Reports that the St. Louis Rams intend to move back to Los Angeles mobilized an effort by state and city leadership to keep the team in St. Louis.
Initial renderings (with credit to HOK and 360 Architecture) have been released for an effort to keep the Rams in St. Louis, featuring an open air football stadium on the St. Louis riverfront, according to an article by David Hunn.
The idea of the Rams moving to Los Angeles (Inglewood, actually) is unacceptable to Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, who "appointed [David] Peacock, former Anheuser Busch president, and Edward Jones dome attorney Bob Blitz to develop a plan to keep professional football in St. Louis."
The proposal by Peacock features a facility of "64,000 seats, with 7,500 club seats. Financing the project… would involve public and private money, as well as seat licenses paid by fans." Peacock described the stadium as a downtown revitalization project, i.e., "more than a football stadium."
"Peacock said the plan would eradicate blight and turn the area into a crown jewel. Thirty-three buildlings are in the project area, and a majority are vacant, he said. The city owns one-fourth of the land. The plan preserves the 1902 Power and Light Building," reports Hunn.
FULL STORY: Planners announce open-air, riverfront NFL stadium
Criticism of St. Louis' Riverfront Stadium Plans
A lesson for other cities as well: As long as cities give absurd subsidies to pro sports teams, pro sports teams will continue to expect absurd subsidies from cities. Case in point: St. Louis and the NFL's Rams.
The Dark Side of the Rust Belt Revival
Cities in flyover country are facing new redevelopment challenges as companies relocate from costly coastal cities. In St. Louis, downtown revitalization has also brought plans to tackle blight, and the consequences for residents could be immense.
Massive Waterfront Investment 'Reinvents' Tampa
After decades of planning, the city hopes several huge developments will draw millenials and empty-nesters.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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