A large tombstone which says:

“Here lies St. Louis. This monument was built to honor those who left and that tradition continues today.”

A steamboat tied up at the foot of the Arch, with a history of the river and river commerce. A pedestrian walkway from free parking. If they want a museum have it be a museum of early 1800s St. Louis — Chouteau, Wm. Clark, fur traders, French/Indian/early black culture. At one time the Old Courthouse was supposed to be that museum before the Dred Scott folks took it over.

I still want a reconstruction of the Rock House. How about take out Memorial Drive offices and make that into the early St. Louis facade? Part of that facade could be period restaurants and taverns– places to eat, etc.

Leave the Arch grounds grass, but do more festival type stuff there every weekend, not just one or two big shindigs a year.

Put a huge neon sign that says “gateway to the west” as in keep on going anywhere but here. STL is a deadbed for hoosiers who make 25K or less.

Either a strip club or an OTB… Why should the Eastside have all the good stuff?

Teresa-

The Rock House has been reconstructed… into a bar and live music club. It’s pretty awesome both inside and out. http://oldrockhousestl.com/

I’m not from St. Louis originally, but have called St. Louis home since 2006. Having worked in the hospitality industry, I know that the Arch continues to be a ‘big deal’ to tourists, and I personally do not think that the integrity of the grounds should be compromised. I liked Teresa’s suggestion of incorporating history into the area. St. Louis has such a unique and varied history which should be embraced and not forgotten.

Beautiful riverfront parklands, cafes, a museum or two and some galleries I beleive is the way to go. We need to breathe more life into the downtown area for future generations.

Return of Fair St. Louis to the Arch Grounds….it should never have changed formats. Remember…”Celebration under the Arch!

Unfortunately, Senator Danforth is 100% correct in saying that a lid is needed over I-70 to truly connect the Arch with the rest of the city. The highway poses as both a physical and emotional barrier between the two.

If the goal is to draw more tourists and locals to the Arch grounds, whatever is decided on must be a “big deal”…such as an aquarium. It has to be an attraction that can support itself and one that would make people want to spend the entire day around the Arch. Anything less would just be a waste of taxpayer money.

We need some type of day time event in the Downtown St.Louis because the only time it is ever busy in the downtown area is when there is a Cardinals game, some type of fair, or the nightlife on weekends. I live in the downtown area and I think it is somewhat sad and depressing living here. The only fun i’ve had downtown living is the night life and we need to teach our kids there are more things to do for fun than just go out on the night and drink yourself away.
We should have something like a waterpark or something else creative to do during the day. Could we also get rid of some street running east and west for pedestrians because first of all people drive way to fast and they like to break real hard to the stop lights. Could we somehow close off a street and have what you call a “wandernplatz” in german. It means walk place for people to observe the city in peace where there are no cars, only biker, walker, jogger, and shops are allowed to go through.
I hope something creative gets done.

While the Arch was under construction, I saw a model of what the area was to look like. The way it looks today is consistent with that model. I’ve always enjoyed the green space. I know the original design did include more than just the monument, so I could support a NPS overhaul. I’m glad to see that the park service says that local control is not part of the discussion. The Arch grounds are a National Park, not a vacant lot to be included in some cheesy downtown revitalization plan.

Diversity of culture in the region is a must. I sugest ethnic/historical vendors along Lenore K Sullivan year round, featuring folklore/food, and make the arch grounds picnic friendly.

The National Parks system is not really big into putting businesses on the grounds of its parks. There are several exceptions but for the most part they rather just leave things as they are. The key issue is accessibility and not having to walk so far to reach The Arch. I do not really see a way that this could be resolved without adding more parking . But would you want to have parking up to the base of The Arch?
The only proposal that I think makes any sense to me is the covering of the Depressed Section next to The Arch.
It would be nice to have a riverboat attached to the arch as a floating museum of the river front. The would augment the Museum that is located under The Arch.

