According to the RFT, Pinnacle hopes to capitalize on Dome and Convention Center foot traffic by constructing a tunnel underground below I-70. I say all the more power to them. Thoughts?

bprop wrote:According to the RFT, Pinnacle hopes to capitalize on Dome and Convention Center foot traffic by constructing a tunnel underground below I-70. I say all the more power to them. Thoughts?

bprop,

it is an interesting solution - the grades fall away to the river so quickly that the tunnel idea is possible (everything is possible with money). To bury Interstate 70 north of the Gateway Mall is approximately $50 million dollars and to keep burying Interstate 70 north of the proposed bd is an additional $50 million dollars - so to truly engage our riverfront with the CBD has a $100 million dollar price tag. In lieu of that nine digit investment the tunnel under Interstate 70/Broadway is an interesting (and less expensive) solution to at least engage the landing and Pinnacle's development with the dome/convention center area. Some cities have very popular underground areas that could be incorporated with an appropriately sized tunnel solution - again it is all driven by the price.

This was in the original plans, but good to see some specifics finally. They related it to a people mover, I wonder if it will have a moving walkway. That would be kind of cool. As long as it is welcoming, it should work out well. This need does highlight the problem with I-70. It's a shame they can't commit that $10 million to a project to put I-70 in a tunnel through there. Oh well.

I think it'd be nice if the City made them add access to Laclede's landing as well via the tunnel. It's pretty tough to navigate the MLK bridge/Broadway intersection on foot.



I'm doubtful that would happen since it would likely suction off the profits for the casino. However, a nice compromise would be to move the entrance closer to Washington to draw people from the loft district.



If Pinnacle builds a pedestrian tunnel, it wouldn't interfere with the future at-grade parkway when I-70 is removed in the future.

I just read about this as well on Casino City:

http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/art ... tID=154493

That could be very cool.

Not too gaudy, but attractive and safe looking. Women are the best judges on what looks safe and what does not, but I'm not a woman (sorry for the generalization). Maybe the City could put LED boards in the tunnel at entrances and inside to inform people on transportation like Metrolink, hotels and room rates, events and times, and other stuff. Opportunities for wall art! Mosaics anyone?

If all goes according to plan, the tunnel will begin near America's Center, a block north of Washington Avenue, travel below Interstate 70 and then rise into "a kind of mezzanine-like area that overlooks the casino," says Pinnacle spokesman Mack Bradley.



"That will have direct access to some of the little shops and retail on the second level."



Upon arriving at the end of the line, customers can choose to head outdoors to visit the Landing or, more important to Pinnacle, make a beeline for the slot machines.

It's good that the're allowing easy access to the rest of the Landing and not just dumping you in the middle of the casino floor or Pinnacle hotel lobby. It will really help two way traffic across the I-70 barrier. And, not everyone will go to the Landing to gamble.

This is great news. Sadly, it doesn't sound like it will make it easier for people to move from the landing in general to the dome, but then again if the Casino's footing the bill, they have every right to do it this way.

JMedwick wrote:Sadly, it doesn't sound like it will make it easier for people to move from the landing in general to the dome.

I originally read the RFT article the same way, that access to the rest of the Landing would be a bit difficult.

It will carry visitors straight into the complex, without any diverging paths.

But, then I read the other two lines, I quoted above. And, it seems to imply that once you get past some "the little shops and retail on the second level" you can go right outside. I guess it depends on how many little shops you have walk pass and if path to outside is obvious.

and we kind of sit in the center of it all

You can't be in the center unless there is easy access to both sides. It seems that they really want to draw off business from the cross traffic.

although a precise route has yet to be finalized

I might just be over parsing words. So, I guess we will just have to wait to know for sure.

While I certainly agree that traversing from the Landing area to the Dome is not the most pedestrian-friendly and definitely needs to be addressed, I would much rather the casino and city work to improve that passage above ground than construct something underground.



It just seems like something else to siphon people off the streets, imo.

I like the idea, as long as it doesn't plop people right into the middle of the casino. For one, after spending some time in Minneapolis, this could be like a skywalk there. It's like regular street life. As long as they made an effort to make it like a regular street, I have no problem with it. If it's a cement tunnel with flourescent lights, then thats poor.

Once again, the solution to a pressing circulation issue is supposedly resolved through creating privately-controlled space instead of rebuilding public space. This tunnel is not a public works project, and we should not accept it as the solution for connectivity between the north Landing and downtown.