Ferguson’s David & Goliath Moment

One of the most prominent intersections in Ferguson, MO has lately become notorious. CVS is mining the St. Louis area, and as they require being near an existing Walgreens, they want to move into the intersection of Hereford and North Florissant, on the spot of the now-vacant Sinclair gas station (shown above).   The issue is covered in depth here at NOCO StL, and that post also includes comments that capture the tone of the debate.

In essence, CVS wants to buy and tear down 8 homes and receive a 5-year TIF in order to build a new store on the northeast corner of a desirable intersection, and have been working on procuring the homes and advancing the plans since spring of 2009.  Ferguson neighborhood associations did not learn of these plans until September 2009.  It’s become a case of who in Ferguson City Hall knew of these plans (and when did they know it), and were they purposely trying to usher in this development without public discourse?

The group Preserve Our Ferguson Neighborhood’s concisely explains why they are opposed to the plan here, and note that they are not opposed to CVS coming to Ferguson, just opposed to this plan.

The photo above - and the next two that follow - are photos I took in May 2007 as part of a personal photographic survey of Hereford/Chambers Road from N. Florissant east to Halls Ferry Road (I hope to document straight through to Riverview Dr.).  These homes atop the hill on the northside of Hereford are a long-standing, iconic representation of Ferguson.  Even though everything to the southwest of them long ago turned commercial, these houses remained.  Meaning, that even during the boom years of Ferguson’s mid-century development, planners left this stretch of homes alone.

From 1945 - 1970, the clear delineation of commercial and residential in Ferguson is what made it so desirable for St. Louis city dwellers looking to relocate to the suburbs, and the long-standing respect for that pattern is a huge contributor to the renaissance Ferguson is now experiencing.  There is a growing and tangible St. Louis population reclaiming both our city neighborhoods and inner-ring suburbs because of the distinct flavor (and existing infrastructures) they retain.  It is an organic reaction against anonymous homogenization that depletes resources and a reclamation of community that is at the core of the human experience.  Ferguson is quickly becoming a poster child for inner-ring possibility, which is a responsible balance of respecting the past while moving forward.

From casual observation of how CVS has grown in the Midwest, it is clear that there is a corporate game plan that requires their stores to be in close proximity to a Walgreens.   I’m not debating their strategy - it must work for them or they wouldn’t insist upon it - but I am noting that there stubborn adherence to this strategy finds them offering lame excuses when faced with community opposition.

For instance, in the Ferguson situation, the community has suggested other nearby commercial sites that could most likely be had without disrupting residential, and most of these  sites are within eyesight of the Walgreens.  But CVS corporate responds that there might be a lease restriction on the site, and they want to work only on the Sinclair site they have been working on for almost a year.

The City of Ferguson may have already offered them a 5-year TIF, and CVS might also get a Brownfield tax credit for building on the site of a gas station.  Note that Ferguson can extend TIF to most any location it desires, so that’s not a crucial factor for CVS staying put with the Sinclair Plan.  But one thing is very clear from our brief history of the company in St. Louis: they want empty commercial and seemingly expendable residential buildings near a Walgreens because dealing with an existing corporation can get tricky.

For instance, their Ferguson plan procures 8 occupied homes, but spares the Little Caesar’s pizza building at the northern end of the block on N. Florissant.  It is cheaper to pay above-market price for private homes than wrangle with an existing business that full-well knows the rules of the real estate game.  This may be why the Aaron Rents site mentioned as another possible location for CVS at the same intersection was immediately dismissed; who wants to tangle with evicting a retail chain when the goal is to get in, get what you need and seal the deal as quickly as possible?

From the CVS perspective, these location strategies are logical, and it worked perfectly for them at the intersection of  Gravois and Hampton in South St. Louis City, the former site of a vacant Amoco station that also required 3 homes to be demolished.  The Ferguson site is a repetition of that same game plan, so why not?  But there’s another example that Ferguson needs to keep in mind: the failed attempt for a CVS at Lindell and Sarah in the Central West End.

Yes,  the plan took place over vacant commercial buildings, but this property was not in eyesight of the existing Walgreens, just a few blocks east on the same side of the street.  So, not the most ideal way to meet the corporate mandate, but still a viable property on a valuable street.  But the next problem was persistent community opposition.  In general, the majority of residents affected were not opposing the store being there,  but rather the layout and design of the store.  CVS played ball for one inning with some design modifications, but residents still weren’t satisfied and asked for further revisions.  Without fanfare, CVS took their ball and left the game, and the CWE CVS plan was abandoned.

