Does anyone know how I can get a vendor listing / map for Union Station for the years 1990, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2007?
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So apparently there is some sort of Oktoberfest at Union station Friday and Saturday this week? But it's not the same people that are doing the Soulard Oktoberfest next week 
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I've noticed some of the roof panels are being coated gray. Is it FINALLY in the works, to paint to rusty roof panels at Union Station?? They've been an eyesore for decades. I hope this is finally getting done as part of the U S redo!
Looks like they've been booted again and now pick up/drop off by the Crown Food Mart at Clark and Jefferson.dweebe wrote:This will be a much better spot. Like you said I can't imagine what it was like for someone not from here getting dumped at that old 21st Street location: especially after dark.Kevin B wrote:^ My 100%-confident guess? The robbery last month: http://www.kmov.com/news/crime/3-suspec ... 91631.html
As someone who uses Megabus often, the 21st Street drop-off is horrendous. Megabus gets a firmly-worded tweet (for all the good that does) every time I arrive/depart. And for someone who isn't from here...well, I can't imagine how confused/concerned/disoriented they would be getting dumped out there!
I expect a fair amount of drama parking-wise. I can forsee lots of illegal parking around the Sheraton, Transit Center, the dropoff area and even Scottrade Center. Like what will happen when there's a concert or Blues game that coincides with a bus arrival or departure? And it will get even worse when the Transit Center expansion construction starts. This is going to make 14th and Clark even more challenging.Kevin B wrote:Glad to see they've moved it, but northbound 14th at Spruce will have it's own fair-share of issues. Mainly, the mess of cars trying to park (illegally) in the drop-off zone, in front of the bus vestibules and in the Transit Center turnaround.
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Odd location. So much for Union Station being a transit Hub.
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I know, right? Sometimes when I think of train stations in Europe, or even Union Station in Washington, I wonder what Union Station would have been like if the money that went into the Edward Jones Dome so we could borrow a football team for a couple of decades from Los Angeles would have been spent on turning it into a world-class transit hub instead? Perhaps the station could have been expanded underground to create a station where the east-west AND a north-south route could converge on downtown? There would have been plenty of parking, and even a mall with a limited number of stores might have had a better shot at success with thousands of Metrolink, Metrobus, Greyhound, Amtrak, and Megabus passengers shuffling through every day?downtown2007 wrote:Odd location. So much for Union Station being a transit Hub.
I know I'm a dreamer, but to paraphrase John Lennon, I'm not the only one. Unfortunately, dreamers don't get elected to public office here all that often, and the last bold thing Saint Louis did was to erect the Gateway Arch on the riverfront. It seems like we've alternated between playing it safe and screwing up with big projects that never live up to their promises ever since.
Yes, it's an absolutely absurd drop-off spot...even worse than the 21st Street location. Got dropped off there in the rain (fortunately I had an umbrella) and there was a general sense of where-the-hell-are-we's from the other riders. A couple days later, took a taxi from downtown for my departure and the cab driver was confused too. If you aren't getting picked up, or you don't know where to walk (or you can't walk!), you're screwed.dweebe wrote:Looks like they've been booted again and now pick up/drop off by the Crown Food Mart at Clark and Jefferson.
Chryssi Ingrassia tweeted me back that there were problems associated with [Megabus] I need to hear about. Tried to get an email dialogue going with her about it, but that was a no-go. To be completely fair, she recommended I call her to talk, but I haven't yet...
It continues to amaze me, some of the decisions that are made/accepted around transit in this city (Amtrak pulling out of US, Megabus being in some of the least helpful locations, Metrolink expansions to county park-n-rides when vast sections of St. Louis' densest areas are left out, etc...)
NextSTL is reporting that the next phase of the Union Station redevelopment will be a $70 million amusement park. Sounds interesting. Details are still a bit sparse.
http://nextstl.com/2014/11/70-million-a ... velopment/
http://nextstl.com/2014/11/70-million-a ... velopment/
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While looking forward to details, I think this could be a great way to make Union Station relevant again and bring more people downtown.... the ferris wheel could be a nice draw just by itself.