It all starts with the pedestrian “lid”. I work downtown and frequently walk to the arch. It’s crazy to get to. I now understand the logistics however am always seeing “tourists” struggling with the crossover lights and walkways. It needs to be an extension of the the Old Court House and be named Dred Scott Way.

Also, the events for fourth of July need to be patriotic music played with the St. Louis symphony orchestra. Why do we not celebrate our own? We need to have reasons for families to come to the park.

Make the park more community friendly. A playground for kids, dog park, and small music pavillion for community plays. Maybe boats in the lakes. Make it our Central Park.

Let’s make the archgrounds a true destination place where families can enjoy themselves before and after they ride to the top of the arch. Let’s create on site a park similar to Millennium Park in Chicago.

I don’t have any particular idea or even strong feelings about what can go onto the Arch grounds. Unlike some of the other comments, however, I don’t feel a need to “respect” the current property. The arch grounds were designed by mid-century modern architects so in love with themselves and out of touch with the City that they gutted the heart and soul of the riverfront in order to frame their vision. These are the same genre who brought us the filth of Pruitt-Igoe-like housing projects, tore down and defaced some of the most historic buildings for more green space, and generally disrespected any sense of innate beauty for their own self-aggrandizement. The Arch itself is a magnificent accomplishment, and an engineering wonder, which would be the focal point whether it’s in a barren green field with unwelcoming concrete steps and dotted with algae-filled ponds (as it is now) or whether there are buildings, strolling performers, musicians, or even low-key city blocks that allow for a full view of the Arch itself.

I would like to see more parking and easier access to the Arch. We had some relatives from the East Coast visiting several years ago. The weather was pretty chilly and windy during their visit. When they saw the distance we had to walk in that weather, they decided not to go. They commented on the fact that it is a long walk from the parking lot to the Arch and that maybe a shuttle of some sort would be a good thing when the weather is not cooperating. This would be wonderful for seniors, who travel a lot, and for the handicapped, who don’t because of the distance.
I would also like to see at least two mid-priced resturants - one on the north side and one on the south side of the Arch. NOT fast food!!!
Another good thing would be some sort of an above-ground, safe walk-way from downtown to the Arch grounds.
Whatever is done to the Arch grounds - PLEASE don’t junk it up!!!

I recommend that there be a beachfront area and swimming pool on higher ground near the Mississippi where there would be vendors of food, drinks, and supplies throughout the summer. Have beach parties and local band concerts as well as volleyball, badminton, and frisbee tournaments just like a normal beach. After all, probably the closest really known beachfront is along Lake Michigan near Chicago. The VP Fair could be basically eliminated as attendance has probably been going down for a number of years when you don’t include popular concerts.

An admission fee should be charged like $5 to $7 a person to help pay for it.

I too do not want to see the Arch grounds junked up. I love all the green space that is there now. However, perhaps there could be an outdoor cafe or something. It’s hard to find something to eat/drink in that area without walking all the way back downtown.

Please do not follow the current trend and start putting up condominiums. We already have too many as it is. The green space is important and needs to be kept.

Perhaps I read it wrong but how does the NPS have a say in whether or not a pedestrian lid goes over I-70. Isn’t that the jurisdiction of MoDOT?

To AJ and STLBLOWS-Get a life. And while you’re at it-move out of your Mommy’s basement. Ignorant and hateful people like you are just ignored anyway-so why bother.

I believe we need some cafes and a fun area that overlooks the river and we need to connect the main part of downtown with the riverfront-as John Danforth has suggested. On this thread, Paul had some great ideas as well. Let’s make it happen!!

