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TOD
in St. Louis
What
is TOD? Transit Oriented Development is
mixed use development that capitalizes on the locations near rail
transit stops that feature walkable, sustainable neighborhoods.
Within
the discussions of MetroLink expansion going on in the St. Louis
region, the acronym TOD is frequently included. What is TOD, transit
oriented development, and what does this term TOD really mean to
you and your community?
Transit
Oriented Development (TOD) simply refers to development surrounding
transit stations, usually light rail. TOD development creates land
use plans that include a mix of residential, commercial, and retail
space which cluster around a transit stop. By mixing commercial,
retail and residential within walking distance, the development
creates an atmosphere that is safe, environmentally friendly and
functional.
The
basic theory of TOD is to produce land use plans which will increase
access to jobs, retail and residential areas and in turn people
will use their cars less frequently; instead walking, bicycling
and taking transit more often.
There
are several types of TOD that can be incorporated into various neighborhoods
depending on the existing development surrounding the planned station.
One type of TOD occurs around stations that currently have no or
little development. These plans usually involve a mixed used development,
which includes housing, retail and commercial space with a town
center configuration. The plan creates a town center with the retail
and commercial within walking distance of the residential area.
The commercial center is then connected to a nearby transit stop
thus creating transit oriented development.
The
second type of transit oriented development occurs in established
neighborhoods. This type of development generally is a result of
rehabbing existing buildings and adding new buildings to the site
around or adjacent to the transit stop. This type of development
provides the opportunity for infill in the existing neighborhoods.
Mixed-use development with first floor retail and second floor residential
and commercial is frequently found in many of these plans. Coffee
shops, dry cleaners, newspaper stands and other convenient stores
are attracted to these areas. The idea is to concentrate daily conveniences
in and around transit stops, which will encourage people to use
transit.
With
TOD, MetroLink riders don't need parking spaces everywhere they
go. As they walk to and from the train, they are more inclined to
shop, stop and get a cup of coffee, go to a ballgame or interact
with their neighbors; providing developers that extra advantage
when choosing an investment location.
First
18 stations
Prior
to the opening of MetroLink from East St. Louis to Lambert Airport,
there was little planning for development around the stations. Since
its opening in 1993, there has been a significant investment in
areas 1/2 mile or less from the station:
- The University
of Missouri-St. Louis is making major investments near its two
MetroLink Stations. The new $60 million Touhill Performing Arts
Center is the hallmark of a series of developments the University
has made since MetroLink's opening. Also, there is the Telecommunications
Community Center and the new $28 million Student Center. In addition,
Express SCripts is in the process of relocating its headquarters
to the UMSL campus opening up MetroLink as a commute option for
many of its employees.
- The Pageant
Theater, the Regional Arts Commission headquarters and the redevelopment
of the Wabash Station are all part of the redevelopment of The
Loop under the leadership of Joe Edwards. The $12 million investment
in the Tivoli and the Pageant are just the beginning for this
area which is within walking distance of the Delmar MetroLink
Station. Work is also underway to possibly link a
trolley line with the Delmar and Forest Park MetroLink
stations.
- The Central
West End MetroLink station is among the most used stations on
the system with more than 4,500 boardings on a typical weekday.
Among the developments occuring since MetroLink's opening is the
major expansion of Washington University Medical Center including
the new Center for Advanced Medicine, the Siteman Cancer Center,
and the St. Louis Rehabilitation Institute. A new hotel adjoining
the Center for Advanced Medicine just opended as well as the MetroLofts.
Other projects include the Park East Tower and the Forest Park
Hotel. The value of these improvements is in excess of $300 million.
TOD
in Maplewood
In 2003, the
City of Maplewood recognized the opportunity to organize a highly
pro-active public/private partnership with the purpose of creating
Transit Oriented Development.
