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Poll: Name the future commercial district along Grand at the Old White Water Tower

August 7, 2011 North City, Planning & Design, Retail, Sunday Poll 28 Comments

My post last Monday was about the commercial district along Grand Ave around the Old White Water Tower (Grand Ave Water Tower Commercial Area Had Such Potential, Still Does). Although all the original buildings on the circle have been razed, I still see potential for the area.

ABOVE: The Old White Water Tower, looking south on 20th Street

Every good commercial district needs an identity (See The Loop, Grand South Grand, Cherokee, etc) so I figured why not see what we could collectively come up with for the stretch of East Grand Ave centered at the Old White Water Tower at North 20th Street.

ABOVE: Commercial buildings around North Grand Water Tower, winter 1990

The area is entirely in the College Hill neighborhood:

The name College Hill was given to this area because it was the location of the St. Louis University College Farm. This area, bounded generally by Warne (O’Fallon Park, I-70, Grand Blvd. and West Florrisant was acquired by the University for garden and recreation purposes in 1836, it was subdivided in the early 1870’s. The Bissell Mansion, the Old Water Tower at 20th Street and East Grand Avenue, and the Red Water Tower at Bissell Street and Blair Avenue are mainstays in this old Northside neighborhood and are testimony of a rich historical heritage. The housing of this neighborhood dates back between 1880 and 1920. Town and four family flats predominate the neighborhood, with a mixture of single family brick dwellings. The houses have large yards and are ideal for landscaping. The homes located near the crest of the hillside bluff enjoy a view of the river and its valleys. Nearly half of the housing dwellings are owner-occupied. Historically the area’s commercial center has been concentrated along East Grand around the Old Water Tower with a strip along West Florissant.

The neighborhood map looks like this:

The poll this week asks you to name the commercial district. I’ve provided the following answers:

  • 20 Grand
  • Bissell Point
  • College Hill
  • Grand College Hill
  • Grand Water Tower District
  • Old White
  • The Column
  • The Corinthian
  • unsure/no opinion
  • Doesn’t matter, will never become a commercial district again

You can also provide your own answer if you don’t like any of those provided.

– Steve Patterson

 

Currently there are "28 comments" on this Article:

  1. Barbara says:

    Simple……College Hill.  Would have added above but it didn’t work.

     
  2. Barbara says:

    Simple……College Hill.  Would have added above but it didn’t work.

     
  3. Ihanafi says:

    Tower Point

     
  4. Ihanafi says:

    Tower Point

     
  5. Bz says:

    Steve – GREAT image of the water tower ! really excellent

     
  6. Bz says:

    Steve – GREAT image of the water tower ! really excellent

     
  7. Anonymous says:

    Rodeo Drive East – no reason not to dream big!

     
  8. JZ71 says:

    Rodeo Drive East – no reason not to dream big!

     
    • Defeatist attitude duly noted. Sure you weren’t born here?

       
      • JZ71 says:

        No, I wasn’t born here.  And while there is some sarcasm in my suggestion, there’s also the whole issue that maybe a major rebranding IS truly needed.  Apparently, anything that even hints at north here means retail death (which is why I didn’t throw out my other idea, CNE, aka Central North End).  The area is certainly not thriving with any of its current names, so why not come up with a fresh image, one that eschews any historic ties?

         
  9. Defeatist attitude duly noted. Sure you weren’t born here?

     
  10. Eric says:

    Great image. If they painted the tower it would look even more impressive.

     
  11. Anonymous says:

    No, I wasn’t born here.  And while there is some sarcasm in my suggestion, there’s also the whole issue that maybe a major rebranding IS truly needed.  Apparently, anything that even hints at north here means retail death (which is why I didn’t throw out my other idea, CNE, aka Central North End).  The area is certainly not thriving with any of its current names, so why not come up with a fresh image, one that eschews any historic ties?

     
  12. I, for one, would love to reclaim the term ‘north’. It just tastes better! Although you could go too extreme and think of McKee & Family’s sprawl out by the airport. North Park. Hm.

    The Corinthian sounds good. But I’m into that classical stuff. Twenty Grand? Grand East? East Grand?

