Ballpark Village (St. Louis, Center, Denver: sale, 2009, condos)

[STLCardsBlues1989]

This city looks to be more alive and revived by the time the All-Star game arrives in 2009.

[aragx6]

Every time I go back to St. Louis I am amazed and impressed by its newly found vibrancy.

[northbayeric]

Would you or anyone else know what's currently happening with the Ballpark Village project? The downtown, which is already good, should be awesome once it's done and businesses move in.

[aragx6]

The latest news says we might well expect ground breaking in advance of the home opener!

Ballpark Village awaits $115 million bond sale - St. Louis Business Journal:

[STLCardsBlues1989]

The ballpark village thing has been very slow so far.

[aragx6]

yes but it's happening, which a lot of people were cynical of to begin with. I'm personally thrilled

[STLCardsBlues1989]

They're supposed to break ground on Ballpark Village this April.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

Same as it has been for 2 years. Fishing, anyone?
^Because of the little pond left by Old Busch.

Here's a couple articles:
Mayor Slay is growing impatient:
MayorSlay.com - From the Mayor's Desk

Four months have passed since Centene Corp.'s blockbuster announcement that it plans to build its $250 million headquarters at Ballpark Village downtown.

Mayor Francis Slay says that's long enough for Baltimore-based Cordish Co. to have re-worked its plans for the $387 million first phase of Ballpark Village, which will have 250 condos, 270,000 square feet of restaurant and entertainment space, and 100,000 square feet of office space. The development is slated to be built on vacant ground north of the new Busch Stadium.

"We're sitting on the sidelines like everyone else, waiting for this to happen," said Jeff Rainford, Slay's chief of staff.

The city of St. Louis is planning to sell $115.8 million in bonds to finance state and local subsidies for the project. To move forward, Cordish has to hammer out financing and other logistical details about Centene Center, and come back to the city for a final redevelopment agreement. It was originally planned that the bulk of Ballpark Village's first phase would be completed in time for the July 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis, but a groundbreaking date has not yet been set.

On his blog this week, Slay wrote that he doesn't blame the delay on Centene. "Cordish has had four months to complete the negotiations and finish the development agreement," Slay wrote. "Like everyone else, I am growing impatient. I want to see construction start soon."

Mayor Slay 'losing patience' with Cordish on Ballpark Village - St. Louis Business Journal:

You have to pay for the rest of the article.

Groundbreaking may be within a couple of months (according to this first link).

Apparently STLtoday.com had a poll about when Ballpark Village will be completed:
2014: 15%

2017: 9%

2020: 5%

2025: 4%

Never: 67%

Just an update. I don't blame Slay for getting impatient. I am, too. This is getting to be a joke.

And I'm guessing Never is a sarcastic response. It'll get completed someday. I'll get married, have a kid, and she'll be in college by then, but it'll get done.

Here's Cordish's website The Cordish Company Ballpark village looks nice once it gets done.

[aragx6]

I don't think "never" is a sarcastic response at all. I think it's what a lot of people- esp. those who have lived in StL a long time- really think. They've seen a lot of projects that were supposed to be "the next best thing" fall through.

St. Louisians are pretty cynical about urban revitalization, even though they get excited about it too, and the fact that it's been two years and they haven't even broken ground on it yet doesn't say a lot.

I really want it to look good for the all-star game!!

[lovethewest]

Let's face it. St. Louis, while a great city, lives in the stone ages when compared to cities of a similar size (Denver, Seattle). It can never get anything off the ground, and downtown and the riverfront are a joke! It really gets old when they publish these colorful architectual renderings for what downtown St. Louis could be on the front page of the Post Dispatch, but nothing ever happens. Meanwhile, every other city is passing us up! Sorry for the rant, but this always aggravates me. I have a love/hate relationship with this town.