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Second Downtown Dog Park: Land Between Federal Courthouse & Stadium West Parking Garage

June 9, 2015 Downtown, Featured, Parks, Planning & Design Comments Off on Second Downtown Dog Park: Land Between Federal Courthouse & Stadium West Parking Garage

Today’s post continues a series on a 2nd dog park for downtown:

Today’s site is close to residents in the Cupples district and is also a good site for new construction. Unlike the others, this site is privately owned.

The NW corner of 9th & Clark is owned by Digital Realty as part of their 900 Walnut data center (right) The background park with patterned walkways is owned by the federal government, related to the federal courthouse across the street.
The NW corner of 9th & Clark is owned by Digital Realty as part of their 900 Walnut data center (right) The background park with patterned walkways is owned by the federal government, related to the federal courthouse across the street.
Another view showing the close proximity to the Cupples Station warehouses
Another view showing the close proximity to the Cupples Station warehouses

Fencing this square would better define the federally-owned public park and provide much-needed activity.  The owner might get a tax credit if it leased the land to a non-profit dog park. As you can see there are numerous locations downtown for a 2nd dog park.

— Steve Patterson

 

75th Anniversary of Aloe Plaza, Carl Milles’ ‘Meeting of the Waters’

May 11, 2015 Parks 17 Comments

I’d hoped there would be a big celebration over the weekend, continuing into today, to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Aloe Plaza and ‘Meeting of the Waters’ by Swedish sculpture Carl Milles. A year ago I contacted 6th-ward Ald Christine Ingrassia, IKEA, and others about collaborating on an event. Nothing.

Carl Milles' 'Meeting of the Waters' is the focal point of Aloe Plaza
Carl Milles’ ‘Meeting of the Waters’ is the focal point of Aloe Plaza, dedicated 75 years ago today
Aloe Plaza across from Union Station cleared away "undesirable"  buildings, followed by decades more demolition creating the largely failed Gateway Mall
Aloe Plaza across from Union Station cleared away “undesirable” buildings, followed by decades more demolition creating the largely failed Gateway Mall

The Carl Milles wanted the title to be “Wedding of the Waters” but prudish attitudes didn’t think nude figures should be associated with weddings, so he agreed to change the name to “Meeting of the Waters.” Through Aloe Plaza has suffered from decades of neglect, the sculpture is still magnificent. Others agree, it was the top vote getter in yesterday’s poll:

Q: What are your two favorite public fountain/water features in the City of St. Louis? Pick two — one can be added

  1. Meeting of the Waters — Aloe Plaza 13 [25.01%]
  2. Grand Basin — Forest Park 11 [21.16%]
  3. Splash fountain — Citygarden 8 [15.38%]
  4. Lily pond — Tower Grove Park 7 [13.46%]
  5. World’s Fair Pavilion Fountain — Government Hill in Forest Park 4 [7.69%]
  6. TIE 3 [5.77%]
    1. Kiener Memorial/Runner Statue — Kiener Plaza
    2. Waterfall — Citygarden
  7. TIE  1 [1.92%]
    1. May Amphitheater Waterfall — Kiener Plaza
    2. Fountain Park fountain — Fountain Park
    3. Unsure/no answer
  8. TIE 0 [0%]
    1. Clock Tower fountain — Saint Louis University
    2. Grand & Lindell — Saint Louis University
    3. Waterfall — Old Post Office Plaza
    4. Wading pool — Tower Grove Park
    5. Circular Fountain — Benton Park
    6. Wading pool & spray — St. Louis Place Park

Two answers were added for fountains listed in the poll (Aloe Plaza & Grand Basin), they were added to the totals above. The Grand Basin nearly beat out “Meeting of the Waters”, which is understandable.

The Grand Basin, Forest Park
The Grand Basin, Forest Park

The size & proportions of the basin are very pleasing. From various angles, close up or far away it is captivating.

— Steve Patterson

 

 

 

Second Downtown Dog Park: Serra’s ‘Twain’

April 16, 2015 Downtown, Featured, Parks 9 Comments

Between the Arch grounds and the Gateway Mall downtown has an excess of public park land — land unlikely to ever see new buildings again. Still, some want to make more park lmd nearby — a dog park where the Cupples 7 warehouse once stood. See Temporary Dog Park On Former Cupples 7 Site Would Be Too Costly.

Meanwhile most blocks of the Gateway Mall go unloved. For a few years now I’ve been trying to build support for updating the block West of Citygarden — the block containing Richard Serra’s ‘Twain’.

ABOVE: Once you pass through one of the narrow openings the inside is spacious.
Once you pass through one of the narrow openings the inside is spacious.

Why turn a developable site into a dog & sculpture park when you can just fence in an existing sculpture? It’s already parkland, it needs more activity, it has a great location next to Citygarden. As a dog park a fence would be installed just inside new perimeter sidewalks, with at least two vestibule entry/exit points. Access would be limited to dog park members.

