Has anyone floated the idea of having a bison paddock in the arch grounds or on the east side of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial?
The Bison Paddock in Golden Gate Park is a very popular destination in San Francisco, and I think it could be a major draw alongside the Arch. Similar to the Botanical Garden's maintenance of City Garden, the St. Louis Zoo could care for the animals (which is a similar arrangement to the one they have in San Francisco). This would also be an opportunity to increase awareness of the St. Louis Zoo among Arch tourists.
I like the Wetland Reserve idea that MVVA has proposed and the Mound idea that Foster+Partners proposed, but I think Bison have a much wider appeal and a much more logical connection to westward expansion. Also, they don't have to be mutually exclusive, obviously the Mississippi flyway birds could coexist with a small heard of bison as they did for millennia before we showed up. The Bison Paddock in Golden Gate Park was 7 acres and in the last few years has been expanded to 12 acres. The Arch Grounds on the Missouri side are about 62 acres, and there is much more land on the East Side that could be used as a paddock.
I think this could be a dynamic complimentary element of the Arch Grounds, which would bring to life an important part of American national expansion, and bring attention to another one of St. Louis' great cultural assets, the St. Louis Zoo.
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The Bison Paddock in Golden Gate Park is a very popular destination in San Francisco, and I think it could be a major draw alongside the Arch. Similar to the Botanical Garden's maintenance of City Garden, the St. Louis Zoo could care for the animals (which is a similar arrangement to the one they have in San Francisco). This would also be an opportunity to increase awareness of the St. Louis Zoo among Arch tourists.
I like the Wetland Reserve idea that MVVA has proposed and the Mound idea that Foster+Partners proposed, but I think Bison have a much wider appeal and a much more logical connection to westward expansion. Also, they don't have to be mutually exclusive, obviously the Mississippi flyway birds could coexist with a small heard of bison as they did for millennia before we showed up. The Bison Paddock in Golden Gate Park was 7 acres and in the last few years has been expanded to 12 acres. The Arch Grounds on the Missouri side are about 62 acres, and there is much more land on the East Side that could be used as a paddock.
I think this could be a dynamic complimentary element of the Arch Grounds, which would bring to life an important part of American national expansion, and bring attention to another one of St. Louis' great cultural assets, the St. Louis Zoo.
