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Today's Poll!‘Greening America’s Capitals’ project focuses on Wears Creek
During meetings for “Greening America’s Capitals,” the groups discussed ideas such as creating a marketplace in a parking lot near an abandoned shoe factory near the interchange of U.S. 50/63 and U.S. 54. The factory could be converted into residential and business space, the groups suggested.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Sometimes, it is good to have a big plan.
But after three days of charrettes with city officials, business owners and residents, small steps appear to be the course of action for greening Missouri’s capital.
During a wrapup session Friday at City Hall, consultants with the “Greening America’s Capitals” program presented a large eventual idea, as well as potential incremental steps to reach the goal of improving the Millbottom area.
Representatives from the Kansas City-based BNIM Architecture explained that, after meeting with a variety of the interested parties, they were able to create a list of priorities aimed at improving the area.
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Comments
JCsleeper 2 years, 2 months ago
Too bad Wears Creek isn't floatable. Now that would be a Festival District.
rodinman 2 years, 2 months ago
The only greening here will be the money washing down the drain.
Dskel 2 years, 2 months ago
Better to just let the vacant building sit there for years? I like your optimism.
wcywing 2 years, 2 months ago
i have been to other state capitols, and JC can use some more improvement. i'm glad that Dunklin street and eastiside JC is getting developed. the last thing JC needs is urban decay.
rmsberengaria 2 years, 2 months ago
Ha ha the only decay here is the really cool "City Fathers" tearing down most of the residential housing to build, nondescript, monuments to bureaucracy and then complain about the fragile uptown business's! Tear down a whole block on McCarty Street for a convention center when they have a whole ex-penitentiary, with acres to build their PUBLIC convention center on! With some vision they could have used the old Penitentiary entrance building as the entrance to the Grand convention Center. Like Union Station did with the Marriott at the grand entrance to Union Station. But, no they tear everything down and cram it into a congested limited parking space area.
Gotigers 2 years, 2 months ago
RMS.... I think you have a great idea. It would be great to have the convention center at the old prison site. It would allow for future development and you could also tour the prison as well. Why is that idea not being discussed? Good thinking.
rmsberengaria 2 years, 2 months ago
Ha Ha probably because some one at city hall has their head buried in the sand...........beyond me unless the Realtor and developer click in this city, the same ones that always seem to appear, most know who they are, have $$ on the Penitentiary thus bags over the heads of the "City Fathers". Anyone else that thinks its a good idea should pass it on. I think its a great idea. Or, again who knows maybe they just never thought of it! I even bet more people would jump on and support this idea a whole lot faster than what the plan is know.
wcywing 2 years, 2 months ago
how many houses were torn down when they were building the Truman building?
as for using the prison for a convention center, it would make too much sense. besides you don't want guests to be a captive audience. however i think the greening plan is a good idea.
JCsleeper 2 years, 2 months ago
Great idea, but the MSP isn't in the flood plain, so doubt if they'd go for it.
rmsberengaria 2 years, 2 months ago
ha ha how true......aint it the truth!
rmsberengaria 2 years, 2 months ago
about seven or eight blocks basically the whole Mill-Bottom area. From the Round House on West Main to West. McCarty Street. Missouri Blvd or old 50 West to Broadway. Not to mention the following business's that I can think of....Norman Auto Supply, Capital Auto Parts, Nentwig Bros. Lumber Co., Tharp Lumber Co., Oscar Hoffmeyer Barber shop, Shikles Body Shop, Cowley Tire Shop, Slickers Tavern, Jefferson City OIls Gas Station, Mcknight Tire, Broadway Shell, Bernies DX, Little Nells Cafe, MOuse Mathas's St. Louis Paper dist., Frasher's Mobile Station at the Five way, Eva Rights old house of ill repute, The old bus Depot, Martins Skelly, Jefferson City Monument, Little Sav-mor, Hales/Goodins Sporting Goods, Sportsmans Bar, Midwest Auto, Night after NIght Bar, Kwiki Car Wash on Mulberry, Wolfe CPA, A Walz home on McCarty, Some Apartments along McCarty and homes across from St. Peters some was a Nentwig Home.
