^ Didn't you hear about the gift to the Arch project for the Kayak Experience Presented by Enterprise?
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What if the Gondola idea was resurrected and some of the surface parking for the stadium was transferred to the east back. You could also have people walk across the Eads.gary kreie wrote:roger wyoming II wrote:^ I bet you sat back in one of those chairs and envisioned a shiny new stadium in the distance.
And gondolas. And even though nobody knows how it happened, the stadium brought prosperity and eliminated guns in the city. And then I saw myself getting picked up by my driverless car which has just run over Morgan and Quitno.
They only raised it 2.5'. That keeps the street above the water line for minor floods:Northside Neighbor wrote:
I thought the C + A + R project was supposed to fix that? This is hardly a flood and its covered over? Wow.
http://www.cityarchriver.org/construction/riverfront/
It was never intended to completely prevent flooding. The current flood is expected to peak at 38.7 feet, almost 9 feet above flood stage and nearly 28 feet higher than normal. That's on the high side of the "moderate" flood scale according to the National Weather Service's ratings:Raising Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard by 2.5 feet reduces instances of flooding by 60%.
Major: 40.0'+
Moderate: 35.0' - 40.0'
Minor: 30.0' - 35.0'
Action: 28.0'
And if the forecast holds it would make it the 15th highest crest on record. It certainly qualifies as more than 'hardly a flood'.
-RBB
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What percentage of difference is it supposed to make by only raising it 2 and a half feet? That hardly seems like any difference.
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per City+Arch+River websiteWhat percentage of difference is it supposed to make by only raising it 2 and a half feet? That hardly seems like any difference.
I do love how Mother Nature basically flipped St. Louis the bird.Riverfront at Grand Staircase - raising Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard by 2.5 feet reduces instances of flooding by 60%. The riverfront at the Grand Staircase will be open to visitors and businesses more days out of the year.
I guess it was never intended to eliminate flooding, but 60% is significant, and then again with climate change projections long term we may just be treading water, so to speak.
The CAR riverfront design was intended to handle flooding. Everything was designed/built to withstand whatever the river may throw at it.
If you notice the concrete "pylons" that the light poles will rest on, that level is a little above the 500yr flood mark.
If you notice the concrete "pylons" that the light poles will rest on, that level is a little above the 500yr flood mark.
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I thought they were hoping that by raising the street to this level, they could go back to having vendors on the street for July 4th celebrations, and have bands play on the new stage by the steps. They used to do that routinely. But that would not have worked this year. Maybe they should just use the Arch for May and September festivals.
^ It has been a very abnormal year with a crest of this high this late.
I'm actually working on a modification to one of our dredging contracts on the lower Mississippi because of the increasing shoaling rate of all the material the Big Muddy brings down with flood events. Typically things wind down contractually in early June after the spring melt. Instead their was three to four contracts out for bid in June as well as extension of our work to keep the deep draft channel below New Orleans at authorized levels even though the river is already high.
I'm actually working on a modification to one of our dredging contracts on the lower Mississippi because of the increasing shoaling rate of all the material the Big Muddy brings down with flood events. Typically things wind down contractually in early June after the spring melt. Instead their was three to four contracts out for bid in June as well as extension of our work to keep the deep draft channel below New Orleans at authorized levels even though the river is already high.
So an average Mother Nature then?STLEnginerd wrote:per City+Arch+River websiteWhat percentage of difference is it supposed to make by only raising it 2 and a half feet? That hardly seems like any difference.I do love how Mother Nature basically flipped St. Louis the bird.Riverfront at Grand Staircase - raising Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard by 2.5 feet reduces instances of flooding by 60%. The riverfront at the Grand Staircase will be open to visitors and businesses more days out of the year.
I guess it was never intended to eliminate flooding, but 60% is significant, and then again with climate change projections long term we may just be treading water, so to speak.
http://ibn.im/i7ucHP
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Thanks. That makes me feel better. I knew they used to do things on lower level on the 4th in the old days. Good if this is an anomaly.dredger wrote:^ It has been a very abnormal year with a crest of this high this late.
I'm actually working on a modification to one of our dredging contracts on the lower Mississippi because of the increasing shoaling rate of all the material the Big Muddy brings down with flood events. Typically things wind down contractually in early June after the spring melt. Instead their was three to four contracts out for bid in June as well as extension of our work to keep the deep draft channel below New Orleans at authorized levels even though the river is already high.
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I believe that they wanted to raise the road another foot but were limited by the federal government with how much of the base of Eads Bridge they could cover. As the road passes through its leg they needed to have a certain percentage of the bridge foundation still showing.
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I heard there was a limit to how high they could raise it, but I didn't know why. I'm trying to think what the problem would be with less foundation showing for that one stone arch. I guess the water level would be inches higher.southcitygent wrote:I believe that they wanted to raise the road another foot but were limited by the federal government with how much of the base of Eads Bridge they could cover. As the road passes through its leg they needed to have a certain percentage of the bridge foundation still showing.