Simply because a corporation with deep pockets says it should be so does not make it fait accompli, especially within a proud community committed to the safe-keeping of their town’s present and future.

It is easy to understand the need to increase the Ferguson tax base, and this is classically accomplished in two ways: more residents and more business.  It is a delicate balance, and Ferguson is once again facing the hefty kid on the playground who wants to plop down on the other end of their seesaw.  The important message of this “controversy” is that Ferguson residents are expecting transparency and fair negotiations about developments that will produce the most good for their city, and that is the sign of a community with healthy self-esteem and optimism about their future potential.  Ferguson’s heartbeat is gaining strength, and it is now healthy enough to fight for a fair deal.

There is valid concern about what to do with the Sinclair site if the CVS deal should fall through.  Size-wise, old gas station plots can be problematic if you’re thinking inside the retail box.  Though, considering the current revitalization in the heart of Downtown Ferguson, extending that line of thought a few blocks up to Hereford is not a stretch of the imagination.

And when it comes to revitalizing odd-shaped, vacant gas station sites in Ferguson, I do need to point out the photo above, also taken in May 2007.  This is at Ames Pl. and (Hereford turns into) Chambers Road, less than a mile east of the Sinclair intersection.  I once lived within walking distance of this former gas station, and was always intrigued by it because it appeared to be growing out of the side of a hill.  Plus, those people above it could walk out their side door and onto the gas station roof, if they wanted to (and I really wanted to).

The building is short and narrow, while the lot is long but very narrow.  So when the gas station finally folded many a year ago, it sat in this forlorn, vacant state.  The asphalt was removed, and once the grass grew in, it really looked odd, like a cedar and glass carbuncle growing out of the greenery.  But the last time I drove by, the site was back in use as a used car lot, which was a pleasant shock because I thought that plot of land and the building was a goner.  Instead, against all odds, it’s reborn!

I am not at all suggesting that the Sinclair site should become a used car lot.  I am just pointing out that even the oddest, and seemingly hopeless sites can find another life when it’s in a community that works together to make such things possible.

Tear Down Jamestown Mall

Christmas Eve 2008, the night Sears closed for good.

Jamestown Mall, Lindbergh & Old Jamestown Road
Florissant, MO

At the end of September 2009, The Urban Land Institute presented some ideas on what to do with a dying mall.  In a pdf of their presentation, they advocate tearing down the existing building and creating a new, mixed-use destination.  This proposal comes after the 2008 idea of turning the southwest (former Dillard’s) portion of the mall into senior housing and office space fell through due to, supposedly, national economic misfortune.

Jamestown Mall originally opened in 1973, shortly after my Mother and I moved into near-by Black Jack.  There were plenty of places to eat, (including a Pope’s cafeteria and a restaurant inside the Walgreens), a movie theater and all the stores my Mother already had credit cards for, so we went there a lot.

I have good memories of the place, like hanging out at the Camelot music store, which  got most of the grade-school and teenager money I had.  There’s also not-so-good memories, like having to pick out clothes in the Pretty Plus department at Sears, which was located right near the mall entrance, so I was in plain sight of high traffic.

There were high school midnight movies where we were so stoned we could barely walk, so I barely remember The Song Remains the Same or Rainbow Bridge.  There were periods of intense longing over toys in KayBee, gag gifts at Spencer’s and boys in my classes that I never thought twice about until I ran into them outside of school at the mall.

But these are all memories that I can conjure at will as I sit at home.  The last few times I stopped at the mall, none of those thoughts went through my head while walking the mall.  Instead, I was taken with the stainless steel and bronze sculptures that have been there since Day One, and meant nothing to me at the time, but now I think they’re beautiful, and I worry what will become of them if the mall is torn down.

Plaster bust of the late Fred Wehrle, property of the downtown Famous-Barr display department, which eventually made its way out to Jamestown Mall.

Buildings are historical proof that hold memories , which is one of the reasons people get upset when certain buildings are slated for demolition.  In the case of Jamestown Mall, it denotes a distinct period of Boom Town development in far North St. Louis County, and it holds plenty of memories, but the structure itself is unmemorable because it was purposely designed for all the action to be internal, so how it looked from the outside was an afterthought.

I loved everything about re-purposing a portion of it for senior housing, but since they’ve let that useful and innovative idea go, I’m completely on board with them leveling the existing mall and starting anew.  But I am completely against the suggested new use for the land.