I really like the suggested idea about a “walk place”, where no cars are allowed and people can walk freely without the fear of being run over. I love the idea of a traditional historical sections, but I think they will become cheezy and will not remain if not done right (Just like the mall). We need things that become tradition. Also, how about a boardwalk of some kind. Something that can function during the day, but not just to sell junk to tourists. At the same time it would have to be something unique and special. When is the last time St Louis had that? I read what other people are saying here, and it truly seems that most people here are depressed and not very proud of where they live. That really sucks! We live in one of the most historically imoportant cities in our nation. If something is to be done to showcase the Arch, a symbol of who we are and where we came, it better be done right, or don’t bother and leave it grass! Serious time and creativity should be spent, not developers comming in and putting another cheezeball eating establishment like a hard rock cafe. Think outside the box, that’s what made this city great. Ideas and inventions, not another developer idea borrowed from Chicago or anywhere else. Make people be proud to say I’m from St Louis, and make people want to live here. Do something no one else is doing.

the arch was conceived as a truly modern civic project, yet it is completely disconnected from any other civic space in the city(though there are very few). to really revitalize the city, its going to take more than just some ‘freshening up’ at the archgrounds, or a new casino, some lofts on washington. the city needs major work, maybe hold design competitions, get input from around the world, on re-envisioning the city, re-planning, re-inventing, and re-establishing itself as a major urban center. i think that st. louis is experiencing a real ‘brain drain’ because there are no contemporary cultural or civic projects to engage urban activity, to bring people into the city. bring back contemporary thought and explore the unimaginable just as Eero Saarinen once did with the arch.

A huge sign between the ARCH that says “Our Alderman don’t care about their neighborhoods, The Police force sucks, The crime rate is high, We are taxed to death for everything, and oh yeah did I mention…… The Alderman of the city take under the table bribes to get what they want and don’t listen to the people living in their wards!

Bring back the McDonalds and Burger King boats!!!

I agree with others saying the Arch grounds doesn’t need much. Sure, put some paddle boats in the lake, the pedestrian lid over 70 (seriously), and a few things to attract families or nightlife. A free or low fee dog park would be nice since others in the area don’t offer the same environment and charge outrageous fees. Other than that, not much needs to be done. There’s more than enough parking and the Arch is enough to get people to the grounds. It would create an eyesore to clutter the grounds with too much of anything else.

Dan S - The reason why the beach along Lake Michigan is nice is because the lake itself is something nice to look at and people can actually take boats and watercraft out into the lake. Would anyone honestly want to go to a “beach” in St. Louis to enjoy a view of the muddy Mississippi looking across to East St. Louis and not be able to actually get out in the water? My guess on that one is no. However, sand volleyball courts would be nice…add alcohol (Budweiser leagues and whatnot) and there would be plenty of people to play!

#5 Andrew–
Go read your own website. The bar is a fake. http://www.landmarks-stl.org/architecture/st_louis_riverfront

The point is: if they decided to do a Riverfront museum on the grounds, this would be an ideal architectural theme to use. We were promised this 45 years ago, and NPS never delivered.

More dirt. I’ve visited the arch several times over the last three years and every time I’ve noticed that the ground beneath the arch, between the two bases is a soupy, soggy mess. My recommendation would be to add some clean fill and raise the settled ground a foot or so, thus providing better drainage and drier ground for visitors.

The Arch needs increased user functionality, both getting into the Arch grounds and inside the park. Right now, the Arch is very pretty, but cold, and you’re not allowed to touch anything, much like a museum or Cameron Frye’s dad’s house. It needs to be welcoming and serve purposes other than photo opportunities.

StL has one of the greatest, and largest, pieces of pure art in the world, and people come to see it. We need to cater to this audience as well as those with little kids.

What we need is:
1. The Lid over I-70 and a redo of Memorial are critical. People need to be able to walk into the Arch Grounds without dodging major traffic.
2. A reanalysis of Eero Saarinen’s plans for the Arch Grounds, completing the architect’s vision while updating it for 50 years time. We still haven’t fully completed what the Arch is supposed to be, and we should look to fix that.
3. Gut the riverfront itself and put something there that people will want to visit, not just a fast food barge and a helicopter ride. Make it attractive for the every day user, something designed for both visitors and Downtown StL residents.
4. Tie in Laclede’s Landing and Choteau’s Landing for both site footprint and visitor foot traffic. That’s where the parking can go.
5. Put a tarp over the East Side riverfront until Springfield IL is able to dedicate money for EStL’s renewal, because it really is a detriment to MO just sitting there rusting.
6. Put in Charlie Brennan’s beer garden.
7. Take AJ and STL BLOWS to the river, tie them to stakes, and burn them. Let them serve as lessons for all degressivists to adapt or move out of StL. I’ll buy the Greyhound tickets. Until then, stop arguing over the internet.

