urbanSTL

The 30 acres are on the north side of Missouri Ave between Front St and IL Route 3. 

The 20 across from the Arch shown below. Both transactions closed in Q4 2025. 

I suspect is that they didnt really pay anything for the land, the owner probably gave it to them due to all the environmental issues with it.  this is what i mean by getting ahead of himself, this is a long way away. 

I found something while snooping that did indicate East St. Louis received a grant for riverfront site cleanup from Illinois. Challenge now is whether I can re-find it.

Let’s put once across the river from the arch.

jshank83 wrote:Let’s put once across the river from the arch.

And put a super-tall condo tower in Luther Ely Smith Square so it, the Arch, and Sphere will look like croquet.


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"Mr. Stubblefield stated that he spoke to Terminal Railroad Association who provided and update on a proposed barge-to-rail project in East St. Louis that is currently in the early discussion phase. Due to increasing congestion on the St. Louis riverfront, customers are seeking alternative solutions. Ameropa and ADM have expressed interest in working with the Terminal Railroad Association (TRRA) on the development of a port structure in East St. Louis to facilitate the onloading and offloading of fertilizer at the terminal site. Projected output for the barge-to-rail operation is estimated at 30 to 40 million tons."

Source

That's interesting news! Thank you!

Good stuff!  EST and the STL riverfront have so much untapped potential; it's absolutely mind-boggling why nothing has happened all of these years.

^ That's Cincinnati's riverfront.

I think there’s some really good potential here

We often talk about an amphitheater on the east riverfront with the arch backdrop would become an instant destination

Any kind of clean up and adding amenities and bringing back Malcolm park back to life (RIP Gateway Geyser) would be super positive

Would be great if the casino would do more with its land

And please please someone get Great Rivers Greenway, the City and Bi-State together to make the Eads pedestrianized while we are at it and make it part of a connected west side and east side of the river


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The challenge with adding East St. Louis to the national park will be activating it every day and giving visitors a reason to spend time on that side. I would love to see some museums incorporated into the plan for the east St. Louis riverfront.

Some ideas I had are:
- National Building Arts Museum
- Western Expansion Museum (including items from the Arch’s archives they don’t have space to display now, and work with the National Archives to have the Louisiana Purchase signed treaty on display)
-Move the aquarium from Union Station and build a world class aquarium on the riverfront

The National Building Arts Museum and a Western Expansion Museum would be good. Moving the aquarium away from Union Station would be silly.

What would be the best way to get folks across the river to the East park? A trackless train using Eads bridge? Small boats? Gondola or course. Ski lift style lift? New pedestrian bridge as part of new PSB with golf carts? Busses? Self driving Waymo?


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A zip line from the top of the arch of course

If you pedestrianized/bike trailed the Eads which would be a beautiful walk unique to StL.

You could run a steamboat service back and forth too since they essentially already have that as part of the arch experience but it is underutilized

Then you have the existing metrolink

I think people would use both sides, as the Arch would become more of a full day experience

The whole goal should just to be connect downtown more to the arch and the riverfront and connect the two riverfronts. I think at least seeing some ideas from EStL and Gateway Foundation makes me optimistic that interstate removal, Eads redo, east riverfront park/amenities can become a greater vision


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gary kreie wrote:What would be the best way to get folks across the river to the East park? A trackless train using Eads bridge? Small boats? Gondola or course. Ski lift style lift? New pedestrian bridge as part of new PSB with golf carts? Busses? Self driving Waymo?


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All of the above!

Eads a pedestrian boardwalk.
MetroLink runs free and constantly from LL to ER.
Gondola from South Downtown to ER.
Smaller ferry boats, at least five, running all day.
Multiple dinner cruises.

How big of a net would it take to shoot tourists from a cannon to East side? Going ballistic.


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I think once again the answer is staring us right in the face, found in one of our contemporaries. The Eads Bridge would be great .. but the real opportunity here is the MacArthur Bridge. Which is basically the same thing as Louisville's "Big Four Bridge". Seen here, you view a very plausible and practical set-up. The MacArthur could be a pedestrian and cycling connection, with a spiral ramp on the STL side...leading to the new East St Louis riverfront, which could sport the following as well:

-Amphitheater
-Boat Launch
-Fisherman's Warf
-A farmers market pad right at the Illinois entry base
-A skate park

Both New Albany and Jeffersonville Indiana have these basic riverside amenities in some combo. I walked the Big Four Bridge one night, when I was visiting Louisville, and happened upon a big country music concert at the Jeffersonville riverfront shell. It was packed. Food venders and food trucks lined the road. The businesses facing the riverfront were swamped. And the bridge itself was swarming with pedestrians and cyclists, many of whom were simply tailgating on the bridge above the amphitheater to watch the show. The bridge itself is an attraction, as they have LED light patterns playing across it every night. There is lighting under-railing in addition, ensuring a visible path and a sense of safety. People painting and selling art... playing acoustic music..etc hang on the bridge and interact with passers-by. 

The answer exists. It's there, 3 hours-ish way. It is successful and a contributing asset to their riverfront liveliness. 

Macarthur would also be awesome especially if Gateway South ever became a thing

But the Eads is a symbol of our city, beautiful, more connected to the Arch park and downtown and is designed more like a boardwalk than a bridge, so I still think it’s the best option

It also has very little traffic as it is, it is just begging to be the next riverwalk attraction, which almost every river city has besides us


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