Challenge
Built in 1966, the St. Louis Cardinals’ Busch Stadium was approaching obsolescence. The stadium’s service facilities were unable to accommodate the Cardinals’ huge fan base and portions of the structure were beginning to crumble. Faced with the enormous costs necessary to repair and renovate the old stadium, the Cardinals’ ownership proposed a new ballpark, constructed just south of the old stadium in the nostalgic retro brick and girder style from the early days of baseball. In the place of the old stadium, a residential, retail, entertainment, and office development would rise, appropriately named Ball Park Village.
Environmental Operations, Inc. (EOI) was engaged to perform a Phase I assessment and limited sampling on the old & future stadium sites. Complications arose when these investigations revealed contamination on both sites. The stadium sites had formerly been occupied by manufacturing operations and associated commercial facilities. When these historic buildings had been demolished, the basements had been filled with the demolition debris, the majority of which was contaminated with lead and petroleum hydrocarbons.
Solution
Partnering with the St. Louis Development Corporation, the St. Louis Cardinals were awarded Missouri Department of Development (DED) Brownfield Redevelopment Program tax credits for further sampling and remediation. EOI conducted more Phase II sampling to determine the extent of the contamination and generated a remedial design plan tailored to make the most of the state-managed Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP), the redevelopment plans for both the new stadium and the old stadium sites, and the DED’s Brownfield tax credits.
Result
The first home game was played in the new stadium on Monday, April 10, 2006. Yes, the Cardinals won. Feedback from the fans who attended this historic game was glowingly positive. It’s good to be a St. Louis Cardinals fan. Environmental assessment continues on the former site of the now demolished old stadium. The City of St. Louis welcomes the new stadium and the proposed Ball Park Village, but the renewal of the stadium has already encouraged the redevelopment of surrounding properties. The vacant PET building and the former Cupples Complex are being rehabbed into luxury condos, loft apartments, restaurants, and office space. In addition, the redevelopment of Chouteau’s Landing and a number of smaller venues is under way, bringing a new life to South Downtown St. Louis.