1M Gallon, $45M Aquarium With Ferris Wheel Union Station

sc4mayor · PostApr 25, 2019#1262019-04-25T23:27+00:00

^ I'm not sure it's the city's position to dictate what private developers can build on land they own provided they fall within the city's guidelines and building codes. Especially an area like this that has no preservation or form based overlay. For what it's worth, the last renderings I saw of the hotel looked pretty good. Short of going taller you can't get much bigger here, it's a skinny linear site. And what is being built fits fairly well. Taller is always better but the market and location will dictate that and this area doesn't warrant a skyscraper for a hotel. There is a Drury damn near next door, a Courtyard and the Pear Tree are just west and northwest from here and then Union Station on the east end. Wells Fargo has hinted at a potential hotel component on their campus (though I've heard nothing more on that in awhile) and the MetroLink can get people to any number of other large hotels nearby in a few minutes. The ROI likely wouldn't justify the height.

Here are a couple updated ones from the thread for this project. Apparently the hotel has been slightly altered to provide a porch that will actually look down into the stadium:

dredger · PostApr 26, 2019#1272019-04-26T01:49+00:00

Mayor, thanks for posting but maybe we should pull over to the correct hotel thread. With help of myself we are slowly wandering to the west. We might be in Clayton soon and have to catch the metrolink to get back to Union Station.

sc4mayor · PostApr 26, 2019#1282019-04-26T02:11+00:00

^ Well I tried deleting it, but it won't let me. Guess a mod will have to step in.

RockChalkSTL · PostMay 25, 2019#1292019-05-25T16:02+00:00

The last I saw, they were trying to figure out pricing - and I think they said that parts of the aquarium would be free for families/individuals that would struggle to afford it.

I'd guess around $15-20.

rbb · PostMay 28, 2019#1302019-05-28T18:41+00:00

BellaVilla wrote: I'm really excited to patronize this new institution. I remember going to an "aquarium" on a field trip in grade school. It was just a small commercial building somewhere in SoCo, I think.

Any idea what the price of admission will likely be? Cheaper than Shedd I hope.

Depending on when you were in grade school I'd bet you went to the World Aquarium, which went from Town & Country Commons (dates are off the top of my head, but 1993 to 1999-ish) to the Hanley Industrial Park (1999ish to Mid-2000's) , to the 3rd floor of the City Museum (mid-2000's to 2016), and now just sort of exists in Laclede's Landing (2016-present, though it wasn't open to the public for a while after leaving CM).

I actually wasn't aware they had general admission tickets until looking up the website for this post - last I checked they were limiting admission to pre-booked private tours. But I'm getting too far off topic...

-RBB

DogtownBnR · PostMay 29, 2019#1312019-05-29T22:14+00:00

Anyone know when we should expect the Ferris wheel to start rising?

urbanitas · PostMay 30, 2019#1322019-05-30T06:33+00:00

DogtownBnR wrote: Anyone know when we should expect the Ferris wheel to start rising?

St. Louis Wheel

According to this site they are accepting wheel event bookings for "after September 2019". This would seem to imply that there will be a wheel at which to hold said event, but I have not seen or heard anything about foundation construction, or demolition of the old platform canopies on the site for that matter. Their media updates only show wheel parts being fabricated elsewhere.

chriss752 · PostMay 30, 2019#1332019-05-30T06:35+00:00

Foundation work is wrapping up. You’ll see it start to take shape in July.

dbInSouthCity · PostJun 01, 2019#1342019-06-01T02:45+00:00

I got to see the marketing 2 pager for this and it has more things than just the wheel and the
aquarium, don’t get me wrong those are the main attractions but it’s loaded with other things throughout the property, ie 18 hole mini golf course

chriss752 · PostJun 01, 2019#1352019-06-01T02:55+00:00

dbInSouthCity wrote:I got to see the marketing 2 pager for this and it has more things than just the wheel and the
aquarium, don’t get me wrong those are the main attractions but it’s loaded with other things throughout the property, ie 18 hole mini golf course

