BEVO GREAT STREETS
The Bevo Neighborhood in St. Louis is a vibrant and diverse area with a passionate and involved community. However, Gravois Avenue, the central corridor in the neighborhood, was not the most pedestrian-friendly street. Vehicles would habitually exceed the speed limit, very few sidewalks existed, and vacant storefronts lined the edges of the road. Farr Associates and our subconcultant team got involved to transform Gravois Avenue into a corridor that accurately reflects the camaraderie of the neighborhood.
As part of the Great Streets Program initiated by East West Gateway, the project focuses on a mile-and-half stretch of Gravois, involving streetscape design, traffic conditions, store vacancies, business development, placemaking, and community cohesion. To produce solutions that are longlasting and community-supported, our team is looking at roadway treatments to slow traffic speed, strategies to treat vacant storefronts, and methods that will convert the road into a walkable and pleasant place.
The process consists of a total of six community workshops, six stakeholder meetings, a four-day charrette, and a tactical event at the conclusion of the project.
Client: East West Gateway Council of Governments + City of St. Louis
Location: St. Louis, MO
Year: 2019
Establishing Project Goals
The design team went through a series of interviews, community meetings, and online surveys to prioritize the needs of the community. The project also used six evaluating criteria from the EcoDistricts evaluating model (6 orange icons shown to the right). These criteria ultimately became twelve focus areas (12 colored icons shown to the right) for implementation: Economic Development, Culture & Identity, Housing, Active Living, Health, Safety, Street Network, Mobility, Leadership, Air & Climate, Ecosystem Health, and Food Systems.
Developing Plans
The design team then broke down the 1.5-mile long implementation plan into bite-sized projects, such as #19: Renovate the Sebilj Park. In one to two pages, the project team outlined the project and scope, estimated costs, and perceived impacts. A starting list of to-dos was also provided. Many of the sub-projects included near term solutions of a more tactical nature and long term solutions for when capital funding can be secured.
