City Redevelopment and Expansion - Cases of Southwestern Illinois

By SCANews.staff

	Dial Distribution Center just opened in 1998, the new 812,000-square-foot
facility is located in Gateway Commerce Center just minutes away from interstates I-270, I-255 and I-55 in Madison County, Illinois. It is conveniently located along the north-south corridor from Chicago to Memphis, and the east-west corridor from Indianapolis to points west. It is the largest Dial warehouse facility in the U.S. and the largest distribution center in the bi-state St. Louis metropolitan area. Other Dial distribution centers are located in Corona, California (237,000-square-feet), Atlanta, Georgia (254,000-square-feet), and Allentown, Pennsylvania (600,000-square-feet). 

	The distribution facility center serves the central corridor of the United States reaching distribution centers from the Canadian border to the Mexican border and from Texas to Tennessee. The 24-hour, seven day-a-week, facility handles all of Dial's consumer products (Dial soaps, Purex laundry detergents, Renuzit air freshners and Armour Star canned meats) and is responsible for the distribution of 40 percent of the company's total volume. Over 26 million cases of products will be shipped annually from the Madison County Distribution Center. 

	Tri-City Regional Port is located adjacent to Locks and Dam #27 on the Chain of Rocks Canal, the navigation channel of the Mississippi River just three miles from downtown St. Louis. Illinois Route 3 to the east of the Port's harbor complex is a four-lane divided highway which connects to Interstate 270 four miles to the north and Interstate 55/70 two miles to the west. The Port, which embraces an overall territory of approximately 77-square miles has established two Industrial Parks, Harbor Side Industrial Park and ACCESS Industrial Park, both of which have excellent intermodal transportation access.

	Direct rail access service to Tri-City Regional Port is provided by Norfolk Southern currently merging with a portion of Conrail. The U.S. Inland Waterways System connects Tri-City Port with industrial centers in 15 States located along the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Illinois, and Tennessee Rivers with the Great Lakes of Canada and the Gulf of Mexico. The Port provides a Mid-continent intermodal transportation facility location for the shipment of dry and liquid bulk and general cargo in bargeload quantities with carrier service provided by more than 15 barge companies.

	In addition to six major Interstate Highways, the Tri-City Port region is provided with outstanding air service capabilities by Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, St. Louis Regional Airport, St. Louis Downtown Parks Airport and the new MidAmerica St. Louis Airport Explore the Vision Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center is located at I-64 and 25th Street in East St. Louis. Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the Olympic gold medallist whom many have called the greatest female athlete of the twentieth century, always wanted to give something back to her community of East St. Louis, Illinois. While competing around the world, Jackie carried the love of her hometown in her heart, remembering the individuals-friends, family, and mentors-who had believed in her and inspired her to succeed. She recalled the neighborhood recreational center-now closed-that had played such an important role in her own development. In 1988, with the start of her foundation, Jackie began to realize the dream of replacing that center with a new facility that would offer young people those same positive influences. The Center is affiliated with Boys & Girls Club of America,  it is the largest facility-based youth service organization in USA. The Center is a safe haven, a place where kids can follow their dreams. and its membership currently exceeds 2.000 area youth.

	Parsons Place set an example of a progressive and affordable urban community. It is a multi-family development in the City of East St. Louis's Emerson Park neighborhood.  Over 400 affordable apartments and for-sale housing are planned for this community.  The first phase consists of 174 apartments. There are one, two, and three-bedroom apartments, which includes one and two-bedroom handicap accessible and/or adaptable apartments. Parsons Place is located adjacent to the new 15th Street Emerson Park Metrolink Station and within blocks of the Jackie Joyner Kersee Center.

	MetroLink is the light rail transportation system that connects the bi-state Illinois-Missouri St. Louis metropolitan area. The initial line begins at the main terminal of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and ends on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River in East St. Louis. The rail system first opened in 1993 and is now 18 miles long and stops at 20 stations along its route. Construction is completed for a $345.9 million, 17.4-mile extension from East St. Louis to Southwestern Illinois College, with plans to later extend it an additional 8.6 miles to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport.

	East St. Louis, Madison and St. Clair Counties had more jobs in the region during 1970's. Since then, the Southwestern Illinois experienced over 70% of population decrease. In the late 80s, the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois began to brainstorm ideas for city redevelopment plans.  They recognized the infrastructure is paramount and highway 255 holds the key to redevelopment. In the following years, many ideas began to shape the future.

	Every place visited, their executives and decision makers stressed the importance of growth in the region, partnership with St. Louis as a whole. Their vision of regional development is symbolized by the Bi-state MetroLink which serves as a main artery affecting the vital life of both St. Louis and Southeastern Illinois.  (part 2 of 2)