March 18, 2009

St. Louis "ballpark village" now a parking lot

The St. Louis Cardinals have released their "temporary" plans for the site of the Ballpark Village on the site of their old Busch Stadium, now that the actual Ballpark Village isn't so much happening: a parking lot and softball field:

The release also said that "once the bonds for the larger Ballpark Village project are sold, the softball field and parking lot will be taken over by the construction of the larger project."

So when will those bonds be sold? That's unclear. City officials earlier this year approved a revised plan that gives the Cardinals up to three years to sell bonds to start construction. At the time, team President Bill DeWitt III said the bond market was still "quiet" and "iffy" but that he still remained enthusiastic about developing the site.

Mayor Francis Slay signaled his disappointment with the news, but said the additions are "the best we can expect" given the economy and woeful credit market.

Somebody should have thought of that, perhaps, before giving the Ballpark Village $100 million in tax breaks.