Nearly two decades ago, developer Joe Edwards envisioned a trolley: an eco-friendly electric one running the Delmar Loop.

“We needed to connect the MetroLink, Forest Park, and its 12 million visitors a year to Delmar,” Edwards says. “A trolley helps an area become more livable, walkable, and bikeable.”

Today, as the Loop Trolley nears completion, there’s talk of more development along Delmar. Edwards and Pat Hagin, co-founders of The Pageant, are planning a $2.5 million concert venue next door, Delmar Hall, in the space that formerly housed Big Shark Bicycle Company. And speaking of bikes, Clayco is planning a transit-oriented 200-unit apartment and retail complex near the MetroLink station—complete with storage for 150 bikes and on-site car-sharing.

That project is slated for completion next year, just in time for its new residents to catch the trolley.

St. Louis Magazine © March 2016