Ballpark Village is ready to start construction, with completion scheduled for 2009. The model shown on TV this week makes the project look very upscale, and our son is already pushing for us to sell our house in favor of a BV condo. No doubt about it...new construction has its advantages. We are tempted, but where would we walk the dog?
Anyhow, I'm wondering about a couple of things on the design. First, how does BV incorporate into the rest of downtown? Will there be a sense of being "inside" versus "outside" a Ballpark Village "district"?
I'm rooting for pursuing the most seamless connection possible between Ballpark Village and downtown. Perhaps there are a few key design measures we might implement to strengthen the connection between the new and the old? Which brings me to the second question. Will there still be a good view of the Old Courthouse from inside Busch Stadium once Ballpark Village is built?
From the updated rendering of the project above, it appears most of the view of the Old Court House would be blocked by new high rise construction. If so, could these buildings be moved to the other end of the site, essentially reversing the site plan, thus highlighting a historic St. Louis building among further stunning proof of downtown's continuing renaissance?
Another way of looking at this would be, what sorts of outcomes would we want to avoid in the final development of Ballpark Village, and are we making sure we are taking the right steps to ensure the best final result?
Keeping the residential component in the project is one such proactive step. Are there any others? Would blocking the view of the Old Courthouse be a mistake?
Maybe it doesn't really matter. The project looks awesome.
Here are more views of the project:
Ballpark Village
6 comments:
It makes downtown looks like Tokyo.
i agree, because the views in that ballpark are what make it special to me as is. i mean, this lookd badass too. why not build something to it's immediate south.
i say this knowing i went there earlier this week and compared ballpark village to a lunar landing site
There are so many great views of the Old Courthouse within downtown. Losing the one from the stadium -- which many people have yet to see anyway -- is nor a big deal.
Besides, looking at tall new buildings is just as interesting. These are the landmarks of the future.
I prefer the view of the pennants on the dugout. Chicago doesn't even have those views.
Ok, listen up St. Louis. All this starting in about these little Knit-pickish issues is what always seems to slow things down around this town. Viewing the Old Courthouse from the stadium is not something we need to even be addressing since you really can't view it from many stadium seats anyway. The building is so low that you really have to impead the growth downtown in some manner to even make that happen. I'm from St. Louis, born and raised at a time when downtown was literally our playground. We all love it, and want to see it preserved, but, realize that it also must grow in a progressive way in order to compete with other world-class cities. By the way, Cordish Co, build a beautiful venue in downtown Kansas City, called the Power and Light District that is so strikingly more beautiful than the BV design that we really should be looking at ways to make the BV even more, not less extravigant.
Amen, to Annonomous! Why are there always those who try to slow down the efforts of the energetic and charismatic that seek to keep our once beautiful city on the cutting edge, in favor of something "small" and unimaginative. When it comes to projects like this, that cost all of us so much in tax appropriations, we should always think "big" in the artistic way of the Egyptians and Romans. All that we do today will be the monuments that people marvel at tomorrow. Who will marvel at some big gap in the cityskape that only serves to give a limited view to something that's viewable from so many other agles downtown. Let us think about how we can move forward by make even more improvements upon our decaying downtown area. There's lots to be done. Let's start by moving things positively forward.
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