Kirkwood Road is the eye of the hurricane that is Kirkwood. Around it the rest of Kirkwood, especially downtown Kirkwood, revolves, taking its energy and spinning that energy ever further outward. Just because Kirkwood Road is doing its job, however, doesn’t mean that, given ideal conditions, it can’t further organize, coalesce, and strengthen.
Step One
The first, and easiest step to improve Kirkwood Rd is to extend on street parking on both sides from Clinton Place to Washington Avenue. It currently extends from just Argonne to Adams. The street needs to be repaved and adding striping when it does might cost a few hundred bucks.
While the 2015 City of Kirkwood Bike and Pedestrian Plan along withe the most recent comprehensive plan, “EnVision Kirkwood 2035,” called for an even longer extension of on street parking, a stretch that would run from Washington all the way to Woodbine, the most cost-effective use of funds would be for the shorter section suggested above. The presumed effectiveness of a road diet in these two stretches is due in large part to the existing building stock present there that just doesn’t exist further away from downtown on the road. “Existing building stock” is not merely the presence of buildings but the presence of buildings with engaging and interesting facades that are built out to the sidewalk, i.e. they don’t have a parking lot in front of them. People spend enough time staring at cars as is.
Everything Else
This “existing building stock” really begins in earnest with the former Kirkwood Cinema, (currently lofts) and MOD Pizza (formerly Einstein Bros Bagels) buildings. Imagine the psychological difference of living in the lofts and walking out your front door to cars zipping by on a hot highway (route 66) compared to walking out to a semi-shaded, tree lined boulevard complete with bike lanes, mid block crossings, and other amenities. Which would feel more urban? Which would be more likely to attract you as a resident?
A mid-block crossing between Five Star Burgers and Andy’s would do a lot to both facilitate more pedestrian traffic in the area as well as slow traffic. While Five Star does serve ice cream themselves and therefore could conceivably be thought of as a competitor of Andy’s, the benefits of new families trying the restaurant before or after visiting Andy’s on a summer night and thus making “a night of it” with hi-lights for both the adults and kids would seemingly far outweigh the negatives. Perhaps Mom and Dad enjoy a beer on the patio while their kids run across the street to grab a Triple Chocolate Jackhammer with strawberries (trust me). Either-or sounds pretty tight to me.
The above building, easily the worst of the Kirkwood Station plaza development. It’s too big (no one building should occupy an entire block) boring and beyond ugly. On top of those things though it drains life from the streets even though it got the mixed-use, retail on bottom, residence up top portion right. Since its up, though, and I doubt its going anywhere any time soon, there are a couple ways to make it a little more bearable. The first and easiest fix is on-street parking. Imagine the perceived added convenience if parking right in front of whatever store the customer was attempting to patronize, was possible. Amongst the rest of the suggested fixes are the needed addition of actual trees instead of shrubs in boxes that are bigger than they are, and retail signs that are either integrated better with the building or allowed to be more unique. Right now they hit a weird middle ground that makes the stores just look boring and cheap simultaneously. While the arcade is a nice feature it too could be further improved with the introduction of benches, water bowls for dogs, and hanging signage for those walking under it.
On street parking is probably most needed surrounding the plaza. How much safer would concert goers feel (both themselves and to let, say, their kids run around and play tag) —not to mention how much more intimate of an experience would it be— if surrounded by a barrier of steel? The intimacy and comfort comes both from the feeling of enclosure created by the cars as well as the ease that accompanies fewer lanes of traffic and traffic traveling at slower speeds. Also, the plaza’s one tiny bike rack is pretty pathetic.
Let this serve as your 20 yard warning before your lane turns into on street parking! Your options: 1) stay in your lane and hook a right, turn around and wait for the light; 2) throw on your blinker and hope some one lets you over eventually; 3) stay in your lane and fasten your seatbelt because you’re now playing chicken with a parked car, have fun! At the end of the day though all three of these options lead to more traffic than had it just been a single lane of traffic three blocks ago where the on street parking should’ve started anyway. Also, note the shady park in the foreground that borders the railroad tracks, we’ll be coming back to parks here shortly.
If there was ever something that deserved to be splurged budget-wise on, thats it. Not only is it the symbol of Kirkwood, it also literally brings people here. Speaking of budgeting, if we’re going to do brick pavers at the crosswalk, a nice look in my opinion, can we at least allot enough money to put them on all four sides and maintain them?