^Possibly. Ferris wheel could be cool.
You know what would probably be the best use for Union Station? As a transit hub. The reason it was built in the first place.
You know what would probably be the best use for Union Station? As a transit hub. The reason it was built in the first place.
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transit hub? doesn't we have transit center about 600 feet to the east of there?
Didn't need to be. We could have just kept using the one we had with Union Station.
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but we do have a transit center presently 600 feet away? 
therefor there is no need for another 600 feet away from that one....
therefor there is no need for another 600 feet away from that one....You're both right. Nothing makes more sense or could be a better use of Union Station than as a transit station. But that pooch was screwed a long time ago, and further made unrealistic when the relatively new transit hub was built on 14th.
I still dream of it being a transit hub again some day, say in 40 years when the current one needs replaced.
But in the interim, I hope it has a successful lifespan of whatever these next phases bring. I think the amusement park could be pretty cool.
I still dream of it being a transit hub again some day, say in 40 years when the current one needs replaced.
But in the interim, I hope it has a successful lifespan of whatever these next phases bring. I think the amusement park could be pretty cool.
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Yeah, short of my ambitious, unfunded, billion-plus dollar idea to make it a real transit center again, I think an amusement park is the next best thing and an interesting idea. People aren't going to drive downtown to shop at the same places they can find in Richmond Heights or Fairview Heights. An amusement park, however, is a different story in my opinion.roger wyoming II wrote:While looking forward to details, I think this could be a great way to make Union Station relevant again and bring more people downtown.... the ferris wheel could be a nice draw just by itself.
I do not know much about amusement parks - but they don't seem to be things that are independent, there seems to be a handful of companies that run them - So I wonder if they are trying to affiliate with one of the big players?
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I think an amusement park (by definition) is a dumb idea. However, a London Eye type ferris wheel and a roller coaster, who be a great compliment to a LEGOLAND, a Great Wolf Lodge - type place, an aquarium (if they expand beyond the shed and developments such as this. Has there been any mention whatsoever, of the MLS stadium, within this project, since the last mention? They need to have attractions that are destinations, unique to the region. It cannot be something that you can do elsewhere in the region. Why would I go to a lesser amusement park in Union Station, if I can go to Six Flags. It has to be unique and draw people from the entire region and then some.
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I just wanted to be able to climb the clock tower at Union Station and take in the view toward the Arch and a few pictures. Every town in Europe lets you climb to the top of their towers. Europe has gun laws, whereas we have to assume it would turn into another University of Texas tower shooting rampage here. Will they just move Colossus again?
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The open-air football stadium that David Peacock has been working on for the past year-and-a-half figures to be MLS capable like CenturyLink Field, which is the consensus best venue in the MLS.DogtownBnR wrote:Has there been any mention whatsoever, of the MLS stadium, within this project, since the last mention?
Just give me my winter ice rink already, LHM! I dream of watching a hockey game then heading under the trainshed with 100s of other fans for an evening skate.
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Very interesting development on the amusement park activity. I think, with the announced Ferris wheel and trapeze school, this was close to the logical assumption for LHM's Union Station plans. The water park rumors were a non-starter for me. Can't imagine they'll go "full" amusement park on this though -- probably some low-slung carnival rides under the trainshed, maybe some boardwalk-style carnival games and vendors. As much as I'd've liked to see a grand Ferris wheel rising through the trainshed roof, i guess logistically and historic landmark-ally, it wouldn't fly.
I honestly don't know -- this could be a huge "get" for downtown or another ill-fated Union Station revamp. For now, I guess I'll just trust the guys with the money and the vision. I had my doubts about the Grand Hall redo too, but the new lighting looks pretty stunning.
