Gateway Mall and the Urban Garden
Earlier this week I had jury duty so I found myself on the 7th floor of the Civil Courts Building with my phone camera and a great view both East & West.
To the East we see the Arch, Old Courthouse, Kiener Plaza, Gateway One, the new “Urban Garden” and the Twain sculpture.
blahThe block with Twain will continue to be a odd duck, having streetscape elements different than its adjacent blocks in all directions. Relative to the two blocks to the East it is looking very plain.
Looking West the situation is similar, plain underutilized blocks.
Large, once vibrant, sections of downtown have been dormant for decades now. True, a few times per year there is an event that draws big crowds but on a daily basis these areas are so devoid of activity. We need less special function space and far more day-to-day active urban space.
I like the urban mall! Its too bad that the city’s plan for the mall has never really panned out. The city should have devoted resources to promoting development along the north side of Chestnut and the south side of Market. I think that was the original plan… to have an urban mall lined on both sides by a boulevard to attract commercial activity.
The city should develop a plan going forward to address this space through the heart of the city — especially between the Old Courthouse and the Civil Courts Building which are both architectural features downtown. If the gateway mall is a desirable element in the city space then the city should treat it as such. Why is there one building—Gateway One—in the mall between the two courthouses? What an eyesore? Why is there no retail, or restaurants, or other commercial venues along Market and Chestnut to attract pedestrian activity around the mall? I think its time to address these issues. The sculpture garden is a decent start to making the Gateway Mall more of a central feature of the city, but the space still seems largely neglected.
Look at the second pic – now take away ATLEAST two lanes on every street in the picture. Especially look at the street to the right with angled parking – it’s a one-way street and is four freakin’ lanes wide (though it looks like it’s lined for two lanes). FIX IT!
Short answer – supply and demand. The urban mall would be great, lined on both sides with ground-floor retail, IF we had four or five times as many people working downtown as we do now. As it stands now, I wouldn’t be surprised if the daytime, per-block density of downtown Clayton is actually higher than the daytime density of downtown St. Louis, and especially in this part of downtown. Between office buildings with significant vacancies and all of our parking garages and surface parking lots, we simply don’t have the density needed to support a vibrant retail scene. And to fill up the existing office buildings, thus encouraging the construction of more, we need to address why their primary occupants, service businesses, are choosing to locate elsewhere. My answer would be the 1% city income tax combined with not having “free” parking. The reality is that, bottom line, these aren’t significant numbers (the higher cost of Clayton office space more than offsets any costs for “paid” parking here), but, unfortunately, perception is reality . . .
So, why has the city had such a diffucult time breaking that perception? Are you referring to the earnings tax?
Yes, the 1% earnings tax is a major disincentive (or so said a former employer of mine). But so is racism and a fear of crime. People “escape” to the suburbs, many times to be surrounded by people “like them”, as well as to be “safer”. Atlanta has thrived, in part, by the growth of a strong black middle class, something that doesn’t appear to be evident here. In too many people’s eyes, poor = black = scary = stay away. The neighborhoods that surround the Chicago Loop thirty years ago used to have the same perceptions; in the interim, some have moved beyond that and are now yuppified / gentrified, and some haven’t. Why or why not is a complex question. I understand that Soulard is the closest local similar example, but it remains a small part of the city. Perceptions only change with many small steps and successes. Both the Near North and Grand Center seem to be moving that way, but too many places still have no apparent traction . . .
I don’t have the numbers on the earnings tax, other then that it brought it in over $100 million in revenue for the city. Someone please correct me if my generalization of revenue is way off base. Half of that is a huge take of business income either way (my wife gets 1/2% taken out while ATT pay the other 1/2%) and feel that perception or no perception it is has been huge disincentive for the city as well as the region. Please don’t bring up the argument that my wife gets services so she should pay. Every other community except St Lou & KC are supporting themselves on property and sales tax. Jim gets to the point, we can talk all about the mall and encouraging activity but it doesn’t matter untill their is a huge influx of worker or residents to support activity. The city has a lot more items to address before that will happen. The earnings tax being one of them.
I believe that Steve might have noted it previously as a possible change. I would put up some blocks of the mall for sale. The photo to the East provides an immediate infill spot that would compliment the urban garden as well as the surrounding office buildings. Now getting an office tower built and a business to fill it is another story. To the west, I would leave it for another day. Getting the remaining infill along Washington Ave as well as better transit service connecting this mix of residential, retail and office to Metrolink should remain a top priority (metrolink connects DT to the city’s other big employer – BJC as well as universities, Clayton, and the airport)
How could city change things in my mind? Drop the earnings tax. Downsize the city government and number of alderman which Steve has been advocating all along. Support a school bond issue for once or at least put something on the ballot. I live in a school district that improved the physical state of the schools by supporting their schools (study after study notes that education improves if the building improves). Successful school districts don’t wait for the day that they might get a wishful windfall from a stimulus package. Lobby for a shared Transit Development District that include parts of the inner suburbs or at least within I-270 belt. City has a lot to gain by sharing as much transit development with the State’s number one job producing county (which is St. Louis County not the city). I believe the region would be better served with limited metrolink build out in the county and better bus service/street car service within the city. We don’t have the population or the density to support the North/South light rail line no matter how hard the city tries to get the Feds to pay for it. Finally, it is time that the City admits that it would benefit by sharing resources with the county instead (library, parks, etc.).
The toughest one is out of city control in a lot of ways. But, Slay needs to make a full court press for full local control of the police department so someone can demand they go after the gangbangers. The killings and joyrides that end in tragedy is well known by everybody. The State of Missouri in my mind has done a great disservice to the city. The police are not accountable to its citiizens only a board who are mostly appointed.
