When Mike Weaver expressed to me that “we are a city that has unfortunately kind of turned its back on its river,” I found myself nodding in agreement. As a Laclede’s Landing Neighborhood Association board member, he’s among the chorus pushing for more focus on and investment into the portion of downtown St. Louis that hugs the Mississippi River.
But I’d take it a step further and suggest it’s about more than just downtown, but rather an opportunity to lean into the region’s identity as a historic river city.
St. Louis sits at one of the most special spots on the Mississippi River, just south of its confluences with the Missouri and Illinois rivers where it transforms from an already large waterway to the behemoth that empties out into the gulf.
There’s an opportunity for our downtown riverfront to emphasize this and act as an enticing gateway for the millions of people already visiting the Arch to explore some of the lesser known nearby parts of the watershed directly shaped by our river. Places like Illinois’ Horseshoe Lake, mere minutes east of the Arch Grounds, and a historic remnant of the path the Mississippi once carved through the region. Or the Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area in North St. Louis County. And, of course, the canoe trips offered by outfitter Big Muddy Adventures that put you right on the Mississippi.
Why It Matters: The global market for ecotourism is already valued over $200 billion, with the market research and consultancy Grand View Research projecting it to eclipse $650 billion by the end of the decade. Locally, outdoor recreation already pumps over $10 billion into Missouri’s economy each year.
St. Louis also sits in the middle of the Mississippi Flyway, the largest migratory pathway for birds in North America, creating a ripe opportunity to tap into a $100 billion industry that continues to grow.
The Bottom Line: The region’s natural assets are a result of the river it straddles. Turning attention back to the Mississippi River can be about much more than just laying the foundation for more activity in the center of St. Louis. It can be a way to capture people’s imaginations and pull them deeper into the region we call home. —Eric Schmid
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