“Groundswell for Change,” the friends group, also announced the formation of a steering committee made up of civic, business, labor, disability rights, and government leaders, as well as everyday citizens concerned about the condition of the riverfront and under-utilization of the Arch grounds. The committee – whose members are listed under “Steering Committee” under the “About” tab above – is inviting members of the general public to visit the web site and to join the new organization.

The new group is urging the National Park Service, which owns and manages the grounds of the Gateway Arch, to take significant steps to enliven the Arch grounds and riverfront for all visitors, and connect them better to downtown St. Louis.

Specifically, Groundswell for Change believes two key improvements are needed:

* A major, above-ground destination attraction, such as a museum, on the Arch grounds near downtown. The subject and content of this facility should be national in scope and consistent with the theme of westward expansion.

* An improved pedestrian connector between the Arch grounds and the riverfront on one side and downtown and the Old Courthouse on the other.

“By making some key enhancements leading to and on the Arch grounds, we can connect those grounds and the riverfront to downtown and realize Eero Saarinen’s original dream of having a magnificent monument complemented by museums, restaurants, and other attractions,” said Kitty Ratcliffe, president of the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission and a member of the Grounds for Change steering committee. “We would make the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial a more complete experience for visitors, and we would make the whole St. Louis region a more compelling destination.”

“These improvements would position St. Louis as a world-class destination,” said Terry Nelson, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Carpenters’ District Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicinity and a member as well of the Grounds for Change steering committee. “They would give the whole region an economic boost through the creation of construction and permanent jobs. But as a life-long St. Louisan, I’m even more excited to think about the possibility of a riverfront that visitors and our own residents could actually enjoy, tied to the city that grew out of it.”

“Looking across the Mississippi, we hope to see a riverfront where children have fun and learn in a world-class museum, families dine in restaurants, and pedestrians walk from the Arch to enjoy the rest of downtown and surrounding communities,” said Mark Kern, St. Clair County Board Chairman, who also has joined the steering committee. “After years of declining attendance, a bold vision is necessary to bring residents back to the Arch and attract new visitors from around the world, and, for the first time, to connect the Arch and the riverfront with the Illinois side of the region.”

“We’re very pleased with the enthusiasm we have met with this group,” said Peter Sortino, president of the Danforth Foundation. “There is tremendous support among a broad cross-section of leaders from many different walks of life. We hope hundreds large numbers of ordinary citizens will visit groundsforchangestl.org and join our effort to realize the full potential of the Arch and the riverfront for our region and the nation.”

There is no charge for joining and no funds are being sought.

Former Sen. John C. Danforth, chairman of the Danforth Foundation, has said that if the Park Service agrees to make the major changes that Groundswell for Change favors, the foundation will commit substantial funds to the effort and seek to raise additional dollars from other private sources.

The Danforth Foundation became involved in the riverfront and Arch grounds effort about three years ago, after St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay asked it to study what could be done to revive the area and to connect it better with downtown. After the Danforth Foundation issued a long report last summer, the Mayor and the foundation asked three leading citizens of St. Louis — Walter Metcalfe, who is of counsel and formerly managing partner the Bryan Cave law firm, Peter Raven, director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, and Robert Archibald, president and chief executive officer of the Missouri Historical Society – to offer additional advice. They subsequently proposed the notion of the new destination attraction or museum and the improved pedestrian connection, among other recommendations.

The foundation also commissioned research last year that showed strong support in the community for new attractions on the Arch grounds.

The National Park Service is currently seeking public input on possible changes to its General Management Plan (GMP) – its blueprint for management – of the 91-acre Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, which includes the Arch, its surrounding green space, and the Old Courthouse. The Park Service, which has been using the same plan for the site since 1960, held public meetings in St. Louis on June 25 and July 1. The Park Service will continue to seek input until July 14.

It will be recalled that what became the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and Gateway Arch began in late 1933 when Luther Ely Smith, a prominent Republican lawyer and civic activist, peered out of a train window at the shabby St. Louis riverfront and decided the city should do better.

