The refined vision for the North Loop that I produced made some alterations to the original draft. Upon further investigation of certain sites, some ideas had to be scrapped or retooled, such as the rotaries connecting the east and west ends to the highway.
However, some ideas were expanded. In the Infill and Realignment map below, I showcase development opportunities were the North Loop to be covered and made into a transit corridor. These expand even as far as four blocks away from the loop, where parking lots and vacancies dominate the landscape.
Some parcels were given special attention instead of the entire block. Some easements were added or redrawn to allow for better use of space, such as between the 600-602 Parking Garage and the Holiday Inn, both fronting Admiral Blvd.
Thinking about land use, most of the development closest to the transit center (which I’ve positioned on top of the present-day Delaware St. Bridge) would be mixed-use, mid- to high-rise. This would match the form of much of the area, and act as a good transition to the neighborhoods outside the Central Business District.
Some outliers to this pattern can be seen in the parks places at the west end of the corridor and between Walnut and Grand, just north of Independence. Additionally, some areas would do better as just commercial or just residential, especially as that pattern of separation starts to naturally take place in areas like the River Market or Columbus Park. Some light industrial uses would all make sense in the far eastern part of the site, where that is already a pattern. However, the Paseo West district should not remain just light industry. That’s why I’ve suggested the introduction of small apartments and dense attached and detached single family homes in that area as well.
Phases for the project should be divided into four main parts. The first would begin construction of the highway cap over the transit center, and would close the loop to bus and truck traffic. The second would finish the western development and make a conclusive decision about how to redesign the I-70 gateway. The third portion would dismantle the MO-9 highway up to 3rd street, and the 4th would finally address the behemoth of the eastern cap. Additionally, each of the phases of this project would include an effort to spur growth on adjacent lots and blocks with potential (depicted in muted version of the same color as each phase).
Below is a picture of the transit center and some of the surrounding building massing, looking north. The station itself is loosely based on the Transportation Building by Louis Sullivan that was presented at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. In addition to that inspiration, it also calls up the design of the Denver Union Station transit hub, which connects passengers from the station at ground level to a busway that passes underneath going in perpendicular direction.
The above-ground portion of the station would have two drive lanes separated by medians on either side, flanked by two lanes for streetcar and buses. Trees, bushes, benches, and tables could fill the pedestrian plaza outside, but passengers could also take refuge under the roof of the transit center, even accessing shops, rest areas, and bathrooms indoors.
The transit center would be open-air to allow for pedestrians and vehicles to pass through it freely, but would include portions on either side that would be enclosed and air-conditioned. Additionally, it would have a vaulted skylight above.
Overall, this project would be a massive undertaking, but in the words of one of Louis Sullivan’s contemporaries: “make no little plans”. Perhaps this or similar visions of the North Loop will not come to pass. Beginning big can have its upsides though, even if it means eventually arriving at something more realistic. It will take extraordinary revenue to make a return on this investment worth it, but that revenue itself requires extraordinary investment. So let us aim high in hope and in work, and build a new Northside; one worthy enough to carry on the legacy of the old.