The Journal

Issue date: 10/4/07 Section: Opinion/Editorial

Hours after an attraction finishes or the working day ends, the streets of downtown are crowded and full of chaos as people flee from the area. Eagerness to leave is understandable - there's nothing to do downtown.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and former Missouri Sen. John Danforth proposed that a portion of the land surrounding the Arch be acquired from the federal government and rehabbed to boost the riverfront. Since 2005, the Arch's potential has been researched, but improvements to the federal historic site can't progress without Congress' approval.

The idea for the area proposes a three-block deck over Interstate 70 to make getting to the Arch more accessible, and attractions such as a cafe, restaurant, playground, fountain, swimming pool and an ice rink be added to the grounds.

Completed in 1965, the Arch symbolizes the Westward expansion of the United States, the "Gateway to the West." When Eero Saarinen designed the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, he envisioned the surrounding area to have forests, landscaping and an amphitheater, but there weren't enough funds to carry out the design plans. For the past several decades, plans to revive the area have been rejected and the land remains underdeveloped and unfinished.

The Arch is visited by millions of people each year, but has little significant purpose in the life of locals besides being the site of mandatory field trips.

The McDonald's restaurant riverboat only exists in memories. Those not from the area will never experience the excitement of eating McNuggets and fries on a riverboat. The boat shut down because of funding, and its exit was barely noticed by the public. The significance of the double arch's failure could be considered as a warning to locals - attractions only work if they will be visited as an attraction and not a distraction.

Live on the Levee, the free Fair St. Louis summer concert, was held on the riverfront and attracted a crowd of hundreds, proving that people are willing to commute into the city as long as they find quality entertainment when they get there. As soon as the event was over, the streets were filled as people struggled to leave and were faced with traffic. Traffic wouldn't be so intense if everyone wasn't desperately trying leave.

It's unfortunate that people encounter the excitement of traveling downtown only to be subjected to the event they planned for. Going to an event should be the reason people go downtown, but culture and activity would make them want to stay.

Continued...

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