Kevin Barbeau
Communications Intern, FOCUS St. Louis
On May 21st, another victory was achieved for the revitalization of Washington Avenue. The four-story skywalk between 6th Street and 7th Street – viewed as both a physical and psychological barrier -- is being removed as part of a larger plan for the redevelopment of the connecting buildings.
Over 500 people attended the 'Bridge Bash' party, taking pictures and listening to local blues guitarist Big Mike Aguirre, who provided background music to the destructive sounds of progress made by the wrecking crew.
Removal of the bridge’s innards had already started, but it became official with the first swings of the wrecking ball and a small pyrotechnics display. At the event, city officials, business leaders and representatives of the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis spoke about the impending removal, recognizing the benefits of an unobstructed view along the vibrant Washington Avenue and the ongoing renewal of our city's heart.
The soon-to-be-gone bridge connected St. Louis Centre to the Dillard's Department store. Both properties are now being redeveloped for new uses. Opening in 1985, the St. Louis Centre mall was positioned as the catalyst for a rejuvenated downtown. It was home to over 100 businesses at its early peak, and 20+ restaurants. The urban mall was shuttered and sold in 2006 and was soon sold again. The entire building will be ‘shelled’ with modern glass facing and street-level retail and will also serve as a parking garage for business tenants at One City Center. The Dillard's building, now called The Laurel, will house an Embassy Suites and apartments.
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As far as demolition projects go, the event was somewhat anti-climactic. The wrecking ball, with little room to maneuver, could not deliver the satisfying destruction many in attendance were expecting. The crew was resigned to tactically attack individual panes of glass and secondary support on the structure's roof and northern facing.
While all of the speakers, including Mayor Francis Slay, spoke of the revitalization the demolition would spur, it's important to note that its removal is more so metaphorical. The bridge, while certainly an eyesore, isn't the biggest of problems. Instead, its removal signifies the intent, on behalf of the city, to take a measured, modern look at St. Louis and take the necessary steps (be they destructive or constructive) to advance the district's look, feel and standing on both a local and national scale.
Physically, the removal of the skybridge allows Washington Avenue and its eastern edge to grow and flourish. There will be an unbroken view on Washington Avenue from 20th Street all the way to 4th Street, where the elevated lanes of I-70 still separate the city from Laclede's Landing and the riverfront. The removal of this eyesore is also a hot topic, as it falls within the designated redesign area in the City+Arch+River contest and is proposed specifically by the citizen-backed City to River (www.citytoriver.com) development plan.
If the skybridge demolition really is an indicator of smart, meaningful urban design plans in St. Louis, it isn't unreasonable to think that the City to River plan could come to fruition. That project would - in my opinion, anyway - garner the respect of the region and trigger new development along the reclaimed Memorial Drive, the long-proposed Bottle District north of the Edward Jones Dome, and reinvestment in both the Riverside North and Near North districts.
Over the next few weeks, the bridge will be picked apart (this morning I saw the crews starting the removal of the eastern facing), and by the 4th of July, there should be a brand new downtown view from which to enjoy the magnificent Fair St. Louis fireworks display.
So what do you think? Is the removal of the skybridge a sign of things to come? What does it mean for the rest of Washington Avenue and downtown St. Louis as a whole? Let us know in the comments.