What Should Be: the St. Louis Mercantile Library Buildling

Arguably the brightest part of post-recession downtown St. Louis is the progress of the Mercantile Exchange: specifically the redevelopment of STL Center and the Laurel, and the demolition of the visually oppressive sky bridge that once connected them. The removal of the sky bridge alone was enough to make a huge impact on the entire Washington Avenue corridor (only one more obstruction to go). The addition of the Blues Hall of Fame, a movie theater, and Pi’s highly anticipated downtown location are all big steps forward as well. However, the ultimate key for the area will be continuing this momentum and spreading the progress throughout the CBD, to streets that don’t have the panache and vivacity of Wash Ave.

The Mercantile Library currently sits vacant on the rear corner of the freshly renovated STL Louis Center, immediately opposite the shiny new facade of the redevelopment that’s been dubbed St. Louis’ Time’s Square. This often-overlooked building is part of the Mercantile Exchange and is maintained by the same developers, but there are currently no plans for its renovation. Located one mere block from Metrolink and in the heart of the Central Business District (just one of numerous nodes within the broader ‘downtown’), the building is strategically positioned to feed off and therefore help further connect the various nodes of downtown.