OT: Ballpark Village

[Box and Won]

What a freaking joke:

Questions about the future of Ballpark Village, regarded as key to the city's revitalization, also hang over the downtown market. Bill DeWitt III, president of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, which is co-developing Ballpark Village with Baltimore-based Cordish Co., says the group is negotiating an agreement with the city for the publicly financed portion of the project amid changing market conditions and the loss of Centene as a tenant. He also said the residential component of the project will be postponed to a later phase, a response to the housing-market slump.

Mr. DeWitt remains hopeful that the project will move forward and one day provide Cardinals fans with the variety of entertainment options offered outside other parks around the U.S. Still, planners are considering alternative plans for beautifying the site. "If we're not going to get the deal done," says Mr. DeWitt, "that would suggest we'd cap it, grade it, seed it and maybe build a park."

[kappy96]

What a freaking joke:

I think it is disgraceful how DeWitt overpromised and is clearly under delivering on this project. He has no regard for anything other than his bottom line and is willing to embarass the city and himself to make sure his interests are protected.

[Pistol]

I think it is disgraceful how DeWitt overpromised and is clearly under delivering on this project. He has no regard for anything other than his bottom line and is willing to embarass the city and himself to make sure his interests are protected.

It will be extra embarrassing for the city and the team a year from now when Busch plays host to the All-Star Game. Instead of a shiny new mixed use development over the left field concourse, there will still be a big dirt hole in the ground.

[Clock_Tower]

It will be extra embarrassing for the city and the team a year from now when Busch plays host to the All-Star Game. Instead of a shiny new mixed use development over the left field concourse, there will still be a big dirt hole in the ground.

I must admit that I never went to the Bowling Hall of Fame, but recall that it just moved to Texas to make room for DeWitt's hole in the ground. What a great additional location for Cardinal Nation to enjoy while they come to town, for tourists, for convention people, for locals, for jobs.... Quite embarrasing. Can someone name another Hall of Fame/Museum pick up and move town - especially if it was popular.

St. Louis - fast becoming "Cow Town"

[SShoe]

I must admit that I never went to the Bowling Hall of Fame, but recall that it just moved to Texas to make room for DeWitt's hole in the ground. What a great additional location for Cardinal Nation to enjoy while they come to town, for tourists, for convention people, for locals, for jobs.... Quite embarrasing. Can someone name another Hall of Fame/Museum pick up and move town - especially if it was popular.

St. Louis - fast becoming "Cow Town"

I'm quite sure that the Bowling HOF was not popular.

Both the City and the Cardinals have gotten themselves into a pretty big mess and I think this is a pretty good illustration of why mega-projects such as Ballpark Village are often bad ideas. Cities all too often look to these types of redevelopment projects as their "silver bullet" when more often than not, these projects never get off the ground. The silly thing is, articles such as the one linked by Box often make it sound like these projects are the city's best hopes for a "renaissance," when in fact, investment in other parts of downtown is still going fairly strong and it's these smaller-scale projects (mostly along Washington Ave.) that have breathed new life into DT.

We'll see what happens, but at this point I would almost prefer the Cardinals scrap their original BPV plans, subdivide the space, develop their original $60 million development (office space and retail?), and sell off the rest of the land to other developer's who can do whatever the market might allow.

[brianstl]

I'm quite sure that the Bowling HOF was not popular.

Both the City and the Cardinals have gotten themselves into a pretty big mess and I think this is a pretty good illustration of why mega-projects such as Ballpark Village are often bad ideas. Cities all too often look to these types of redevelopment projects as their "silver bullet" when more often than not, these projects never get off the ground. The silly thing is, articles such as the one linked by Box often make it sound like these projects are the city's best hopes for a "renaissance," when in fact, investment in other parts of downtown is still going fairly strong and it's these smaller-scale projects (mostly along Washington Ave.) that have breathed new life into DT.

We'll see what happens, but at this point I would almost prefer the Cardinals scrap their original BPV plans, subdivide the space, develop their original $60 million development (office space and retail?), and sell off the rest of the land to other developer's who can do whatever the market might allow.

I am on board with that......as long as we don't get another parking lot or garage.

[kmbilliken]

I am on board with that......as long as we don't get another parking lot or garage.

I'd be happy with the cap it, grade it, seed it and have a park option. We don't another City Centre type failed project. DeWitt got his handout for the ballpark. He's now get it set up to renotiate for a better deal with any developement he could lure figuring the city will sweeten the pot at this point to avoid further embarassment. Make it a park and get DeWitt's nose out of the public trough.

[Pistol]

I'm quite sure that the Bowling HOF was not popular.

Both the City and the Cardinals have gotten themselves into a pretty big mess and I think this is a pretty good illustration of why mega-projects such as Ballpark Village are often bad ideas. Cities all too often look to these types of redevelopment projects as their "silver bullet" when more often than not, these projects never get off the ground. The silly thing is, articles such as the one linked by Box often make it sound like these projects are the city's best hopes for a "renaissance," when in fact, investment in other parts of downtown is still going fairly strong and it's these smaller-scale projects (mostly along Washington Ave.) that have breathed new life into DT.

We'll see what happens, but at this point I would almost prefer the Cardinals scrap their original BPV plans, subdivide the space, develop their original $60 million development (office space and retail?), and sell off the rest of the land to other developer's who can do whatever the market might allow.

The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame (shares a building with the Cardinals HOF) is pretty cool- very underrated. That's a real shame about it moving down to Arlington. I hate to lose one of St. Louis' classic Simpsons references (even though they got the bowling pin-shaped car wrong).