Sounds interesting. I thought there were renderings a while ago showing reused train cars as cafes and what not. With the possible addition of Build a Bear now, this looks more and more like our version of Navy Pier

dbInSouthCity · PostJun 01, 2019#1362019-06-01T02:57+00:00

chriss752 wrote:
dbInSouthCity wrote:I got to see the marketing 2 pager for this and it has more things than just the wheel and the
aquarium, don’t get me wrong those are the main attractions but it’s loaded with other things throughout the property, ie 18 hole mini golf course
Sounds interesting. I thought there were renderings a while ago showing reused train cars as cafes and what not. With the possible addition of Build a Bear now, this looks more and more like our version of Navy Pier

There is also 90,000 cubic feet of rope climbing course in the rafters

framer · PostJun 01, 2019#1372019-06-01T16:21+00:00

dbInSouthCity wrote:
There is also 90,000 cubic feet of rope climbing course in the rafters

Woa...now that sounds very cool.

urbanitas · PostJun 01, 2019#1382019-06-01T23:39+00:00

framer wrote:
dbInSouthCity wrote:
There is also 90,000 cubic feet of rope climbing course in the rafters
Woa...now that sounds very cool.

I can't wait for the inevitable zip-line over the shark tank.

Trololzilla · PostJun 02, 2019#1392019-06-02T06:14+00:00

^ That'd actually be kinda cool. Though, as with most shark tanks I've seen that have visitors 'above' them, there's usually some kind of netting between where the people are and the water. You know, just in case.

dbInSouthCity · PostJun 05, 2019#1402019-06-05T15:36+00:00

aprice · PostJun 05, 2019#1412019-06-05T18:28+00:00

I... will in fact be shamelessly utilizing that mini golf course.

framer · PostJun 05, 2019#1422019-06-05T18:48+00:00

Yeah, mini golf seems to be making a huge comeback these days.

dbInSouthCity · PostJun 05, 2019#1432019-06-05T18:49+00:00

aprice wrote: I... will in fact be shamelessly utilizing that mini golf course.

Ill be out there few times a week. lets start a league.

symphonicpoet · PostJun 05, 2019#1442019-06-05T20:41+00:00

I haven't played mini-golf since I was a kid, but I could see where that would be fun. If someone wants to organize it . . .

(And then we can adjourn to the beverage car to argue development. Or maybe even better yet, the bar in the grand lobby.)

PostJun 06, 2019#1452019-06-06T02:27+00:00

I'd have to say that riding a ferris wheel downtown would be a lot cooler than out at Six Flags. Also cheaper, most likely. It won't have the punch of a full day's trip to a modern jumbo amusement park, but we used to have a whole bunch of smaller neighborhood parks, and maybe there's a demand for them again; for something that's fun, but doesn't require as much investment of either time or money. To some extent that's a part of the draw behind City Museum: it's an exceptionally compact and well designed amusement park. (And art installation, and sculpture, and oddball performance venue, and general whimsy.) I don't want to see Union Station compete with them directly, but there could be room for both, particularly if they offer different experiences. Sounds like LHM wants to do something a little more traditional. More Coney Island, less Rock City. They're already talking a wheel and a carousel. Add a decent roller coaster and, boom, you're in. There's your big three. I could go for a park where I could ride a good coaster without paying for all the other stuff I don't care as much about. Mind you, that's not in the plans just yet, but there's no reason they couldn't build one. They don't always take huge amounts of space. Make it retro-chic. Or maybe go for an unusual attraction like the old Flying Turns at the Highlands. If you're going to turn the thing into Navy Pier you might as well go all the way. Maybe build structured parking across the street so you could do away with the parking behind and under the shed, and then add more attractions on a per-ride fare with park entrance free. Kind of sounds like that's basically what they're doing. Heck, they've even got an amusement park train of sorts. They could really use a better one, but hey, it's a start. A swimming feature might also be a good fit. Particularly if you could ice it over in the winter. Aquarium themed splash pool in the summer. Polar express skating rink in the winter. Whatever else happens, I'm increasingly confident this will be fun. And maybe not too serious or too expensive.

