The remarkable revival of the Delmar Loop over the last 25 years primarily is the result of the vision, persistence and risk-taking of Joe Edwards, the rock 'n roll bar owner and entrepreneur.

Bringing a trolley back to the district named after the trolley "loop" of long ago also is his brainchild.

To mix some metaphors, the trolley idea chugged along for 13 years, stayed on track and, remarkably, took flight on July 8. That's when the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the Loop trolley as one of three projects nationwide to win a $25 million "urban circulator" grant for streetcar programs.

The money is a hefty down payment toward the proposed $44 million project to build a 2.2-mile electric streetcar line. It would run from University City's Lions Gates east along Delmar Boulevard to DeBaliviere Avenue, and then south on DeBaliviere to the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park.

From where would the remaining $19 million come? Private donors are anticipated to kick in $5 million to $8 million. McCormack Baron Salazar, a national urban development firm with headquarters in St. Louis, has committed $2 million in tax credit equity. The St. Louis Development Corp. has pledged another $3 million. The East-West Gateway Council of Governments has promised $6 million in future federal funding for regional transportation and air quality improvements.

The balance would come from taxes already levied in the Loop.

Operating the line is projected to cost between $2 million and $4 million a year, funded largely by passenger fares and a one-cent sales tax in a transportation development district approved by neighborhood voters.

But even the most fervent trolley supporters know they must pare costs both for construction and operation — and ensure that what moves from the planning board to trolley stop is practical, lean and lasting.

What would the public get for the investment? Certainly not a way to move great masses to crucial destinations by the fastest and most efficient means.

But the trolley meets up with the MetroLink line, providing a convenient and fun way to travel for transit commuters. Visitors to Forest Park could hop a trolley to one of the region's most vibrant dining and entertainment districts.

Federal planners see trolleys as part of a broader "liveable communities" initiative intended to promote investment in urban areas by leveraging existing assets, supporting healthy communities, reducing reliance on automobiles and encouraging planning between government jurisdictions.

The trolley project also will connect neighborhoods. It meets up with a walkable "greenway" being constructed along DeBaliviere. It would bolster long-term plans to build affordable housing in the city's West End.

The trolley's route follows major private and public investment along a stretch of Delmar Boulevard east of Skinker Boulevard that was forlorn fewer than than 10 years ago.

In 2000, Mr. Edwards pushed across University City into the city of St. Louis with the opening of the wildly successful Pageant concert venue. Then came the Pin-Up Bowling Lanes and the nearby Moonrise Hotel. The investment in the hotel alone was at least as great as the $25 million trolley grant.

Mr. Edwards notes that the Loop originally was built along the old Delmar streetcar line. He believes a trolley now can help complete its revitalizaton. What chances would he give the trolley project for long-term success?

"I know I shouldn't say this," he said. "But I put it at 100 percent."

Given his track record, it's hard to bet against Joe Edwards.