ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – A 14,000-square-foot food hall is under construction on Washington Avenue, and some downtown stakeholders are pushing for broader changes to the corridor, including a proposal to make part of the street car-free.
Developer Alex Oliver is building the Wash Ave Food Hall in the former home of Reign Nightclub, a property the city shut down in 2021 and designated a problem property connected to multiple violent incidents. The space will include six vented food stalls, two unvented stalls, two bars, and a retractable roof.
“It’s a pretty incredible option that gives us that awesome outdoor patio space, which I feel is lacking in downtown,” said Oliver. “There’s some good patio space at Ballpark Village, but a lot on Wash Ave, the buildings take up the whole block, there’s not great patio seating, unless you’re out on the sidewalk and have street and traffic noise.”
Developer cites walkability, connectivity as key draws
Oliver said he has spent the last several years developing hundreds of new apartments in existing buildings along Washington Avenue and working to attract retail, food, and entertainment to the corridor.
“What really got me interested down here is all of the connectivity and walkability of this neighborhood — it’s very unique within downtown,” Oliver said.
He said the buildings and neighborhood had not been well-maintained in recent years, creating an opportunity for investment.
“The neighborhood and the buildings weren’t really being maintained really well for the last 5 to 10 years, so there was a huge opportunity to come in and improve the property, improve some of the assets, intentionally drive retail activation like we’re doing with this food hall,” Oliver said. “What makes a neighborhood a neighborhood — why would you live in a neighborhood full of 8 and 9-story buildings? It’s because you can walk out your front door and do stuff.”
Oliver said increased city enforcement of codes and standards has helped remove businesses that were creating problems for the neighborhood, and that the results are visible.
“There are businesses opening, there are restaurants moving in, there are residents moving in — we are seeing this growth and seeing this demand, which I think is sort of counter to some of the narrative when people think about downtown in general, and that’s why Wash Ave is, I think, unique,” Oliver said.
Pedestrian mall idea draws mixed reaction
Local real estate agent and downtown property owner Chris Grus said he contacted the station about an idea he has seen work in other cities, including Denver’s 16th Street and Detroit’s new Greektown streetscape — making a section of Washington Avenue car-free.
“Having the traffic coming through, sometimes people actually speed along the area, and having a break in the area where you don’t have people cruising the area, it’s more of a welcoming place for the people who live here and want to enjoy the area,” Grus said.
Grus said a pedestrian mall would make residents and visitors feel more welcome and create a more controlled environment for police.
“For people who live down here that really want to walk and enjoy the area, there’s a lot of them out there, there’s a lot of support for downtown, there’s a lot of activity for downtown in places like hotel ballrooms and stuff, but having it outdoors is really what people are looking for,” Grus said.
Oliver was skeptical of the pedestrian mall concept, saying it is not a straightforward fix.
“My opinion in St. Louis is that we want to have some magic bullet — making Wash Ave a pedestrian way probably doesn’t make Wash Ave more vibrant and walkable,” Oliver said. “I think there are a lot of things we can do to make it more walkable, having better curb protections at the corners, at the intersections to make them more pedestrian-friendly is huge.”
Oliver said the America’s Center convention center along Washington Avenue already creates traffic flow issues, and a pedestrian mall near his food hall would add to those problems. He did not dismiss the idea entirely, saying the blocks west of Tucker Boulevard may offer more opportunity for that type of street design.
City planning agency outlines safety improvements
The city’s Planning and Urban Design Agency said discussions about a pedestrian mall on part of Washington Avenue took place a few years ago. While some business owners expressed interest, concerns were raised and other safety improvements were planned instead.
Those improvements include raised center islands along Washington Avenue and curb extensions. Bids for that work are due next week.
Oliver said the goal for Washington Avenue is a sustainable mix of uses — not unlimited growth.
“It’s not going to be building to no end, like we’re just going to have 120 bars and restaurants in two city blocks — that’s not, I don’t believe, sustainable,” Oliver said. “So some of our redevelopment we’ve taken retail spaces offline, we’ve converted retail storefronts into fitness centers and gyms and community spaces for our residents, so I think it’s going to be a mix.”
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