Take a look at the aerial view of the mall and the surrounding area and note how much green there is around it.  Even with decades of new housing going up, this part of North County - out where the mighty Lindbergh Boulevard ends with a lackluster whimper - is still awesomely rural, verdant and never completely tamed.  High density retail and residential kind of peters out northeast of the New Halls Ferry & Lindbergh intersection, and large swaths of rolling hills still hold working farms (there’s still a barnyard animal feed and supply across from the mall on Lindbergh because the area needs one).  The Bubbleheads thrive out there for a reason - it’s woodsy seclusion sometimes interrupted by suburbia.

A concrete abstract sculpture that stood outside Stix/Dillard's is now missing. Where did it go to?

It was a weird gamble to put a mall in an area so far off the density grid.  For the first 15 years of its existence, the only other non-Lindbergh way to get to the mall was via a winding, hilly back road with dangerous curves and a rickety bridge over a snake-ridden creek that only us locals used.   “Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s mall we go…”

But it was a successful gamble for awhile, because there was nothing else like it in this remote area.  It was truly a shopping destination for St. Louis North Countians and those over the bridge in Alton, Illinois… until they got their own Alton Square.  And Northwest Plaza had more of the big stores, and wasn’t all that much further the other way up Lindbergh. And then retail trends changed to several Big Box lots spread throughout a municipality and Jamestown Mall became the remote island of Misfit Stores.

The dead end of Jamestown that was slated for senior housing and office space.

The ULI proposal recognizes how remote this location is, so logically suggests that it be turned into a bells and whistle mixed-use destination, a place so chock-full of everything and the kitchen sink that folks from all over the region will be itching to go there… until the newness fades away into the next Retail Destination dog and pony show that’s easier to get to.

They also propose that the new use have a Vegas-like reenactment of urban density, which is flat-out silly when you glance at the distinctly rural qualities of the areas surrounding it.  Florissant shouldn’t spend millions on a New Town, Part II.

I propose, instead, a totally original mixed-use idea that takes into consideration the area and its flavor and gives people something they can’t get anywhere else so that they are totally willing to come from all over to have a crack at it, repeatedly.

From the current proposal I’d keep the ice hockey pond and the farmer’s market.  To stick with the sports theme, let’s go extreme: could someone finally give our area a full-blown skateboard park, please?  Also add a bicycle motocross course.  Some of the original building foundations could be left in place for both of these items, and because we don’t have anything like this currently, they’d pull a steady stream of people all year long totally willing to pay to play.

If one or both is too radical an idea to consider, maybe pay homage to the horse culture still existent in this part of North County, with something similar to Pere Marquette Stables?

Expand the farmer’s market idea by also creating a pick-your-own vegetable garden.  Think Eckert’s apple orchard, with people paying to pick their own local vegetables that they know comes right from the ground.  There’s plenty of room for seasonal harvests like strawberries in the spring, pumpkin patches in the fall, and just like Waldbart Nursery nearby (let them sponsor it and support local business), chop your own Christmas tree in the winter.

Right on the Old Jamestown and Lindbergh corner I’d slap down a restaurant that naturally features seasonal food that comes from the gardens, and a cafe for hot or cold beverages and treats, depending on the time of year.  And so I don’t have to worry about the fate of the Jamestown Mall sculptures, move them into an outdoor sculpture and water garden for a unique dining-outdoors experience.

Any or all of these ideas would cost far less to develop than what is proposed, and promotes a sustainable, outdoors, healthy agenda that is not dependent on fickle retail trends or just-add-water urban islands inappropriate to the area.  Even with our crap economy, they could begin with the gardens on existing empty land while demolition happens on the mall, so that everyone can see innovative progress happen in stages, and even take part in the process.

Are these far-fetched ideas, or is it do-able?  Do you think it could pull people from all over the metropolitan area and contribute meaningfully to the area’s tax base?  And what are some other uses for the land other than the cliched ideas being proposed?

2 More Gasometers Coming Down

Interstate 44 near Shrewsbury Exit
St. Louis, MO

As reported by the Webster-Kirkwood Times, the two gasometers that mark the boundary between St. Louis City and County are currently being demolished.

The natural gas storage tanks owned by Laclede Gas were erected in 1925 and 1941, and have been inactive since 1995.  They sit on just under 6-acres of land, which was purchased by a development firm that plans to grade and seed the soon-to-be-vacant property so it looks “nice” while trying to attract a new owner to build on the site.