To that end,
a collaboration between the City of Maplewood, Sunnen Products Company,
the City's largest privately owned business, and Citizens for Modern
Transit was established. Sunnen Products Company, a leading manufacturer
of boring sizing and finishing equipment for the automotive industry,
is also the developer of Sunnen Business Park.
The Sunnen
Business Park is a 62 acre, planned business park featuring the
high quality business environment inside the Inner Belt (I-170)
and inner rings of suburbs surrounding the City of St. Louis. This
business park represents 50 businesses and a private investment
of over $60 million.
The extension
of the MetroLink system from Clayton to Shrewsbury was originally
planned to go through the Sunnen Business Park with no opportunity
for transit oriented development to occur within the Park.
A special planning
commission consisting of residents and business officials to solicit
citizen input was established. Through an extensive and extremely
cooperative effort on the parts of the City of Maplewood and the
Sunnen Products Company, an alternative alignment of the light rail
tracks along with a new station location was proposed. This proposal
was presented to East-West Gateway.
A key ingredient
of the alternative route is the opportunity for the creation of
17 acres of TOD. Not only is this a goal of the City of the Maplewood/Sunnen
Products Company/Citizens for Modern Transit partnership, it is
a long standing and well documented beneficial product of urban
light rail.
About
the Maplewood TOD site:
- 18 acres
of prime real estate
- Adjacent
to the Sunnen Business Park with over 50 businesses in 570,000
square feet of floor space, employing 1,800 people and generating
more than $65 million in annual salaries.
- Immediately
accessible to the new Sunnen MetroLink Station, leading to Clayton,
Washington University, Lambert International Airport and Downtown
St. Louis.
- Direct exposure
to the south extension of the MetroLink system, projected to accomodate
over 25,000 boardings per day.
- Nearly 1,000
feet fronting on Hanley Road, a major arterial connection between
South St. Louis County and Downtown Clayton, currently at approximately
34,300 average daily trips.
- Immediately
adjacent to an intermodal transportation hub with a major bus/light
rail transfer point and kiss-n-ride drop off.
- Located
in a progressive community with extensive experience in facilitating
private developers in the completion of commercial and Industrial
projects.
- Opportunities
exist to take advantage of development incentive programs such
as tax increment financing, tax abatement and state tax credits.
CMT, the
City of Maplewood and Sunnen are currently seeking proposals for
the site which will relate to the MetroLink facilities and incorporate
these passenger service lines into their plan. For more information,
email CMT.
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TOD
in St. Clair County
Transit Oriented
Development is arriving in St. Clair County as a result of the MetroLink
expansion to Illinois. 2000 Census data shows St. Clair County, IL as
one of the hottest development areas in the St. Louis region. Development
projects currently underway or completed include:
- Emerson
Park, served by the Emerson Park MetroLink Station, was designated a
Federal Enterpirse Zone. It includes 400 units of affordable housing
and 100 units of for sale housing. To date, all of the completed units
are leased. A new park has opened in the area, and a retail and office
building near the station is the first of a small commercial area expected
to develop around the station. .
- A new 150 room
hotel near the Casino Queen opened including an adjacent RV Park, both
of which are served by the existing
line's station at East Riverfront. This is the first new hotel in East
St. Louis in decades.
- The Jackie Joyner
Kersee Sports Complex, adjacent to the JJK MetroLink Station,opened
in 2000. The complex serves a variety of recreational options.
- The City of Swansea
is working an a downtown area development plan specifically designed
around its MetroLink station. They are currently seeking a developer.
- Southwestern Illinois
College at the College Station underwent a $15.4 million major capital
investment to the Belleville and Red Bud campuses. More than 200 residential
units have sprung up near the College MetroLink Station. The single
family homes valued in excess of $3.5 million
are part of the Brooke Hill Estates Development. The City of Belleville
hopes to begin construction on single and mutiple family housing around
the Scheel Street Station as well.
- Other
development around IL stations.
