From time to time we do accept letters and contributions from anonymous and named citizens of the area.We just asked that you refrain from the vulgarity, inappropriate language when speaking about certain topics.
We do not publish people’s names if they request for us not to do so.So, this blog does not reflect how St. Louis Argus feels about downtown or the mayor.
But it is a cause for concern….
Dear Mayor, The City of St Louis, Downtown STL committee,
I am a lifelong citizen of this city. I have gone with the good and the bad. I use to love living downtown and working there as well.We had General Dynamic, Laclede Gas, TGI Fridays, Calecos, Famous Barr to Macy’s, Union Station, St Louis Center, Southwestern Bell Telephone headquarters, Boatmen’s Bank, Mercantile and of course Busch Stadium no.1.
Just to name a few. Now downtown looks like a scene out of the Twilight Zone.
You don’t know what else to call it. It was a delight to see a woman of color in office.
But with all due respect, you seemed to have forgotten your assignment. All you care about to me as a fellow African American female, is how cute you look.
We have the tourist trying to provide an economic boost to St Louis. Yet you all are not creative enough.
I was at my bank and these people walking around like what the fump. Downtown is an image of the city it rep.You could house pop up shops live music halls and vending opportunities for tourists..
And why is Pi still closed smh? ( Think she is talking about the pizza joint in MX on Washington)
Note: “So our restaurant group was particularly hard hit due to the locations of our restaurants,” he says, “and we don’t have the funds to sustain underperforming restaurants.” Pi at the MX and the flagship Pi in the Delmar Loop recently closed as well.Aug 25, 2022
Very divided, just like Clayton in St Louis County to CWE and Cortex. There is no substance, sure you have BPV, but that’s just like entering a whole other village if you will.
You have that big old Railway Exchange building just sitting empty across from its old abandoned tunnelled parking garage. A sad impression of downtown with vagabonds and who else hiding and sleeping in there.
If it is not being used for urinals, it is a hideout for criminals and you wonder why crime is such a constant downtown.
You have train hoppers in and out of the Metrolink. No one to monitor the cameras while they hide in trains for free rides.
Waiting to ponce on a willing target. There is nothing for these youngers to do as it is.So they terrorize what little tourist or residents downtown.
I fault lack of police presence and people too scared to act.
You have Mark Twain Hotel, an eyesore for years and yes as a former drug addict I lived there to recover myself from my family.
Acting as a counselor for others who were on drugs and or trying to be like me. Now it is a haven for more drug addicts and thugs.
And no security nor do they screen in and outs.Red flag mayor, here is purely an example of your downtown problem. Then there is all these lofts like Arcade, needing tenants or money.
Accepting low incomers. In addition, I know everyone needs a home.
But just like in the hoods, low income people can’t control their bad traffic. You have these young girls with their thug boyfriends.
And my 28-year-old daughter is no acception (I think she means exception). They are setting up people big time and stealing cars left and right.
You closed down Reigns, but trust me,that is not where the trouble started. Hooters is a hot mess, they have workers running outside passing drugs left and right.
I witness a black male worker, leave out the kitchen to go outside in the dead of winter to pass drugs. Trust me I am a veteran observer of trafficking. The crazy part, there was a shooting there, windows broken, and yes he had something to do with it.
But it was swept under the rug I bet..So mayor you need to clean up the downtown area it is truly an embarrassment to you and us all.
I know you just don’t sit in your office and not look at the horrendous board up buildings? Nor do you enjoy watching the unhoused trash up your lovely downtown parks?
I would not have never fought so hard to be mayor with this city looking so sorry. I am praying that you read this and hoping if you do nothing, but just take at least one paragraph into consideration. Maybe just maybe we can have a safe Metrolink and even safer walkable downtown.Anonymous black concerned 61- year-old female.
Editor: I appreciate this woman for sending in this letter to the Argus. I don’t know how many other people she has submitted it to. Because this is alarming, and I must add that some of the stuff she’d mentioned, I have covered in recent blogs myself. We do need a safer and sustainable downtown. And we need to continue to root out the bad nusiance that is running businesses and people away.
If anyone have anything to say as we continue with this topic, just drop us a line.
More:
There are 3,859 residents in Downtown Saint Louis, with a median age of 35. Of this, 62.68% are males and 37.32% are females. US-born citizens make up 89.76% of the resident pool in Downtown Saint Louis, while non-US-born citizens account for 1.68%.