The High Schools in the area have a Project Lead the Way course “Civil Engineering and Architecture”. This would be a great project/contest for students in that course for the 2008-2009 school year. It would be great for the student, teacher, program, and city to work together!

Gone Corporate–

Like some of your ideas except put in stuff for little kids. There are entirely too many sites catering to children as it is. The Science Center used to be cool–now it’s kiddie land. Ditto the Zoo. There is only so much time you can spend with the flowers at Shaw’s Garden. The Arch does fine with its school group programs, storytelling, and other stuff. There are also way too many places like the Magic House which are kids only. Face it…most people don’t have kids these days. Life exists between the nursery and the bar scene.

Why can’t this town do something for grownups who don’t like sports and can’t afford the theater or concerts? We’re left with alcohol or school.

The grounds already have a fine museum underneath the Arch. Why not just leave the trees & grass as they are.Does every open space between them have to be filled up with things to do and see and smell and hear and eat?
Our National Mall in DC is an example of not knowing when to sit back and enjoy and quit tinkering.

A shuttle service would be a great idea, and having some statues that commemorate westward expansion would be nice. We need to keep in mind that this is Federal land, a national monument, and we shouldn’t put things there to cheapen it and turn it into some sort of tourist trap. Moreover, we should be original, and not have something that’s “like New York’s this” or “Chicago’s that”. This is St. Louis, Missouri, lets be proud of who we are, and put something there that will complement the Arch, not take away from it.

We need the lid, first and foremost. Next, the actual riverfront, not the arch, has got to be dealt with. Just 10 years ago, I remember The Goldenrod showboat, the McDonalds Boat, the Burger King Boat, the President (the excursion boat not the casino), The mine sweeper, the Helicopter tours, the becky Thatcher and Tom Sawyer….. now there is barely anything. Lets give the facade a makeover… restore the cobblestones, Add some attractions… Lets embrace the small stretch of land that made St. Louis an actual city.
*I’d love to see the Admiral as an excursion boat again. *Bring back the boats.
*How about a floating concert series geared towards local blues artists.
*Add a boardwalk.
*Light up the Eads at night.
*how about a Laser show projected onto the arch

Oh, and eliminate naive, close-minded, idiots like AJ that suggest putting a large tombstone, and continuously project a negative un-educated attitude about this great city. Instead, lets be progressive thinkers, look forward, not backwards, and fix up what is long overdue.

Put a lid over the highway, throw in a couple of riverboat museums and get everyone to use OUR “central park” (Forest Park) for everything else….won’t have to worry about the grass, the feds, whether or not to sell things or being too confining. There are already boats on the lake, museums, a zoo, restaurants, etc.. That’s what it’s for ain’t it? Just keep the thugs out and you’re good to go. Make it part of a tourist package deal; here’s the arch now let’s go to the zoo!

DanS- I love that idea! We could have OBB (off beach betting) on how many people get swept away in the Mississippi’s current on a daily basis from the deck while we enjoy a cold Bud.

keep it in Federal hands or all we will have is a bunch of cousins and nephews of aldermen running around.

#1 - I love the green, but adding some pretty, seasonal, 3D gardens here and there would be nice… herbs, greens, flowers, etc. strategically placed here and there on and around the grounds, with benches so people can walk, sit, walk some more, etc.

#2 - what about elevated walkways above the 70 (like what goes over Highway 40 at the science center, and what used to go over to the Arena), over Highway 70 and the depressed section?

#3 - add a select few turn of the (20th) century buildings down on the riverfront near the cobblestones (not more than 2 stories tall as to not block the view from the arch-grounds) which are built on an elevated boardwalk.

