Phase One
Oct. 15, 1997, Mayor Clarence Harmon announced the formation of the Downtown Now! Task Force, a public/private partnership created to develop a five- to seven-year action plan for revitalizing downtown St. Louis. The effort is led by the City of St. Louis, Regional Commerce and Growth Association (RCGA), Downtown Saint Louis Partnership, and St. Louis 2004.
On Nov. 1, 1997, Downtown Now! began regular monthly meetings and held its first public meeting, attended by more than 250 people. The mayor presented four priorities that encouraged reinvestment in downtown: downtown housing, the Washington Avenue Loft District, reconnecting the Mississippi River to the downtown core, and building the convention headquarters hotel.
At a second public meeting on Dec. 6, 1997, development principles and priorities that will guide the downtown planning process were reviewed. The Development Principles and Priorities went through six major revisions before Mayor Clarence Harmon accepted the recommendations from the Task Force.
Phase Two
In January 1998, Phase Two of the master-planning process began with the commissioning of a downtown housing study by Zimmerman/Volk Associates Inc. Their analysis revealed a need for nearly 470 new and rehabbed market-rate housing units downtown.
In March, 1998, Downtown Now!, the Mayor's Task Force for the Downtown Development Action Plan hired a consultant team led by EDAW, Inc. to create the revitalization master plan for the Downtown core and the Riverfront. The team includes Simon Martin-Vegue, Winkelstein Moris, Urban Strategies, The Concord Group, InfoNology, Soskolne and Associates, and TDA. Local firms include Development Strategies, David Mason, Kiku Obata, Kwame Building Group, Marketing Works and Trivers and Associates.
The EDAW team launched the data gathering phase of the master planning process in April. The team met with more than 200 representatives of Downtown-related agencies, transportation officials, businesses, educational institutions, tourism bureaus, housing and commercial developers. The team also completed a detailed analysis of the existing physical conditions of the Downtown and the region in order to determine a successful strategy for revitalization.
By the end of May, the EDAW team had met with nearly 300 additional Downtown stakeholders and potential investors in order to evaluate proposed projects and visions for the Downtown. The team facilitated a unique full day workshop for the Downtown Now! Co-Chairs, local elected officials, major regional civic and business leaders, and the Missouri Department of Economic Development, to synthesize the myriad of ideas and plans presented into a revitalization strategy.
The First Directions report released June 1, 1998 presented the planning team's early thoughts on key strategies and high priority actions for Downtown revitalization. The purpose of the report was twofold: to inform the public and to encourage debate on the study team's initial thoughts, proposals, and strategies; and to establish a preliminary framework for the more detailed Downtown revitalization plans to follow
In mid July, the planning team presented a draft Framework Plan based on extensive market analysis, the First Directions report and feedback from many small group meetings, Task Force meetings, and one public meeting.
The Framework Plan was a composite of districts, land use, transportation, and open space strategies. The Plan identified fifteen sub districts of the Downtown. The Framework Plan also identified five focus areas for revitalization: Laclede's Landing, Riverside North, Washington Avenue, Old Post Office Square, the Central Business District, and the Mall. More than 500 people reviewed the Framework Plan during July and August.
Phase Three
The planning team has now begun work in the final phase of the planning process. A building by building urban design plan at the 1"=100' scale has been drafted based on the public input to the Framework Plan. This level of detail allows for specific costing, financial analysis, and evaluations workshops to be completed by November 1998.
Based on input from the Co-Chairs, the Task Force, and the public, the EDAW team will prepare a preferred Urban Design and Development Plan for the Downtown Core District by January 1999. This plan will link market realities, clear design directions, and entrepreneurial approach to development potentials, a clear portrayal of public initiatives, and an outline of the financial and management strategies critical to success.
This final phase of the planning process will include illustrations of the overall urban fabric of the Downtown Core, typical proposed streetscapes via street sections, and three character drawings that portray the intended design strategy for the Downtown Core. As part of the transportation component of the plan, parking, pedestrian access, bicycle access, and public transit will be addressed. The final planning report will also include cost estimates for public improvements, finance and management plans, action plans for priority projects, and a timeline for implementation of improvements
Contact Us!
Downtown Now!
588-0458
e-mail:amyr@downtownnow.org
OR
City of St. Louis
622-3400
e-mail:dwntnnow@stlouis.missouri.org
