Quietly, without much fanfare or to-do, a more than century old building just north of SLU’s Frost campus went the way of the dodo. The judge, jury and executioner in this unfortunate event were none other than Saint Louis University.
As the University expands, swallowing up the structures, businesses and vacant lots that stand in its path, the thirst for plentiful, safe parking is quickly exceeding the supply. We understand that the demand for parking is increasing. Certainly the construction of the new Chaifetz Arena, the blossoming popularity of the Midtown arts district at Grand Center and the expanding freshman classes at SLU, all have bearing upon the demand for parking, but the real question is: at what cost?
The University is setting a dangerous precedent by the recent demolition of the livery stable building on Locust, a building that reflected the architectural integrity of a prosperous and growing city more than 100 years ago. How many more beautiful, significant and savable structures will SLU sacrifice on the altar of parking? If this demolition signals the beginning of a trend, SLU will quickly become known as the area where architectural integrity goes to die.
Looking at the bigger picture, we see the demolition of the livery stable building not as a simple move to increase parking-the gained space is negligible in the large-scale scheme of the area-but a mistake that echoes development mistakes of rookie city planners. Surface level parking does not help to bring permanent residents to an area, and certainly not short-term parking oriented around events at what is an as yet unfinished arena.
If SLU truly desires, as we are confident that it does, to see the Midtown area burgeoning under the success of many a redevelopment fairytale, then preservation, not demolition, of classic structures representing links to a historically rich past is absolutely vital. The more parking that is built in the Midtown area, the less retail, living or entertainment space there will be for which to park. Parking is a conundrum that most urban areas attempt to fix by the addition of parking garages and structures that make as much use of their space as possible.
The Olive/Compton Garage at the northeast end of SLU’s campus is rarely, if ever, at capacity, and is a prime example of wasted street level retail space potential. However, the parking in Midtown is not the problem of the University alone. The new arena is being funded in part by the community in which it resides and, as such, the community must also bear some responsibility. Perhaps a parking structure can soon be built east of Grand in the Midtown area before more examples of classic St. Louis architecture are demolished for so-called “progress.”
The future of Midtown and Grand Center is bright, and we look forward to the day in the not too distant future when mixed-use developments are abundant and occupied in the immediate area. The danger lies in the path we as a University and a community take to reach that brilliant and exciting day. It is our hope that our leaders will exercise caution as they take us on this extraordinary redevelopment journey.
