× Expand Northwest Plaza. Photograph by Chris Naffziger

Driving down Manchester Road in West County recently, this author came to the terrible realization that many of the stores lining that major artery are still vacant after a decade or more of abandonment. Not overwhelmingly so, but more than one would expect in one of the wealthiest parts of the St. Louis region. What is going on with some of the most important commercial corridors in the area? Why are so many sitting abandoned, within blocks of healthy residential neighborhoods?

A major factor is the slow growth of the St. Louis economy. Simply put, there are not enough businesses for all of the empty storefronts in the area. And as suburbs continue to build new commercial space, the value of older stores goes down. But this author asks local leaders: is the actual built environment also part of the problem?

Traffic

The strongest and most vibrant commercial strips in St. Louis are three lanes or less. Delmar in the Loop, South Grand in Tower Grove, Cherokee Street and Washington Avenue downtown all maintain or are improving occupancy rates. People actually have to enjoy walking along a street for it to continue to thrive. Gravois in the city, Manchester out west, or West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson do not suffer from a lack of traffic lanes, yet are lined with tired or abandoned storefronts. Clearly it is more complicated than building additional lanes to create activity. Is driving down the street a nightmare? Do you blame people for staying away from somewhere they don’t feel safe while driving?

Accessibility

In that vein, many of the suburban commercial strips in St. Louis County are literally inaccessible to those without cars. Drainage ditches, a lack of sidewalks, and intersections without crosswalks might work perfectly well while the street is prospering, but when it begins to decline, that lack of connectivity will further damage the street’s competitiveness. No one walks down Manchester Road unless they have to. Particularly as the neighborhoods around struggling commercial districts see lower resident incomes, the need for sidewalks and safe pedestrian access becomes more acute.

Architecture

The glaringly (or apparently not) obvious problem with many of the declining commercial strips in St. Louis County is that they are flat-out aesthetically ugly. Great architecture does not guarantee commercial success, as any of the hundreds of abandoned storefronts around the city can attest. But when a building gets to a critical age of 50 to 60 years, is the owner left with something that is worth saving? Making an objective appraisal of the quality of the building stock must be done by government and business leaders. Do the buildings look out of date? Do they stand up to the test of time? Too much of suburbia was built without aesthetic concerns. Cherokee, The Loop, and South Grand all possess beautiful architecture. Is that just a coincidence?

Is This Street Worth Caring About?

Finally, this is the toughest question that some suburban leaders must ask themselves: Is this street worth caring about? Why do people hate visiting stores along the street? Why is there no one walking? Why does it look like this? Is it really realistic to believe that the street can still function as a commercial district, or is new, residential development more stable and feasible? Most suburbs in St. Louis County have flat or declining populations; the goal of every municipality for long-term viability should be increased population.

This author is concerned about the recent redevelopment plans proposed by several local municipalities that once possessed thriving shopping districts. It’s sad to say, but the new developments, if ever realized, have all of the same inherent problems as their failed predecessors: autocentric, surrounded by asphalt parking lots, and cheaply built. Are we planning on permanent replacements to failure, or are we merely kicking the can down the road 30 years to the next redevelopment of yet another failed project on the same site?

Chris Naffziger writes about architecture at St. Louis Patina. Contact him via e-mail at naffziger@gmail.com.