A PUBLIC BUILDING GROUP 
 PLAN FOR ST. LOUIS 
 
 THE CJl^Y PLAN COMMISSION 
 ' ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
 
 A PUBLIC BUILDING GROUP 
 PLAN FOR ST. LOUIS 
 
 THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION 
 ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 
 
 Bureau of Governmenfal Research 
 
 Libra.-y 46 
 
 (-'n'versity of California 
 
 Los Angeles 24, California 
 
 HARLAND BARTHOLOMEW 
 
 ENGINEER 
 
 APR 13 1951 
 
 NIXON JONES PRINTING CO 
 
 ST. LOUIS, MO. 
 
 1919
 
 OFFICE OF 
 
 THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION 
 
 OF ST. LOUIS, MO. 
 
 September 10, 1919. 
 
 To THE Honorable Board of Public Service, 
 
 St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 Gentlemen : The City Plan Commission lias the honor to 
 transmit herewith a report on improving one aspect of the city's 
 appearance — the grouping of public buildings. The plan here- 
 with presented is offered chiefly by way of suggestion. It offers 
 a practical method of locating future public buildings and need 
 not necessarily be hastily attempted. In detail of design the 
 plan will require much study once a decision to create the group 
 has been made. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 Ernest J. Russell, 
 
 Chairman. 
 A. S. Langsdorf, 
 
 Vice Chairman. 
 j. a. ockerson. 
 Chas. E. Golterman. 
 W. F. Carter. 
 E. D. Smith. 
 W. II. Frciis. 
 Clarence H. Howard. 
 
 E. R. Kinsev, 
 President Board of I'ldilir Sprrire. 
 Loi'is P. Aloe, 
 President Hoard of Aldermen. 
 
 C. M. Ta I.BERT, 
 
 Director Stmts and Siuurs. 
 J. N. McKelvev, 
 
 Director Pii}>li( Safcti/. 
 Nelson Cunlifk, 
 Connnissiom r I'arl.s and Recreation. 
 
 II AULA M) l!AI;rilii|.i iMlCW, 
 
 Knf/iiieer. 
 
 Frank K. Lawhknci:, .Ik., 
 
 Secretary.
 
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 of-
 
 A PUBLIC BUILDING GROUP PLAN 
 FOR ST. LOUIS 
 
 Utility and lack of proper regard foi- appearances have been conspicuous 
 characteristics of American cities, but in recent years public opinion has mani- 
 fested a decided reaction against the distasteful, monotonous, and careless 
 manner in which our streets, public buildings, and public open spaces have 
 been treated. Plans for improved appearances of Avaterfronts, for grouping of 
 public buildings, and for sti'cet treatment have made their appeai-ance in many 
 of the large as well as the smaller cities. We have become conscious of the 
 need for a means of expressing ourselves in our every-day environment in a 
 manner that shall reflect something besides the commercial spii'it that has so 
 greatly absorbed our attention. 
 
 In the improvement of the city's appearance we should not and will noL 
 blindly follow the lead of European cities, though we may well profit by the 
 beauty, the harmony, the spaciousness, and the architectural splendor of the 
 many examples they afford us. American cities should develop a form of 
 civic art that is truly national, that in originality may typify the spirit of the 
 pioneer, that in simplicity rather than in ornateness of design may represent 
 the spirit of democracy, and that in strength and dignity of composition may 
 envisage the faith and confidence that is America's. 
 
 Public buildings are the outward maiufestation of civic spii'it. They 
 afford one of the best opportunities for a municipality to give expression to 
 its aspirations and ideals. It is for this I'cason that large buildings should be 
 well designed and given a proper setting. It has been customary lor the 
 Federal government and foi' State govei-nnu'nts to pay more attention to the 
 setting and design of large public buildings than uu)st cities have done. Thin 
 has been due in part to the fact that State and Federal liuildings are larger and 
 more money has been available for them. 
 
 The character of oui' cities is becoming increasingly an index ol' the state 
 of otu' national civilization. In the nnitter of jiublic buildings, therefore, as 
 well as in other forms of municipal woi'k, it bchooxes the cily to so plan and 
 design its public structures that these may faithfully and fittingly dejiict the 
 civic spirit. 
 
