urbanSTL

I like the mural idea alot. I always thought St. Louis should have more exterior art. I'm also a fan of exterior advertising. I hate the billboards along interstates, but it would be cool to have some New York Style ads in the City. Nothing too big or tacky, but something to brighten things up.



I think ivy on the bridge might look cool, but I can say from experience, that that stuff is not worth the hassle. It is really hard to keep under control.

Talking about dressing up the highways we could install sound barriers to control sound and have plants other than ivy like those spider web plants hanging off the side. Flower boxes? This almost sounds like a job for neighborhood restoration and beautification groups. However, that is a lot of work. Anyone for discounted greenroofs to go with tax credits?

I like the idea of ivy. Especially if you can get it to cover up the pillars. Exterior art is always good. I think the near southside is very important towards the overal development of the city. Bring on Chouteaus Lake!

This would also be a great spot for some infill "flat" style appartment buildings. Put some more bars on the ground floor. I'm quite certain there would be a market for proximity to the best blues bars in the metro area. Right by the highway and by metrolink. Oh, and that big stadium thing that the Cardinals play in right over there.

JMedwick wrote:After some thinking, I like the outside art idea, but not on 40. In stead I think it would be a great way to liven up the old and somewhat soot covered MacArthur Bridge. I really love old industrial looking things like that brridge, but some great art to liven up the face and make it as a gateway to say Souldard would be great too.

I think when I made my "Entrance to the southside" suggestion I was talking about the MacArthur bridge. That's the one that trains go over, and there's a lone bar to the south of it that's only open on game days, right? I've walked under that bridge when a train is passing and had rust fall on me, kinda scary to think the structure holding a train over my head is deteriorating like that.

^I really like the idea of making a feature of that old bridge. I love that bridge.



And stlmike's idea of "flat" style infill is appealing, too. I would like to see some new flats in the downtown area.

I always thought the the near Southside should be very similar to wrigleyville. So residential is a must. But I'd like to see a very large mix. I'd like to see some mid-rise apartment places, flats, townhouses, and more. I think it would be cool to have a couple low highrise places too. Midrise being 6-8 stories, low highrise poking up to 15 or so.



But I still think that area is completely revitalized by the building of the Lake/Pond. Bringing a central park to the near southside would really attach it to the rest of the city, lessening the barrier of 64/40.



And public art is always a good thing, murals and murals and murals.

Is not possible to create the lake while still keeping much of the grid intact? I believe the existing plan for the lake means to take over much of the railways just south of the highway, leading up to the ballpark, but not going to the ballpark. Meaning that it would stop at 7th street. If 7th remained the parkway that it is now, and you kept the current bridges intact, I don't think any grid would be lost.



And the lake could help spur development from the ballpark eastward. I've discussed many times my ideas for the Chouteau Landing development, and I think residential neighborhoods could line the way from the lake to the river.



I think there would be a huge response to people wanting to live in that near southside area if it was marketted and developed correctly. Right now, I would concentrate on Chouteaus Landing and the area between 7th and Broadway. Pushing residential in there, and some of the fast food resaturants out would help to create a viable near southside neighborhood, IMO. But I would concentrate on starting small, with more affordable places for rent and purchase for the more blue collar Cardinal fan, one that might want to live near the ballpark but cannot afford to live in Cupples or the new Towers.

JM asked about the potential super block effect of the Chouteau Lake on access to the near-southside. But west of 7th, where the lake starts, Mill Creek valley is already a barrier.



4th/Broadway and 7th streets enter/exit downtown at-grade from/to the near-southside, but starting with Tucker, it's all viaducts west of 7th. Plus, west of 7th on Chouteau is already lined with superblocks like the Purina and Ameren UE campuses.



Given that 7th and 4th/Broadway are the crucial north-south links between downtown and near-southside, I say target rehab and infill along these streets, all the way south to Soulard Market, just south of where 7th and Broadway converge. But there are literal hurdles, including double-decker 40, two elevated railroad tressels, wide Chouteau and elevated I-55. Still, if there were more density along 7th and 4th/Broadway, especially near these potential barriers, then folks would be encouraged to walk underneath or across them.

Honestly, worse than Highway 40, I think that the train yards are the biggest psychological barrier between downtown and the near south side. The lake would at least be an opportunity to make it more inviting.

DeBaliviere wrote:Does anyone know if the old bar at 4th and Gratiot is being renovated? It looks like there is some kind of temporary fencing around the entrance to the building.

Just wait, soon you will see many new things in that area and parts east!



The Arch will soon have its other bookend.

SkippyThePeanutButterMan wrote:

DeBaliviere wrote:Does anyone know if the old bar at 4th and Gratiot is being renovated? It looks like there is some kind of temporary fencing around the entrance to the building.

Just wait, soon you will see many new things in that area and parts east!



The Arch will soon have its other bookend.

I'm intrigued...and I can't wait!

Is this speculation or fact? It would be great to see, but wishing for it is not the same as there being plans in place.

Yes, interesting indeed.

mbow76 wrote:Is this speculation or fact? It would be great to see, but wishing for it is not the same as there being plans in place.

This is fact not speculation!

jent, where did you get that image from? I looked on the referenced websites (briefly) and could not find it. If that is legit that is pretty great news. Wouldn't that be the first official development on "Chouteaus Landing"?

Conurbation wrote:jent, where did you get that image from? I looked on the referenced websites (briefly) and could not find it. If that is legit that is pretty great news. Wouldn't that be the first official development on "Chouteaus Landing"?

I am sure we will begin to see more information about this area in the comming weeks and months.



Its about time! Can't wait to see and hear more about this area.



Has anyone checked out the buildings down there close to the train tressel(sp) they are looking great!

Is this the area over by White Castle/TacoBell/etc.? I know they cleared out one building a while back maybe six months and I was hopeful something was going to happen, but then there was nothing so I figured it was just a building that had to be torn down. Hopefully this will come together.

mbow76 wrote:Is this the area over by White Castle/TacoBell/etc.? I know they cleared out one building a while back maybe six months and I was hopeful something was going to happen, but then there was nothing so I figured it was just a building that had to be torn down. Hopefully this will come together.

Yes, this is the same area. There has been work done in the 900 block over the past several months, and this area has been nominated to the National Historic District registry. I'm hoping that things will start hopping very soon. It will be a nice tie-in to the Ballpark Village.