Trololzilla · PostJun 06, 2019#1462019-06-06T07:10+00:00

^ You're onto something with the roller coaster idea - this whole development could be like Santa Monica Pier, but smack-dab in the middle of a city within the confines of a historical building. Now, it'd necessitate a much less sh*tty roller coaster than the one at SMP, but that's easily doable. A custom LIM-launched Gerstlauer or Mack coaster weaving in and out of the building would be spectacular, especially at night, and wouldn't cost too much, at least as far as roller coasters go. A later development, perhaps.

That really actually gives me some inspiration to go fire up No Limits 2 and go to town on a concept haha.

RockChalkSTL · PostJun 06, 2019#1472019-06-06T12:47+00:00

Do a roller coaster that is a lot like the one at Mall of America, but under the train shed, with segments running over the Landry's pond.

The one in Mall of America goes very nearly to the roof. Imagine the first hill being just feet from the top of the train shed? It'd be flipping sweet.

goat314 · PostJun 06, 2019#1482019-06-06T13:15+00:00

symphonicpoet wrote: I'd have to say that riding a ferris wheel downtown would be a lot cooler than out at Six Flags. Also cheaper, most likely. It won't have the punch of a full day's trip to a modern jumbo amusement park, but we used to have a whole bunch of smaller neighborhood parks, and maybe there's a demand for them again; for something that's fun, but doesn't require as much investment of either time or money. To some extent that's a part of the draw behind City Museum: it's an exceptionally compact and well designed amusement park. (And art installation, and sculpture, and oddball performance venue, and general whimsy.) I don't want to see Union Station compete with them directly, but there could be room for both, particularly if they offer different experiences. Sounds like LHM wants to do something a little more traditional. More Coney Island, less Rock City. They're already talking a wheel and a carousel. Add a decent roller coaster and, boom, you're in. There's your big three. I could go for a park where I could ride a good coaster without paying for all the other stuff I don't care as much about. Mind you, that's not in the plans just yet, but there's no reason they couldn't build one. They don't always take huge amounts of space. Make it retro-chic. Or maybe go for an unusual attraction like the old Flying Turns at the Highlands. If you're going to turn the thing into Navy Pier you might as well go all the way. Maybe build structured parking across the street so you could do away with the parking behind and under the shed, and then add more attractions on a per-ride fare with park entrance free. Kind of sounds like that's basically what they're doing. Heck, they've even got an amusement park train of sorts. They could really use a better one, but hey, it's a start. A swimming feature might also be a good fit. Particularly if you could ice it over in the winter. Aquarium themed splash pool in the summer. Polar express skating rink in the winter. Whatever else happens, I'm increasingly confident this will be fun. And maybe not too serious or too expensive.

This...My family probably would have frequented Six Flags more if it was built on the East St. Louis Riverfront overlooking the Arch and Downtown Skyline. The trip out to Eureka always seemed like a day trip to me as well.

STLrainbow · PostJun 06, 2019#1492019-06-06T14:10+00:00

Don't forget, a roller coaster was part of the original entertainment vision along with the Ferris wheel and light shows, etc.. I believe it was scrapped when the aquarium was announced, but I suppose they could bring one in as the attraction opens and evolves.

Also, mini-golf enthusiasts should check out the Sheldon's playable exhibit... sounds very cool.
https://www.thesheldon.org/page.php?page_id=74

RockChalkSTL · PostJun 06, 2019#1502019-06-06T15:00+00:00

If they would open a roller coaster, I would hope that they could wedge additional rides down there. Imagine a couple roller coasters, a log flume, etc.

In my mind, I'm envisioning something similar to Mall of America's Nickelodeon Universe, albeit much smaller. Free to enter, free to walk around, but you'll need to purchase ride tickets (or wristband).

1M Gallon, $45M Aquarium With Ferris Wheel Union Station

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