Ken Connor Park
Remember that park from two paragraphs ago? this one is in that picture too, right across the street. Nobody wants to see a park go away; I get it. But at the same time, what possible memories do you have in this one? what time have you possibly spent there? What are its attractions? Evolve or die are the only two options for everything on this planet and so too it is with this park. While a tax producing, architecturally beautiful two story building would be my choice, there are ways to keep it as a more effective park too. Amongst these opportunities for improvement would be: An improved mural on one or both walls, perhaps one that is Kirkwood specific (like the ones here, here or here) and made by a Kirkwood artist as part of some sort of competition. Other options include the addition of a water feature [fountain] (because who doesn’t love a water feature), a statue or sculpture, more large trees (so that it could serve as a shady refuge in the summer, a pretty basic feature of any halfway decent park and pretty low bar that this one still fails to clear), or even a tutorial in the sidewalk like these in Portland:
Not Ken Connor Park
Anything shorter than two stories does not belong in Downtown Kirkwood, especially such an ugly building on such a high-profile corner across from such a high profile building, Kirkwood Train Station. A couple more comments while looking at the 7th Architectural Wonder of the World: First, again with the crosswalks, secondly, Kirkwood has nice black trash cans, one of which can be seen on the corner here. It would be nice if we had recycling cans too, perhaps in the same style but in a nice forest green.
Although single-storied this is a nice building. Good signage, nice awning, and painted well. The brick sidewalk is also a nice touch that I wish would be extended and implemented into the crosswalks. Also if you have read my article in which I propose a Kirkwood-Webster Shuttle, this is the corner I had in mind for the Downtown Kirkwood Stop. The striped area between the tree and the parking would easily convert to platformed stop.
While I do appreciate the architectural diversity this bank adds in its modern style and the trees might add to the positive impact it has as they mature, it still gets some things wrong. First, the flower beds and sidewalks need to be flip-flopped, trees are meant to protect people from cars, people are not meant to protect trees (well at least not in this sense). Note that along the right side of the image the right lane is turn-only. Once again, similar to the situation by the railroad tracks, this likely only creates more traffic than if we were to convert this stretch into on-street parking in the first place. Also, one more time, for the people in the back: Benches.
While the above buildings mark the end of pretty much anything even approaching urban form along Kirkwood road, they do have potential if their surrounding context is improved (i.e. the parking lots are developed on) but that should be pretty low on the priority list given that what surrounds it on three of its sides is suburban as well. Anyway, its been a great ride and was fun while it lasted; thanks for joining!
first of all I have a few critiques. please don’t be so condescending towards the park in which I proposed to my wife in. It does not need to either evolve or die, but can continue on its current path. Also very inconsiderate regarding geriatric handrails. some people have bad hips. Lastly what kind of a name is Wesley?
With all due respect, everything does indeed have to evolve or die, especially the things we love. If we want more people to love the places that we too love then those places must evolve to meet their evolving needs. In its current form people of the current generation and of the current expectations for what a park should do, cannot and will not have the same deep connection/memories in the same park that you have connections to and mad memories in. Your point about the handrails is noted but I also believe you misinterpreted what I was trying to say. Handrails and access for all is important, but just because something is useful/geriatric does not mean it has to be ugly/look geriatric, in fact I would argue that the elderly deserve to be catered to in the same beautiful, thoughtful manner as everyone else. Painted handrails, with more craftsmanship/ornamentation than the current bent stainless steel piping, to reflect the classic nature of our town hall, is all I’m asking for. Your last question seems to be quite the red herring/ad hominem but if you must know, it is a family name deriving from the Methodist tradition as John Wesley founded the denomination. My grandfather’s name was Wesley and his grandfather was a Methodist minister in St. Louis. Thanks for the comment! You’re the first of hopefully many to take the time to offer feedback/input; the more voices the better!
Who cares where you proposed to your wife? That has nothing to do with why the park shouldn’t evolve. You’re missing the point, sir, and you are a very inconsiderate individual.
[…] benches, brick paver-crosswalks, burying visible power lines, improvements to Ken Connor Park (see Kirkwood Road Re-Imagined), street-side trees, bi-cycle racks or other wants in the business district. This re-investment in […]
I do not dissagree with any of your comments regarding the preferrability of multi-story development in downtown Kirkwood which is clearly the path development is taking. In the near future Kirkwood glass will be torn down, Ken Connor Park will have a make over and the Train Station will be remodeled. This type of development takes time and the single story retail properties do not in anyway detract from the ambiance of downtown Kirkwood. Lincoln Park in Chicago and Uptown in Dallas both have significant single story retail and restarant properties mixed in with new more dense development and those areas are exponentially larger than Kirkwood would ever want to be.
