According a recent article in the Riverfront Times, perceptions of the Mississippi River among St. Louis residents are poor, but a collection of "river evangelists" and patient business owners are working to change that reality.
According to Doyle Murphy, a growing number of people in St. Louis are "taking a second look at the much-maligned [Mississippi River] and seeing new possibilities."
"After years of ceding the waterfront almost entirely to industry, there are renewed efforts on a variety of fronts to bring city dwellers and tourists back to the water," according to Murphy. "New investment. Multi-million dollar projects."
The article shares anecdotes from some of the people working to bring people onto the water, not just the waterfront, and details a history of the city's "love-hate relationship" with the river. The stakes for the story are raised in context of the $350 million renovation of the Gateway Arch, set for a final opening in July. The Arch's original opening was surrounded by controversy and voter fraud, according to Murphy, and never succeeded as the economic driver or draw to the waterfront that was promised.
The article also digs into the specifics of redevelopment projects hoping to take advantage of the eventual completion of the Gateway Arch construction project. Details about the eventual finished project at the Gateway Arch are also included. Finally there are the stories of the community advocates and the river rats working to improve the river as a destination and a place that inspires a sense of pride in St. Louis residents.
FULL STORY: Take Me to the River
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