In fairness, many of the improvements along Euclid have been due to the efforts of the Washington University School of Medicine. While WUSM and BJC try to work together on campus planning they are separate corporate entities sometimes with less than complimentary motivations and intentions. Make no mistake, the BJC Institute of Health building with its Maya Lin fountain and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates landscaping would not have happened as it did without the planning and efforts of the WUSM. And despite the naming rights, the BJC Institute building is the property of Washington University. With the exception of the St. Louis College of Pharmacy, WUSM owns practically all of the property along Euclid between FFP and Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza.

Perhaps BJC is jealous of how the plaza turned out and thinks by moving the CWE metrolink station it can have streetscape vibrancy at its front door. Unfortunately, the existing Kingshighway frontage and location isn’t conducive to the success of that.

More realistically, I think both WUSM and BJC realize the CWE station will need some repairs and expansion in the near future. The CWE platform and infrastructure is aging more rapidly than the rest of the original 1993 stations, in my opinion. I’m pretty sure it was not designed for the number of riders it actually accommodates. It has been one of the great successes and assets of the Metrolink development.

If the medical school had a design completion on how to “beautify” the view from the CWE platform (though I, as a regular rider from that station since 1993, truly love the industrialness of the setting) it’s clear the medical school expects to work with the station at that site, not relocate it.

I would venture it’s more of one hand saying “what if” and the other hand not really caring for the moment. When it gets down to it, it will be quickly clear that moving the station west along the tracks to where it passes underneath Kingshighway (placing the station underneath the WUSM’s Northwest Tower and SLCH Parking Garage) is not really going to happen. It’s more likely to expand a bit further east, closer to Taylor Avenue if anything.

But, as always in this town, you never know what people are thinking. It’s good to keep an eye on it.

Thank you very much for pointing it out.

Of course, the one time County voters actually had a chance to stop the sprawl machine (Page Avenue Extension), they didn’t. Oh well, I’m sure there will be more sound walls to hide all the places no longer growing.