New Surface Parking Lot Proposal along Gateway Mall Could be Big Test for Sustainable Downtown

Does St. Louis care about becoming a walkable, vibrant city? It has the requisite 260-page encyclopedia of sustainability, sometimes referred to by its misnomer, "plan". The first goal under the section "Infrastructure, Facilities & Transportation": "Facilitate Affordable, Efﬁcient, Convenient, Accessible, Safe, and Healthy Transport of People and Goods". A fair reading of that for most St. Louisans would be lots of cheap parking at the front door of every business and building.

And although we lack any kind of comprehensive parking survey downtown, a cursory look reveals the negative impact parking structures and lots have on the experience of walking the city. And more parking continues to be added. St. Louis Centre, now the MX, was largely converted to a parking garage. The city built a new parking garage near City Hall. The owner of Cupples 7 predicts it will become surface parking and demolition for parking was sought for the five-story historic building at 1105 Olive Street. That building is now in the hands of Craig Heller and is slated for redevelopment.