There are two areas with your vision with which I take issue. When examining Station Plaza it is important to remember that this was one of the first (if not the first) new mixed use destination retail development of scale in our region. Like anything it is not perfect but the fact that the City had the foresite and vision to make the development happen at all is a godsend and at the time was opposed at every stop. There is also ample parking in the two garages and street parking on the offshoot roads surrounding the development. This is consistent with best practices in urban development. Ample street parking on a city’s major thoroughfare causes uneeded conjestion making street parking on the adjacent streets much more desirable.
Finally, it takes density to attract the type of development we both agree would benefit Kirkwood. That density comes from focusing on one defined area of no more than a few blocks and building out over decades. Any focus on the outskirts of downtown Kirkwood at this point is premature.
I think your ideas are constructive and have significant value but would caution the tone in which those ideas are portrayed. It doesn’t help anyone to be condensending or needlessly critical (it likely has the opposite effect).
Hi, thanks for the comment!
I completely agree with your first point regarding single story buildings not being a hindrance to the ambiance of Downtown Kirkwood but I would also argue that the character of those buildings does hinder said ambiance. To see a building of such lack of character (of any sort from any architectural period) and with windows full of advertisements on such a prominent corner and across from the train station really takes away from the town’s place making potential in my opinion.
Regarding your second point I will say that I am young enough that I have no recollection of what it was like before (I remember Johnny Rockets but that seems to be the lower limit for me). I know that it was much, much, worse than what is there now. With that being said, it doesn’t take a urban planning visionary to foresee some of its problems. Namely that its’s façade shuns human interaction at every turn and lacks all character.
Regarding the on-street parking leading to congestion I would push back on the idea that the current setup is what constitutes best practice. I believe more congestion is caused by the unexpected end of the right lane past the railroad tracks and cars thus cars needing to merge than had all those cars been in the single lane in the first place. Congestion will exist no matter what. I also think that the businesses on the ground floor could use any boost they can get including the convenience of parking in front of them. If a bike lane is preferable to parking, that would also be superior, in my opinion, than the current four lane setup.
Regarding your comment about focus on anything outside of Kirkwood’s core being premature, I completely agree but 1) its fun to dream and 2) if I only focused on Downtown Kirkwood’s core then I would run out of stuff to write about pretty quick!
I appreciate you saying that my ideas are constructive and I also appreciate your criticism of my tone. It is a criticism that I have anticipated and one that I have thought a lot about before and again after reading your comment. My thoughts are this: I am passionate about the concepts of new urbanism and walkability and their ability to make life better. I am passionate about Kirkwood because I love it as is and I love it even more for what it could be. That being said I’m not sure what percentage of Kirkwood cares about or even knows what “new urbanism” is. If I have any intention of getting my ideas past the 5% of Kirkwood that already cares and into the broader zeitgeist, including that of kids my own age, my writing has to be first and foremost enjoyable to read. The way I personally am best suited to accomplish this is through humor, which is admittedly condescending in tone but also reflects my own outrage, frustration, and excitement on the topics. It won’t be for everyone it is the direction that I think works the best for me.
Thanks again and all the best,
—Parker Pence
I think we can agree in the middle on bike lanes instead of parking. In hindsight an extra lane and a half on Kirkwood Road for parking would be great I am just not sure the current infrastructure can facilitate it without unneeded congestion.
The part of Kirkwood Station your referring to is definitely far from perfect which has basically been proven by how long it took to get retail tenants in that part of the development. That being said the zoning at the time did not consider a development of that size would occur in Downtown Kirkwood and its hard to tell someone making that large of an investment in the City they have to comply with zoning that is more strict than when they bought the land. That being said, I think most people involved would do that portion differently but would also say the benefits outweigh the negatives. It is hard to imagine now but there was significant opposition to multi-family and three story development in any manner and anti development groups forecasting Station Plaza would turn Kirkwood into Downtown Clayton. I am definitely glad it happened but like anything new to a City there are mistakes made the first go around.
I totally understand using condescending humor which is something I do in my own blog posts. I find it very easy to pull off when talking about regional issues and professional politicians such at Stenger or Krewson whose job comes with public criticism. It gets a lot harder when discussing local politics where everyone reading the post likely knows all the elected officials making decisions personally. That being said I am sure we will both learn with time how to better hone our message. All in all the analysis is well done and positive and I enjoy reading more posts.