Downtown Now! Newsletter
December 1998

COST OF DOWNTOWN
REVITALIZATION PROJECTED
TO BE $1.029 BILLION

A crowd of about 200 gathered in the City Hall Rotunda Dec. 8 for a report on the projected cost for the revitalization of downtown St. Louis. In earlier sessions, participants agreed that the projects most important for pumping new life into the city are new and rehabbed housing, office, enhanced streetscapes, urban squares, shops, restaurants and entertainment. On Dec. 8, they learned that the price of these projects is currently projected to be $1.029 billion.

The meeting was sponsored by Downtown Now!, Mayor Clarence Harmon's Downtown Development Task Force. Mike Jones, deputy mayor for development, opened the session on behalf of Mayor Clarence Harmon and introduced Joe Berridge and Cales Givens, the consultants who have worked with the Task Force since April.

The consultants presented an overview of the projected cost of residential and non-residential buildings, public art and cultural programs, parking, landscaping and street improvements, environmental abatement and site preparation in the four neighborhoods targeted for initial emphasis.

Berridge pointed out that the estimated cost for Phase I revitalization effort is reasonable, considering how much was spent in individual projects such as, the Keil Center, MetroLink and the Trans World Dome.

He also compared the plans for St. Louis revitalization with major projects completed or underway in the '90s in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Miami, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Boston.

Berridge told the group that, along with looking at the kinds of revitalization projects these cities have done and their cost, consultants also studied the "best practices" that have made their efforts successful. These include: stong civic and business leadership; a strong theme that integrates the city's history and identity into the redevelopment projects and its marketing; large-scale "catalyst" projects that send the message that something exciting is happening, giving people a reason to take a second look; and integration of the projects into a reinvigorated, beautiful physical environment.

Givens described the plan as market-driven and indicated that both local and national investors and developers have expressed interest in various components of the project. He noted that Washington Avenue is the city's best area for capitalizing on the national trend for loft living, dubbed the Old Post Office "the best building in St. Louis," a natural spot for the heart of a new urban square, and outlined plans to create a new residential neighborhood north of Laclede's Landing. Givens described the Mall and Arch grounds as a national treasure something people will come to see, which will "establish the identity of what St. Louis is all about."

SEASONS GREETINGS

Enjoy Downtown St. Louis and see the wonderful light display along Market Street during the holiday season.
Celebrate Downtown During "First Night."

DOWNTOWN NOW! - JUST THE FACTS

Phase One:

  • Oct. 15, 1997 - Mayor Clarence Harmon announced the formation of the 100-member Downtown Now! Task Force.
  • Nov. 1, 1997 - Priorities were identified for encouraging reinvestment in downtown are downtown housing, the Washington Avenue Loft District, reconnecting the Mississippi River to the downtown core and building the convention center hotel at the first public meeting.
  • Dec. 6, 1997 - At a second public meeting, the development principles and priorities that will guide the downtown planning process were established.

Phase Two:

  • January 1998 - A housing study by Zimmerman/Volk Associates, Inc. revealed a market for nearly 470 new and rehabbed housing units downtown.
  • March 6, 1998 - The task force selected EDAW, Inc. of San Francisco to guide the creation of the revitalization master plan for the downtown core and riverfront.
  • April 1998 - The EDAW team launched the data-gathering phase of the master planning process with a tour of downtown and meetings with more than 200 representatives of downtown-related agencies, transportation officials and local developers.
  • May 1998 - After meeting with nearly 300 downtown stakeholders, four major strategies were developed for revitalizing downtown.
  • June 2, 1998 - More than 300 participants provided input on the proposed strategies at the third public meeting.
  • July 14, 1998 - The largest group ever -- nearly 500 participants -- reviewed the Revitalization Framework Plan and responded enthusiastically.
  • Sept. 15, 1998 - About 250 citizens were present at the Old Post Office for the unveiling of a draft plan, then "took to the streets" for guided tours of the proposed Old Post Office Square and core business district.
  • Dec. 8, 1998 - More than 200 people met in the City Hall Rotunda to hear the projected cost of the downtown revitalization action plan and comparisons with other cities.





This page was last updated 11.10.99