I’d like to know if the property developers even considered selling the property as-is, just in case there’s an entity out there that would like to re-use these iconic and impressive structures for other purposes.   Considering the current commercial real estate market, they may be sitting on this property for a bit, so they have some time play with, and could possibly save themselves demolition fees if a buyer wanted the gasometers to remain.

Are there other uses for such unusual structures?  Vanishing STL covered the demolition of another gasometer in St. Louis City, and in another post about its history, he shares information about how Vienna, Austria re-purposed four of theirs.

Granted, the highway has locked these gasometers into a remote location surrounded by industrial, so that could limit the scope of new use, but limitations are what inspire some of the most compelling ideas.   It’s depressing that, yet again, there is a willful lack of imagination and possibility about high-profile structures that are part of the Greater St. Louis history.  And there is one more opportunity to squander our last remaining gasometer near Goodfellow, in North St. Louis City.

I wanted to document how most of us experience these twin towers: sturdy yet delicate-looking guide posts along the highway that change size, color and texture with the distance, time of day or weather.  Their absence will matter, and they will be missed.

Tiny Medical Buildings

As a kid, I was always fascinated by this building because it was just my size.  It was like a little doll house plopped onto the black top parking lots of the buildings surrounding it on West Florissant in Country Club Hills.   When I went back to visit it in 2002 to take the photo above, I was struck by how antiquated the notion of a single doctor working out of a cracker box seems today.  For at least the last 30 years, our doctors are bunched together in large office buildings built for just that purpose, and the care within can be just as impersonal and confusing as those buildings.

This 1,152 s.f. building from 1956 was the office of Dr. Hubert S. Pruett (who once played with the St. Louis Browns!). In 1963,  the space was labeled The Sheldon Medical Building, as if it were to house more doctors, but it remained the private practice of Dr. Pruett until Dr. Samuel G. Ramirez took over in 1975.

With the Sheldon back in my consciousness, I started noticing the plethora of tiny medical buildings dotting St. Louis.  Like the one above, at 9717 Manchester, in Rock Hill.  In 1953 it was the office of  dentist Albert Thomas.  By 1963, chiropractor Elizabeth J. Lochner took over, and took care of patients well into the early 1990s.

There are many intriguing things about these tiny medical buildings. For instance,  they tend to be at the far limits of St. Louis City and the inner-ring suburbs, so were built in the mid-century with cars in mind.  Private practice doctors followed the population out to St. Louis County, and while their patients were buying bigger homes, the doctors were content with less than 2,000 s.f.

Most interesting of all is that even in the midst of our square foot gluttony, most of these match boxes are still used today, and quite often the use stays in the health care realm.

This office at 9846 Manchester in Rock Hill fits the Tiny Medical Building M.O., but actually opened in 1952 as Woodard Rug Cleaners.  But by 1963, the true nature of this building was realized when Alfred W. Moller opened his veterinarian practice.  Hey, human or animal, it’s still medical care, right?  It became West Side Animal Clinic in 1972, and as you can see, they are still there to this very day.

An early example of what would become the standard of group physicians is shown above, at 2730 Watson in the Clifton Heights neighborhood of South St. Louis City.  From 1958 - 1980 it housed multiple physicians and optometrists (for humans), then it became a veterinary clinical laboratory until the mid-1990s.  Today, the office facing onto Southwest Avenue belongs to a chiropractor, so it went full circle back to the humans.

These medical offices also highlight the rapidly changing nature of 20th century American medical practice, which is really more the story of health insurance.  Up to the 1930s, doctors made house-calls, but with the advent of Blue Cross & Blue Shield insurance from 1930-1940, companies could buy into tax-free policies for their employees, and the need for more doctors increased.  With this growth of supply and demand, commercial insurance companies were finally ready to join in, increasing the number of insured from 20,662,000 in 1940 to nearly 142,334,000 in 1950.

These tiny medical offices were built for general practitioners who finally had a chance to make real money and care for their patients with total autonomy.  But by 1964, the numbers of doctors going into general practice were dwindling, with the focus moving over to medical specialists.  A solution for both general and specialized medicine to financially prosper was enacted in 1973 as the Health Maintenance Organization, and became the large HMO buildings so many of us visit today.

