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Lots of Suggestions For Jamestown Mall
Area residents exchanged thoughts and ideas and studied some of the option soffered for the future of Jamestown Mall. The four-day public design session were held at Florissant Valley Community College. Sandy Delcoure photo
By Carol Arnett
Nothing conclusive resulted following a 4-day series of meetings on the future of Jamestown Mall held last week. However, nothing conclusive was expected as the project was called “a work in progress.”
The planners hired by St. Louis County to look at Jamestown Mall held a concluding meeting last week to discuss the outcome of their previous 4-day citizen planning meetings. Victor Dover, with Dover, Kohl, and Partners, the planning company, explained the process.
In the week prior to this meeting, the firm held a session where anyone who wanted to come could have a say in the planning process. At this meeting, participants were divided into groups, given a map of the site and information about the site, and asked to brainstorm ideas for the property.
At last week’s meeting, the Dover presented the results of that planning meeting. “It is very much as work in progress,” Dover said. He explained that after the planning session, his company worked with the ideas generated to formulate a plan. He explained that while some ideas were good, they were probably unworkable at the site.
He noted, for example, that several groups at the planning suggestion included an aquarium in their design. However, he pointed out, aquariums rarely do well if they are not on the water. An IKEA store was another idea several groups had. Dover said that the company will not locate a store as far from an interstate as Jamestown.
Another difficulty of the site, Dover said, was the fact that there are five owners of the property. For example, Macy’s and Penney’s are not owned by the same company that owns the rest of the mall. Portions of the parking lot are owned by another company.
Dover said that the county wanted a plan that included input from neighbors, that was sustainable and achievable. His company looked at the ideas and determined which ones were sustainable and achievable. “Senior housing was on several of the plans,” he said. “Most plans included some retail.”
Dover presented one plan for the portion of the site that currently has the old Sears store. The plan included a street with senior housing, residential housing, and retail stores. Dover explained that this would be a start, and showed plans of how the site could progress and develop through the years.
In addition to being a work in progress, Dover said, this was also only the start of what would probably be a long process.
County Executive Charlie Dooley echoed Dover. “Changing landscapes takes time,” Dooley said. “The county is committed to this process.” Dooley also added that the county was looking “not for a short term fix, but for long term results,”
