urbanSTL

We aren't getting an NBA team in near future. For now, the NBA is happy looking at smaller markets where they are the main attraction (i.e. Memphis, OK City, Louisville), instead of playing second, third or fourth fiddle in a mid market like St. Louis. I'd love to get the NBA franchise here, especially after going to a game last year in MN.



And I wouldn't put an arena across the river. An open air stadium maybe, but why would you want an arena there? You're not able to take advantage of the views.

Gary Kreie wrote:I think that if someone in Las Vegas had put in the World's tallest fountain, people would take their kids out of school and plan vacations around going to see it.



But here it is almost unknown. You wonder why Illinois can't link the casino area, casino hotel, the fountain, riverboats, and a landscaped area with outdoor dining restaurants and an Arch viewing plaza into some kind of destination.

OK, leave off the arena. How about all the rest of my comment? I would say to substitute the word aquarium for arena, but that would start a debate about aquariums, and my real comment was about the fountain and surrounding area on that side of the river.

Isn't that area across from the Arch flood plain?

bry456 wrote:Isn't that area across from the Arch flood plain?

Well, yeah! And so is the entirety of the area surrounded by I-255!

phobia wrote:

Mill204 wrote:

bry456 wrote:Isn't that area across from the Arch flood plain?

Well, yeah! And so is the entirety of the area surrounded by I-255!

Yah, but the east bank is a flood plain not of farmland, but with smelly industry and unsightly lower class neighborhoods. These are a lot more scary to developers than mere forces of nature.

Wouldn't property values go up in that area if we just flooded the whole thing permanently and made it the Venice of America? I would go over there if I could take a gondola to a restaurant. I think it would make crime go down, too, but I haven't figured out why.

phobia wrote:

Mill204 wrote:

bry456 wrote:Isn't that area across from the Arch flood plain?

Well, yeah! And so is the entirety of the area surrounded by I-255!

Yah, but the east bank is a flood plain not of farmland, but with smelly industry and unsightly lower class neighborhoods. These are a lot more scary to developers than mere forces of nature.

Actually the American Bottoms is one of the best places to grow horseradish in the world due to its sandy soils. I think Collinsville even has a horseradish festival every year.

It's the International Horseradish Festival!!!



http://www.horseradishfestival.com

Gary Kreie wrote:I think it would make crime go down, too, but I haven't figured out why.

Only if they include a McDonald's.

Really, there are a lot of smart developments that would go great on the east bank. But right now, it seems that Illinois is a long ways away from realizing any sort of riverfront progress. I only hope that one day soon, people will begin to move back to ESTL and repopulate the downtown area bringing that back. With a repopulated East St. Louis, perhaps those residents would push for smart growth on the East Riverfront.



I've always thought that it'd be fun to create a marina of sorts there. Just flood it all out, make it a lake.

Construction on a park and viewing stand in this area is already in progress:



Skyline overlook to be built in East St. Louis

Bill Raack, KWMU



ST. LOUIS (2006-09-15) A ground-breaking is scheduled for Saturday in East St. Louis for a four-story overlook officials say will offer a great view of the Gateway Arch and St. Louis skyline across the Mississippi River.



The structure will be built in the park named for the late Malcolm Woods Martin. Martin's vision was to create the park to complement the 630-foot-tall stainless steel landmark. Mike Buehlhorn is the executive director of the Metro East Park and Recreation District.



"It's a 195-foot platform that's handicap accessible in eight-foot lifts all the way up to 40 feet and the 40-foot level will situated facing the Gateway Arch and it's going to be just a spectacular view of the Arch," Buehlhorn said.



The Gateway Center of Metropolitan St. Louis is paying for the $4 million project. Construction will begin in a few weeks and Buehlhorn says the overlook should be built by next summer.

southcitygent wrote:Construction on a park and viewing stand in this area is already in progress:



Skyline overlook to be built in East St. Louis

Bill Raack, KWMU



ST. LOUIS (2006-09-15) A ground-breaking is scheduled for Saturday in East St. Louis for a four-story overlook officials say will offer a great view of the Gateway Arch and St. Louis skyline across the Mississippi River.



The structure will be built in the park named for the late Malcolm Woods Martin. Martin's vision was to create the park to complement the 630-foot-tall stainless steel landmark. Mike Buehlhorn is the executive director of the Metro East Park and Recreation District.



"It's a 195-foot platform that's handicap accessible in eight-foot lifts all the way up to 40 feet and the 40-foot level will situated facing the Gateway Arch and it's going to be just a spectacular view of the Arch," Buehlhorn said.



The Gateway Center of Metropolitan St. Louis is paying for the $4 million project. Construction will begin in a few weeks and Buehlhorn says the overlook should be built by next summer.

Am I the only one who thinks this is one of the worst ideas ever?! Not only does the observation deck look awful, but we should be developing the east riverfront as a street grid with condos etc, (ex. south cinci) not some stupid park IMO!

When does this fountain run. I would like to see it.



Thank you.

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:

southcitygent wrote:Construction on a park and viewing stand in this area is already in progress:



Skyline overlook to be built in East St. Louis

Bill Raack, KWMU



ST. LOUIS (2006-09-15) A ground-breaking is scheduled for Saturday in East St. Louis for a four-story overlook officials say will offer a great view of the Gateway Arch and St. Louis skyline across the Mississippi River.



The structure will be built in the park named for the late Malcolm Woods Martin. Martin's vision was to create the park to complement the 630-foot-tall stainless steel landmark. Mike Buehlhorn is the executive director of the Metro East Park and Recreation District.



"It's a 195-foot platform that's handicap accessible in eight-foot lifts all the way up to 40 feet and the 40-foot level will situated facing the Gateway Arch and it's going to be just a spectacular view of the Arch," Buehlhorn said.



The Gateway Center of Metropolitan St. Louis is paying for the $4 million project. Construction will begin in a few weeks and Buehlhorn says the overlook should be built by next summer.

This really sounds dumb. Why would you need to go up 4 stories for a better view of downtown, when you can stand on the riverfront and get the same thing?

Why does this sound like something they would build in Tiajuana to allow people to look over into the United States? Maybe we need a small fleet of hovercraft to ferry people across the river to the platform.

I believe the deck is designed so that people can look over the flood wall otherwise all you would see from the ground is a concrete wall. Unfortunately the East St. Louis riverfront is burdened by its necessity.

I just came across a copy of "Seeing Saint Louis" by Barringer Fifield. It's a tourist guidebook/history of the City published first in 1987 (I have the second edition from 1989). Here is an excerpt:

No one denies that the Arch is ineffable. Everyone agrees that what it frames across the river is less so. But the eastside waterfront will soon lose its prosaic quality: a hundred-acre extension of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is planned for between the Eads and Poplar Street bridges, on which a fountain jetting hundreds of feet into the air will be built. A national museum of ethnic culture has also been proposed for the site along with other attractions.

The next section features a full-page photo of St. Louis Centre - I can't wait to read more.

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:

clellchatman wrote:When does this fountain run. I would like to see it.



Thank you.

Every hour, I think?

Is it sponsored by Viagra?

innov8ion wrote:

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:

clellchatman wrote:When does this fountain run. I would like to see it.



Thank you.

Every hour, I think?

Is it sponsored by Viagra?

Usually it's at noon and one. I remember during the Final Four they did it more often, though I forget which ED drug sponsored it.

Thanks.

brickandmortar wrote:

innov8ion wrote:

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:

Every hour, I think?

Is it sponsored by Viagra?

Usually it's at noon and one. I remember during the Final Four they did it more often, though I forget which ED drug sponsored it.

When Cialis sponsors it, the fountain runs the whole weekend.