#4 - i really love the idea of an elevated, wide boardwalk, with temporary vendors, (setup/tear down) which can be removed for special events, etc., fountains, museum-quality maybe 1904 tribute shops and food places (not Applebee’s, but an old hot dog, ice cream, etc. shop, antiques, etc. but not clothing or t-shirt places to cheapen it…) The boardwalk should be a learning experience, not just a commerce experience.

#5 - put a lid on AJ.

I think that the Arch grounds should be left mostly void of commercial interference. The new ball park is laden with advertising and has lost any visual appeal to days gone by. The Arch upper grounds can be improved with better picnic areas around the lake and better seating areas at the top of the hill overlooking the river. A simple eco-friendly electric powered shuttle (Six flags style) from the parking garage to the entrance would alleviate the distance problem. It can be self funded by charging a few bucks round trip and would also serve as a security sweep of the grounds on a regular basis.Its a better alternative to adding closer parking when the existing garages are sufficient. I think the lower streets below the steps can be used for commercial opportunity such as a floating wine garden and a proper amphitheater for various events. It should feel like a boulevard for strolling.

Nothing will happen until you put a lid on the depressed sections of I-70. Until it is easy and safe to get to the arch grounds from downtown, you will never fully utilize the arch grounds no matter what is put there.

Make the landing more like Beale St. in Memphis…that will attract more out of town guests. Then we could have a St. Louis Landing music festival on the arch grounds, just like the 3-day Beale St. Music Festival at Tom Lee park in Memphis, which had over 100,000 people in attendance. That would fill the hotels and restaraunts for sure!!

Leave it alone. I do not understand wanting to touch this for anything when there is a decaying mess just south of the arch begging for demolition. A bridge over the highway is fine, but leave the greenspace alone. Some things are allowed to be simple. For the people who have suggested turning it into our version of central park I say we have better than that in Forest Park.
For those that say we need more parking and shorter walkways, go out and walk some more. A shuttle for the disabled and senior citizens is a different story though.

You have better than central park? rethink that again, you have a park full of ghetto trash and the feeling of uneasiness all the time. Central PArk is loaded with women and is an awesome time, you can get food and what not to. STL will remain the same due to a lack of out of towners that bring their own sense of living and ideas to a city. Untill the boarded up buildings and pigeons go, STL will be just a blurp on the map, certainly nothing more. Sad but that’s what happens when you have 92 municipalities fighting one another for every dollar, you have winners, you have losers, and STL city is the biggest loser sadly.

I write alot in here and that is because I like STL, it’s my hometown, but it makes me sick when I here about more studies and more talk that leads to nothing more than great artist illustrations and nothing more. Government must change first for corporate business to take notice, a city county merger would work over the long haul much like in Indianpolis many years ago. fter that, the tax base would strenghthen and the power in numbers would show that STL is ready for prime time and then only then will anything happen that will forever change STL into a proggressive leader in the 21st century. Forget the worlds fair, that was 100 years plus ago, before you know it, cities like KC and Nashville will be passing you up.

The Arch should have a permanent memorial to the African-Americans that invented and built the Arch.

Vox,
African Americans, for all their virtues, did not invent the catenary curve, which is the basis for the Arch. I’m sure there were plenty of African Americans who worked on the Arch, but I remember also the Mohawk American Indians, an Indian nation nationally famous for working high iron, who worked on the Arch too, not to mention (mostly men, of course for the time) of all ethnic backgrounds who worked to create the monument. There was a big brouhaha at the time that this *was* the creation of a multi-ethnic work force, and as such, it reflected the many ethnicities which settled the West.
We need monuments which unite us all as Americans, not ones which divide us by artificial cultural differences. It’s the coming new world, and I’d rather be a part of it than the old hyphenated one.

I may, I say may, like to see more attractions around the Arch, but ONLY if they relate to the Arch and its surrounds. Not restaurants or rides or shows; we don’t need something that as a consequence draws crowds in but as an attribute attracts tourists.
I think also we should spend more in advertising. Not enough is known about the museum and attractions down below. I also think the lines for entry are too long and the wait to get in is unbearable. Either add more lines or streamline the process to make it faster to enter and I think this will add more tourists. People didn’t wait in lines at the airport all that time to wait in lines to get into the Arch; its too much of a detracter.

