Readers: Name New Bridge After Stan Musial

As expected a majority of readers think we should name the new Mississippi River Bridge after baseball legend Stan Musial, but he barely got more than 50% of the vote:

Q: Name New Bridge After Dred & Harriet Scott, Stan Musial or…?

1. Stan Musial 100 [53.19%]
2. Dred & Harriet Scott 30 [15.96%]
3. Don’t name it after a person(s) 22 [11.7%]
4. Other: 13 [6.91%]
5. Sell the corporate naming rights 12 [6.38%]
6. Unsure/no opinion 7 [3.72%]
7. Wait until the bridge opens to decide 4 [2.13%]

Hardly a consensus. The other answers were:

1. Mullanphy Bridge
2. Sacagawea
3. Mounds Heritage. The footprint of the bridge on both sides are mound sites
4. geographic name
5. President Barack H. Obama
6. General Pershing
7. Andy Gammon, worker who died on the bridge (His family is hoping for this.)
8. “Taxpayers” – we’re paying for it!
9. The Gateway Bridge
10. Bob Cassilly Bridge. Love Stan, but too much emphasis on sports in stl.
11. Nikola Tesla
12. Dred Scott seems appropriate since the bridge links two areas mostly AA occupied

A couple of comments on the original post referenced the PSB (Poplar Street Bridge) being formally the Bernard F. Dickmann Bridge, named after former Mayor Dickman.

Will be interesting to see what formal name is given to the bridge and what we end up calling it over the years.

— Steve Patterson

Poll: What Outcome Do You Want With The Rams And The Dome?

On Friday arbitrators ruled in favor of the St. Louis Rams — the CVC’s proposal was insificient to make the Edward Jones Dome a “top tier” facility. They didn’t create a new plan but favored a proposal put forth by the Rams last year:

If the CVC does not meet that plan, however, the Rams and CVC will go to a year-to-year agreement, but the team could still leave town after the 2014-15 season. (KSDK)

So now what? Many options still exist:

• The CVC could try to get city/county/state funds to rebuild the dome per the Rams proposal, though highly unlikely
• A new stadium could be built somewhere else in the region funded by taxpayers and/or the Rams
• The Rams could pack up and leave the St. Louis region in two years.

The poll question this week wants to know what outcome you’d like to see happen. I personally want to see the Rams use their own money to build a facility in the region, the site of the former Chrysler plant in Fenton is often suggested.

Why? I don’t want the Rams to leave because I don’t want to hear the moaning about us not having an NFL team, heard enough of that in the early 1990s. But I also don’t want taxpayers to foot the bill for another facility, especially since the current facility hasn’t been used for even 20 years yet.

The poll is in the right sidebar.

— Steve Patterson

Political Engagement & Social Media

Real action is needed to bring about change, it doesn’t happen on Facebook and blogs. That was the message at the City Affair panel discussion on political engagement held Thursday evening. Didn’t here about it? I knew because I got invited via a Facebook event (link). I posted a pic on my personal Facebook timeline when I checked into the event as well as on UrbanReviewSTL’s Facebook page and twitter account.

Yes, being on social doesn’t create change but it does a great job of making connections. But it is true, until like-minded people get tother in the same space nothing much happens. Social media also expands the awareness of an issue, increasing the likeliness of reaching enough people to ignite action.

Earlier this week an Intercontinental hotel in Egypt tweeted when it came under attack (story). Two years ago the world watched as people toppled the government of Hosni Mubarak. Tweets by themselves aren’t going to create sustained change.

But back in St. Louis I find Twitter is the simplest way to report a problem to Citizens Service Bureau (@stlcbs). Ok, it isn’t overthrowing a 30 year dictatorship but it is a citizen getting his government to respond.

The discussion of action items after Thursday’s event is taking place on…Facebook.

— Steve Patterson

An Amazing Five Years!

February 1, 2008 was also on a Friday. It was cold. That evening I was supposed to meet a friend for dinner but I didn’t make it. That afternoon I had a hemorrhage in the right side of my brain — a less common form of stroke. For 15-16 hours I was curled up on my cold floor unable to get to my phone to dial 9-1-1. The next morning a worried friend found me, I responded but I don’t remember doing so.  I returned home on April 30, 2008 after staying in three hospitals for medical treatment and therapy.

Since then I’ve learned to deal with my short-term memory loss, ease of exhaustion and physical limitations. When I woke up from the medically induced coma 3+ weeks after my stroke I thought my best days were behind me, but I was wrong. The last five years have been amazing! The next five will be even better.

— Steve Patterson

St. Louis Needs True High-Speed Rail To Chicago

Earlier this month we learned of a St. Louis firm moving to Chicago:

St. Louis-based construction firm Clayco Inc. is moving its headquarters to Chicago, attracted by ease of air travel, proximity to clients, access to young professionals and the potential to land city business as Mayor Rahm Emanuel pushes ahead with public-private partnerships for infrastructureimprovements, its top executive said Thursday. (Chicago Tribune)

Clayco is keeping their St. Louis building and many employees:

Clayco’s founder Bob Clark moved to Chicago in 2010. He’s close with hard-charging Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Privately held Clayco will retain its large office on Interstate 170 but Clark and the company bosses will operate from their new HQ in a Wacker Drive skyscraper. (stltoday.com – Chicago lures Clayco with air connections and young professionals) 

Ah the consolation prize, for now.

Lambert airport just can’t compete with the number of flights from Chicago’s two airports. But we don’t have to just sit back and watch company after company leave St. Louis. Nor do we have to just sit back and do nothing as young talent graduating from our higher ed institutions leave the St. Louis region to work in more vibrant cities like Chicago.

We need a vibrant and urban city of St. Louis — not just a few urban blocks scattered about.

Transportation wise we’re not going to get Lambert on par with Chicago, but we can support efforts to connect to Chicago by high-speed rail:

Right now, it takes five-and-a-half hours to get from St. Louis to Chicago by train but the director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association says a two-and-a-half hour ride should be the goal, arguing that it is critical to economic development. (KMOX)

A 2.5 hour train ride from downtown St. Louis to downtown Chicago with wifi the entire time would be a game changer, we’d be better connected to the Great Lakes Megalopolis.  Many are working to make this a reality, including:

• IDOT Illinois High-Speed Rail
• Midwest High-Speed Rail Association

I look forward to being able to quickly get to many cities via rail through Chicago. This connection will make St. Louis more attractive to young workers as a place to live and those seeking to hire them.

— Steve Patterson

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