Midtown Strategic Development Plan
Public Meeting Comments
Thursday, June 28th, 2001, 6:30 P.M.
At Saint Louis Cathedral School
4430 Maryland Avenue

Vision

146. A community that "retains" young, married couples who feel that the public school system is strong enough to keep them in the neighborhood vs. fleeing to the suburbs.

147. Not like Clayton-keep a good balance of residents/home owners.

148. Encourage incentives for more affordable housing to preserve the diversity-more openness and less gated communities.

149. Keep the area multi-racial/multi-economic, but add local neighborhood businesses.

150. A neighborhood more unified with lighting that matches, user-friendly sidewalks and safe street crossings. Create an environment for pedestrians to know neighbors' names, needs, fears, etc. Encourage racial diversity and a mix of family types.

151. A community that is not "gentrified." We move in that direction now. Beware! The north side expands and rides roughshod over those who are least able to have a voice. A racially, socially and economically integrated community that continues to allow for diversity. Diversity is richer than being gentrified.

152. Do not want to see St. Louis University, BJC and Washington University coming together as "czars" down Forest Park Blvd. The future should be without a takeover.

153. Establish a serious theatre district that attracts locals and visitors. Bring people in before the show for dinner and keep them after the show, too. Provide opportunities for street entertainers.

154. Good idea!

155. Launch a campaign to educate suburbanites about the advantages of city life in St. Louis. So many people simply do not know what we have here.

156. Host more meetings like this to keep the information flowing.

157. Communicate to the entire region, not just where the CWE is. When I first moved here, it was difficult for me to "know" where something was. It is a difficult situation when you're looking for a "safe neighborhood in the city." When you're new in town, you know you're more vulnerable.

158. Look at Evanston, IL (Chicago) guys…

159. In the business part of CWE (Euclid) why not offer "T.I.F.-type" incentives to physically clean the sidewalks (e.g., Wabash Ave. in Chicago's Loop). After the "Taste of CWE," our neighborhood reeked of stale beer for days!

160. I don't want to live in Venice, CA. I want ethnic diversity and not a Stepford Community.

161. A neighborhood that retains its young people and uniqueness that will be the envy of cities across the nation. Put St. Louis back on the map! We have a great city here.

162. Without diversity and strong support for it, the City is dead. We need that as a comparative advantage. You don't get that in the county! Create an environment of mostly owners of homes/businesses-not absentee landlords.

163. My vision for the neighborhood includes "clean air." The air pollution is very noticeable and is a health threat.

164. My vision is a more urban community, not planned by suburban thinking individuals.

165. Amen!

166. Yeah, me, too!

167. Yes!

168. Able to live, work and enjoy a small neighborhood.

169. Allow fewer cars and establish higher parking fees.

170. Have fewer stop signs and no parking fees.

171. Look to Boulder, CO, Ashland, Santa Fe, Soho and Oregon.

172. A place where people will want to visit, but will respect it enough not to litter, loiter, and commit crimes.

173. A place with a variety of different housing (ranch, 2-family, 2- or 3-story brick, wood, etc.)

174. I would rather not see ranch housing in the CWE. Need more new, large, single-family homes instead of condos and townhouse structures.

175. Encourage the building of new big, single-family housing (3,000 sq. ft. houses).

176. A small neighborhood feel-not a campus for SLU or BJC or McDonalds. I want to walk to the store and see a farmers' market in the area

177. Yeah, me, too!

178. A vibrant, pedestrian-friendly urban neighborhood that retains its sense of history and importance. STL 2005!

179. An area in total where you can safely walk and enjoy the history, culture and diversity.

180. Important to have physical and social connections to the area north of Delmar. Realizing that racial and economic problems are not going to be solved on a neighborhood level, we should still do as much as possible to have a community that is united and continuous.

181. Get the pastors of the churches involved!

182. Too many not-for profits in the area.

183. Diversity is good. We need people. People make a city thrive. Don't change B zones to A. We are a city, not a suburb.

184. www.aaronlaw.com past press releases, "My Vision for St. Louis" June 1997.

185. A community known for its safety.