I remember the attractions on the riverfront. We used to make it a day; go to the destroyer, watch the helicopters come and go, see the steamboats with the big paddle wheels, I even remember the Admiral when it was originally moored there, the grand Cathedral. And the finale was the climb up the stairs to the Gateway Arch (it was even more thrilling when the water was so high the stairs were covered!) The point is, we need more attractions that ADD to the riverfront and the ARCH, not take away from it.
I always thought it would be AWESOME if we could float the USS Missouri to the riverfront and add it to the attractions…don’t know what the draft is though…19ft perhaps?

Teresa:

You’re right. The New World Order will be great! In honor of it we should paint the arch with a giant rainbow to celebrate that if it wasn’t for homosexuals there wouldn’t even be an arch and then we can put lifesize deer made out of chocolate beneath the arch and fill the reflecting pools with chocolate milk and gumdrops.

I’ve spent a few beautiful Saturday afternoons on the grounds with my kids. Personally, I love the green space - like an urban oasis. Yet, hardly anyone is using the archgrounds. Most days you can count on two hands the number of people down there.

The lid over 70 is the place to start, along with renovating the parking garage (scary!) After that, there has to be a way to offer more food and beverage service without “developing” the whole grounds. Keep the feel of the green space and add a few other features.

Oh, and what’s this talk of a “touch-up” of the Old Cathedral? I understand that the church itself is the property of the Archdiocese but the ground it sits on belongs to the national park service. Does ‘touch-up’ refer to some basic maintenance or something more? Let’s not get too many ideas about changing the church - don’t fix what isn’t broken. I’m sure someone would love to turn it into loft condos with a Starbucks in the front.

I have 2 ideas. First, an 80 foot wide rope ladder or tower with rope ladders and rapeling ropes to keep the climbers safe with 2 platforms wide enough for many people made of steel or wood. One platform for beginners and one for more advanced. It would be nice if there was elevator access for those who want to see with physical challenges or just older adults. This would be great for grandparents to watch their grandchildren and it would encourage physical fitness. A button could be given or sold saying I climbed the rope ladder at the Arch or I tried to climb the rope ladder at the arch. I am a Correction Officer on the Emergency Squad at MECC and it is similar to the concept of the Climbing Rapeling Tower at Farmington Correctional Center. Second, another structure that could be built with a view would be a treehouse structure made of cement that looks like a treehouse similar to the one at the San Diego Zoo with a restaurant on top that is inexpensive with elevator access for physically challenged and with steps to make it fun for children and visitors, both having views and encouraging physical fitness. Again buttons and T-shirts could be sold like St. Louis Treehouse and St. Louis Climbing Tower and both ideas to work and attract families and schools would have to be well advertised in the news and newspapers. Robert J. Davis

The projects are too close for anything that would draw people.

How about a wall similar to the Vietnam War Memorial, that memorializes all of the victims of black on white violence and homicide. How about the truth about St. Louis for once instead of the First Stage Denial common with St. Louisan’s.

Have NPS give up whatever land is necessary to get the lid over 70. Then yuo’d have access from downtown to the Arch grounds, put a musem of some sort (industry, medical science, Mississippi river) in the bldg where the bike trail starts. Put another major attraction at the south end of Leonora K. Sullivan, and put small shops/vendors in between and charge one admission for all major attractions so people will be out and walking around the grounds and visiting “the landing”. Have some nice botanical gardens on the arch grounds. Another thing I think would be important is to have a lot of free (or VERY inexpensive) parking, because we want St. Louisans to be able to use the area and people may not come downtown if they have to worry about parking tickets or paying for parking, when they have other options. I agree with Charlie Brennan also on his beer garden, somehwere you could sit and drink/dine and enjoy the surroundings.

