West Newsmagazine 11-7-18

FACEBOOK.COM/WESTNEWSMAGAZINE
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
The Reopening of Soldiers Memorial:
Commemorating service through the lens of St. Louis
By SUZANNE CORBETT
Eighty years ago, St. Louis gathered at
the intersection of Chestnut and North 13th
streets to witness the opening of the city’s
latest architectural masterpiece, Soldiers
Memorial. On Nov. 3, 2018, the crowds
returned to witness its reopening.
Officially dubbed Soldiers Memorial
Military Museum, the $30 million
reboot – a cost covered entirely by anonymous
donors – has transformed the once
neglected monument into a world-class
museum. Stewarded by The Missouri
Historical Society, the public-private
partnership focused on preservation of
the memorial’s architectural integrity and
art-deco elements that Historical Society
President Dr. Frances Levine called “a
labor of love.”
“Great attention was given to restore the
building to its original character,” Soldiers
Now open after a two-year renovation is St. Louis’ Soldiers Memorial Military Museum.
[All photos courtesy of the Soldiers Memorial/Missouri Historical Society]
Memorial Director Mark Sundlov said.
“While everything has been updated, it
doesn’t look like it. Great care was taken
during its preservation to match elements
that were added to the restoration. For
example, [from] the terrazzo floors to
the marble to decorative grate coverings
that were added, [everything] seamlessly
matches the originals. The original art
deco light fixtures have been cleaned and
rewired. The mahogany-lined elevator
with its art deco steel doors is now fully
operational. And the Gold Star Mothers
mosaic on the loggia’s ceiling, which was
missing hundreds of small tiles has been
matched and replaced.”
Restoration included cleaning the iconic
Walker Hancock statues, which have stood
as the museum’s sentries since its 1938
opening. Military history and art enthusiasts
may know Hancock, a native St. Louisan,
as one of the Monuments Men, artists,
art historians and curators who were sent to
save European art treasures during World
War II.
With the restoration came an expansion
of gallery space and meeting rooms on
the lower and upper levels, resulting in a
doubling the memorial’s exhibition space
without enlarging its footprint. Another
November 7, 2018
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
I NEWS I 11
World War II Monument by Hilis Arnold
standout expansion is the updated Court
of Honor, which was originally dedicated
after World War II. Redesigned, it now
includes a Five Branches Fountain and
reflecting pool along with the city’s Korea
and Vietnam war memorials.
Chestnut Street also has been revamped
into a single lane that bisects the Court of
Honor and the Memorial, creating a visual
connection that inspires a welcoming feel
in spite of its enormous size.
Although immense, the memorial has
the amazing ability to convey a feeling of
intimacy through its unique exhibit design
See VETERANS MEMORIAL, page 52
Wildwood welcomes new restaurants, businesses in existing vacancies
By JESSICA MESZAROS
The city of Wildwood is growing, but
the where and how is creating discussion
among city staff, councilmembers and residents
alike.
At a meeting last month, the Wildwood
City Council discussed a motion to prepare
legislation that would create a standalone
department for economic development.
The creation of the separate department, by
municipal code, would include establishing
its own budget so that expenditures can
be tracked separately. The city’s Economic
Development Committee previously
motioned to move the item forward to the
council with a 4-3 vote.
Economic development was added to the
city’s Master Plan in 2016. The creation of
the existing committee led to the development
of the city’s Economic Development
Guide and the hiring of a full-time economic
development director. However, the
current economic development program is
a component of the department of administration
and finance and is included in that
department’s budget.
The motion discussed last month ultimately
was split into two items: the separation
of the committee’s costs into a ledger
for better transparency, and the creation of
a separate economic development department.
The council voted in favor of the first
item but voted 11-4 against the creation
of an economic development department.
Councilmember Joe Garritano [Ward 8]
was absent for the vote.
Ongoing development
While decisions of how to handle economic
development in Wildwood are
sometimes divided, the economic development
committee is continuing to examine
economic development options, particularly
within the Town Center area in Ward 8.
“We want to make sure we obtain and
retain businesses that are going to stay
within the city of Wildwood,” said Councilmember
Katie Dodwell [Ward 4], who
also serves as the economic development
committee chair.
According to a Sept. 25 memorandum
by Economic Development Director Julian
Jacquin, the economic development committee
has conducted over 170 visitation
meetings with existing businesses while
also working with entities like the Wildwood
Business Association and West St.
Louis County Chamber of Commerce.
Jacquin said Wildwood’s economic
development plan has three parts: business
retention, business expansion, and business
recruitment or attraction.
“It’s kind of an order of priority, starting
with the businesses you have – helping the
businesses you already have to succeed,
helping them grow where appropriate – and
then helping recruit new businesses to the
The Miller Haus See WILDWOOD, page 14