BLACK JACK, Mo. (KMOX) - Neighbors of the Saint Louis Zoo's planned expansion into north St. Louis County have a lot of questions - namely, when will cheetahs start chasing gazelles around?
The public learned at Monday night's County Council meeting there's no firm timeline yet. North campus director Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman said they're starting an 18 month process to identify partners and hear from the public. After that, we'll hear a lot more about specific plans for the breeding ground and safari experience.
What animals will tourists see 'in the wild', once the Zoo completes its planned breeding ground and safari experience in Spanish Lake? Antelopes and gazelles were the first listed by Mogerman.
"We're also looking at, unfortunately, our herps, our amphibians, and our reptiles are in trouble in the world and we have expertise there," she explained. "We're looking at the needs in the conservation world and how we can move the needle on particular species."
While some wanted to know what animals would be roaming the grasslands of north county, others were concerned about traffic impacts.
"We will have to do traffic studies to understand the impact and what adjustments we would need to make sure we are good neighbors," Mogerman said, agreeing that many roads around the site have been underwater.
In response to another question at Monday night's town hall meeting, Zoo President and CEO Jeffrey Bonner said the institution will abide by either the county's or city's minority participation requirements for construction workers -- whichever is more stringent.
Bonner noted this will be the first new Zoo in the country since Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom.
St. Louis County voters approved an eighth-of-a-cent sales tax to fund the expansion. Bonner said the Zoo has already hired 12 people to begin planning.
The Zoo purchased the 425-acre complex, which used to be Emerlad Greens Golf Course and other union-owned facilities, in north St. Louis County for $7.1 million.
JAMESTOWN MALL BLUES
Meantime, St. Louis County's Port Authority plans to restart the redevelopment process for a piece of land that's been a point of pain for many.
It was expected that Jamestown Mall would be discussed last at the town hall, called by County Councilwoman Rochelle Walton-Gray and County Executive Sam Page.
But the crowd at Christ Our Redeemer AME Church on Old Jamestown Rd. didn't want to wait. From the beginning, they shouted from the pews to demand an update.
For years, neighbors watched nature slowly reclaim the former department stores. Trees shield what used to be entrances and weeds poke through the parking lot. Officials say they've run into trespassers. Neighbors are worried about mold.
Port Authority consultant Jackie Wellington acknowledged the conditions, described as a health hazard.
"We have gone up, we've looked at it. I'll be the first to say -- it is horrible. It is horrible. It does not look like any property that I think any public entity should be controlling," she added.
But she said the mold has prevented them from getting an inside look.
"We're planning to go over there, but we have to take a team over there because of the conditions. We can't just walk through that mall."
The only glimmer of hope was a warehouse proposal which didn't pan out. New County Executive Sam Page told the town hall that more bidders were interested at that time, but developers didn't want to deal with donation demands from then-County Executive Steve Stenger.
So, the mall sat.
Wellington says Stenger's team is out. She's part of a new team getting ready to tackle this. A critic in the crowd charged that the same team was working the problem before Stenger's administration took over.
Ultimately, she agreed that cutting the grass and securing the site needs to happen as soon as possible, although county spending rules prevent it from happening tomorrow.
"We have to issue an RFP (request for proposals) because the procurement policies of the county require us to do that to get a contractor out there to start to clean it up. That's number one," she said.
With the whole redevelopment process beginning again, Wellington said it's premature to consider what might go on the property next.
Some don't want warehouses. One suggested returning it to farmland. Officials say they'll take what developers think is possible.