I just don’t understand. Everyone keeps saying we need a lid over I-70. We already do, it’s called Memorial Drive. Its hard to get to the arch? There are at least four stoplights at major intersections that you can cross memorial drive on to get to the arch, Walnut, Market, Chestnut, and Pine, not to mention Washington. Although I do like the elevated walkways over Memorial and I-70, it’s simply because they were in the original arch plans. As far as visitation goes, the Arch still draws approximately 3 plus million people a year. The reason none of you know about it is the majority of visitors are tourists and the city has absolutely nothing else to offer downtown so people come to the arch and then leave the city. People keep saying we need this or that, we need food, or hoaky t-shirt stands. Come down to the Arch at noon on a Friday and sit on the Grand Staircase overlooking the river. You’ll see what the arch is all about, people out walking on their lunchbreaks, school groups, retiree groups, visitors coming and exploring this precious open space. The reason why Danforth is even interested in the Arch is because it’s the only thing that makes money downtown, other than the stadiums obviously, and he wants a cut of the dough. To take land away from the National Park Service is the exact antithesis of why the National Park Service was created. As far as live on the levee, fair st. louis, celebrate st. louis, V.P. fair, or whatever they’re calling it this week, it’s a joke. People come to watch the free concert and leave without spending any money. I can imagine how much money Missy Slay and company lose annually on that pile of garbage. Once we elect a new mayor i’m hoping that goes by the wayside as well.
Other than the grounds work, i.e. filling in minor sink areas and so forth and possibly some gardening, the major reform of the arch has to be the Security Checkpoint at the entrance. It takes forever to get through and is just brutal. The NPS needs to rethink it’s entrances maybe developing and usuing more security checkpoints during peak hours and seasons. Just a few thoughts, thanks for reading

My family has had connections to St. Louis for four generations. In 1965 as a student at Washington University I witnessed the placing of the last section of the Arch from a far distance. What a sight that was! It is a day I will never forget. Now living in California our family continues to return to St. Louis and on one such visit in the Summer of 2006 we visited the Arch and the museum as well as a tour of the grounds the Arch occupies. What struck me was here in the middle of a beautiful and cool day there were very few people enjoying the park under the arch. I walked up to the court house where the Dread Scott case was heard in the 1850’s and was again struck by the lack of visitors to the court house and the surrounding downtown area. For a city with such rich history and presence I believe the it is time the people of St. Louis fulfill the hopes and dreams of the great people who preserved this space and built this icon of America. Yes the area under the Arch needs to be tied to the downtown instead of being this island unto itself. The local community is capable of making this a destination place instead of a short stop on a tourist itinerary. There should be places besides the Arch that attract the entire family and community groups to spend the day and evening at this unique site next to one of the mightiest rivers in the world. This is an opportunity to make a difference for the generations that will follow. The people of St. Louis can be that difference.

I like the formality and tranquility of the Arch grounds the way they are: tree-lined sidewalk-boulevards, large expanses of grass, and views of the river and the decorative lakes. It makes for a great walk at lunch time when working downtown; tourists and locals share that pedestrian space. To commercialize the grounds would be to cheapen it.

Not to say the area can’t be improved. The lid is the best idea. I-70 is a huge barrier between downtown and the Arch. Probably some reworking of Memorial drive is also needed. If possible, the buildings there could be changed to be more pedestrian-friendly. Awnings, windows and street-level entrances would make a big improvement over the backside, alley-way feeling of those buildings. The cafes, hot dog stands, and terraces would best be located facing the park from west of Memorial.

Perhaps a “rendezvous” type event reenacting 1760s era St. Louis would work. It would be fairly non-obtrusive with a certainly well-behaved,sedate crowd of a moderate size would be a good event. The “vendors” would be part of the attraction, selling period artifacts, foods of the period, etc. and would be a celebration of the city’s early beginnings.

I work downtown and hardly ever go to the Arch, except maybe when visitors are in town. Architecturally the Arch itself is amazing, other than that the Arch grounds are pretty BORING and difficult to access. The Arch Grounds could be planned/designed way better and still fit in with Saarinen’s concept. St. Louis does need to keep its own identity, but look at what Millennium Park did to Chicago!

