ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Saying their pleas for help from city hall and other authorities have gotten no response, a group of downtown citizens and business owners, tired of the mayhem on Washington Avenue, have formed a new organization aimed at saving downtown St. Louis.
Les Sterman is the chair of Citizens for a Greater Downtown St. Louis. He's urging downtown residents not to renew the current community improvement district, but invest in what he calls a reimagined and reinvigorated CID.
"We as citizens are going to have to be responsible for solutions in this case because our institutions are just not getting it done," he says.
Sterman says they've been literally begging officials to do something about the problems that have been growing for years, but have received only platitudes. "'Don't worry. We're focusing on it. It'll be better next month'."
To fix the problems, particularly along Washington Avenue, Sterman says, will take a comprehensive, collaborative approach.
"It's not just about blocking off streets," he says. "It's about doing a better job in regulating clubs and liquor licenses. A better job of law enforcement. It's a whole host of things that need to be done and we need to harness the passionate residents and businesses that we have down here."
Sterman says, "Strong regions have a strong downtown and we just can't afford to lose this one."