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First Directions: Downtown Development Action Plan
Immediate Action Plan
Momentum, enthusiasm, and even the signs of an improved private investment market are evident downtown. It's critical to show some progress Downtown Now!
The 1993 Downtown Strategic Plan and Phase II of this planning process has yielded a number of excellent ideas that the planning team has had the chance to assess and augment in the past month.
It is important that immediate results from all this effort be encouraged where they are clearly in harmony with the long-term directions emerging for the downtown plan. To that end a list of immediate actions has been prepared on which work by the appropriate agencies and individuals can commence. At the same time mobilization of funding, organizational development and regulatory approval can be initiated for the kinds of projects identified as Phase I and II actions in the next section.
Realistically not all of these actions can be taken up this summer but even to do some would be a great breakthrough and the balance can be implemented over the next year.
Supporting Housing Downtown:
- residential conversion of Marquette Building;
- residential parking permits for Washington Ave. loft district residents;
- develop a financing program for Washington Ave. loft development
- commence an RFP process for new townhouse development on Riverside North site;
Creating Lively Streets:
- "eat-out" program, in which sidewalk cafes are actively promoted;
- "night-out" program, in which restaurants coordinate their evening opening hours;
- "after work" events in public spaces;
- build upon daytime walking tours and nighttime club tours;
- themed street parties (especially on Washington Ave., Broadway and 8th St.) coordinated with sporting events; art shows in the Mall;
- day-time walking tours/nightime club tours;
- self-guided walking tours (historic buildings, Washington Ave. warehouse district, riverfront views/history);
- Sports team or beer company-sponsored street activities: beer gardens/outdoor cafes or restaurant;
- Arch grounds programming: concerts/festivals; informal recreation;
- Art-related window displays along Washington;
- Signage and maps
Improving the Environment:
- flower boxes/hanging planters along selected streets, possibly Washington Ave., 8th St., Broadway;
- awnings and banners on Washington Ave.;
- change signage codes or get waivers for projecting signs;
- promote bright colorful signs and advertisements;
- art/design competition for freeway underpass Laclede's Landing;
- 1/2% sales tax for public art program
Promoting the Technology Advantage:
- advertise awareness and opportunities of downtown high quality telecommunications infrastructure;
Making Downtown Easy to Access:
- better management of street use: permit street vendors, better management of construction and other activities which restrict traffic/pedestrian flow;
- continue to improve pedestrian/tourist signage for both cars and people;
- angled street parking on Washington (permit street parking on other roads, where feasible);
- promote 8th St. as the pedestrian and visual corridor across the downtown with targeted street decoration and retail and cafe activities;
- start distinctive downtown shuttle vehicle route along Washington Ave, 20th Street, the Mall, the Riverfront;
- design modifications to the Eads Bridge proposals to facilitate bicycle and pedestrian access;
- redesign of 22nd St. connector/Jefferson Ave.; and the Mississippi Bridge ramps into downtown to create attractive, non-highway boulevard-style connecting street;
- immediate remedying of most obvious negative sidewalk conditions.
Much of this program of relatively inexpensive and discrete actions could be adopted by the appropriate agencies as soon as possible so that visible results can be seen this year.
Contact Us!
Downtown Now!
588-0458
e-mail:amyr@downtownnow.org
OR
City of St. Louis
622-3400
e-mail:dwntnnow@stlouis.missouri.org
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