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From the Webcam pictures, it looks like they are really going to town on the new museum now. And the South Riverfront new construction cleaned up nicely after the river went down a little.
http://www.cityarchriver.org/construction/webcam/
http://www.cityarchriver.org/construction/webcam/
1. I was thinking the Park over the Highway would be grass. I see now that the portion actually over the highway will be a giant slab of concrete, with trees and bushes on the North and South ends. Too bad they couldn't have made that portion grass instead of hot concrete to lessen the impression that you are on a bridge and soften the entrance into the museum. There is some grass just off the bridge.
2. I believe they should consider a crosswalk across Broadway right in the middle right of the block -- as you come down the stairs from the Old Courthouse. 1) The street (Broadway) is already one-way. 2) Very little traffic will now come from Westbound Market turning onto Northbound Broadway - mostly buses. They could easily require those buses to go straight West on Market only -- no right turn from Westbound Market to Northbound Broadway allowed. 3) Then, on the light cycle when cars only go through the Market / Broadway intersection straight East and West, no traffic would be heading down Broadway in front of the Old Courthouse at all. No new cycle for Pedestrians required vs. the current cycle. Pedestrians could easily cross Broadway in the middle of the street, or at Broadway and Market. (They would need a light midblock only for the occasional very very slow car that got past Market but not to midblock.)
2. I believe they should consider a crosswalk across Broadway right in the middle right of the block -- as you come down the stairs from the Old Courthouse. 1) The street (Broadway) is already one-way. 2) Very little traffic will now come from Westbound Market turning onto Northbound Broadway - mostly buses. They could easily require those buses to go straight West on Market only -- no right turn from Westbound Market to Northbound Broadway allowed. 3) Then, on the light cycle when cars only go through the Market / Broadway intersection straight East and West, no traffic would be heading down Broadway in front of the Old Courthouse at all. No new cycle for Pedestrians required vs. the current cycle. Pedestrians could easily cross Broadway in the middle of the street, or at Broadway and Market. (They would need a light midblock only for the occasional very very slow car that got past Market but not to midblock.)
Report to the Community 2015 just released August 3rd. Here is the link:
http://www.cityarchriver.org/wp-content ... munity.pdf
http://www.cityarchriver.org/wp-content ... munity.pdf
How about that National Park Service - ugh!!
St. Louis group balks at Gateway Arch costs
(source: stltoday.com}
St. Louis group balks at Gateway Arch costs
http://www.stltoday.com/news/state-and- ... 0dd65.htmlAs work progresses on the project to renovate the Gateway Arch and the area surrounding it, the St. Louis organization Great Rivers Greenway is balking at a request for cash from the National Park Service.
Park Service officials had given their greenlight on the $380 million renovation of the Gateway Arch grounds so long as local officials agreed that taxpayers and private donors would fund nearly all of the work, plus the operations increase, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Park Service officials had asked the Great Rivers Greenway for its first major installment of ongoing operations cash, wanting $356,000 for next year to help pay for three park rangers. But the public trails district, which is collecting tax dollars for the project, balked at the request Tuesday and instead questioned Park Service officials about the funding.
(source: stltoday.com}
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Park rangers make 110K per year in salary and benefits? Who knew it was so lucrative.
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I did the Landmarks downtown tour yesterday for the first time -- East version. Got to see the inside of the Old Cathedral for the first time ever.
At the KMOV building corner, I took this photo. They are planting trees now on the park over the highway, and also in Luther Ely Smith park. They have TWO stoplights that are only red, each with an arrow directing drivers to turn left rather than drive into the concrete barrier. I hope these are just temporary. I thought the idea was to get rid of all the ugly stoplights that used to mar that corner.
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Untitled by Gary Kreie, on Flickr
At the KMOV building corner, I took this photo. They are planting trees now on the park over the highway, and also in Luther Ely Smith park. They have TWO stoplights that are only red, each with an arrow directing drivers to turn left rather than drive into the concrete barrier. I hope these are just temporary. I thought the idea was to get rid of all the ugly stoplights that used to mar that corner.
Untitled by Gary Kreie, on Flickr- 8,155
^ hmmmm.
I also see that there will be further delays on much of the work and that the October celebration will have to be held at Kiener Plaza.
I also see that there will be further delays on much of the work and that the October celebration will have to be held at Kiener Plaza.
Uncertainty/disagreements over who pays for what between GRG, CAR, and NPS. Wish the Feds would/could step up more. Not enthused about more regional stuff a fraction of the region's taxpayers would be on the hook for.
StlToday - Arch spat: Director approves spending; taxpayer duty doubles
StlToday - Arch spat: Director approves spending; taxpayer duty doubles
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt ... 31d93.htmlLocal taxpayers are on the hook for more of the cost of maintaining the new Gateway Arch grounds.
