By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Saint Louis University's announcement this week that its new arena will go on-campus has Grand Center officials discussing how to get crowds off-campus.
The school last week said the $70 million facility will go on the east side of campus, near Laclede & Compton, only after SLU raises another $35 million.
Former St. Louis mayor Vince Schoemehl, who now heads Grand Center, Inc. says even an on-campus arena should draw more foot traffic to nearby Grand Center.
But to do that, he says the street between Grand Center and SLU - Lindell Blvd. - needs changes.
"Lindell is a very wide street. The traffic just barrels down there. And it creates, frankly, a hazard. Not just a hazard but a genuine hazard," Schoemehl says.
SLU had also considered putting its arena in Grand Center, but school officials decided against that because it would have meant buying land from too many different sellers.
Even though construction is still a few months off and dependent on raising the funds, Schoemehl envisions a Grand Center that people visit before and after events at the arena.
"If we want people to cross Lindell in significant numbers we've got to do some things to slow traffic, to calm traffic, and make it less of a barrier and more of an inviting walkway across the way."
Schoemehl says changes might include a median on Lindell. He also says current construction on Delmar, east of Skinker, near the Loop, might provide more ideas on how to make Lindell more pedestrian-friendly.