With numerous projects on the books, this is a challenging time to be a developer. Even harder to be a developer in debt. From a Business Journal article from the start of the month:

Development firm Pyramid Cos. is weathering the turmoil in the housing and credit markets through staff cuts and a cash infusion from its main financial partner, Connecticut-based Spinnaker Real Estate Partners LLC.

Meanwhile, Spinnaker, led by Clayton Fowler, has doubled its financial commitment in Pyramid’s planned downtown redevelopment projects, said Amos Harris, principal of St. Louis-based Brady Capital and a partner in Spinnaker’s local development entity. Spinnaker originally committed about $8 million to four projects: the former St. Louis Centre mall, the former Dillard’s building, the Mercantile Library building and the Jefferson Arms. That figure has now doubled to an estimated $16 million, although neither Harris nor Steffen would divulge the exact dollar figure.

Pyramid has done some fine projects over the years but also some that are questionable like the Sullivan Place senior apartments. I spent quite a bit of time in 2006 fighting Pyramid’s plans to swap land that would have resulted in a relocated Mcdonald’s drive-thru on South Grand.

Remember this is just an unverified rumor at this point. Take with a hefty grain of salt at this point.

[UPDATE 4/18/08 @ 3:35PM — Confirmed. Employees were, I’m told, given final paychecks and told to cash them quickly.

UPDATE 4/24/8  4pm  — Finally this story makes it to traditional media — from kmox “St. Louis (KMOX)  — “The developer of major St. Louis projects…St. Louis Centre and the former Dillard’s building, in the Mercantile exchange project…is getting out of the development business. Pyramid Construction’s John Steffen made the announcement through Steffen’s attorney Attorney Steven Goldstein… Problems in the real estate lending market are the main reason. Goldstein says Pyramid is currently working with other developers, investors, lenders and the city to make a transition for its development projects…but will continue to operate it’s property management division…which oversees a thousand apartment units in the city and surrounding area.” ]

Missouri’s Helmet Law a Good Thing

Once again there is chatter about repealing Missouri’s helmet law. To do so would be foolish. Like seatbelt laws for adults, I get the freedom of choice argument.

However, in these last few months I’ve also been around so many people with severe head injuries and therefore I know more clearly than others how devastating such an injury can be. It doesn’t take much of an impact to cause brain damage which can result in the loss of speech, ability to walk, etc…

The question is if the government has a compelling enough case to mandate the use of a helmet. First, the use of the road is not a right. In the interest of safety for all, the government mandates safety equipment such as lights. A motorcycle helmet is a natural extension of this.

So why should the government care if you split your head open for not wearing a helmet? Well when you are dead or a vegetable you are no longer contributing to society.

When I can return to my scooter I will wear a helmet regardless of the law — it is simple common sense. Still many motorcycle advocacy groups are working hard to remove helmet requirements in Missouri and 19 other states that require helmets for all riders regardless of age. Another 19 states require riders up to a certain age (18 to 21 depending upon the state) to wear helmets (see list).

There are many types oh helmets on the market and critics of these laws correctly point out that the laws don’t define what constitutes a helmet per the law. Fine, let’s work on a definition but not toss out the requirement all together.

If you are bicycling or riding a scooter.motorcycle please wear a helmet regardless of the law.

Copia the same Nearly Four Months After Fire

On the morning of December 29th Copia Urban Winery went up in flames — ruled arson by investigators. The following message was posted on their website within days after the fire:

We regret to inform you that Copia Urban Winery and Market will be closed temporarily due to an unfortunate fire. The Copia family would like to extend their gratitude to all of you for your dedicated loyalty and support. We apologize for any inconveniences this occurrence may have caused. Plans to rebuild are already in motion, and updates will be posted regularly. We look forward to seeing you very soon.

Nearly four months later the Washington Ave restaurant remains boarded up with no signs of rebuilding taking place. The website is the same. To my knowledge there have been no arrests either. With so much good stuff happening on Washington Ave it is unfortunate to not see something happening here.