Will Short-Term 'Failure' Lead to Long-Term Success of St. Louis Ballpark Village?

"The lot unveiled last week is one part of the first phase of Ballpark Village, which has suffered from delays and setbacks for years," writes Sam Levin. "The team, partnering with Cordish Companies, says the seven-block, ten-acre site will eventually be a mixed-use project with retail, entertainment, office and residential components."

But Alderman Ogilvie, an outspoken critic of the plan, "argues that, with taxpayer subsidies, Ballpark Village should include concrete, immediate plans for mixed-use development."

"It is literally the exact opposite of the kind of development that creates better urban environments," he says. "We can't accept this stuff.... This isn't a neutral outcome. This is damaging to the way people living, working and visiting downtown experience downtown."