This huge shift in the medical industry to group health care made these tiny medical buildings obsolete for private practice.  It’s a deep irony that some of these buildings now house medical specialists, like the office (above)  at 3185 Hampton in South St. Louis City.  But here’s a spin on this type of building: it was built in 1962 for American National Insurance, who used the building until 1990, when it became the City Spinal Center.  So even when the contents start off differently, these mid-century modern cubes just broadcast a medical nature.  Or actually, it would be merely a snapshot, as this medical period only lasted roughly 15 years.

I am continually impressed with the adaptive re-use of these tiny buildings; most don’t stay vacant for too long.  Then again, depending on where they are, they are also highly vulnerable to demolition.  This little gem of concrete, cubist mid-century modernism (above) at 7810 Natural Bridge Road was being prepped for demo when I took this photo in 2005.  It started life as a doctor’s office, and by the end of its run, it held a carpenter’s shop and a travel agency.  So, the building was still useful, but it was in the area surrounding the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and was taken down for some vague reason still unresolved.

But the majority of tiny medical buildings remain to this day.  Shown above is the place built for dentist Conrad J. Zoeller in 1954, at 9300 Gravois Road in Afton, MO.  He worked from this 748 s.f. office until the mid-1990s, and it was recently a hearing center until it  - or rather its parking lot - found a whole new use as a produce stand!

Today, because of the health insurance industry, the medical profession is in worse shape than its former buildings.  Doctors can’t practice as responsibly and freely as they did when in these little stand-alone buildings, while their buildings keep finding a way to help humans and their pets.

Even the little building on West Florissant that first opened my eyes to this short chapter of medical architecture still has a healthy, beating heart.  It is now a hair care center, ingeniously divided up as a barber shop through one entrance and a beauty salon through the other.  Here’s hoping that in the next couple of years, our health care system can transition into adaptive re-use as flexibly as its former buildings do.

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Mid-Century Modern For Sale in Old Town Florissant

Rue St. Catherine at Jefferson St.
Old Town Florissant, MO

Old Town Florissant, established in 1786, is a small, charming patch of old-fashioned in North St. Louis County.  Everything is picturesquely quaint and refreshing, and a stroll down the streets makes one instantly crave hand-squeezed lemonade sipped on a porch swing.  So walking upon the sight shown above was pleasantly surprising.

It’s surprising, but not unprecedented to see a quintessential mid-century modern domicile in this neighborhood.  The several blocks that are authentically historic are ringed on all four sides by every hallmark of 1950-1960s suburban-boom architecture, and if not for Historic Florissant, Inc. forming in 1969, the whole area would most likely have been covered in ranch houses.

So how did this thoroughly modern place, built in 1955, wind up in the middle of the Currier & Ives print that is Old Town?

It’s Florissant Valley Fire House No. 1! According to the lieutenant who came out to chat, they move into their brand new firehouse on St. Ferdinand Street  in about two weeks, and this place goes up for sale.  He even said it would convert into a real nice home for someone… someone who’d really, really dig a lot of garage!  That, and 6,155 square feet.

From the street, it’s of an unassuming scale that’s respectful of its surroundings.  From the air, you get a startling idea of how large this 3-building complex really is, which just makes the ease with which it fits into the site even more artful.

The fireman gave a sales price for this building that was shockingly low, and reacted to my surprise with “Don’t quote me.  The realtor knows better.”  But just hearing a price that was in the realm of obtainable sets the imagination spinning… a perfect home/work space for someone who restores vintage cars, or an artist who needs a giant studio?  A highly flexible home/business space?  The possibilities are endless, the location is perfect, and the building is beautiful and in great shape.  Here’s hoping it finds another loving owner, soon.

Sneak Peek: Downtown St. Louis Sculpture Garden

Bounded by Market, Chestnut, 8th & 10th Streets
Downtown St. Louis, MO

The new City Garden is supposed to open in time for the July 2009 All-Star Game at Busch Stadium, and after taking a walk around it on a glorious spring afternoon, looks like they can make that deadline.  The western block looks basically complete and has a unique feeling about it.  Most of the construction is now in the eastern block, with Pinocchio (above) waiting to be wheeled into his permanent spot.

Previously, I paid little attention to this project because I agree with everything in this Eco Absence piece.  Why our City Fathers continued to stick to a bad plan begun decades ago is mystifying, especially as the parts of downtown they didn’t tear down were surging back to life.  Did they ever contemplate just changing their minds and putting all this land to productive use, like putting buildings back on it?

I felt the same way about the Old Post Office Plaza: why is this even happening in the first place?! And then I experienced the place on a warm, spring evening, all lit up and vibrantly peaceful, and it felt glorious, which made me contemplate What Is vs. The Way it Should Be.