 What more logical suggestion could therefore be made liian 1hat, in view 
 of the larger structures to be built, and lor which large appi'oi)riati()iis w ill he 
 made, the cities locate theii' vai'ious jiublic buildings in one or moie groni^s, 
 thus presenting in the aggregate an appeai-ance nuich more satisfying and 
 beautiful than can be obtained by a single large building or by a luunber of 
 smaller buildings miscellaneously located? A public-building group plan has 
 many advantages. It affords, first of all, an opportunity for the convenient 
 conduct of public business by bringing all public buildings togethei' at a com- 
 mon center. It provides unlimited possibilities in the way of architectural 
 treatment by making it possible to adopt a harmonious ])ian. It alTords to each 
 structure a more splendid and proper setting than would be possible were the 
 
 (5)
 
 CITY PLAN COiSIMISSIOX. 
 
 biiildiiifis separately loeated in different parts of the city. In some respects a 
 public-building group plan or a "civic center," as it is sometimes termed, has 
 a commercial value through its being a medium of good municipal advertising. 
 A group plan or civic center should present so satisfying and so splendid an 
 appearance as to make it one of the particular points of interest in the city and 
 a thing once seen, forever to be remembered. For this reason a civic center 
 should be what might be termed the climax of the physical structure of the 
 city. It should be located at the converging point of the principal lines of 
 traffic and thus become in fact as well as in fancy the veritable heart of the city. 
 Several new public l>uildings are needed in St. Louis. Within the next few 
 years there will probably be built a Alunicipal Auditorium and Conuiiunity 
 Center Building (for which a fund has been provided in the proposed bond 
 issue), a new Court House, and a further extension of the municipal offices, 
 which may possibly assume the form of a Hall of Records. In addition to these 
 buildings a new Federal Building is needed, for M'hich a site has been acquired 
 and a portion of the cost provided for. It is also within the realm of possi 
 bility that a building will be ei-ected by the State for the accommodation of 
 State offices in this city and immediate vicinity. 
 
 The Proposed Public Building Group Plan. 
 
 The plan for a proposed municipal building group in St. Louis presented 
 herewith has been the result of many months of study upon the part of the 
 City Plan Commission, and is by this Commission believed to offer more possi- 
 Inlities than any other one of the innumerable schemes that have been devised. 
 It has the advantage of being located on what will become the two principal 
 traffic routes of St. Louis — Twelfth street and Olive street — assuming that the 
 various proposals for widening and extending these two thoroughfares are 
 carried to completion. Furthermore, three of the nine buildings in the group 
 already exist — the City Hall, Municipal Courts Building, and the Public 
 Librar.y. To the rear of the ]Municipal Courts Building are now located the 
 Jail and Children's Building. In principle, the plan proposes the creation of 
 a mall between the Municipal Courts Building and Public Library by con- 
 demning the property and razing all the buildings in the three blocks bounded 
 by Fourteenth street, Market street. Thirteenth street, and Olive street. The 
 new buildings which would then become a part of the group plan would be 
 located on the blocks facing the mall thus created. From the plan it will be 
 seen that the Municipal Auditorium and Community Center Building could be 
 located on the block bounded by Fourteenth, Market, Fifteenth, and Clark 
 avenue immediately west of the ^lunieipal Courts Building. The proposed 
 new Court House, Hall of Records, Federal Building, and State Building could 
 then be located to the east or west of the mall, occupying the blocks between 
 Market and Olive streets and fronting on Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets. 
 It will be noticed from the plan that the buildings on the east side of the mail 
 between Pine and Olive streets occupy only so much of these two blocks as lies 
 between Thirteenth street and the alley. 
 
