ULI’s ‘Bold Idea’ At The Grand MetroLink Station

A week ago today the Urban Land Institute (ULI) presentation by their Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) regarding transit-oriented development (TOD) at the Grand MetroLink light rail station. The real estate experts from the ULI were asked by Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) to consider short and long-term solutions.

The long-term section included three bold ideas that would evoke an “audible gasp”. First, look again at the Chouteau Greenway concept linking downtown to Forest Park. Second was a high speed rail station at Grand since plenty of room exists.

The final bold idea generated was to move from focusing on the station which sits below grade to building above the station – a platform development at street level. Some of the merits of this type of develoopment included:

• Place parking on first 2-3 stories, easily fitting below bridge
• Place commercial, retail and/or residential on top of parking, level with the bridge platform
• Embraces light rail and bus connectivity
• Builds connection between SLU campuses
• Enhances travel along Grand and encourages pedestrian use

Sounds familiar, oh yeah I proposed this in January 2006 when it was announced the old viaduct would be replaced: Grand Bridge Should Follow Columbus Ohio Example.

Here are a few points from nearly 7 years ago:

• In addition to building structured parking the area could have office and condo uses to compliment the street-level retail. The office space could include high-tech bio-med facilities as part of the CORTEX plan.
• This bridge turned retail street could serve as a needed campus hangout area for both SLU campuses. It could include a coffee house (or two) as well as a copy center like a Kinko’s.
• With plenty of structured parking, on-street parking, bus routes and MetroLink this could be a happening spot! With land on each side of the tracks and highway we’d be building not bridges but buildings that happen to have a floor that aligns with the bridge sidewalks.
• Before all the naysayers try to explain why we cannot be urban let me try to address a few points. The area has already been blighted and is going to be redeveloped. Building new buildings up to the existing bridge is feasible, perhaps more so than the plan to add width and medians to the current structure. Also, we can be urban and what better place to create an urban street than at a location with a MetroLink light rail stop and between two major university campuses.

If only the viaduct/bridge had been designed to facilitate development at the edges, simply by removing sections of railing. Still, as ULI’s experts how shown, it is still a viable bold idea worth considering.

— Steve Patterson

Fixes For Stadium West, Stadium East

In 2016 the nearly identical parking garages known as “Stadium East” and “Stadium West” will turn 50 years old. Despite the milestone, I don’t expect preservationists to give tours, or oppose the alterations I propose below.

I’ve written before that I’d like to see these garages razed but they’re in good condition and fill a need.  They just need to fade into the background, a color change will accomplish that.

— Steve Patterson

Poll: Should Vacant Seats On The Board of Aldermen Be Viewed As “White” Or “Black” Seats?

Kacie Starr Triplett has resigned her 6th ward seat on the Board of Aldermen, so talk of those who’ll run to finish her term, which expires in April 2015, is picking up. Race, it seems, is a factor. It was noticed when Triplett, who is African-American, backed white candidates in the August primary:

To be not so nice, one could say Triplett committed political suicide in the August 2012 primary by aggressively opposing African-American candidates in key historically black districts, only to see both of her chosen candidates lose and lose badly. She supported her constituent and former employer Russ Carnahan over incumbent 1st District Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay. Carnahan, who ran a nasty campaign against a former family ally, was crushed by Clay. Triplett also aggressively supported Jeanette Mott Oxford over two black opponents (incumbent state Sen. Robin Wright-Jones and Jamilah Nasheed, who won the race) in the 5th District state Senate race; Mott Oxford came in dead last. (St. Louis American)

Political suicide? Triplett defeated challenger Bradford Kessler 83-17 in the March 2011 Democratic primary to win a second tem. She was unopposed in the April 2011 general election. Triplett defeated two white males in the March 2007 primary.

From the same article in the St. Louis American:

According to the board, African Americans now enjoy a 60.44 percent majority among the 6th Ward’s 11,958 residents, and a 54.73 percent majority among ward residents age 18 or older. This was seen in the August primary, when Clay got 60 percent of the votes in the 6th Ward, beating Triplett’s candidate Carnahan 1,183 votes to 806.

Does a majority of a race within a ward make that seat an assumed for that race? Before Triplett’s resignation the 28-member Board of Aldermen had twelve African-Americans. Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, a mayoral candidate,  is also African-American.

It’s thought 6th ward Committeeman Damon Jones will get the Democratic nomination for the special election, a determination by the Central Committee, and that Martin Casas, former state house candidate, will run as an independent.  Casas is half Caucasian and half Latino.

UPDATE 11/18 @ 10am — I’ve been told that based on the timing of Triplett’s resignation the vacancy will be filled during the spring 2013 primary & general in March & April, respectively. That the Democratic Central Committee will not get to select the Democrat that’ll run.    

The poll question this week is should aldermanic seats be a lock for a specific race based on prior alderman or demographics? The poll is in the right sidebar.

— Steve Patterson

Clemens Mansion Was To Kickoff McKee’s NorthSide Regeneration Project

It was three years ago today that many gathered on the lawn in front of one of the most historic properties in St. Louis: The Clemens Mansion, located at 1849 Cass Ave.

From The Beacon:

Mayor Francis Slay put his ceremonial seal of approval Tuesday on the first step of the $8.1 billion plan to redevelop a large portion of north St. Louis, but he remained noncommittal on what developer Paul McKee considers a key part of the project.

The signing ceremony for two bills passed by the Board of Aldermen — the bills were actually signed into law by the mayor on Friday — took place under a tent on the front lawn of the Clemens House, one of the most visible properties in the McKee project area. (St. Louis Beacon)

Initial work had begun on the renovation but work stopped when part of the financing fell through, I believe a low-income housing tax credit. Soon much of McKee’s project will have a final airing in court.

The state Supreme Court has set Nov. 28 as the date for oral arguments in the lawsuit that has blocked McKee’s massive NorthSide Regeneration project for more than two years. There’s no telling how long after that a ruling might come down, but that ruling will help the project advance, McKee said. (stltoday.com)

Disclosure: I was a very minor consultant on the Clemen’s Mansion project, assisting with accessibility and starting to look at traffic calming and walkability along a larger stretch of Cass Ave. Hopefully the project can be completed in the future.

— Steve Patterson

Don’t Park, Parking

Signs are all around us, sometimes in confusing proximity to each other.

If you’re familiar with the Delmar Loop area you’ll likely know the blue sign is for the large parking lot behind the buildings. With so many signs is there a tipping point where they just get ignored? Placing these on separate polls/posts a few feet apart wouldn’t necessarily be an improvement.

Sign placement and effectiveness needs to be evaluated by someone, especially in busy commercial districts.

— Steve Patterson