The Cardinals' announcement Friday won glowing reviews from regional organizations, downtown businesses - and St. Peters City Hall, 25 miles from the Arch.

"This is great news for the whole region, not just downtown," said Frank Viverito, president of the St. Louis Sports Commission. "As downtown is strong, the region is strong. It isn't the only possible location, but there was a consensus that downtown is the best place."

Viverito was among the crowd in the tent when the Cardinals' owners announced their plans to get private financing to build a new $325 million ballpark just south of Busch Stadium. Also there was Richard Fleming, president of the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association.

"This is a great step forward," Fleming said. "Moving out would be a body blow to downtown, just as downtown is trying to make a comeback."

Downtown businesses from the Marriott Pavilion Hotel to the Eat-Rite diner welcomed the developments.

"This is huge," said Mike Chamberlin, events director at the Marriott. "The games and spinoff business are big for us and other downtown businesses."

Over the years, the Marriott often has been host hotel for visiting baseball teams and fans.

Dee Mobley, manager of the Eat-Rite diner at Chouteau Avenue and Seventh Street, said keeping the Cardinals downtown means more for the region than her own receipts. Mobley said most of her game-day customers are Sportservice employees.

"We don't get much business from baseball, but we still love the Cardinals," she said.

Charlie Gitto does enjoy a flourishing baseball trade. His Charlie Gitto's Restaurant, four blocks north of Busch at 207 North Sixth Street, has been a pregame dining landmark for more than two decades.

"This is the best thing that could happen," said Gitto. "Even if it's a little more south, and even if they build a Ballpark Village, we'll still get our share of business. The games bring a lot of people and activity to downtown."

St. Peters Mayor Tom Brown joined the chorus in calling downtown the best place. Team owners had considered St. Peters a possible suburban location but told Brown that they still want to stay downtown. Brown said he wasn't offended.

"The region needs an anchor, and St. Louis is our anchor," Brown said. "I'd rather have the team out here than let them move to Illinois, but anybody who would have taken the team out of downtown would have felt some guilt about it. Sports is so important to (downtown's) identity, and it's necessary for the survival of the city."

Reporter Tim O'Neil:
E-mail: toneil@post-dispatch.com
Phone: 314-340-8132