The head of a taxpayer-funded trails district here doubled her agency’s commitment to pay yearly operating costs at the newly renovated Arch grounds, acting without board approval and in the face of adverse financial projections.
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And things continue to be messed up in Laclede's Landing:
Business Is Down 30% At Cut-Off Laclede’s Landing
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2015/09/23/ ... 7k.twitter
“Cumulatively, or in the big picture, we’re off 30 percent from two years ago,” Clark says. “Which is significant.”
Now comes word of a major delay in the overall construction project that has pinched off access to the Landing.
“We expected this to take a year and a half, and it’s really going to take four years,” Clark says. “And for people paying mortgages and that sort of thing, it’s tough.”
Business Is Down 30% At Cut-Off Laclede’s Landing
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2015/09/23/ ... 7k.twitter
“Cumulatively, or in the big picture, we’re off 30 percent from two years ago,” Clark says. “Which is significant.”
Now comes word of a major delay in the overall construction project that has pinched off access to the Landing.
“We expected this to take a year and a half, and it’s really going to take four years,” Clark says. “And for people paying mortgages and that sort of thing, it’s tough.”
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I went down to the Landing to have dinner at Cielo last week. I probably know downtown better than most people, and even I was unsure about the best way to access the Landing. Under the new configuration, Laclede's Landing Boulevard is the only way in - I accessed it from 4th Street. Morgan Street is the only way out. This is hardly ideal.roger wyoming II wrote:And things continue to be messed up in Laclede's Landing:
Business Is Down 30% At Cut-Off Laclede’s Landing
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2015/09/23/ ... 7k.twitter
“Cumulatively, or in the big picture, we’re off 30 percent from two years ago,” Clark says. “Which is significant.”
Now comes word of a major delay in the overall construction project that has pinched off access to the Landing.
“We expected this to take a year and a half, and it’s really going to take four years,” Clark says. “And for people paying mortgages and that sort of thing, it’s tough.”
Closing off Washington Avenue just seems like a really bad idea to me, and I think it should be reconsidered.
Also, I now have to deal with a bottleneck every morning on my way to work. Traffic on 44 slows to a near halt before the Park Avenue exit and goes at a crawl all the way into downtown. I miss the original Memorial Drive exit, which allowed drivers to get onto a number of downtown Streets, instead of just Walnut. Of course, the Washington exit backs up every day as well.
And the new on-ramp from Memorial south of Walnut creates a very dangerous bottleneck as well. Drivers have very little time to merge onto 44.
Traffic on 44 downtown is absolutely ridiculous with the new configuration. The thing that aggravates me is there is traffic not because of more volume, but because of terrible planning.Also, I now have to deal with a bottleneck every morning on my way to work. Traffic on 44 slows to a near halt before the Park Avenue exit and goes at a crawl all the way into downtown. I miss the original Memorial Drive exit, which allowed drivers to get onto a number of downtown Streets, instead of just Walnut. Of course, the Washington exit backs up every day as well.
And the new on-ramp from Memorial south of Walnut creates a very dangerous bottleneck as well. Drivers have very little time to merge onto 44.
There are backups where none used to exist before.
The on-ramp and merge onto 44 from Memorial is very dangerous, I have no idea why that was done. I'm hoping MODOT is watching and plans of reconfigureing this at some point because of the bottleneck and dangerous merging you describe.
Traffic on 4th street and Broadway in general is pretty stupid now that because of the Arch project. Game nights are a freaking nightmare. I keep hoping things will get better, then I realize, this is the way they've planned it and it ain't changing.
Was in town last weekend and stayed at HoteLumiere...so of course I had to visit the Landing! My friend and I headed south on 1st Street from the hotel at 11pm -- Sundeckers crowd was so-so, Show-Mes is gone and Marcel's...well, Marcel's was odd. Every light inside was on, rap/club music on the speakers and nary a customer visible within. There were a few guys smoking out front. Seven Zero Eight had live music (!) and a so-so crowd, Joey B's was packed and Big Daddy's was going pretty strong. Morgan Street, however, made me sad. There were three people on the 2nd Street (lower) portion and, in our hour upstairs playing pool, only four other people.
I won't say that the current state of the Landing is purely due to City+Arch+River, but it's awfully close. Working for the Landing's merchants association five years ago, I remember we came out publicly against the Memorial Drive closure that was being considered. We suspected what it would do then, and that was before the Washington Ave. mess, the cobblestone project, the LKS construction plan and the 3rd Street reconfiguration all but quarantined the Landing for three years now.
I won't say that the current state of the Landing is purely due to City+Arch+River, but it's awfully close. Working for the Landing's merchants association five years ago, I remember we came out publicly against the Memorial Drive closure that was being considered. We suspected what it would do then, and that was before the Washington Ave. mess, the cobblestone project, the LKS construction plan and the 3rd Street reconfiguration all but quarantined the Landing for three years now.