Friday, December 04, 2009

Ballpark Village Residential

Today on KMOX, radio personality Mark Reardon hosted a roundtable discussion with local elected leaders. They were discussing a variety of local issues including the future of Ballpark Village.

Concerning Ballpark Village, the news is reporting that we shouldn't expect anything coming out of the ground in 2010, and, much different from what was originally proposed (shops, residences, offices and restaurants), there won't be much of a "village" at Ballpark Village at all. The project is being described now as a development of one or more office buildings.

Here's what makes no sense to me: How is it possible that a condo tower with views of Busch Stadium would not be marketable in St. Louis? This is baseball heaven, isn't it? You would think the players alone would snap up half the units. From ad companies, to millionaire ballplayers, to team owners, to local corporations, you'd think the units would be in high demand.

Granted, we are in a slow economy. But things are improving. Other residential projects are getting going downtown. But not across from Busch Stadium? In our humble world, our son is dreaming that we'd sell our place and buy a condo in Ballpark Village. I like the idea. Are we nuts for considering it?

3 comments:

Jennifer said...

Not at all; it seems like a no-brainer to me! The problem is that every developer seems to think "downtown" = granite countertops, expensive materials, and every conceivable luxury. Maybe they could make some affordable condos there, and then people would snap them right up.

Jason M. Stokes said...

People, myself included, would likely snap up luxury condos in the same location. I'd pay a huge premium to live somewhere with sight lines into the stadium, even though I'm a season ticket holder. Not building residential there is just silly.

Anonymous said...

Give it a rest. Ballpork Village was just bait, complete with smoke and mirrors, to get tax breaks. It has been pointed out elsewhere that the whole thing was a fabrication, just to give the mayor a screen to give tax breaks to the ball team. Just like moving to the East Side was a hollow threat. Anybody who thinks the Cardinals owners ever had any intention of doing anything is living in a fantasy world.