    How do we start the commercial district?

     
  13. I, for one, would love to reclaim the term ‘north’. It just tastes better! Although you could go too extreme and think of McKee & Family’s sprawl out by the airport. North Park. Hm.

    The Corinthian sounds good. But I’m into that classical stuff. Twenty Grand? Grand East? East Grand?

    How do we start the commercial district?

     
  14. Loretta says:

    Grand Water Tower District

     
  15. Loretta says:

    Grand Water Tower District

     
  16. erina says:

    Any movement toward opening it up for viewing like Compton did? 

     
  17. erina says:

    Any movement toward opening it up for viewing like Compton did? 

     
  18. erina says:

    Also, it looks like Women on Mission are planning a bus tour of College Hill this fall.

    http://www.womenonmissionstl.org/events/

    ps. my grandmother grew up at E. Prairie and Blair (i’d like to see the area)

     
  19. erina says:

    Also, it looks like Women on Mission are planning a bus tour of College Hill this fall.

    http://www.womenonmissionstl.org/events/

    ps. my grandmother grew up at E. Prairie and Blair (i’d like to see the area)

     
  20. TheBoz says:

    The Honorable Freeman Bosley Sr. Memorial Commercial Corridor.  “Where spending your money makes me smile.”  

     
  21. TheBoz says:

    The Honorable Freeman Bosley Sr. Memorial Commercial Corridor.  “Where spending your money makes me smile.”  

     
  22. Stlelsewhere says:

    As there’s another tower right next to it, any effort to brand it after a single tower is kind of a let down for the neighborhood.  Go with the historic name, Bissell Point.  

     
  23. Stlelsewhere says:

    As there’s another tower right next to it, any effort to brand it after a single tower is kind of a let down for the neighborhood.  Go with the historic name, Bissell Point.  

     
  24. Anonymous says:

    While I’m glad to see attention brought to the Water Tower
    on North Grand, I’m not sure naming it will do much. Finding solutions to the
    use of this space is what will save the Water Tower.
    I have mentioned previously about creating plazas. Plazas are
    a wonderful tool in city building, and St. Louis could handle quite a few. LRA
    already owns half the land around the Tower, and laying pavement is just about
    the cheapest thing you can do.

    If it is coupled with making the Water Tower a transit
    destination(another discussion), the plaza could host many events from markets, to
    performances and other events.

    Buildings could be added later, but the plaza is a low cost
    way to get activity started. This approach is cheap enough it could be included
    in a city budget. You don’t even need street furniture if you promote markets. Otherwise
    it will be 5 years,  but more likely 10
    or 20 until action takes place on North Grand, plenty of time to forget names.

    Not only does this delay the building of a vibrant city, it jeopardizes
    the future of the North Grand Water Tower. (I believe there is some group
    involved with the Water Tower, but have no idea what they do).

    Plazas are great urban design tools. If there was an urban form
    to back up a new name, it might stick then.

     

     
  25. gmichaud says:

    While I’m glad to see attention brought to the Water Tower
    on North Grand, I’m not sure naming it will do much. Finding solutions to the
    use of this space is what will save the Water Tower.
    I have mentioned previously about creating plazas. Plazas are
    a wonderful tool in city building, and St. Louis could handle quite a few. LRA
    already owns half the land around the Tower, and laying pavement is just about
    the cheapest thing you can do.

    If it is coupled with making the Water Tower a transit
    destination(another discussion), the plaza could host many events from markets, to
    performances and other events.

    Buildings could be added later, but the plaza is a low cost
    way to get activity started. This approach is cheap enough it could be included
    in a city budget. You don’t even need street furniture if you promote markets. Otherwise
    it will be 5 years,  but more likely 10
    or 20 until action takes place on North Grand, plenty of time to forget names.

    Not only does this delay the building of a vibrant city, it jeopardizes
    the future of the North Grand Water Tower. (I believe there is some group
    involved with the Water Tower, but have no idea what they do).

    Plazas are great urban design tools. If there was an urban form
    to back up a new name, it might stick then.

     

     

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