 This plan would not destroy the effectiveness, nor the appearance, of the 
 public-building group plan, whose central axis is between the Public Librarv
 
 riBMC BriLDlN(! CROUP PLAN. 
 
 and the Municipal Courts Buildin-j:, and not on Twell'th sti'eet, assuming that 
 the city is able to control the character of the huildinjrs that might be erected 
 on the Twelfth sliect fmat in these two blocks. Tnless the city can control 
 the commer- 
 cial s t r u c - 
 tui'cs front- 
 ing Twelfth 
 street so that 
 in height aiHl 
 design they 
 will not be 
 out of har- 
 monv w i t h 
 
 rrc'sciil t-itj II;ill and Municipal CHUrls Buildinc. localfd with the hope that they would 
 furni a nucleus for the Krouplng of future public buildings. 
 
 the public 
 buildings 
 in the group 
 plan, the 
 Commission 
 reconi mends 
 that the 
 Twelfth 
 street front- 
 age be ac- 
 <iuired. It 
 
 would be foolhardy to spend many millions of dollars for these large public 
 buildings and their sites and not control their .surroundings. On the other 
 hand, the public-building group plan has nothing in common with Twelfth 
 street. Twelfth street will always be a coiiiinereial thoroughfare, and as such 
 .should not be in part used for public-building purposes. Tf public buildings 
 are to be placed an Twelfth street, they should be located on both sides of thai 
 thoroughfare, using the center line of Twelfth sti-eet as an axis. Studies of 
 possible groupings, using Twelfth street as an axis, have been found imprac- 
 ticable, both in point of design and cost. Probably the only satisfactory way 
 through which the city might be able to control buildings occupying frontage 
 on the two blocks between Olive and Chestnut streets woiUd be through the 
 use of the power of excess condemnation. Authority foi- voting on a constitu- 
 tional amendment permitting the exercise of the power of excess condemnation 
 has been denied St. Louis and other cities of the State by the Legislature at its 
 last two sessions. 
 
 In order, therefore, to insure absolute conlidl by the city of the west side 
 of Tuelfth street and the east side of Fifteenth street, both between Olive and 
 Chestnut streets, it will be necessary that the city acquire these sites by con- 
 demnation at the same time all the other ground is so acquired. When, or if, 
 the right of excess condemnation, or other needed power, is then acquired by 
 the city, these sites may be dispo.sed of, if still thought desirable, with such 
 restrictions as to height, character, and use of buildings to be erected thereon 
 as w ill insure the harmony of the entire group contemplated in this plan. The
 
 ^ 
 
 Bird's-eye view s 
 
 howing proposed Public Buildintis Group l>lan. rreseut City Hall upper left, present Public Llbrar;
 
 n 
 
 rj ver center, 
 
 union Station upper right, and proposed Municipal Auditorium and Convonli..n Hall upper center.
 
 10 
 
 CITY PLAN COMMISSION. 
 
 same condition applies to the western halt' of the two l)locks between ("hestnut 
 street and Olive street and west of Fourteenth street. l''i-oiii the ])\;\n, also, it 
 will be noticed that the block hounded l).v Mai'ket, Twellth, ('hestnut, and 
 Thirteenth sti-eets has been left free of buildings. This was done to att'ord an 
 east and west vista which would be fully as desirable from Twelfth street as 
 the north and south vista that would be seen fi'oni either Olive or Market 
 streets. The propei- architectui'al and landscape treatment of the bh)cks con- 
 stituting the mall should produce s])lendid effects, as well as offering unlimited 
 opportunities for statues, fountains, or other iiienioi-ials. 
 
 Group Plan Would Help Natural Expansion of Business District. 
 
 An apparent criticism of the present plan that might be offei'cd is that it 
 would bar the natural westward expansion of the business district, while the 
 location of the Court House and Federal Building in the vicinity of Twelfth 
 street would decrease their usefulness by renuiving them too far from the 
 present center of the business district. It is a generally accepted fact that 
 public buildings rarely produce an a])pi'eciation of property values in their 
 innnediate locality. It has more often been the experience in other cities that 
 jniblic buildings foi- one reason or another usually produce unsatisfactory 
 
 surroinidings 
 and reduce 
 lather than 
 increase the 
 value of sur- 
 rounding 
 property for 
 commercial 
 p u r p s e s. 
 While there 
 m ay be no 
 j u s t i fi c ation 
 for expecting 
 an opposite 
 cft'ect in St. 
 Louis, it is 
 nevertheless 
 iiclic\ed that 
 the creation 
 of the public 
 building 
 group plan 
 
 here proposed would result in an appreciation of projunty values and in sub- 
 stantial improvements on a large scale in the innnediate vicinity. Tiiis as- 
 sumption is warranted partly by reason of the fact that the pi-operty in the 
 immediate neighborhood of the proposed public-building group is in an exceed- 
 ingly run-down condition, and that the presence of an imposing group of build- 
 
 VifW lonkin;: north from .Municipal Courts Building;, with Public I.ibrar.v in the back- 
 liround. This is tile site of the contemplated mall. It is proposed to remove the 
 present unsi{:h11>' buildini^s and to develop the properI.v Into a formal garden in order 
 to more properly express the dignity and importance of the city.
 
