Historical April 1997 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Following are excerpts from a letter sent by Alderman Dan McGuire to East-West Gateway Coordinating Council, CrossCounty Corridor MTIA Study Management Group and Consultant on February 24, 1997: Oakland-Forest Park TunnelMillbrook to Clayton.
This is unquestionably the best route to link up the various major destination points within this corridor, i.e. the BJC Medical Center Complex, St. Louis University High School, the Science Center, Compton-Drew Investigative Learning Center, Forest Park Community College, the Arena Redevelopment Site, Deaconess Hospital, the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Art Museum, the Washington University Hilltop and Clayton campuses, and Clayton. . . . (phis route avoids conflicts with residential neighborhoods west of Hampton along 1-64, and in the Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood. North of Park-Millbrook to Clayton. Service to the institutions along the southern Forest Park corridor should be our top regional priority in this portion of the study area. So while this route may appear to be the least expensive in the short term, major negatives include: the loss of all stations serving the institutions along the southern Forest Park corridor (probably for decades, if not forever); unacceptable detrimental impact on the Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood: and guaranteed lengthy and costly litigation with the Catlin Tract Trustees.
As originally contemplated, the segment between DeBaliviere and Big Bend was proposed to be: totally below grade; “mostly” covered; and located primarily under the existing eastbound lanes of the Forest Park Parkway/Millborook.
This plan would have produced minimal and acceptable noise, aesthetic and traffic problems and avoided the need to permanently “take” private property from the Catlin Tract Subdivision (the area bounded by Lindell, Skinker, Forest Park Parkway and Union). Unfortunately, further study revealed that the location of the River des Peres Sewer demanded that this segment would have to be at grade over the sewer and be located along a new 60 foot right-ofway on land primarily owned by the Catlin Tract Subdivision.
This at-grade crossing of Des Peres would then require either an extremely noisy crossing or the closing of Des Peres. Both alternatives are unacceptable. Further, the Catlin Tract Trustees have given notice that they will vigorously oppose any taking of their property_
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, April 1997.
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Original source: SD_Times1997_04.pdf, printed page(s) 5; PDF page(s) 5.
