Poll: How should St. Louis County invest Prop A funds to expand public transit infrastructure?

In April 2010 voters in St. Louis County approved a transit sales tax, Prop A:

The sales tax is expected to generate about $75 million a year in St. Louis County, which will be used to restore lost service and expand MetroLink and bus rapid transit. Metro officials said passage of the measure also would trigger collection of a transit sales tax that voters in the city of St. Louis approved in 1997. (stltoday.com)

I’m not sure how much St. Louis County is putting toward operations versus holding back for future transit infrastructure. Regardless of the exact amount, having a discussion about where & how to expand transit is beneficial.

Light rail? Bus Rapid Transit? More regular bus routes?

The poll is in the right sidebar.

— Steve Patterson

Poll: Thoughts on Government (EPA/MO-DNR) Regulation/Oversight at the Bridgeton & Westlake Landfills

Two landfills in St. Louis County ceased accepting trash after 12/31/2004.

Bridgeton Sanitary Landfill, from here forward referred to as Bridgeton, is currently owned by Bridgeton Landfill LLC, and is a subsidiary of Republic Services Inc., from here forward referred to as Republic. The landfill waste mass encompasses approximately 52 acres with approximately 240 feet below the ground’s surface and a total waste thickness of 320 feet. The waste is located in two distinct areas known as the North and South Quarries. Bridgeton was initially permitted on Nov. 18, 1985 and ceased accepting waste on Dec. 31, 2004. (DNR)

The West Lake Landfill site is on a parcel of approximately 200 acres in Bridgeton, Missouri. The site consists of the Bridgeton Sanitary Landfill, which stopped receiving waste on Dec. 31, 2004, and several old inactive areas with municipal solid waste and demolition debris. The site is divided into two Operable Units, or OUs. OU-1 consists of radiological areas and OU-2 consists of the other landfill areas, which did not receive any radiologically contaminated soil. In 1990, West Lake Landfill was listed on the National Priorities List making it a Superfund site. In May 2008 a Record of Decision was signed for OU-1, which describes the Selected Remedy to contain the radiological contamination using a modified solid waste landfill cover. EPA is the lead agency for this site. (DNR)

Both now have issues, including a smoldering underground fire at one that some fear will reach radioactive material buried in the other. How did this happen? Could government (federal, state, or local) have done more? Were the companies over regulated? Maybe you think the government response was just right? The poll in the right sidebar is where you vote, the answers are presented in random order.

— Steve Patterson

Poll: What should St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones do with the site of the former Cupples 7 Warehouse?

The wrecking contractor is finishing up the demolition of the Cupples 7 warehouse at 1014 Spruce St, just west of Busch Stadium so now’s a good time to figure out the next step(s).  For those new to this issue here’s a recap:

1. The Cupples Warehouse district is very historic, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (see nomination). 
2. Various past attempts to raze most or all failed. The other remaining warehouses have all been rehabbed for new uses.
3. Private owners allowed a small hole in the roof of Cupples 7 to grow into a gigantic hole over the last 10-15 years, causing the wood interior floors to collapse.
4. The previous St. Louis Treasurer, Larry Williams, agreed to buy the note from the bank if the city issued a demotion permit.
5. A few years ago the city closed off adjacent streets out of fear the building would collapse.
6. The city said the building must come down, the risk of collapse was too great.
7. New Treasurer Tishaura Jones bought the note and began the demolition required by the city.

The eastern half of the building is basically gone, just rubble. The western half, however, remains. It too has internal issues but not to the degree the eastern half did.

The poll question this week asks “What should St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones do with the site of the former Cupples 7 Warehouse?” You’ll be able to pick up to 3 answers which range from paving the site for parking to stopping demolition on the western half.

I know what I want her to do but I’ll save that for the post presenting the results on Wednesday August 28th. You can vote in the right sidebar and share your thoughts in the comments below.

— Steve Patterson

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Poll: Thoughts on Culinaria (Downtown Schnucks grocery)

Culinaria, the downtown Schnucks grocery store, opened 4 years ago today. Schnucks management originally had very low expectations, but the location has consistently done a very good volume of business, according to managers anyway.

During the last 4 years the store has changed very little, except for trying to squeeze more product by adding displays here and there. They just completed the first major revamp of the store, closing an aisle to add more shelving.

Over the last four years the store has been inproving the foods offered since opening day. I recall early on the only flour they had was bleached white flour, I had to visit Straub’s to get decent flour for something I wanted to bake. After I complained they added unbleached & wheat flour from Gold Medal, but now they also have several varieties of flour from King Arthur. Just took too long for a store with the tag line “bring out the foodie in you” to get ingredients this foodie uses.

I don’t know about you but I don’t look for produce & gourmet cheese at Best Buy, nor do I buy televisions at the grocery store. Culinaria has also sold charcoal, mini grills, & lighter fluid — likely aimed at downtown residents. The thing is, we can’t use charcoal grills! We can use propane grills, but no charcoal.

Eventually I think they’ll figure out how to sell groceries in a compact downtown setting, maybe in another 4 years. Anyway, the poll this week wants to know how you feel about the store. The poll is in the right sidebar, mobile users need to select the desktop layout.

— Steve Patterson

Poll: What Three (3) St. Louis Area Restaurants Have Closed That You Wish Were Still Open?

Many restaurants I remember from my childhood in Oklahoma City have since closed: Split-T, Al’s Hideaway BBQ, Nicolosi’s, etc. In my 23 years in St. Louis I’ve seen many restaurants come and go too. All I have left are fond memories.

The poll this week asks: What three (3) St. Louis area restaurants have closed that you wish were still open? So put on your nostalgia hat and review the list of 30 I’ve included as options in the poll:

1. 94th Aerosquadron
2. Bleeding Deacon
3. Brandt’s
4. Busch’s Grove
5. Chez Leon
6. Chuy Arzola’s (Dogtown)
7. Del Taco
8. Delmar Lounge
9. Duff’s
10. El Burrito Loco
11. Empire Sandwich Shop
12. Flaco’s Tacos
13. King Louie’s
14. Marty’s Baking
15. Minions Cafe
16. Miss Hullings
17. Monarch
18. O’Malley’s
19. Papa Fabare’s
20. Parkmoor
21. Pestalozzi Place
22. Red Moon
23. Rossino’s
24. Sunshine Inn
25. The Salad Bowl
26. Shangri La Diner
27. The Stable
28. Tangerine
29. Tin Can
30. Zoe’s Panasian

They’re alphabetical here but will be presented in random order in the poll (right sidebar). Here are more closed restaurants you might want to include in the other field:

1. Colorado
2. Gulf Coast Cafe
3. Kitchen K
4. Kopperman’s
5. La Fourchette
6. Mattingly’s
7. Mojo Tapas
8. Moxy
9. Pelican
10. Sage
11. Simply Fondue
12. Shuggas
13. Southern Belle Supper Club
14. Tanner B’s
15. Terrene

You can also review a list of closed restaurants on UrbanSpoon.com.

Thanks to my Facebook friends with help generating all these names, I’d forgotten about many. Please share your memories in the comments below.

— Steve Patterson