 12 CITY PLAN COMMISSION. 
 
 ings affording splendid opportunities for light and air should encourage the 
 building of hotels and other similar structures, not only in this inunediate local- 
 ity l)ut extending westwai-d as far as Eighteenth street and the Union Station. 
 
 Previous studies made by the City Plan Commission have indicated that 
 the expansion of the business district, particularly the commercial section, is 
 destined to proceed westwardlj' betM"een Olive street and Franklin avenue, 
 inasmuch as the pieponderance of vehicular as well as of street-car traffic 
 enters over these and intermediate thoroughfares. The public-building group 
 plan would therefore stimulate and encourage a high character of building 
 development in a district whei-e it might otherwise not be expected, and result 
 in a higher value than could otherwise be expected, thus creating a well- 
 balanced westward expansion of the business district. 
 
 St. Louis is growing rapidly. As the city grows the business district 
 must expand. Twelfth street will inevitably become the central thoroughfare 
 of the business district. This by no means will cause the depreciation or ces- 
 sation of the present activities in the eastern section of the business district. 
 It simply means that St. Louis must plan for an enlarged business district com- 
 mensurate with the growth of the city. The public-building group plan will 
 then be actually at the heart of the city's activities. 
 
 Mention has already been made of the poor condition of property in the 
 vicinity of the present Municipal Buildings. Several plans have been proposed 
 which would clear out and rehabilitate some of the property west of Twelfth 
 street and lying between Olive and ilarket streets. It is believed that the 
 public-building group plan proposed would do this more successfully than any 
 plan heretofore devised. Certainly the poor character of the majority of 
 buildings between Twelfth, Eighteenth, Market, and Olive streets is not merely 
 a discredit to the city of St. Louis and an unpleasant daily reminder of the 
 necessity for rehabilitation, but the present condition of this property repre- 
 sents a tremendous actual monetary loss to the city in the form of diminishing 
 tax returns, which would be entirely overcome by the adoption and execution 
 of the public-building group plan. 
 
 The Location of the Municipal Auditorium and Community Center Building. 
 
 In view of the fact that one of the first public buildings to be ])uilt will be 
 the Municipal Auditorium and Community Center Building, assuming that 
 the projjosed munici])al bond issue is favorably acted upon in the election of 
 November next, the (juestion of the location of this building has been the object 
 of serious consideration by the City Plan Conunission. The size and character 
 of this building is such that it could not be erected on the average city block. 
 In fact, our studies have indicated that there ai'c but two or three locations 
 where this building could l)e satisfactorily constructed. Our attention was first 
 directed to the l)lock liounded by Twelfth, Chestnut, Eleventh, and Market 
 streets, in which block the city oAvns a considerable proportion of the property ; 
 but this block was found to be entirely inadequate in size. Later our attention 
 was directed to the two blocks bounded by Twelfth street, ISIarket .street, Elev- 
 enth street, and Clark avenue as a prospective site for the Municipal Audi-
 
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 14 CITY PLAN COMMISSION. 
 
