urbanSTL

I turned 21 in the 90's so I was there for the heyday of the Landing being the destination for a kid from the far west suburbs who wanted to see live music and go to dance clubs. 

But Laclede's Landing always suffered in that it was developed as a "neighborhood" in a time when it wasn't thought that people would want to live downtown. It needs to come back as a residential AND entertainment district. Also there should be more of a focus on the history of the neighborhood as the center of river commerce back in the day. I'd love to see a couple of saloons down there that capitalize on the river history, 

Not to get off track here but I've been thinking of how two of our city neighborhoods could really have more river access. The Landing and Near North Riverfront is one such area and Soulard (or maybe it's Kosciusko there) would be the other with NGA moving their operations to the Northside I would love to see that site become "Arsenal Park" or something that connects Soulard/AB to the river. 

Laclede's Landing is already making a comeback. Restoring the cobblestone and creating 90 units in 4 currently under-utilized properties is just the beginning. If leasing goes well and the city is serious about providing security and incentivizing redevelopment, I'd expect new construction to follow. 

^Right, but adding more residential basically works against the Landing returning to the kind of entertainment hub it was. Nobody wants to live above the place with the 3 am liquor license. (It's kind of sad. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've been to the Landing since Mississippi Nights closed.)

How about we turn the 1st & Morgan parking lot into a large festival tent, allow local brewers and food trucks to set up along the outside, put a stage at one end and do live music and such every weekend from 2 to 6 from Memorial Day to Labor Day and also use it as the site of an annual Oktoberfest?

^ Not that I can think of a ton of 3am bars these days, but what about the apartments on/near Spruce?  Not sure how full those are, though, and that could also be mostly driven by location.  But yeah, I can see that being an issue.  Maybe if they limited it to the edge of the Landing, like how the only 3AM bars in Soulard are (were?) Social House, DBs, Bar 101, and whatever that rotating door of a place is across Social House.

But yeah, in my early 20s the Landing was one of the only places we'd go.  Only time I can remember going recently was 4th of July last year.  Went to Más Tequila, and it was good, but took nearly 2 hours+ even after I was seated.

I dig the idea of the tent, at least until something more permanent/vertical is proposed there.  Doable in theory, but giving up a parking lot might be a bridge too far...

I've always thought that lot would be best utilized as a mixed use garage to consolidate the rest of the parking lots in the Landing. Could be a solid replacement for the lost Arch garage and force tourists to walk through the Landing to access the Arch. On the bottom floor put in something kitchey like a Hard Rock Cafe.

I will rarely advocate for a garage in this forum, but it's the only realistic lot in the neighborhood to fit a garage and doesn't flood.

^ Unfortunately, you may be right.  Hopefully, two floors of retail or at least tall ceilings on the ground floor, and also a top floor/rooftop spot, with the parking sandwiched in between.  Does anyone know of any height restrictions for the Landing?  I was pretty young, but I recall Planet Hollywood being down there at some point, so your idea of Hard Rock Cafe is feasible.  Last I read, they said they would look to come back to STL after their Union Station closure a few years ago.

Although, it'd suck if they did a garage and then the lots remained for decades. Which honestly doesn't seem that unlikely.  Haha.

Hard Rock Cafe would be awesome, but I get the impression they’re pretty much done with opening new restaurants in the US, and they’ve closed a ton of locations in the past several years. I get it, though. People aren’t really as into the “theme restaurant chains” as they used to be even though I still kinda like them sometimes.

I have zero confidence they’ll come back here or any of the other cities they’ve left. It was interesting because in reading news articles in other cities (Indianapolis, Louisville, Detroit, etc.) about their closings, they always said the same thing about how they would be “coming back” to said city if they found a good location (even if their location had already been in a prime high-traffic spot.) I think they only said it to soften the blow.

If were talking chain restaurants for Downtown I have two of them. First one and the one I want the most its a What A Burger and been in KC already why not open a few in STL! The other one we have at the Enterprise Center (limited) and in CWE but I want to be able to walk to one not ride the train or Uber lol… A Shake Shack and if I want to get greedy a Chicago’s Lou Malnatis and a Portillos (I know is a tourist trap but is Downtown and they won’t open a real Jimmy’s down here). Jimmy can be substituted by a Steve Hot Dogs Downtown.

Also Downtown needs a by slice pizza joint! For a quick grab!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

JJ Taino wrote:If were talking chain restaurants for Downtown I have two of them. First one and the one I want the most its a What A Burger and been in KC already why not open a few in STL! The other one we have at the Enterprise Center (limited) and in CWE but I want to be able to walk to one not ride the train or Uber lol… A Shake Shack and if I want to get greedy a Chicago’s Lou Malnatis and a Portillos (I know is a tourist trap but is Downtown and they won’t open a real Jimmy’s down here). Jimmy can be substituted by a Steve Hot Dogs Downtown.

Also Downtown needs a by slice pizza joint! For a quick grab!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am surprised Portillos isn’t already here. Considering the number of Chicago ex-pats here and the number of tourists from Chicago. Plus it’s good and run well. But I don’t believe downtown to be the ideal location for it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wharaburger is so overrated. 

Fat Burger or bust! 

That’s what I said lol…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The Landing isn’t ever going back to its “Glory Days” (whatever that means). Such an approach would undermine the residential and office growth of the area. It’s best approach forward is a mixed use area with a high quality of life. The bar district concept on The Landing is toast.

^^^^All the new residential apartments coming (think 3 right now) is going to make the landings a mix use and instead of bar its going to be coffee shop, drinking experiences and stuff like that!

Washington will be the new bar scene with diverse restaurants and the Landings will complement it with unique shops. Thats how I see it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Zaxby's is only a matter of time. There are already locations in COMO, Cape and Springfield MO

Updated on a few downtown road projects

7th street streetscape project is expected to start construction this year

Tucker cycle track- 2023 construction start

Trololzilla wrote:Still pining for Zaxby's and Bojangles to come to STL. 

All for Zaxbys but Bojangles is no bueno. They do have great biscuits however and love their Cajun fries.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A new era of downtown opportunity
Despite the pandemic's devastating impact on the office market, downtowns and nearby walkable neighborhoods are looking forward to two decades of growth driven by demographic and economic change.

https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2022/0 ... pportunity

Good luck filling Downtown’s office vacancy w/ innovative businesses or residential. Sure, we can fill some, but not all. There’s far too many square feet. And not enough growth. And related to residential conversions, they are expensive … and not likely in our 70s, 80s & 90s office buildings. See linked Forbes article. I definitely don’t think Downtown needs more low income housing (as discussed in the Forbes article), but the office-to-residential conversion barriers discussed in the article apply. Any knowledgeable architect will tell you office building depths are far different than those of a double-loaded residential corridor/floor. And the elevators are in far different locations in both uses (office & residential). Office elevators are toward the center of a floor. Residential elevators are on a street/lobby/end of a double-loaded corridor.

I think AT&T Tower should be torn down. Sell the land to a residential developer. Start over.

Start building residential on parking lots.

As for other office buildings, good luck.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuastei ... e-housing/


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The tearing down AT&T tower has to be the stupidest popular take around town these days.

^Completely agree. The 'tear down AT&T" idea is ridiculous!