Historical February–March 2004 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Improvements to our neighborhood have always been highly touted. That is certainly the story with Delmar and the efforts of a neighborhood committee to transform the thoroughfare. At first, the victories were small-planting trees, putting up banners. Then, with the help of Aldermen McGuire and Clay, a redevelopment plan was enacted. Shortly thereafter, Sarah Smith, Director of Arts in Transit for the then BiState Development Corporation, evinced considerable interest in enhancing the streetscape by the Delmar station.
She was the lead person in securing federal transportation funds from the state of Missouri for this project. Sarah understood that working with a community group meant considerable time and effort to understand neighborhood goals.
The original committee augmented by architects and landscape architects deliberated on the shape the enhancement could take.
It was decided to have a median along Delmar east of the station and enlarged sidewalks to the west. Public meetings were held and plans were approved. And then silence.
The money sat in the bank for several years.
When Joe Edwards announced plans for the Pageant he was told the improvements would be done before he opened. But, that did not happen. More delay. Working through the City’s Board of Public Service, the median east to DeBaliviere was finally put in. Although the construction affected traffic flow, it did not deter commerce.
But west of Des Peres, in part because of the planned transit plaza, Metro took over as lead contractor. And nearly two years have passed. Whither the sidewalk changes? Changes that included new lighting, plantings. Alderman Lyda Krewson had made it clear that this construction should take place before the Forest Park Parkway was closed for MetroLink expansion.
This did not happen.
The sidewalk improvements began after the Parkway closed.
This meant that Delmar was rent asunder from Skinker to the Wabash Station just as the Regional Arts Commission opened its new building and as several new businesses came to the 6189 building. Traffic slowed, often to a genuine crawl. Brand-new businesses have had to try to draw in customers when parking became nonexistent and where sometimes no sidewalks have been passable. Although the improvements were supposed to be done in sections, every part was almost impassable before Christmas. Established businesses as well as the new ones have suffered. One business’ basement was flooded, destroying merchandise.
It will be a wonder if all the new businesses survive. BiState Development Agency, now called Metro, has a board of directors, but, in point of fact, it answers to no one government, no one mayor or county executive.
It is very hard to hold such an agency accountable. Our aldermen have spoken up on behalf of neighbors and businesses for us but, with no power over the agency, they are not always heeded.
There are or have been many other unaccountable agencies. Scholars often write about the Port Authority of New York or the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority. Bureaucracies in general aver outside intervention and resist change.
When you have a bureau like Metro not answerable to any one political entity, bureaucratic patterns are confounded and resistance to the outside exaggerated. Come May all the street improvements on Delmar will hopefully be complete and we will be shopping and dining there with ease.
However, the special lighting has still not been bid by Metro, and design changes to the transit plaza have still not been communicated to the neighborhood or to our elected officials.
In addition, it is going to take the businesses a long time to recover, financially and otherwise.
It would have been an easier process if Metro had more willingly recognized the needs of those it purported to serve and the needs of the community.
It is not the fault of any one person or a series of persons; it in large part is due to structure and the machinations of complex organizations.
As an academic, I have found this to be a classic case, and, as a neighborhood resident, I am dismayed.
The Metro bureaucracy, without the strong personal experience and strengths of a Sarah Smith, has displayed an inherent weakness of structure and unaccountability.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February–March 2004.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2004_02.pdf, printed page(s) 2, 3; PDF page(s) 2, 3.
