urbanSTL

DogtownBnR wrote: It will be fascinating to see how the aquarium is incorporated into the train shed. I would love to see a Rainforest Café as part of that development. If you want to attract families and kids, that is the type of place that can keep them there all day, for lunch or dinner.

As far as I can tell, the location of the aquarium itself will be at the far southern end of the old mall space right by the entrance to the train shed. I agree a Rainforest or T-Rex Cafe would be a great pick-up for the attraction. But as Hard Rock and Landry's apparently are staying, looks like that would have to fit into space inside... not sure if they plan on having more restaurants in there or not.

Edit.... this public radio piece has some additional info:

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/new ... l#stream/0

The aquarium will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and O’Loughlin said ticket prices may range between $12 and $20.

That's pretty reasonable. The article also says a themed-restaurant also is possible in the old Houlihan's spot... so hopes for a Rainforest or T-Rex remain alive.

shadrach wrote:

Kevin B wrote:Long term, my dream is that the Metrolink will be entirely buried between Civic Center and Union Station, with new mixed-use development pursued directly above it.

Yes!! I've had that same dream for years.

I think it would be a huge improvement if Civic Station stop could moved into an expanded tunnel, space under the shed or even if they moved it to the other side of Union Station as part of a bigger 22nd street interchange rebuild/west downtown soccer stadium even without it being buried.

At same time, my latest development wish is to knock down the office building that housed VA office and plop a MLS stadium in the hole with LHM to the West, Scottrade across the street to the north and Amtrak/Transit hub to the immediate East is my latest rallying cry for MLS stadium. Just not sure if it will fit.

Perhaps a successful Union Station project would boost Saint Louis Streetcar prospects... perhaps even with it being altered to go down Market as part of a downtown loop.

An aquarium at US is a great idea...but the "fire and light show" is just lame.

framer wrote:An aquarium at US is a great idea...but the "fire and light show" is just lame.

They would almost be better off doing it but not going out of their way to make it more then what it really is. Marketing folks need to take a chill pill on Train Park.

Personally, a daily excursion or two during the summer months behind a large steam locomotive along with a dinner train service out of Union station would be much more impressive IMO. Tie the working steam locomotive with St. Louis Transportation museum

I think the biggest problem here is that when you step out of Union Station, you don't really see anything. There are (underused) parks and buildings, but there isn't a retail store or restaurant within sight (with a couple of isolated exceptions). Destinations like this probably won't spur spending elsewhere in the downtown area unless they are accessible and welcoming to pedestrians on the street. People will likely drive (or uber) from Union Station to City Museum if visiting both in the same day - the walk feels a lot longer than it should, too many blank walls and empty blocks.

The walk toward downtown from Union Station goes past Citygarden and so on. It could use some work, but there's a lot to work with in that direction.

shadrach wrote:

dredger wrote:At same time, my latest development wish is to knock down the office building that housed VA office and plop a MLS stadium in the hole with LHM to the West, Scottrade across the street to the north and Amtrak/Transit hub to the immediate East is my latest rallying cry for MLS stadium. Just not sure if it will fit.

That would be cool but I think it's going to be to the west of Union Station. Not sure if adjacent or in the 22nd street area.

The area your describing is where I want the US Diving Olympic training center/natatorium to go.
But that's just pure dreaming.

DEA building is next to the VA building so I would imagine they would have to leave and they aren't going anywhere as far I can tell

^ just fyi FBI is considering relocating to NGA development... I hope they do. Could make sense for DEA as well.

My pipe dream is to have that "hallway" be a Indy-like multipurpose trail all the way down Market and FP parkway to Forest Park and maybe eventually Clayton. Both Market and the Parkway are wide enough to accommodate this.

^ I'm in.

Well we currently have quite a long way to go because between the river and Grand, Market street only has 5 total storefronts. (Flying saucer, Sybergs, Maggie O'Briens, Imo's, and Angelos. Not sure if Mike Shannon's is still open or not.

Flying saucer is on spruce right?


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What would really help if market street had a diet. That street cuts of Scot trade center, Union station, Bush stadium and the federal buildings from the rest of downtown.

It really does, I would like the same thing done to Tucker between Wash Ave and Spruce. Crossing that street is ridiculous. Even better would be a nice separated bike lane running all the way down Tucker and through Gravois.

Just an observation, but Denver's aquarium is perhaps in a worse location--in a wasteland sandwiched between a highway and the river and a long walk from downtown or anything else except their little downtown amusement park thingy.

^ thanks for that mention of Denver Aquarium... looked it up and learned a few things. First, it seems to be similar size 1M gallon exhibit. Prices seem similar as well. It was built as a non-profit but failed to meet 1M annual visits after tourism drop of 9/11 era and couldn't meet bond payments.

Where it gets interesting is that Landry's Restaurants bought it in a bidding war with Ripley's... along with a boatload of other restaurants ranging from casual to Morton's, Landry's owns Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex Cafe and something called Aquarium that they have in their various aquarium holdings in Denver, Houston and Nashville.

http://www.aquariumrestaurants.com/down ... dining.asp

Of course wiki may be a fraud and none of this is true. Anyway, good chance this will be the operator LHM selects.

True_dope wrote:What would really help if market street had a diet. That street cuts of Scot trade center, Union station, Bush stadium and the federal buildings from the rest of downtown.

Completely agree. Market street easily could be reduced without any issues and would increase the walk-ability of it easily

urban_dilettante wrote:Just an observation, but Denver's aquarium is perhaps in a worse location--in a wasteland sandwiched between a highway and the river and a long walk from downtown or anything else except their little downtown amusement park thingy.

Now be careful. There might be someone from Denver looking around and seeing critisim. They don't like that, specially by people from St Louis. The aquarium there is the best in the world.

STLrainbow wrote:^ thanks for that mention of Denver Aquarium... looked it up and learned a few things. First, it seems to be similar size 1M gallon exhibit. Prices seem similar as well. It was built as a non-profit but failed to meet 1M annual visits after tourism drop of 9/11 era and couldn't meet bond payments.

Where it gets interesting is that Landry's Restaurants bought it in a bidding war with Ripley's... along with a boatload of other restaurants ranging from casual to Morton's, Landry's owns Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex Cafe and something called Aquarium that they have in their various aquarium holdings in Denver, Houston and Nashville.

http://www.aquariumrestaurants.com/down ... dining.asp

Of course wiki may be a fraud and none of this is true. Anyway, good chance this will be the operator LHM selects.

I hope LHM stays FAR away from the Aquarium Restaurant chain. They are AWFUL. The ones in Houston and Nashville are filthy and gross. The one in Nashville had a dead fish floating in it. Also, the primary feature of their attractions is a seafood restaurant surrounded by tanks filled with the fish your eating.

^ sounds dee-lish! (seriously, i hope we get a rainforest or t-rex instead of that.)

Rainforest Cafe/T-rex seems like a really mediocre tourist trap to me, but I guess kids like it.