Urban Review STL

That is one damn ugly "monument". I wonder how much money they threw away on designing that monstrosity. The main terminal is an icon in itself, does it really need to be flanked by arch monuments?

Yet, those arguments have been flatly rejected at the polls, and it's time to move into the future, and away from the GOP. Why doesn't Ron Paul grow some stones, leave the GOP, join the Libertarian party officially, or create his own Ron Paul party?

That's a nice fairy tale you have told yourself about "de-regulation". Try, re-regulation. None of the events of the past few months were a shock to me or many others that have been paying attention. If you care to you can roll through the testimony of Rep. Ron Paul talking about this day years ago. The law you refer to that was changed under Clinton is one reason that things turned out better than they would have otherwise. If BoA for example had not been able to buy up finance banks this implosion would have been even worse. You can call a horse a pig all you want, it's still a horse. Calling the last eight years under GWB an era of "de-regulation" does harm to the meaning of the word. Which I believe is the intent of those that know better by telling people like you that we have been in an era of deregulation. No, the problem has been loose money, the threat of HUD investigations of lenders if they don't loan money to anyone with a heartbeat and now, more of the same. It's insane.

Oh, BTW, I believe you're the one who's so fond of the expression 'The people have spoken'. Well, if you'll please review the average of all the polls over the last two national election cycles (go ahead and include polls operated or referred to by townhall.com, Fox News, The Weekly Standard, National Review, Matt Drudge, John Zogby, etc. so that you'll feel, you know, a bit more represented) regarding the public confidence and preference of a party to control the economy, it's solidly Democratic. The people have spoken. The people don't want the GOP to wreck the economy any further. It's been wrecked by the GOP enough. It's time to clean up the GOP mess... again.

No, you should reserve your apology for the reflection in your mirror Tim. The New Depression has everything to do with Reagan's voodoo economics and borrow and spend principles, along with the continued deregulation of the financial industry including the Clinton years. In the end, the only thing that's the same is the expectation that republicans in control of the economy spells certain disaster. Look at history, and try to pay attention.

Sorry buddy, the "New Depression" has more to do with Carters Community Reinvestment Act and an era of loose money than GWB. What are you complaining about anyway, he gave us the biggest expansion of entitlements with Part D, Federalized the education system with NCLB, ran wild with spending,etc, etc. Sounds like LBJ to me. In the end it's all the same.

That is very interesting considering that just last week a large section of the airport, concourse D which connects the main and east terminals, was literally mothballed. The section has been walled off, lights and heat shut down to save a large amount of $$ on utilities each year. I actually think this was a good idea, since the gates are no longer in use, and it was a waste of energy to keep the lights on, but then spending this saved money on huge ugly signs, WTF??

As if the feeling that planes are about to land on you while on highway 70 is not an indication that the airport is close by?

The sign from my understanding is not part of the Mayors Council wish list of supposedly of ready to go projects for Obama. They put in plenty in the list that would make the Lambert Sign idea look like a reasonable marketing expenditure by any self supporting authority or private entity with a sizable budget

I think the walling off of Concourse D brings in a bigger discussion that is needed. I'm a advocate of downsizing the number of Lambert's gates, lets not stop with just walling off Concourse D. Lets tear it down and start rationalizing the airports use (Sorry St. Lou, TWA no longer exists and AA will never make it hub such as Chicago or Dallas or even expand the number of direct connections without some international flights. Nor or we a destination like Las Vegas and Orlando. It should focus on serving citizens and regional businesses). I would say less gates makes it easier to improve upon what is being used within a reasonable cost structure.

The demolition costs would be a reasonable request for an infrastructure stimulus project that can be done in short notice. The airport can tie in demolition costs with energy efficient improvements such as incorporating green roofs on the concourses A & C (reducing the amount of unused space to heat and cool is a means to reduce energy use)

This gives an opportunity to do a couple of items that I think are long term capital projects that are worthwhile in my mind. Some decent international gates (maybe 2-3 is all that is needed) in place of Concourse B that would actually compliment the Main Terminal's original design. The new gates can be used by getting the charters back to the Main Terminal instead of what passes as international terminal between Concourse D and East Terminal.

