urbanSTL

ThreeOneFour wrote:What exactly are the Roberts Bros. charging for that space anyway?



It seems like it would serve them well to lease the space for less instead of letting go vacant for so long. Although, it's not like they have to worry about money, and they have many eggs in many baskets, so I suppose filling that space isn't really high on their priority list even though it would make their projects in the area more appealing if there were ground floor tenants besides the Roberts Tower sales center.



I'm reserving judgment of Post Office Plaza until I see the impact that Roberts Tower has on the space, but I believe that it represents a missed opportunity, while Citygarden is a success beyond expectations from both a design and usage perspective.

I'd like to see them hire a reputable leasing agent for the Board of Ed. Building retail space, as opposed to leasing (or not leasing it) themselves. Having a good retailer in that corner space would really help. I think there's even a small, leasable retail space left in the Renaissance's garage facing 9th that could be leased as well.



If they end up putting a restaurant on the first floor of the Roberts Tower - per the original plans - I think that would enliven the plaza quite a bit.



Even the completion of the Tower should help the plaza in that some people may not be too keen on sitting next to a construction site while they enjoy their lunch. It doesn't bother me, but I can see how it might bother some.

Many retailers love to locate in the same strip malls as big box retailers in the county. You would think the same thinking would apply to the retail bays adjacent to Culinaria.

I live DT but do not work DT. However on my off day (tues) I usually take a walk through DT and always stop by the plaza, city garden, and even the arch grounds. People do use the plaza at lunch and I usualy stop and sit by the waterfall. The heat and lack of trees are a sure problem which will improve with time, plus with the construction right next door it can be loud to sit on the east end if you are trying to relax.



I also noticed the other day that they added tables and chairs for people to sit and eat at, which is a good idea, but still it would be damn hot if it was 90+.



Anyway, I like the plaza, it has its faults but give it time to mature and also for the Roberts to lease the surrounding bldgs.

Ok - better than a parking lot....but how can anyone believe this contributes to an urban fabric? It is a concrete jungle with a few programmed events. They could have spent 60% less cost and created a grass oasis in the center of the city - one block from the Jones Dome. Another Arcturis Landscape masterpiece? I cant wait to see what the metal screen looks like in 3 years.....

UrbanPioneer wrote:

Bartman wrote:Ok - better than a parking lot....but how can anyone believe this contributes to an urban fabric? It is a concrete jungle with a few programmed events. They could have spent 60% less cost and created a grass oasis in the center of the city - one block from the Jones Dome. Another Arcturis Landscape masterpiece? I cant wait to see what the metal screen looks like in 3 years.....

Public space is an important part of any successful urban fabric. And as far as public space goes, it's rare to find spaces with such a high quality of design, materials and detailing.



People are definitely entitled to not like the design, but I'm using such sentiments as proof of my theory that St. Louis has a rabid contempt for Modern Architecture. It's quite vexing. Any other city would welcome OPO Plaza with open arms and celebrate it loudly... all I hear in STL is complaining.



I maintain that once the Roberts Tower fills up and surrounding buildings are renovated, OPO Plaza is really going to come to life. City building takes time. Have some patience.



*end of unnecessary rant*

=D>



Not an "unnecessary rant" at all. In my opinion you hit the nail right on the head!

^ I agree... I think when/if cafe opens at Roberts tower, you will see this space more utilized. Also, they seem to have pretty frequent activities at the OPO Plaza including events for children and free yoga classes. Have they really used the screen much? I can't say that I've seen it in action. I would think showing the Cardinals playoff games would be pretty neat.

^Like everyone has said, the space will become more attractive with time (tree development) just as pretty much every other space on the planet does.

Come to downtown's newest ART EXPERIENCE!



Art Affair in the Plaza kicks off this Saturday, 9/19, 11 am - 3 pm

Old Post Office Plaza

See the flyer below for more details.

Went to the first Party on the Plaza event this evening. Nikko Smith played and it was actually a great show. He did all covers but was a great mix of songs. Crowd was pretty good for this inaugural event. Hopefully the crowds will build moving forward. The plaza really is a fantastic spot for these types of concerts. Lots of different vantage points and the city looks awesome from here. Here are a few photos from tonight's event.

Here's the first of another monthly series coming to the Plaza:

THE LUMINARY CENTER FOR THE ARTS PRESENTS
THE POST PERFORMANCES: THEODORE + BJ VOGT

May 22, 2010 from 7-9pm at the Old Post Office Plaza
The Luminary | Center for the Arts, in conjunction with the Partnership for Downtown, is pleased to present a free monthly performance series entitled Post to be held once per month in the summer of 2010 at the Old Post Office Plaza. The Post Performances will pair some of the best local visual artists and musical performers to create site-specific, one-time performances with the goal of creating a platform encouraging collaboration among the local visual and performing art cultures, highlighting emerging talent in the region and promoting the artistic environment of the Plaza. The first installment will take place on Saturday, May 22nd from 7-9pm pairing local standouts Theodore with the large-scale sculpture of BJ Vogt.
Theodore, whose recently-released album Hold You Like a Lover has been featured nationally in magazines such as Paste, is one of the area’s most creative and engaging live bands. They will be performing amidst a large installation by BJ Vogt called A Human Geology. Originally created for the Schmidt Art Center, A Human Geology stands over 12 feet tall and will create a monolithic structure to accentuate Theodore’s naturalistic lyrics and Americana sound. The performance is free and open to the public.

Well, I said I'd reserve judgment on Post Office Plaza, but the more I see of it, the more I like it. (Sorry I missed the Nikko Smith concert, though, as it looked like a good time! Yes, he does mostly covers, but I'd much rather hear his interpretations than other "cover bands" -cough-Smash Band-cough- that are usually at other downtown events.)

And I have to hand it to the powers-that-be, as it looks like there will be no dearth of activities planned for the area. Now that the Roberts Tower is nearing completion on the eastern side of the block, the aesthetics of the area are starting to come together nicely. Hopefully with two attractive and useful public spaces like OPO Plaza and Citygarden, our civic leaders can turn their attention toward a refresh of Kiener Plaza in the coming years.

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:There are a lot of tired acts (Dr. Zhivegas, Soulard Blues Band, Motown Revue) who I won't go out to listen to, but if they are playing somewhere I'm going already, I'll grin and bear it. But the Smash Band is one of those who will actually cause me to change plans and not go. They are simply dreadful and have been for 10+ years. I have no idea how they still find work.

I couldn't agree more- I'd change my plans if I found out The Smash Band was playing wherever I wanted to go.

Plaza looks good with Roberts Tower almost finished.

Now they just rent Mobile Screens.
Last weekend for the world cup party they had a truck that converted into a big screen. The sound was excellent, but the resolution of this giant screen was probably 800x600. So that was equivalent to the soccer ball being one large pixel.

If you weren't their last weekend, it was AMAZING. The entire plaza was PACKED.

zink wrote:Now they just rent mobile screens.

So the permanent screen will not ever be fixed? Why would that not surprise me?

It's apparently too reflective and doesn't show well. Whoever installed or sold this should be held accountable.. . This makes me think bureaucrats are in charge and not people who are ACTUALLY accountable. this is EMBARRASSING!! What.. get it fixed! and I love Arcturis, but that park could have been better designed. Why didn't they just copy Washington Square in NY or add more grass. It looks like a prison yard, and I'm a huge fan of modern design...

^ I agree with JCITY. Ironically this was all privately funded. So maybe they did get a refund check after all said and done?