I still want to see a public restroom on one corner at 10th so the porta-potties at Citygarden can be retired. The restroom structure could be accessed from outside the dog park, with water for dogs on the inside.

— Steve Patterson

 

Eleanor Roosevelt Visited St. Louis 75 Years Ago

Seventy-five years ago today First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wrote about her visit to St. Louis the day before.  She arrived at St. Louis’ Union Station, having been in Kansas City.  Later that Sunday she visited Fort Belle Fontaine:

I visited a training school for boys between the ages of 12 and 18, yesterday afternoon. It is about 16 miles out of St. Louis and is run on the cottage system with much land around it. The boys work three hours of the day on academic school courses and four hours on actual labor jobs.

Yesterday being Sunday, the WPA orchestra and the choral leader were putting on a concert in which the boys themselves participated. The commentator told the story of the music which the orchestra was about to play and the boys joined in the singing. Sometimes it was a quartette of boys trained under the WPA recreational project by the choral director, sometimes it was a song by the entire glee club.

The boys never had any time to weary of too much orchestral music, nor did they have to sit still too long, because periodically they rose and sang as loudly as they wanted. (My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt Monday November 6, 1939)

The Works Progress Administration (WPA), started in 1935, had numerous projects on the historic site, including terraces down to the Missouri River.

The WPA built the stone terraces & steps down to the Missouri River
The WPA built the stone terraces & steps down to the Missouri River, that’s my husband on the left

Why is it historic? Glad you asked:

Fort Belle Fontaine Park has been a St. Louis County Park since 1986. Few are aware that this was the first United States military installation west of the Mississippi River, established in 1805. Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery expedition (1804-1806) spent the first night of their expedition on an island opposite Cold Water Creek and their last night two years later at the fort, which had been established in their absence. Other major expeditions left from this site betweem 1805 and 1819 to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory. Until it was replaced by Jefferson Barracks in 1826, Fort Belle Fontaine was an important gathering place in the wilderness for officers and enlisted men, Native American, French, Spanish and American settlers, trappers and traders, and the local businessmen and farmers who supplied the fort with necessities. (St. Louis County)

A year after, to the day, that Mrs. Roosevelt visited St. Louis her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt won an unprecedented 3rd term in office.

The recent PBS special The Roosevelts was fascinating, highly recommenced!! If you haven’t been, I also revommend visiting Fort Belle Fontaine

— Steve Patterson

 

One Year Until 50th Anniversary of Last Piece of Arch

October 28, 2014 Downtown, Featured, Parks 2 Comments

The big 50th anniversary of the day the final piece of the Arch was lowered into place is one year from today. CityArchRiver 2015 has been working for a few years now to complete a big update to the Arch grounds for a huge celebration, but don’t expect to see everything you remember from the winning design completed in the next year. The balance of the work will be finished after this anniversary, well after in some cases (cough: gondola).

Here are some future anniversaries, opportunities to celebrate:

  • June 10, 2017: 50th anniversary of the Arch opening to the public
  • May 25, 2018: 50th anniversary of the inauguration by VP Humphrey
  • May 30, 2022: 75th anniversary of the opening of the design competition
  • February 18, 2023: 75th anniversary of the jury selecting Saarinen’s design the winner
  • December 15, 2033: 100th anniversary of the idea for a riverfront memorial
  • May 28, 2037: 50th anniversary of being listed on the National Register of Historic Places
  • February 12, 2038: 75th anniversary of the start of construction
  • October 10, 2039: 100th anniversary of the start of demolition to clear the historic riverfront
Luther Ely Square will be extended over the highway, but the new museum entrance won't be open
Luther Ely Square will be extended over the highway, but the expanded museum won’t be open until Spring 2017
Work on the highway lid has moved quickly, though it remains a mess currently.
Work on the highway lid has moved quickly, though it remains a mess currently.
View of the south side of the lid
View of the south side of the lid
Lid view from the Arch side
Lid view from the Arch side
What we've known as the entry/exit areas will become exit-only once the new museum opens
What we’ve known as the entry/exit areas will become exit-only once the new museum opens
The ash trees will be cut down to be replaced, the grounds are expected to be complete by May 2016
The ash trees will be cut down to be replaced, the grounds are expected to be complete by May 2016
View looking north from south of the Arch
View looking north from south of the Arch
Trees to the south have already been tagged for removal.
Trees to the south have already been tagged for removal. Click image to see video from May 1982 when these trees were young
Works is progressing on the riverfront, this should be complete by a year from now.
Works is progressing on the riverfront, this should be complete by a year from now.

I suspect a year from today I’ll be both impressed and disappointed by what is finished.

— Steve Patterson

 

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