Report to University City Council

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Barby Lane, West Kingsbury Neighborhood Redevelopment of the 8600 blocks of Barby Lane, West Kingsbury and Delmar is anticipated and endorsed. The detached single family homes on Barby Lane and West Kingsbury should be replaced with higher density residential development, such as attached single family residences and condominium apartments that can provide an attractive and desirable transition between #1 McKnight Place and the detached single family neighborhood to the west of Kingsdel. Existing apartment buildings on Delmar should be redeveloped as well for higher density, even high rise residential or office buildings. Delcrest Circle Redevelopment of the Delcrest Circle is expected to continue along the course that has been charted by the Medve Group with its Mansions on the Plaza project and their assemblage of adjacent properties for expansion. The recent availability of the School District property presents an important new opportunity for either high-density residential or office uses, or, ideally, a combination of both uses. Olive and 1-170 Interchange Development opportunities at the intersection of Olive Street and 1-170 are created by the convergence ofa combination of factors: high visibility and good access from 1-170, location midway between Lambert Airport and the Clayton business district, future enhanced access from proposed MoDOT improvements to the interchange, proximity and "gateway" to the developing "International District," and numerous underutilized properties. However, major retail development of this area was proposed several years ago and rejected by the city due to the political and human costs and disruption of acquiring and removing a significant number of homes in the area (130) and/or removing several long-established businesses. The idea of accommodating major new "big box" retail uses was likewise distasteful to many of the city's leaders. Since that time, University City and Olivette officials have been working together to keep the interchange improvements on the State's priority list and to encourage any future expansion of MetroLink along the Innerbelt to include stations at Olive. Notwithstanding a failure to-date to find the right "fit" of market-driven redevelopment initiatives, the City should actively explore other possibilities for the future. Existing land uses and physical conditions at the Olive and Innerbelt interchange are far from optimum for a city seeking to take advantage of its locational advantages in order to attract jobs and businesses that will enhance its fiscal base. While the opportunity for attracting large scale retail uses readily capable of paying the high costs of redevelopment has likely passed and, positive trends in the central corridor suggest there may be potential for high value residential and perhaps offices uses at this location. 13