First we need the connector, then it would be nice to have a boardwalk and some nice indoor/outdoor cafes overlooking the river with great views. We need boat rides, helicopter rides, shuttles to and from sites. More outdoor free concerts would bring visitors.

I work downtown and never visit the Arch unless I have company in from out of town. Possible a small train/tram could take people on a guided tour of the Arch grounds and give the history of grounds while taking people from Memorial Drive to the enterance to the Arch. We need to lid 70 for the safety of the Arch visitors and then use that space for resteraunts, shops, and maybe some sort of musuem(s) with traveling exhibits, and some sort of public artwork that changes annually (similar to the Botanical Gardens.) Once that is done a free shuttle that runs from there down Washington Ave to Union Station and back would be nice…

It would be great to include something more ACTIVE at the site:
- cafe with outdoor seating
- bike / walking trail connection
- ice cream vendor / coffee vendor
- boat marina
- revolving museum exhibits

The arch grounds is way too static. We need something that entices people to come back repeatedly and something that generates REVENUE.

I agree that the grounds need to be more accessible. And there should be more activities for visiting families. The Landing is great if you want to drink your night away, but I would never take a family there for dinner or anything like that. I think someone mentioned an aquarium. Not a bad idea, or some kind of mini-zoo/museum focusing on the local flora/fauna. Someone mentioned a water park. Also not a bad idea. But, I think care must be taken to avoid turning it into a tacky theme park. Maintain some of the “pristine” park-like ambience. Find a way to make it picnic friendly (access issue again). Farmer’s Market? Seasonal food vendors?

He are some of my thoughts on how to make the Arch and surrounding area better. I think the Arch is great but it should not be the only thing St. Louis is known for. The city was started 200 years before the Arch was built after all. It is also a “National Expansion Memorial”. It should reflect that more above ground, and not just with the underground museum.

1) Access: Just cover the part of I-70 between the old courthouse to the arch grounds. Make it green space to match. If that is impossible, then build a low arch shaped pedestrian walkway joining to two. Improve parking and provide shuttle service on weekends.

2) General: Allow mobile food vendors in the park. They should meet some guideline in the appearance of their cart to look historic etc. Perhaps these are run by the park service. Allow live musicians. Set up a stage for live theater. In the winter set up ice skating on an arch pond. Have hay rides in the fall and horse drawn buggies in the winter.

3) Grounds: Keep it mainly green space. However, here are some things that could be added in moderation. Place sculptures all through the Arch grounds. Have a contest for sculptures reflecting the history of St. Louis or westward expansion in general. I would love to see river boat “statues” of some of the more famous ones to ply the waters of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Add westward expansion informative historic markers and displays. Make some interactive and have appeal to young and the old. Perhaps inlay a map of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers on the sidewalks. Towns and historic locations could be indicated. Have various rotating displays or artwork. When the baseball All Star game is held in St. Louis in 2009 displays could be out related to the Cardinals and Browns.

4) Lodge: Build a lodge on the Poplar street bridge side of the park. It could be a large timber structure like at the Pere Marquette Illinois State park. Many National Parks have such lodges. Or better yet, make it some how have the architecture of the old warehouse district that was once at the Arch grounds. It should have a large restaurant with some outside seating. Perhaps a small café/coffee shop too. It should be fairly large with modern amenities, pool etc. It should have things that would appeal to visitors and locals alike.

5) Riverfront: Have riverboats on the landing again! Several could house a museum about riverboats. Aside from a permanent exhibits I imagine that a visiting display could be set up from the artifacts of the steamboats Bertrand or Arabia. Both boats left from St. Louis and the current museums can’t display everything. The Steamboat Bertrand is owned by the federal government so that should help. Try to attract some restaurants there again. Maybe seasonal lodging on boats. Where is that old Casio Queen going? Perhaps it could be purchased and adapted.