River Landing Framework
St Louis
There is no single element more influential in the development of St. Louis than the Mississippi River, but this relationship has become obscured as decades of industry and associated activites have buffered the city from the river. The mile plus stretch of the riverfront between Washington Avenue and the new Mississippi River Bridge offers a unique opportunity for St. Louis to re-embrace its origins at the banks of the Mississippi. Indicators for this abound in St Louis: City Garden, the Washington Avenue Loft District, the Mercantile Exchange, Culinaria Market, the Greenway District, etc. Each of these developments began with pragmatic initiatives that have paved the way for wave-upon-wave of successional growth and transformation. Ken Greenberg and MVVA were retained to prepare a guiding Framework to extend this process. Through a consultative process involving major area stakeholders, a singular opportunity for further city building was identified in the River District extending from Eads Bridge to the new Mississippi River Bridge and from Interstate 70 to the riverbanks. The creation of an all-encompassing identity for this new destination is a key opportunity to dramatically change the perception of this area the “River Landing”. By identifying and exploring common opportunities and benefits, the Framework Plan also builds on infrastructural projects associated with CAR2015’s Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (JNEM) project, the 2014 opening of the new Mississippi River Bridge and related transportation projects, and the Great River Greenway’s bikeway and public realm initiatives related to the Central Riverfront Link, along with a range of private sector investments that are being undertaken in the vicinity of the riverfront district within a relatively tight timeframe.