 torium and Community Center Building. This would involve the closing of 
 Walnut .street between Eleventh and Twelfth. While it would afford a plot of 
 sufficient size for the building, the ground is expensive and it was deemed 
 undesirable to have a building of this character on one of the principal thor- 
 oughfares of the city, since its use by tremendous crowds of people would bring 
 about a congestion of traffic on both Twelfth and Market streets, where traffic 
 congestion would not be a desirable feature. Our final conclusion is that the 
 best location for the Municipal Auditorium and Community Center Building is 
 the block bounded by Fourteenth, Market, Fifteenth streets and Clark avenue, 
 possibly omitting the acquisition of the rear of the block on Clark avenue. 
 This is one of the largest blocks in the downtown section of the city. It is not 
 too far removed from the hotels and business district. It has the advantage of 
 being adjacent to most of the principal traffic thoroughfares. By not placing 
 the building on the principal trafficways, opportunity would be afforded about 
 the entire building for the parking of automobiles and street cars to accommo- 
 date the crowds that might be expected, and without confusing or interfering 
 with the usual traffic on the principal traffic 7-outes. This site also has the 
 further advantage of giving an imposing location for the Municipal Auditorium 
 and Community Center Building and making it an integral part of the proposed 
 public-building group plan. Furthermore, the value of the ground is consider- 
 ably less than in any other location. 
 
 The Municipal Auditorium As a War Memorial. 
 
 It has been suggested that the Municipal Auditorium and Community 
 Center Building be so designed and built as to constitute the city's memorial to 
 those who served and died in the great war. This could very properly and 
 effectively be done. Such designs of the building as have been made have 
 contemplated this feature, although it is not essential that the two ideas be 
 combined. St. Louis needs a Municipal Auditorium and Community Center 
 Building, and needs it soon. Regardless of whether a memorial feature is com- 
 bined with it or not, a Municipal Auditorium should be built and so designed as 
 to combine all of the features necessary to make it a successful building, used 
 continually the yeai- round in order to make it a satisfactory investment and 
 to justify its great cost. 
 
 The Surroundings of Union Station. 
 
 St. Louis is pi'oi)ably criticized more because of the surroundings of its 
 Union Station than for any other reason. The necessity for improving this 
 ncighborliood is almost unanimously admitted. As a suggestion for accom- 
 plishing this purpose there is presented herewith an alternative plan for locat- 
 ing the Munici]ial Auditorium and Community Center Building opposite the 
 Union Station, occupying the two blocks hounded by Chestnut, Eighteenth, 
 Pine, and Twentieth streets and opening u]) as a plaza the two intermediate 
 blocks hounded by Market, Eighteenth, Clu'stiiut, and Twentieth streets. This 
 location for the Municipal AuditoiMum and Community Center Building is not 
 deemed as dcsii'able as tlic i)reviousIy mentioned location immediately west
 
 PUBLIC BUILDING GROUP PLAN. 
 
 15 
 
 of the Municipal Courts Building in the municipal-building group plan. How- 
 ever, it opens up some attractive possibilities which should receive further 
 
 sei'ious con- 
 sideration . 
 It is possible 
 that a suffi- 
 cient number 
 of public 
 buildings 
 will be need- 
 ed within the 
 next few 
 years to war- 
 rant under- 
 taking the 
 municipal - 
 building 
 group plan. 
 To locate the 
 Municipal 
 Auditorium 
 and Commu- 
 nity Centei- 
 Building 
 near Union 
 
 Station as suggested would not prevent the execution of the gioup plan if 
 undertaken. Its location at this point, howcvei', does not afford the degree of 
 accessil)ilit\' that is inhei'ent in the previously mentioned site. 
 
 The view in front of t'nion Station, the main entrance to the city, the ftr^t impression 
 received by our vlaitors. A .spacious plaza is sUKEested as a sub-slitute. 
 
 Conclusion. 
 
 In 1904 a Public Buildings Commi.ssion was appointed to study the location 
 of public buildings in St. Louis. This commission presented an admirable 
 report, but their suggestions were not followed. The occasion for their 
 appointment was the contemplated erection of the Municipal Courts Building 
 Fortunately, the opportunity for a public-buildings group plan that will be a 
 credit to St. Louis is still open. Now that other structures are soon to be 
 built we should again give thought to the (|uestion of the best design and 
 location foi- them, so that whatever is done may not be in continuation of 
 preceding hai)-hazard methods of our city's growth. Even though if may 
 take years to complete a public-building group i)lan such as is here suggested, 
 whatever we do now .should be done in the .spirit of building a future city in 
 accordance with some definite i)lan that will be truly representative of our 
 city, our citizenship, and enlightened methods of city building.
 
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