urbanSTL

I kind of agree with Pat on some of this discussion. I live in Dogtown so I feel close to this conversation. I am all for walkability and all that but I personally am fine Hampton. Could it be more non car friendly, sure, but I can get about everywhere I need to on my bike or walking without using Hampton at all.

I can go through dogtown to the park and get to CWE/Loop/Clayton. I can take Manchester/Clayton/Oakland to get downtown or go to Maplewood/Brentwood. Going south is a little bit of an issue but Hampton still is lined with sidewalks and crosswalks so using it is not a big issue if I really had to use it. But I also do not have much of a reason to go south because I can ride my bike/walk to everything I need (grocery/resturants/bars/etc) in the other three directions. One of the main reasons I live in Dogtown is becuase of all the things I can get to easily.

I also feel we are going to have some N/S roads that are car centric south of 64. Hampton is one of those roads and I am okay with it. There are bigger fish to fry in my opinion than putting a bunch of money into making Hampton more walkable. I try to look at things in a cost/benefit way and I just think there are better ways to use our money at this point in time. Maybe in the future it would make sense after we get other things taken care of first.

In the whole QT debate I am conflicted. I personally like QT's because they usually are clean and offer a fair amount or services in one spot. That said, obviously there are a bunch of gas stations on Hampton already. I would have preferred if they could have found a way to convert one of the current run down stations to a QT. Those will probably close anyways after it opens so that doesn't help anything unless something better goes up in thier place, which is doubtful.

Anyways, it is nice to see people care enough to have these discussions. I enjoy seeing everyones opinions.

QT is a cancer and I stopped patronizing them a while ago. Every dollar spent there just encourages their current a**hole development pattern.

I lived in Southampton for 5 years before recently moving close to South Grand. I personally much prefer the road diet concept of South Grand over the autocentric Hampton design, but in defense of my former neighbors, I think if you spoke to people who lived down there you could be surprised and find lots of people in our camp. Certainly the older residents probably fall in the autocentric/change nothing camp, but in the 5 years I lived there, I saw a gradual influx of younger, more urban minded residents. I think the recent success of the Macklind business district speaks to that and shows there is hope for a more urban future in the area. I heard residents complain all the time about too many gas stations/banks/fast food restaurants and not enough cool stuff, but that sentiment never seemed to translate into much actual change, except for Macklind.

I think a South Grand concept could be implemented in parts of Hampton and residents would buy in, so long as some concessions were made to the autocentric crowd. For instance, Hampton between 40 and Arsenal during rush hour can be maddening at times, but I always thought that was mainly due to too many traffic lights too close together near 44. Add in the fact that the City, for God knows what reason, can never seem to get the lights synced, and you have an unnecessary traffic problem that could easily be fixed. If you make changes like that, you would get more buy in for road diets further down Hampton.

There aren't any gas stations on the east side of Hampton from south of Chippewa to north of Manchester. Anyone heading north on Hampton must make two left turns across crazy busy traffic to get gas and/or convenience items. QT placing one on the east side of Hampton is a brilliant move: especially to capture people in the morning heading to work.

Incorrect.

There is a Shell station on the east side of Hampton, just north of Manchester, sharing access to Hampton with a drive-through McDonald's restaurant.

But I hear you, for some reason, when thinking about where to buy gasoline - and I am a Shell cardholder - that station, for some reason, almost never comes to mind. It's like you don't even think it's there.

Very strange, and does speak to the overall faceless/traffic sewer of a condition up and down Hampton Avenue.

And speaking of filling stations, the other nearby Shell station, the one at I-44 and Hampton is the absolute worst. Pumps are slow. Place is filthy. Service is terrible. It's a mess.

So look to QT running that operation out of business. Then maybe QT will close their new store and take over the failed Shell store location.

Can someone start the music? I think we're playing musical chairs.

The UGas just south of Arsenal yesterday had cars at every pump, with a few cars waiting, and every parking spot was full. I've never seen it that busy before but it's commonly very busy. Some of those smaller gas stations are lucky to have 2 customers at once.

moorlander wrote:The UGas just south of Arsenal yesterday had cars at every pump, with a few cars waiting, and every parking spot was full. I've never seen it that busy before but it's commonly very busy. Some of those smaller gas stations are lucky to have 2 customers at once.