What happened to both the Gateway Mall and the Old Post Office square stubbornly eschewed logic and dispelled the vision needed for an equitable and democratic use of these important blocks.  It still smarts, hard. But it’s done and we have no choice but to move on and hope the people in charge don’t mess it up even more.  In the case of Old Post Office Plaza, it’s an endearing balm for the old wound, and accepted on the terms of “What Is,” it’s truly great.

Maybe the same will happen with Sculpture Garden?  Along with the fine attention to materials and details, I noticed that the new landscape and sculptures were able to alleviate the sting of some of St. Louis’ most soul-sucking post-modern corporate crapitecture.  Wonderous shapes distracted me from the mess that is the south side of Market Street. As the trees get taller it will be possible - by standing just so or sitting right here - to completely block out those nightmares for just a minute or three.

This garden feels like a giant bouquet of flowers to apologize for the horrible things “They” have done to our downtown.  For the sake of moving on, it is often wise to graciously accept the apology and admire both the thought and the beautiful flowers.

See more sneak peek photos here.

San Luis on KSDK

See video of Randy Vines romancing the San Luis on KSDK.

Good job of hearing from both sides.  Now, what about actually having meaningful conversation face to face?

The Archdiocese goal of more parking can be achieved in several different ways. The value of that land and its greater use can be achieved in several different ways.  More can be accomplished by joining together than by tearing apart, and the Friends of the San Luis are extending a hand to the Archdiocese.  Here’s hoping they return the sentiment.

RELATED
San Luis documentary “This Was The Future”

ArtSpace at Crestwood Plaza

Crestwood Plaza, Watson Road & Sappington
Crestwood, MO

When’s the last time you went to Crestwood (yes, I know it has a new name but it will always be to me) Plaza? Judging by how dead the place was, I’m guessing “don’t remember” would be a common answer.

Even before Macy’s permanently closed the doors in March 2009, one had to dodge the tumbleweeds blowing through. Walking through the mall made me think of Dawn of the Dead, waiting for zombies to pop out of what used to be Walden’s Books and rip my arm off.

It used to be ultra creepy, now it’s “come in and play” because the owners of this dying mall followed through on some creative thinking,  and they may just wind up making more money from this new venture than any attempts to revive it as a retail destination.

ArtSpace just threw a grand opening party, and everything about it was inspiring and delightful. Just to see the parking lots full and people crowding the mall was a minor miracle. That the hubub was for cultural arts rather than vacant consumerism was a major miracle.

I was itching to check out this brilliant adaptive re-use idea during the formative stage, but just never got around to it, as Crestwood Plaza was still creeping me out. So, throwing this party assured there would be live human beings around to keep me safe. Another incentive was to see the photography of Robert “Ferd” Frank (he was John Mellencamp’s bassist back when he was Cougar), whose work is displayed - and for sale - within Design Extra Interiors (photo above).

Yes, there’s a full-service interior design firm in the mall. It just makes so much sense that you have to wonder why this hasn’t happened before!

Remember all the art studios in downtown St. Louis before the loft rehab boom? That same concept in urban vertical has now gone suburban horizontal. All of the empty spaces inside the mall are renting for insanely cheap prices to anyone willing to put their own money and sweat equity into re-purposing dead retail spaces (where - as above - dressing room doors become display space) . That’s insane amounts of square footage already tricked out with everything you need in a setting designed for high traffic with maximum visibility.

Along with all the merriment of the day, I took perverse delight in Structure becoming Three-Legged Productions…

…and Mrs. Fields serving as advertising for the dance hall across the way…

…and Frederick’s of Hollywood goes Chicque.

There’s still a handful of “real” retail in business like Footlocker, Victoria’s Secret and Claire’s Boutique, but on this day those stores were pretty dead because there was too much excitement elsewhere. Actually, “dead” would be a normal day for Claire’s at Crestwood, but that’s the beauty of this venture: any of the retailers who have hung on will certainly reap the benefits of increased traffic.

And because the place is alive with music, and performers and playful shenanigans, it will inspire folks to make spontaneous purchases of arts, crafts and glitter lip gloss and Kenmore appliances.

As I was taking the photo above, a lady walked up to me and said, “When I moved to St. Louis in 1965, this was the place to be. It’s been painful to watch it die. But today, I’m feeling like it can become that again, and I couldn’t be happier.” Then she caught sight of a stilt-walker sauntering by and drifted off with a huge smile on her face.