urbanSTL

wabash wrote: ↑

Oct 31, 2019

urbanitas wrote:I have no idea why so many are so opposed to the adjacent soccer fields.  From looking at all the other MLS stadiums, and recent stadium proposals, it seems pretty clear that the MLS  wants to see soccer fields near their new stadiums.

Simply because the MLS wants something and other cities are appeasing them doesn’t mean it’s sound planning or efficient land use.

What Wabash said.  
Their plan creates two super blocks in West Downtown with one being a sea of green instead say a sea of asphalt in a downtown awash with sea of green and asphalt.  However, some ingenious planning and realization that their is already a significant amount of green space and plenty of open surface lots could have yield plenty of practice fields while placing a soccer stadium next to Union Station with north of Market street grid for future dense infill. I would even advocate that west end of Gateway Mall could be envisioned as soccer practice/community fields.   

https://mls4thelou.com/

Website has updated to show stadium reveal with more information and more renderings.

MLS District Reveal  video

https://mls4thelou.com

The Press Release makes it sound as if there will be more development. That lines how I’m up with what I was informed where some parking lots, the second practice field and surrounding parcels are eyed for future development.

In the renderings, the Team HQ building will carry a similar design to the stadium. So that’s nice.

I'm starting to get more excited about this. The owners and designers are saying all the right things; let's hope they follow through. 

So a few things I spotted from the updated renderings.

They're putting a pedestrian island in Market St so you only have to cross three lanes of traffic at a time:



The practice fields are elevated - they're not at street level:



The ferris wheel finally showed up!



^ Also from that shot and others, it appears they intend to preserve 2008-2010 Olive St?

-RBB

chaifetz10 wrote:So it does sound like they're building the practice fields expecting to use some of the land for future buildings (fingers crossed for both WWT and Enterprise to open offices downtown).  As long as they engineer the garages underneath correctly, no reason why practice fields couldn't work as a temporary land use until next phases are figured out.

Tin foil hat time: it's also entirely possible they already know what will be built, but want to save some releases to keep momentum going over the next few years.

Enterprise downtown would be nice. There is already a WWT office downtown.


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^ Enterprise having downtown presence would be huge and a big step forward for downtown.  Yep, seems like they are saying right things and hope that the future for South of Market evolves beyond a parking lot on west side and practice fields west of Union Station.    Enterprise, like Build a Bear, would also mean jobs coming into downtown rather than moving from one part to another part of downtown.   

Still hoping that  WWT and its subsidiary expands enough in Cupples that Koman can pull the trigger on some infill whether they dust off the Cupples X plans and or come out with another infill vision (maybe taller).   Would rather see WWT since they already have a presence downtownhelp find a way to infill Cupple's empty lots instead of pulling up stakes when leases expire only to move a few blocks down and do a partial infill next to new stadium.   Simply put, I would rather see Cupples infill and BPV phase III before a downtown musical chair routine of relocating next to the new shiny object.  

Now if all that could happen and someone take on a major 909 Chestnut lease & Railway and Jeff Arm kicks off the next round of rehab. 

My ideal vision for the surrounding area here is that it becomes residential dominant with multitudes of the ubiquitous 6-7 story apartment buildings that we are seeing across the country (albeit, of course, with nice designs ). First floor bars and restaurants within hopefully all. A stadium sitting within a fully built out, highly residential DTW neighborhood.

And the big elephant...The Butler Building

Here's the Fact Sheet from the official press kit.  Many of the features from the initial site, south of Market, are still incorporated in the new stadium.

https://mls4thelou.com/wp-content/uploa ... ss-Kit.pdf

One thing I get from this area plan is the value of the southern lots at Clark and 22nd. Immediate access to interstate and cycle track. 
Those will have a mixed-use proposals before the stadium is even done. 
WHICH is pretty incredible because that opens the door for a really great redevelopment south of 64 on 22nd.

addxb2 wrote: ↑

Nov 01, 2019

One thing I get from this area plan is the value of the southern lots at Clark and 22nd. Immediate access to interstate and cycle track. 
Those will have a mixed-use proposals before the stadium is even done. 
WHICH is pretty incredible because that opens the door for a really great redevelopment south of 64 on 22nd

I think the team will own those lots and will develop them. 

wabash wrote: ↑

Oct 31, 2019

urbanitas wrote:I have no idea why so many are so opposed to the adjacent soccer fields.  From looking at all the other MLS stadiums, and recent stadium proposals, it seems pretty clear that the MLS  wants to see soccer fields near their new stadiums.

Simply because the MLS wants something and other cities are appeasing them doesn’t mean it’s sound planning or efficient land use.

This year long effort by the owners and city officials to get a team has been all about pleasing and appeasing the MLS.  I doubt anyone involved was too concerned about "efficient land use".  If the MLS has suggested to expansion applicants that it is something they'd like to see around their downtown stadiums, than you can be sure they are all going to do everything they can to provide them.  And unlike most cities, St. Louis has been blessed by past civic leaders with an unlimited supply of empty acres in our downtown area on which to put them.

^ My understanding as well.  I also don't think it makes any sense to build interstate exits every 1000 feet or so.

With Union Station and the MLS stadium projects happening caddy corner to one another, the city has to be looking at a refresh for Aloe Plaza right? The fountain is magnificent but the plaza itself is pretty lifeless. Could become the western Kiener Plaza if we play our cards right.