Edit: Chicagoans rip on Navy Pier for its tourist-trapiness, but as far as year-round activity/entertainment, LHM would be wise to take more than a few pages from their book. On a visit once, I was amazed at the bustling activity inside and out -- the Ferris wheel, the boat rides, an enclosed garden, the Shakespeare Theatre, money-sink stores and restaurants, -- even saw a surprisingly entertaining pirate puppet performance in the main hall.
Very interesting development on the amusement park activity. I think, with the announced Ferris wheel and trapeze school, this was close to the logical assumption for LHM's Union Station plans. The water park rumors were a non-starter for me. Can't imagine they'll go "full" amusement park on this though -- probably some low-slung carnival rides under the trainshed, maybe some boardwalk-style carnival games and vendors. As much as I'd've liked to see a grand Ferris wheel rising through the trainshed roof, i guess logistically and historic landmark-ally, it wouldn't fly.
I honestly don't know -- this could be a huge "get" for downtown or another ill-fated Union Station revamp. For now, I guess I'll just trust the guys with the money and the vision. I had my doubts about the Grand Hall redo too, but the new lighting looks pretty stunning.
Edit: Chicagoans rip on Navy Pier for its tourist-trapiness, but as far as year-round activity/entertainment, LHM would be wise to take more than a few pages from their book. On a visit once, I was amazed at the bustling activity inside and out -- the Ferris wheel, the boat rides, an enclosed garden, the Shakespeare Theatre, money-sink stores and restaurants, -- even saw a surprisingly entertaining pirate puppet performance in the main hall.
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^^ I heard that, but I'd prefer a soccer-specific venue like KC. It is hard to have a great atmosphere at a soccer game, when 40K people are spread out in a 75K seat venue. I would take anything at this point. I would love to see an ice rink. The boardwalk-Santa Monica type carnival atmosphere is fine, but that would make it useless in the winter, unless they have a skating rink or some way to make it less cold in there. I was there last year for the Santa train (not sure what it was called) and the wind just whips through there. I would not mind seeing an indoor-outdoor waterpark, as long as it is cool and attracts people year round. I'd want the ferris wheel to go BIG, like London. I would also try to spruce up the pond and get the paddleboats going, add fish, water fountains etc... I know the room is limited, but this space needs to be maxed out and used to its full potential.
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yeah, we'll have to see details but I'm pretty optimistic on the potential. Hopefully an attraction of the caliber O'Loughlin was talking about earlier can land here and I see the ferris wheel as a potential big hit. Ice rink is a no-brainer and I think that can go well with additional space for fire pits and Chestnut stands and Christkindlmarkt stalls along with Polar Express and a heated ferris wheel for a decent winter draw... but I didn't think of winds but that's part of winter as onecity says.Kevin B wrote:Just give me my winter ice rink already, LHM! I dream of watching a hockey game then heading under the trainshed with 100s of other fans for an evening skate.
Very interesting development on the amusement park activity....
I honestly don't know -- this could be a huge "get" for downtown or another ill-fated Union Station revamp. For now, I guess I'll just trust the guys with the money and the vision. I had my doubts about the Grand Hall redo too, but the new lighting looks pretty stunning.
CenturyLink "works" for Seattle's NFL & MLS teams. Mainly because they draw such a large crowd for soccer games. But having 20k fans in a 70k seat NFL stadium will probably not be fun.Greatest St. Louis wrote:The open-air football stadium that David Peacock has been working on for the past year-and-a-half figures to be MLS capable like CenturyLink Field, which is the consensus best venue in the MLS.DogtownBnR wrote:Has there been any mention whatsoever, of the MLS stadium, within this project, since the last mention?
You know what would probably be the best use for Union Station? As a transit hub. The reason it was built in the first place.
Yes, when the USA has hundreds and thousands of trains running coast to coast again... maybe.
We have a transit hub "Gateway Station" a block away... yes, Union Station has Metro Rail Lines and MetroBus. But the station was for national train transportation that no longer exists on that scale.
Union Station is also privately owned - no publically owned.