When I lived in LP, that station was usually consistently busy. Not cars waiting busy, but 75% of the pumps occupied busy.

I guess I am one of the few that is still boycotting UGas for tearing down the Ponderosa for yet another gas station.

I guess I am one of the few that is still boycotting UGas for tearing down the Ponderosa for yet another gas station.

Okay, just for grins...

Is there any limit to the number of gas stations that could be built on Hampton?

There aren't any on the east side of Hampton, north of Manchester, or there is?

dweebe wrote:

Northside Neighbor wrote:There aren't any on the east side of Hampton, north of Manchester, or there is?

The Shell station that shares the lot with the horrible McDonalds.

The west side of Hampton has the Mobil by Talanyas, the hoody Philips 66 by Steak n Shake, the dumpy Shell across from Hardees, the other small Phillips and then the super busy UGas.

Also a BP(?) across from the Mobil.

QT got my family's loyalty by simply having clean bathrooms.

Their workers are also paid a decent wage compared to the rest of the industry.

http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news ... r-the.html


So are they building at Hampton and Elizabeth or they going to build at Hampton and Wilson now?

That's what I was asking myself!. Maybe they sell the Bradburn site now that they got the Dirt Cheap site.
The article made it sound like they bought both together. I hope they didn't demo Bradburn, only to put a QT on the Dirt Cheap site, leaving the Bradburn site vacant for any amount of time. Demo is going on there as we speak. The Bradburn building could have been reused. QT strikes again!

^ looks like they picked up the properties at the same time.... my bet is that they plan to go in on Elizabeth and Wilson is a defensive buy.

STLrainbow wrote:^ looks like they picked up the properties at the same time.... my bet is that they plan to go in on Elizabeth and Wilson is a defensive buy.

Yea that makes sense and is probably what's happening. I feel like they have more space at Elizabeth and basically that entire intersection for themselves (it can handle the extra traffic way better then Wilson could). It probably stops the shell from across the street from relocating there. My guess is that little shell next to the Drury Inn closes after QT opens

Anyone else noticed the target in the triangle divider northbound near dirt cheap? There are a few more around town. Anyone know he story?



It's right where this short reflector pole is.

I noticed the targets as well. No clue!

Regarding the Dirt Cheap site, seems way too small for a Mega-QT, unless they are acquiring part of the hotel lot, which is not likely. The Bradburn site, while not as convenient for drivers getting off the highway, it is way bigger than the Dirt Cheap site. The Shell station has the advantage of being way more convenient for eastbound 44 drivers to exit and get gas. I'm not sure why Shell would want to move. They've got a good location, especially being by the Drury and restaurant. Maybe they bought it to fend off a 3rd gas station from coming in. QT probably feels like that area can handle 2 stations. 3 would be a crowd.

DogtownBnR wrote:That's what I was asking myself!. Maybe they sell the Bradburn site now that they got the Dirt Cheap site.
The article made it sound like they bought both together. I hope they didn't demo Bradburn, only to put a QT on the Dirt Cheap site, leaving the Bradburn site vacant for any amount of time. Demo is going on there as we speak. The Bradburn building could have been reused. QT strikes again!

I didn't see much prospect for re-use of the Bradburn building; however, the site is pretty big and could have accomodated a nice 3-story mixed use building with some street level retail and apartments on the upper floors. Just like the new QT on Kingshighway, the site is just way too large for a single gas station.

Not a zoning expert, but I'm guessing a form-based zoning code could prevent giant QT lots.

DogtownBnR wrote:I noticed the targets as well. No clue!

Regarding the Dirt Cheap site, seems way too small for a Mega-QT, unless they are acquiring part of the hotel lot, which is not likely. The Bradburn site, while not as convenient for drivers getting off the highway, it is way bigger than the Dirt Cheap site. The Shell station has the advantage of being way more convenient for eastbound 44 drivers to exit and get gas. I'm not sure why Shell would want to move. They've got a good location, especially being by the Drury and restaurant. Maybe they bought it to fend off a 3rd gas station from coming in. QT probably feels like that area can handle 2 stations. 3 would be a crowd.

That shell is tiny though so I could see it hurting due to that. That Phillips 66 that's further north would also be a concern but maybe both get enough neighborhood business to operate. Neither ever seem that busy though when I drive past them

The Dirt Cheap site is way too small for a QT. I suspect it's a great spot for a QT sign visible from I-44