Cupples Station and Edison Brothers warehouse are TOD in action
The
257 luxury room Westin Hotel St. Louis located in the historic Cupples
Warehouse complex next to the Busch Stadium MetroLink Station is now open.
The $55 million hotel is a key element of the $300 million redevelopment
of downtown St. Louis which also includes a combination of office, retail,
hotel,housing and parking facilities. Westin Hotels & Resorts manages
the hotel for McCormack Baron & Associates with SunAmerica, the owners
and developers of the hotel portion
of the redevelopment project.
MetroLink played
a key role in the revitalization of these historic warehouses. MetroLink,
with direct access to the airport, was one of the key reasons that Westin
Hotels chose this site for one of their luxury hotels.
Facts on Cupples
Station Project
- 10 warehouses
will be renovated over a 12 acre site.
- The buildings
cover 1.4 million square feet.
- The Westin Hotel
will be housed in 4 buildings
- The office complex
will include 440,000 square feet of Class A office space
- A glass dome atrium
will link the buildings
- Street-level retail
shops, restaurants and cafes are planned.
Also, the Sheraton
City Center Hotel & Suites is an example of TOD. The $50 million complex
consists of 292-suites and 80 luxury condominiums across the street from
the Civic Center MetroLink Station. Breckenridge said this new hotel is
the best start of any hotel he has ever developed and among the leading
new hotels in the country in 2002.
The new Renaissance
Grand and Suites Hotels on Washington Ave. are two new Convention Center
Hotels less than 2 blocks from the Convention Center MetroLink Station.
This hotel complex was a $245 million investment.
Millions of dollars
have also been invested in the redevelopment of buildings in downtown
St. Louis adjacent or within walking distance into residential lofts.
Several have been featured in the Living
Near MetroLink Series and include the 10th Street Lofts, the Bell
Lofts and others.
Plans for Scheel Street MetroLink Station
Development
around MetroLink is making tracks in Belleville. Three of the planned
stations for the St. Clair County MetroLink extension fall within the
Belleville municipal limits, and plans are underway for a Neighborhood
Conceptual Land Use Plan for the Scheel Street Station, one of the three
stations.
The
Scheel Street Station is located approximately one mile northeast of the
downtown area in mixed land use area which has experienced significant
decline over the last 15 years. With the expansion of MetroLink to this
area, the community saw significant potential for redevelopment of the
area which is approximately a 70 acre track of land.
Results
of a community workshop focused on several areas for the redevelopment
process:
- Majority of the
redevelopment should be residential with small areas of neighborhood
commercial.
- The housing types
fronting Scheel Street should be of higher density than the surrounding
housing to take advantage of the accessibility provided by the MetroLink
Station.
- The housing density
should fall into two categories: low density attached and medium density
attached with individual ownership emphasized.
- A small area of
single family detached housing is suggested for cul-de-sacs at the eastern
end of both Sycamore and "D" Streets.
Future
Eager Road Station
The future Eager
Road MetroLink station set to open in 2006 has proven to be a catalyst
for developer, Musick Construction, to redevelop the site at the corner
of Eager Rd. and Hanley. The Meridian is a 14 acre, $150 million development
that includes retail and commercial as well as an enhanced entrance to
and from the MetroLink station.
Musick Corporation
acquired the parcels to make up the 14 acre site.
MetroLink will play
an integral role in the development with special paving and landscaping
included as a part of the design of the access walkway to the station.
The development will also include space for connecting MetroBus service
- increasing transit service to the site.
The Meridian was
a two -phase project with Phase I opened in 2003 including a Best Buy
as one anchor retail as well as second floor Class A office space with
its own entrance. Phase II includes a 14 story, 350,000 square foot office
tower. Restaurants and other smaller retail space are included in the
development. BJC Healthcare will have some of its offices in this location
linking their employees to their main campus by MetroLink. Musick Construction
will also be building the MetroLink parking garage adjacent to the station
and the site.
For more information
on available space, visit www.ctmt.com.
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