Dan said:
1) Driving south/east on I-70 towards downown, at one spot on the east side of the road about a mile north of downtown, I saw an abandoned railroad viaduct, but what struck me was cantenary poles above the overgrown tracks. Aside from the transit system, I didn't know that St. Louis had electricrified railroads at one time. Anybody know the history of these tracks?
2) It appears that the northern suburbs, a few years ago almost exclusively white, are experiencing massive racial ransition. Looking at US Census demographic progiles, the only northern suburb that has a majority white population -- a very slight majority -- is Florissant. Resegregation is taking place in North County, and it's happening fast. Are the governments of the northern 'burbs making plans to ensure the stability and desirability of these communities after resegregation in complete, so they avoid the fate of places like Jennings and East St. Louis? Where have the former white residents moved?
3) Any plans for the reuse of the Macarthur Bridge?
4) Looking on municipal boundary maps, it looks like there is a long, narrow section of East St. Louis that extends east of IL 152 and the escarpment/elevation on the east side of the Mississippi River. What is this area like?
Howard Roark answers your questions!
1.Some of the Streetcars in St. Louis use to have their own right-of-way, off of the streets entirely.
2.North county (and city) has suffered under considerable corporate dissinvestment, GM moved the Corvet plant in the 70's (I think) to Wentsville in St. Chuck, Mcdonnell Douglas had 28,000 working in NoCo in the late 80's today that number is about 16,000, some operations were moved to St. Chuck. With the loss or move of those jobs came the great migration to St. Chuck. This along w/ numberous other closings (carter carb. etc..) in the 1970's kept the flow to the N-east over the river. Recently airport expansion bought out hundreds of homes, my best guess is that people went to St. Chuck. Almost everyone I meet from St. Chuck has NoCo roots, (since first observing this a few years ago, I have made a point to inquire) West Co types are usually born and raised in the "central corridor" the traditional wealth corridor of the city from the CWE, to Clayton, to Ladue, to Chesterfield, and now Wildwood and St. Albens. They do not want to move North or South and the East is already developed. (the prime wealth district of St. Louis since 1900 has been Ladue, Clayton, CWE, while the CWE experienced some significant decay in the 60's and 70's the area appears to have stabilized nicely.
Noco development-
Hazelwood has just approved a huge empowerment district w/ the intent of keeping the Ford plant, there is a "trades" center on the Metro line in Wellston (w/ another planned) and this bit of unapoligetic boosterism from a local growth watch paper-
"DO YOU KNOW ABOUT NORTH COUNTY?
Do you know that North St. Louis County, defined here as running north of Page Avenue between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and encompassing 47 municipalities, is in the midst of a $2.5 billion residential construction boom? Construction was begun on approximately 1,000 new homes in 2002 and another 1,500 are projected for 2003 and 2004. That's approximately the same number of residential building permits issued in O'Fallon, the metropolitan area's fastest growing community as of 2001. Economically stagnant 10 years ago, at least 3 major homebuilders and 3 custom homebuilders are currently active in North County.
The construction boom does not stop there, however. New retail construction dots the landscape, from older communities to newer ones. This includes the St. Louis Mills Super Regional Mall. When completed, it will consist of approximately 1,100,000 square feet. The mall has a projected opening in November of this year.
Also on the drawing boards is the redevelopment of more than 450 acres in the noise abatement area immediately east of Lambert Airport, which includes the municipalities of Berkeley, Ferguson and Kinloch. Development there, which is a high priority of the Westfall administration and regional business leaders, is projected to generate between 5,000 and 15,000 jobs when completed. Already finished within the last two years at TRISTAR’s Park 370 development are industrial properties totaling over 500,000 square feet, with TRISTAR commencing construction in 2003 of three buildings with 18,000, 30,000 and 40,000 square feet for specific owners. Several other North County projects deserving mention are Welch’s 150,000 square foot warehouse in Hazelwood and a 120,000 square foot commissary for Gate Gourmet in Berkeley.
The University of Missouri at St. Louis is also acquiring land in order to expand its campus, in Normandy and unincorporated St. Louis County, and is working with McEagle to develop new office buildings immediately south of I-70 and west of the new Florissant Road interchange. North County will also benefit from a rebuilt I-70 and a new interchange at I-170/I-270."
I don't know how much of that is real, funny I just got this letter on Friday.
3.The Mac bridge is currently owned by a railroad (forget which one, maybe U-Pac) They use the lower deck for rail traffic, the upper deck has been closed for years, no plans to reopen it, but I think it would be a good idea.
4. Cannot help you on the E-Stl. question, though I know that there is currently a plan being worked on for the city, The next AIA meeting is suppose to be a review of the plans, might know more then.