urbanSTL

The Museum of Transportation is in the middle of a major capital improvements campaign. Just about everything there has been or is being reworked. It's not going anywhere. If you haven't been there recently, or ever, I would recommend going. Definitely an under-appreciated and under-promoted asset.



That's not to say some form of partnership involving keeping some rolling stock at Union Station that rotates on a regular basis would not be beneficial to both sides.

I really don't think Union Station is big enough to hold the Museum of Transportation with what is planned.

Grew up withing walking distance of the Museum of Transportation. I loved that place as a kid.



Most importantly, downtown needs more attractions! We have no art museum, histiory museum, or science center downtown. While I love Forest Park, wouldn't downtown be better off with these three attractions?

Heck, even the architecture museum wants to locate on the east side.



I think Union Station is a beautiful and priceless landmark, we just need to find the proper use for it.

Moorlander, I would somewhat disagree. I don't think downtown needs more attractions outright. It Just needs to improve on what we got and do a lot better job of marketing them and/or providing access between them (TDD to support a free downtown loop bus, etc).



- City museum is getting better with time and it fits into the warehouse/loft district perfectly.



- Arch Grounds already has a museum. The problem is that the museum is buried under grass. I really wished Dansforth had emphasized the Westward Ho museum. Talk about a great example of promoting green living with a historical tie in to a sod house of the frontier days to boot. Green Living/history/science in one shot. Unfortunately, museum is relatively unknown and access is a problem on busy hot summer day when you have to wait in line for the metal detector.



- Clark Street has the makings of a Great Ameican sports street. Find a NBA team for Scottrade or find a way to build a soccer team on the other side of Union Station. You could possibly have four professional teams on one street without having to spend a fortune building a new NFL stadium for the Rams. The rest will take care of itself as well as the fact that it is a matter of time before Ballpark Village goes forward.



The one thing that I would add - A satellite art institue gallery next to the City Garden. That would compliment the sculptures and the give an outlet for the Art Institute without having to compete directly with Grand Center.

Dredger wrote: The one thing that I would add - A satellite art institue gallery next to the City Garden. That would compliment the sculptures and the give an outlet for the Art Institute without having to compete directly with Grand Center.

The General American Life building on Market could be our version of NY's Guggenheim. It's still vaccant, I believe. Perhaps Danforth could throw his money into that, now that he's given up on the Arch grounds.

Yeah I was there last week and there really isnt much left. The whole west wing is vacant which I believe Mariott has plans for. Even it the main lower level there wasnt much going on. It is following the same eery path as STL Centre. It may be time to try a different concept.

Moorlander wrote:I think Union Station is a beautiful and priceless landmark, we just need to find the proper use for it.

I agree. Probably would have made a great Amtrak Station.

I agree. Probably would have made a great Amtrak Station.

I couldn't agree more! How much of a no brainer was it to utilize Union Station as our train station. I think the new Amtrack station is nice, but it is small. It would have been nice to enter STL and get off the train into a grand Union Station. I do not know the logistics of running tracks into Union Station, but it sure would have been nice, especially with the government push for hi-speed rail and other train-related transportation gaining speed. Trains may be the wave of the future.

DOGTOWNB&R wrote: Trains may be the wave of the future.

Another volcano or two and you may be right.

It's been discussed in different threads that Amtrak would rather not have terminal style stations, as it is logistically more difficult (difficulter) and more time consuming to do back up procedures. Especially for a train that for which St. Louis doesn't serve as a terminus. Chicago is a good example, as 20 or so minutes (or more) have to be added to the schedule to accomodate the back up procedure.
But this is probably fodder for a different thread.
I do think that Union Station should have better visual connection to the Intermodal Station, as hundreds of people use it everyday.

so, it CAN, and IS done by amtrak.

Right, like it's done in Chicago. And New Orleans. But Amtrak has stated that they prefer (maybe even require) new stations to not necessitate back up procedures. It costs more, because some entity (either Amtrak or local) has to provide the labor, and it takes time.

More on topic, is Sbarro still there?

On a side note, I think their was also a impasse on trackage rights into Union Station of all things. Amtrak essentially operates on private rails. My understanding was that the fees to make use of the remaining Union Station tracks were going to be expensive and all the respective parties couldn'g come to an agreement on neither a price or liability issues. Chalk one up for the lawyers.

Union Station needs the existing truncated 22nd street parkway to be torn up, street grid replaced, and a plither of new office construction around it. Especially a new tower anchoring the west end of Gateway Mall as McKee propoosed. An Ikea wouldn't hurt either.

As far as hotel, Alex already noted that Marriott is a good brand that is expanding with new meeting space. They understand something or feel their is a future in that location, that Union Station already has good access including a metrolink station and will have better access when a new I-64 interchange is built. That retail failed miserably, but the Scottrade and soon to be Kiel Opera space actually brings people to the hotel rooms, creates traffic for their food offerings and will pay for event parking.

In essence, I would be worried if they tried to put retail back into Union Station. First, why go pay to shop when you can go to many more places with a lot more selection for free. Second, downtown residents would rather have retail close to their lofts. Third, retail is fickle and perceptions can turn a place on the dime. Liked it did already.