While this blog has focused a lot of attention on the Missouri side of the river, the National Park Service has made plans to improve the east riverfront a focus of its new General Management Plan for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.
Just as St. Louis has spent years trying to figure out how to reconnect the city to the riverfront and Arch grounds, there has been a lot of attention spent on how to revitalize the East St. Louis riverfront. With views of the downtown St. Louis skyline and Arch, the east riverfront has a unique setting.
Those looking to improve the area must address many planning and development challenges including a long distressed local economy, a maze of interstates cutting through the area, railroad rights of way, an aging levee, a flood plain, a massive grain elevator, and a large casino operation.
With $300 million being the estimated cost for implementing the National Park Service's plans for improving the Arch grounds and east riverfront, there might be up to $150 million available for the east side. With such a budget, what would you like to see happen across the river from the Arch?
7 comments:
Looks like a good location for a new open air NFL stadium and parking lot.
Anything they build will be a huge waste of money unless they provide a quick and easy way to cross the river.
No one will visit the Arch, go back to their car, drive to East St. Louis, pay to park, and wander to the IL riverfront simply for the view of downtown.
How about an aquarium?
what is with this drive for an aquarium? It never stops.
Look, the City Museum has an aquarium. If you want the city to have a good one, then go to the City Museum a lot and help them fund an expansion.
For the east riverfront park, I think an observation deck that doesn't look like like garbage would be nice. Parc Guell in Barcelona is my standing suggestion.
Building the Building Arts Foundation's Architecture Museum would be a wonderful anchor. Furthermore, an expansion of the nearby community college there to embrace the site would be nice.
Riverfront stadiums are so popular in Pittsburgh, they built two!
Views of downtown from a new outdoor football stadium would be good national TV exposure for St. Louis.
That is if the Rams ever play another game on national television...
Since the buyer for the Rams is from Illinois, maybe he would like having a stadium on the east side. He has lots of connections, so maybe he could put together the financing to make it happen.
A stadium in East St. Louis would provide additional tax revenue to the strapped city, it would create good paying jobs for locals during construction, and part time work for ESL residents during events.
More people are likley to attend football games than a museum. As far as an aquarium goes, let's not repeat the Camden mistake.
I would like to see the creation of the classic old waterfront town with residences and shops,narrow streets, etc. It would be an intereting plasce to live and tto visit. It would also provide a intereting view from the Arch grounds
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