One rigged election, one massive land clearance project and one world war later, Mr. Smith had a second idea: The as-yet-unbuilt memorial should have “a central feature, a shaft, a building, an arch, or something which would symbolize American culture and civilization.”

Read the full article

Ask how to improve St. Louis’ most iconic symbols and there’s no shortage of ideas.

At a National Park Service open house on improving the Arch grounds Wednesday night, there seemed to be dozens and dozens, from the simple — adding picnic tables so downtown workers can watch the Mississippi River flow by while they eat lunch — to the grand — erecting a new museum on the grounds that would become an icon in its own right.

Read the full article

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is an international landmark, but the Arch grounds and nearby river front need improvements.

People are talking about what should be done.

Read the full article

Former Missouri Sen. John C. Danforth believes the National Park Service has made up its mind against any changes or improvements to the grounds of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

He described a meeting last night in Forest Park, and another one next week at the Old Courthouse downtown, as “window dressing.”

Read the full article

At the request of the Danforth Foundation and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, three of St. Louis’s leading citizens–Walter L. Metcalfe, senior counsel and former chairman of the Bryan Cave law firm; Dr. Peter Raven, director of the Missouri Botanical Garden; and Dr. Robert Archibald, president and CEO of the Missouri Historical Society–studied the issue.  They concluded that there are two keys to revitalizing the area without compromising the beauty and magnificence of the Arch.

The first is a major destination attraction, such as a museum, to complement the Arch.  The second is an improved pedestrian connection between the Arch grounds and the riverfront on one side and downtown on the other.

Tell the NPS you want a major destination attraction (such as the cultural facility on Memorial Drive proposed in alternative #3) and an improved pedestrian connection with downtown between Pine and Walnut Streets.

May 8, 2008 - Charlie Brennan Show on KMOX

May 13, 2008 - The McGraw Show on KTRS

May 29, 2008 - The McGraw Show on KTRS
]]> http://groundsforchangestl.org/news/2008/05/29/senator-danforth-discusses-the-future-of-the-arch-grounds-and-st-louis-riverfront/feed/ http://groundsforchangestl.org/news/2008/05/28/hope-for-a-better-arch/ http://groundsforchangestl.org/news/2008/05/28/hope-for-a-better-arch/#comments Wed, 28 May 2008 18:58:58 +0000 Danforth Foundation http://beta.groundsforchangestl.org/news/2008/05/28/hope-for-a-better-arch/ From the Saint Louis Beacon:

Before Thursday morning, St. Louis civic leaders who have been actively promoting a revitalization of the St. Louis riverfront sat south of square one in the progress department, in a holding pattern, maintaining hope perhaps, but definitely sitting still. The sticking point was the reluctance of the National Park Service to consider any changes or alterations of the grounds of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, the site of the Gateway Arch and the Old Courthouse to its east. The National Park Service will consider improvements to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, including a design competition for the area and a better connection between the Memorial and downtown.

On Thursday morning, however, the new superintendent of the memorial, Tom Bradley, sent out a press release announcing the National Park Service’s intention to begin a process that could open the grounds to changes. This change of attitude could offer the potential of a dramatic riverfront revival, one long hoped for but never achieved.”

Read the full article

John Danforth has presided over the funeral of a president, groomed a Supreme Court justice, investigated the government’s response to the Waco siege, tangled with the religious right and tackled civil war in Sudan.

The former U.S. senator, Missouri attorney general and ordained minister — not to mention author, diplomat and philanthropist — has been staring down his latest challenge from his office in the 35th floor of downtown’s tallest building. It’s hard not to be impressed by the sweeping view of the Gateway Arch and Mississippi River.

Read the full article

© 2008 St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Republished with permission.

The National Park Service (NPS) today announced the initiation of a General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS) process for Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (commonly referred to as the Gateway Arch).

In the dry prose of a press release issued Friday comes a magnificent opportunity for St. Louis. For the first time in 48 years, the National Park Service has opened the door a crack. It is willing to listen to ideas for changing the way it manages the 91 acres that surround the Gateway Arch.

Read the full article

© 2008 St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Republished with permission.