Historical October 1995 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
During September, the Commercial Committee of the SkinkerDeBaliviere Community Council was fortunate to participate in a planning study arranged and funded by Bi-State, together with several civic co-sponsors.
The Bi-State Development Agency commissioned an “Urban Land Institute” panel to study the development opportunities of Metrolink by focusing on three diverse stations along the current line.
These three stations represent the diversity of the areas accessed by MetroLink: Delmar (City of St. Louis), East Riverfront (East St. Louis) and Wellston (St. Louis County).
This Urban Land Institute panel is comprised of developers, real estate investors, transit authority representatives and other land use professionals from around the country.
The volunteer panelists do about 13 panels each year.
The team members interviewed, among many others, volunteers from our Commercial Committee: myself, Sam Green, George Johannes, Dennis Townsend, Lana Stein, SDCC Director Laure Porterfield, and Jackie Wellington, our Neighborhood Stabilization Officer.
The panel looked at the physical and political feasibility for private investment, and, in the case of the Delmar Station, actually walked from the Wabash Station all the way up into the Loop to see for themselves the opportunities which we have all been talking about. Then, using their expertise and experience along with our data and ideas, they made their recommendations to a large group at the Hyatt Regency-Union Station Grand Ballroom on Friday, September 22, 1995. Their excellent presentation focused on three areas: market opportunities, planning and design, and development strategies.
For the Delmar Station, they stated that the overall hope was based on “the strengths of the diversity of this vibrant urban neighborhood, ” including our ties to Washington University, the Loop, and other nearby institutions, but based chiefly on the character and stability of the historic housing nearby. Market Opportunities: Socioeconomic considerations Good Regional access Good Local access Very good Visibility Good Surrounding Land use Very good Safety Good Image Average Overall rating Good Potential real estate development: Convenience retail stores 80, 000 sq. ft. Pharmacy, specialized grocery, Ethnic shops Transit-oriented retail 3, 000 sq. ft. For-Sale Townhomes 50 units Rental units 30 units Non-market uses: Parking 150 new employees Park and Ride Lot Magnet School Planning and Design: The Urban Land Institute’s strongest recommendation was to use the Wabash Station as an anchor. Their hope–ours too–would be to see it acquired and used as an entrance once again to the station, as well as to incorporate a restaurant. Nearby, they foresaw assembling parcels for approximately 80, 000 sq. ft. west of the station, to include a new bus turnaround “transit plaza” which would feel safer than the current street crossing. East of the station, they emphasized making improvements to existing housing, especially the rental housing on the east side of Hodiamont.
The panel envisioned a future development of new townhomes and apartments along and behind Delmar, to strengthen the area and provide housing for employees of the businesses and institutions locating there.
The panel also saw the potential of a magnet school at Hamilton.
They looked at more landscaping on Delmar–and discouraged thoughts of any median to divide it. Wider sidewalks with more opportunity for landscaping were recommended. Development Strategies: The panel recognized the Skinker-DeBaliviere area as a microcosm of the entire St. Louis Region and stressed the potential we have to build on our neighborhood’s strengths and willing to cooperatively develop this area.
They urged Bi-State to cooperate in formulating a master plan; to go forward with the planned “Park and Ride Lot” which will be built to the north of the current station; and to build on the design standards incorporated in the Redevelopment Plan Ordinance which was sponsored by Aldermen McGuire and Clay.
They also recommended a partnership with University City to work on parking and transportation initiatives.
With some redirection of the Community Development Block Grant and other local funding of approximately $6-7 Million, the Urban Land Institute Panel projects that at least $18 Million in private financing can be leveraged to develop Wabash Station and the area around the Delmar Station. Committee Comments: We feel the panel’s report will be of immense value in starting a new initiative of marketing Delmar to potential commercial developers.
A revitalized committee effort, with energy from our new SDCC director, Laure Porterfield, will make positive use of the panel’s report as a tool in the further rebuilding of Delmar.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, October 1995.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1995_10.pdf, printed page(s) 1, 5; PDF page(s) 1, 4.