Tim E is correct with the police/city issue. It’s a major detriment to Stl moving forward. This area should be an Urban Planners dream. It’s literally a blank slate. I’m surprised cash strapped St L hasn’t figured out a way to put this area to work. Immediately to the North you have Wash Ave, Dome isn’t very far. Busch Stadium, Scottrade, City Hall, Union Station etc are all within walking distance. A development here could easily connect the dots that Stl desperately needs. Done correctly, Wash Ave to Busch to Union Station could eventually be one thriving district.
1% is nothing. New York City has a 4% income tax and eight million people live there. Quality of life, transportation choices, zoning and many others are more important than 1%. Additionally, if you take a look at page 6 of this PDF: http://www.kcmo.org/manager/OMB/earningtax.pdf you will see how extensive the use of earnings taxes are. Many cities way larger and doing much better than Saint Louis City have an earnings tax.
I am a big fan of Serra’s work, but I’ve never cared for Twain. Mainly, I think, because it is too small. It is overwhelmed by the surrounding buildings. In fairness, it was meant to be part of a fully landscaped block, but the landscaping never happened. I think I saw an artitst rendition a long time ago of how it was supposed to look, and it was much nicer than now.
Get rid of the Mall. Give the land away and it will be built upon. The Mall fetish led to the destruction of Real Estate Row. We should have abandoned the idea back then. Now we have Gateway One and a “garden.” Gateway One belongs in Earth City. Keep the gardens in the backyard as they have no place in a Central Business District.
The mall could be very cool if they required ground level retail around it.
Gateway One is also an eyesore. I thought the point of the mall was a unobstructed vista of the arch. Also this part of downtown seems like it should be a catalyst for more modern hi-rise development. The Mall doesn’t seem very amazing with all those dated looking buildings surrounding it. This should be a thoroughfare of tall sleek looking commercial and residential hi-rises.
@Douglas Duckworth: Yawn. You’re shtick is wearing thin. Find some new material.
I don’t disagree that the earnings tax is a major revenue source for the city, and that the only likely way to replace it would be to substantially increase property taxes (since our sales tax is already one of the highest in the region). My point was/is that it is perceived by many suburban decision makers as a/the big reason not to locate their businesses in the city (since I don’t believe any suburban city collects an earnings tax). We live in a region with 2½ million residents, while the city only has 350,000 (what, 12%). We’re no longer the only viable option for locating a business, we have a LOT of local competition. If we continue to be repeatedly eliminated from any short list of options in the region, we’re going to continue to struggle with vacancies and underutilization of both land and structures. For better or worse, perception is reality. We need to be aware of who we’re competing against, what they’re offering that we’re not, and work to “level the playing field”. And we’re not NYC – it’s going to take more than a better “quality of life, transportation choices, zoning and many other” physical amenities. In business, it boils down to the bottom line, and 1% IS going to make a difference when the choice is a close one.
We’re competing with a bunch of hoosier racists and bigots who moved out of the City because “the neighborhood was getting a little dark”. That was an actual quote. I’ve heard worse. I wonder what the comparison would be with earnings tax/City prop taxes vs. the property taxes levied against residents in St. Chuck, St. Louisco and Jeffco. To be sure, the issue is more than “those blacks” (another direct quote). It’s incompetent, corrupt and lazy aldermen, the same ol’ same ol’ attitudes of both City pols and her residents, it’s fatigue at fighting a losing battle to get your neighbor to put a downspout on the rental house and finish putting the siding on the extension to said house, etc. It’s the STLMPD which doesn’t give a flying f*** about helping anyone, and who stand around by the dozen or more whenever there is an emergency call (You’ve all seen this, I know). But, ya’ know, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in the region. Nothing else appeals. If I had the money and income to move to another city, I’d move clear out of the St. Louis region. For many reasons, not least of which is not a single one of the municipalities in our region is run any better than the City. They just have more money coming in. If you want to guage competency, judge a city by how it’s governed when the tax receipts are down. Another gripe, I am at a loss to fathom their logic when some advocate running government like a bidness. Most of the companies I’ve ever worked for seem to be managed like a house afire: running from one blaze to the next, trying to extinguish the flames here while they reignite over there. Simple stoopidity and miseducation.
I would agree the 1% earnings tax is mostly a local issue considering that many major cities have steeper taxes as well as the fact that any business move from one major city to another major city has a lot of factors. But, tax abatements along with TIF’s seems like the major driver in the city efforts to keep employers from moving to the county or vice versa. Once again a impression. However, an impression that is making a huge difference none the less for the region. My basis for such a statement is that their is company expansions going on in the region that could have easily been accomplished DT. However, almost all of the major ones are outside of the city – Express Scripts would have been an ideal DT office user, Edward Jones could have put a lot of employees downtown for their back office work – why not support Mercentile Exchange area on Washington just down the street from the Edwards Dome!, Centene and Cordish probably would have never agreed, but still, a missed opportunity.
Commercial development next to Park Pacific would be another spot to turnover. Both realistic and doable within 5-10 years. Which gets to the Mayor stimulus request – STEVE maybe another post. The city wants funds to rebuild the mall parcel next to Park Pacific into a fixed media park. I don’t know what else to call it (looks like a glorified band stand that also acts as a solar power recharge station if I understand the description). Not a bad idea, just move it over a block. It would be nice to see another residential tower along Tucker and next to Park Pacific one day. Why limit Washington or Tucker from any possible development.
L. Frank: It’s “your” not “you’re.” FYI.
Trouble is the Mall is not big enough. If what’s left of AG Edwards relocates or just downsizes, you could then expand the Mall west, meeting Biondi’s beautiful campus halfway. And since St. Louisans only tax themselves regionally for parks, Metro should sell the Link to Great Rivers Greenways, so the Arch can finally be connected to Forest Park with a new trail. Just imagine the possibilities!