JCsleeper 2 years, 2 months ago
...and Blackies, Dutch Mill Market, Smith Ford, Eddie's Tavern, Kroeger's Welding, Talken's Texaco, Walnut Street, Harrison Street, Western Auto?
rmsberengaria 2 years, 2 months ago
Hi, JC. I think at the time of construction Dutch Mill was closed already, Smith Ford/Sexton Ford was the home of Capital Auto Parts, Eddies's Tavern was what I referred to as Slickers. Talken's Texaco was gone at the time. Al Scheppers Motor company and Precision Machine remained on Harrison Street until the "James C. Kilpatrick" archives building was built. I referred to Midwest Auto which indeed was bought out by Western Auto. I did not remember Blackies and forgot Kroeger's Welding. Thanks for the imput. It was fun to remember all of those business's. It was a very busy part of town before the Truman monolithe was built. Of course to the City and we as owners where all part of a so called "Urban renewal project", which many cities were engaged in the late 60"s and 70" in which we where all forced by hook or crook "eminent domain" to move and many business's just did not survive the move to new locations not as ideal as their old locations and failed. I.E. Nentweg comes to mind. The travesty in my mind was forcing out Nentweg Lumber, Eddie's Tavern, and Jefferson City Oils Station and replacing with a non government building, John Q. Hammonds Hotel. "more property tax money" a clear in justice to those former owners of that property.
jdb 2 years, 2 months ago
Good grief, just how OLD are you people?
Yeah I remember the old five point intersection and all of those businesses. Mouse was the KC Star distributor, not the Saint Louis paper. But then again, maybe he had the St Louis distributorship before the Star. Mouse was a character and recently passed away.
I was too young to get into Eddie's Tavern, but I had many a late night breakfast at Little Nells. Ah, the good old days...........
rmsberengaria 2 years, 2 months ago
OH, this paper needs to do a little better research. The Abandoned "Shoe Factory", shown in the photo, was never a shoe factory. It was the Obermans Pants Factory!
spelchek 2 years, 2 months ago
"Green" is the new flavor of Kool Aid people drink now days. I must admit, as a marketing tool, people are lapping it up.
JCLifer 2 years, 2 months ago
Not sure why we have to wait for a federal grant to clean up the mess around here. Look at that picture- just some trash pickup, sow some grass seed, and plant a bed of flowers and maybe a few flowering bushes would do wonders for making it look better.
As for the old pants factory- knock that ugly monstrosity down now! That thing was ugly blight for years when it was JC Distributors, etc.
I agree about the city tearing down all the old houses and businesses and now they don't have anything but super blight. At least if they are going to tear this stuff down and make parking lots, they need to curb, pave, light, and landscape them. That ugly mess at both south corners of Washington and McCarty needs major clean up and landscaping. Shame on our city for making all that destruction and then just leaving it for several years.
JCLifer 2 years, 2 months ago
What was the name of the auto Radiator repair shop at the bottom of the hill by the West High Street viaduct?.
I remember the Fight after Fight bar. That was a fun place to knock off a few beers after work!
First time I went parking was down by Norman Auto supply. Hit a few home runs that night, I recall!
JCsleeper 2 years, 2 months ago
Brummett Radiator
JCLifer 2 years, 2 months ago
Broadway Shell
muleman 2 years, 2 months ago
MFA feeds (home of the biggest rats in Jefferson City) Wasn"t there a ice plant where you could buy block ice next to little Sav-mor? I think there was a stone works business in that area too. I remember the sheltered workshop being between wears creek and the off ramp leading from High Street to what is now the north end of Mo. Blvd. Cant for the life of me remember what the north end of Mo. Blvd. used to be named. boy these posts sure bring back memories
muleman 2 years, 2 months ago
Wears creek is floatable. After a heavy rain theres tons of junk floating down it
JCsleeper 2 years, 2 months ago
Actually did see a guy in a kayak a couple of summers ago after a heavy rain. He was going by Premier/Progressive Bank at a pretty good clip. Hope he got out at the ball fields.
JCsleeper 2 years, 2 months ago
Dodge dealership was also below (west of) St. Peter's School. Shikles dealership and Norment Motor Co. were next to Selinger Center
JCLifer 2 years, 2 months ago
How about a little train like St. Louis Zoo has that would run from Capitol Plaza hotel through the mud tunnel and make a lap around Adrian's sandbar? That would be a fun little ride to see all the snapping turtles and snakes out on the sandbar!
The Convention and Business Bureau could collect a "train tax" of $10 or so from each hotel room to help pay for the little train. On Saturday mornings they could sponsor "Ride the Train With The Mayor" where the mayor would play train engineer and all the elites could pony up $100 a seat to ride the train with the mayor.
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