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Issue: 1114 Date: 12/29/2011
Become A Fan, Like St. Louis Chinese American News
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'Holiday gift' for St. Louis
Federal, local officials tout $20 million grant for Arch redevelopment
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| Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar starts to embrace U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. Salazar - a former Senate colleague of McCaskill's - spent Wednesday afternoon with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to announce a $20 million grant to improve the I-70 corridor near the Arch. |
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(Dec. 21, 2011) Federal and local political figures were jubilant about a $20 million federal grant for improving access to the Gateway Arch in time for the monument's 50th birthday.
But even boisterous boosters of the project - such as U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. - say the grant is part of a larger funding equation. How much more money would be needed to complete the project, which is widely estimated to cost $578 million?
McCaskill's reply: "A lot."
"There are a number of different pieces for this," said McCaskill, adding that supporters will continue to search for state, local and private sector funding. "What this is shows a major commitment of the federal end of this partnership."
McCaskill added that she believes the Arch project also will be in a position to compete strongly for future federal transportation funds.
"With what we have accomplished here, we're going to be in a very good position to compete for federal transportation dollars to complete this project and do some of the other work that we're going to do to make this vision happen," McCaskill said.
The exact nature of that vision may be shifting. Tom Bradley, the superintendent of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, said that a "scaled-down" version of the plan would be detailed in late January.
When asked about Bradley's comment, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said, "There's absolutely no reason why it can't get done and ... there's no absolutely no reason why we wouldn't have full confidence that it gets done. There's a reason the partnership is called City Arch River 2015 - because we are committed to getting this done. And today's a very significant milestone in that direction."
"I'm not talking about anything being scaled back," he added. "We'll find a way to get the rest of it. It will come from the partnership that really made this the kind of collaboration that Secretary (Ray) LaHood so eloquently spoke about."
LaHood and Salazar joined Missouri elected officials and business leaders inside the Old Courthouse downtown to tout a $20 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery - or TIGER III - grant in support of City Arch River 2015 initiative. Among those present were U.S. Reps. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, and Mayor Francis Slay.
The money will be used in part to place a "lid" over the sunken Interstate 70 lanes that now separate the Arch grounds from downtown. The pedestrian land bridge over I-70 will connect the Old Courthouse, Luther Ely Smith Square and the Arch grounds.
Salazar and LaHood both said the City Arch River 2015 initiative - a public-private partnership - could catch on throughout the country.
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| Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood speaks at a press conference announcing a $20 million TIGER grant to improve the I-70 corridor near the Arch. (Photo by Jason Rosenbaum) |
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