Second, demolishing concourse D might give room to take metrolink underground after departing the East Terminal station in order to build an underground two track station between the Main Terminal and parking garage. This would facilitate a prominent airport station more in line what Europeans do to promote transit and airports as well as provide a path for future westward extension to a major business park/employment center on the west side of I-270. This can be worked in as a reasonable transit project under a stimulus package without causing a cost increase to operations

Steve, I love you but you're bad at spelling.

[slp --- You are right! I missed a couple of words the spell checker caught. They are corrected now.]

Tim, If Obama proposed that we all buy bubble gum and blow bubbles all day long, and that would restore the economy, it would be a better plan than anything any republican could do, has done, or will ever do. The GWB and republican recession we're now in will require a lot from not only Obama but American citizens as well. The mere fact that republicans are no longer in control is half of the success plan.

Um, this is part of Obamas plan to "re-build" the economy with infrastructure work. Geez, how else are we going to escape the comeing depression? Americas mayors have already come up with a billion dollar list of ways to save America with tennis courts and dog parks. Get with the program people. And after we rebuild the cities and road we'll carpet bomb them so as to create more jobs.

It's true that Airport funds are separate from City funds, just as the Water Division is.

Did anybody else notice though that Lambert officials announced last week they will be walling off the middle section of Concourse D? That means you will no longer be able to walk from the Main Terminal to the East Terminal. You'll have to take either a shuttle or MetroLink.

The last time I did that walk, though, just this past October, it was quite depressing. Lots and lots of vacant spaces, and many of the moving sidewalks (my favorite thing about any airport experience!) were non-functional. So at least they'll be putting the space out of its misery, and apparently saving almost $1 million per year in maintenance costs.

A couple years back I did think selling Lambert would be a prudent move, but now I'm not so sure. And given that Ed Martin's advocating it (the same guy who wrote several years back we should privatize the Forest Park golf course when it fact it already was contracted out and has been for almost 20 years), it makes me all the more skeptical.

A knee-jerk free-marketeer can be just as dangerous as a knee-jerk leftist!

One clarification - most airports are self-funded. Rents and fees collected from the airlines and the concessionaires, along with parking and advertising revenues and miscellaneous federal funds, pay the full cost of running the airport, local taxes usually aren't involved. I'd guess that that's the case here - you'll only be paying for the signs if you're using the airport. Still, I don't think that they're needed, and that the money could be better spent elsewhere.

The money would be MUCH better spent on better directional signage and improving circulation on both the access roads and in the garages - you can see the runways from I-70 (both ways) and the existing big green overhead signs are more than enough to get you off the highway! Make an aging facility with a decreasing number of flights WORK better and you'll have happier customers - signs like this don't do diddly in that area. Unlike LAX (which does have a cool sign), Lambert really has no local competition - not too many folks are going to make the drive to Mid-America, much less Midway, KC or Indianapolis, so put what little money you do have some place where it will really do some good, don't waste it on an ego statement!

Thank God, another reminder to people that Saint Louis has an arch! I live in constant fear that people will forget we have one, so it pleases me to no end to see it plastered on anything and everything even remotely related to StL.
If we changed the STL to 314, it would make the sign more hip and urban...

That has got to be one seriously ugly and expensive sign. I like the afterthought to put the airport name in a box adjacent to the sign. I guess that is so in the future we can sell the naming rights and call it Build-a-Bear International Airport.

I can appreciate wanting something to welcome people to the airport, but this isn't it. Other airports have done a much better job with branding.

Jason

I think the signs on I-70 that caution you about low-flying aircraft are sufficient warning of the existence of the airport, if the tower and terminal fail to get your attention.

These monuments look great on paper, but doesn't everything? Still, this doesn't seem like the time to erect monuments to air travel.

If this project was more labor-intensive, maybe I could believe it's all about keeping people working. But the city could use this money to fill in some potholes, or something like that, and keep more people working in these tough times.