Vision for the future: South Grand’s designs for a more sustainable urban community
The South Grand Community Improvement District (CID) has brought a wave of changes to the historic district of Grand Avenue for the six blocks between Arsenal and Humphrey. In addition to walkable shopping and international flavors, visitors to the South Grand strip can also enjoy community-wide greening efforts.
Recognizing that investing in sustainability would differentiate the community and save on energy costs in the long-run, South Grand CID Director Rachel Witt has prioritized creating and strengthening a walkable urban center for the area with rain gardens and ample bike parking. South Grand participated in the Great Streets Initiative in 2010-2011, and has invested heavily in shaping South Grand into a complete streets leader in St. Louis.
Completed sustainability projects and milestones include:
- LED decorative and parking lot lighting
- Widened sidewalks, shaded with trees
- Pervious pavement installed along sidewalks throughout the district, increasing rain water retention
- Increased number of bike racks installed
- 32 rainscaping locations
- 14 rain gardens installed with educational signage
- Retail that support low-impact lifestyles:
- Dunaway Books sells used and vintage books.
- Upcycle Exchange specializes in collecting and selling craft materials, vintage ephemera, and durable disposables for crafts and up-cycling projects.
- Parsimonia sells all vintage clothing and accessories.
- Rocket Century Vintage sells vintage 20th century modern furniture, artwork, lighting, and accessories.
- Bali Cargo Company sells handmade items re-purposed from boats, oil drums, rice bags, and more, with a direct trade relationship between the owner and the artisans.
- Committed local businesses
- Green Dining Alliance certified: Mangia Italiano and Gelateria Del Leone
- Composting restaurants: Lulu’s Local Eatery and Tree House
- Solar panels: Dickmann Building and Commerce Bank
Gelateria del Leone makes their menu from scratch – and delivers by bike
South Grand also has a pocket park under construction at 3147-49 South Grand Blvd (between The King & I and City Diner). Where the Ritz Theatre once stood, ‘Ritz Park’ will replace the impervious parking lot with a green space comprised of native plantings and public seating for pedestrians. Read more about plans on the NextSTL blog.
Show your support
In partnership with the Green Dining Alliance, Rachel Witt has worked closely with the restaurants on South Grand to promote sustainable industry practices, leading to the certification of Gelateria del Leone and Mangia Italiano. Since the very beginning of the GDA, Witt has been an enthusiastic supporter, and envisions South Grand as a Green Dining District.
Show your support for this community-wide greening effort! Drop in on South Grand’s diverse restaurants and let them know that you want to see them become a part of St. Louis’ next ‘Green Dining District.’ Talk to the manager or owner about how the Green Dining Alliance can help them save energy, conserve water and resources – and bring them more business from concerned citizens like you!
Spread the word to South Grand’s restaurants that are great candidates for becoming GDA-certified:
- The King & I
- Cafe Natasha’s
- MoKaBe’s
- Pho Grand
- Tree House
- Lulu’s Local Eatery (their truck is certified, but now they’ve got a brick and mortar space too!)
