NOCO in the New Year

Technicolor skies over Ferguson. Ah, the quiet joys of winter.

Like most people, I’m wrapping up 2009 with a mixed bag of good and bad. I fell short of several goals this year (no surprise), but as usual, the fact that I didn’t get rich or skinny was easily overshadowed by an abundance of other blessings. Good friends, a healthy and happy family, a loving husband – when I focus on all the positives in my life, the negatives are so much easier to handle.

And so it is with North County as well. During 2009, our underdog community continued to face a number of challenges, many a result of the flagging economy. Housing values dipped, several local retailers went out of business, and in terms of foreclosures, seven NoCo zip codes (including my own) were among the top ten hardest hit areas in the entire state of Missouri.

It would be easy to look at an older, discarded suburb like North County and assume that further decline is a guarantee. But that’s only if you’re not looking hard enough. Over the past few months, I’ve spoken with hundreds of NoCo residents and business owners and actively searched out positive news, and I can tell you with absolute certainty: there are good things happening in North County.

Here in Ferguson, CORK Wine Bar has been surprising lots of former NoCo naysayers, just as Ray Hill’s BrewHouse is bound to do when it opens in January. The Ferguson Farmers Market celebrated its seventh successful season. Overland’s new market also had a great inaugural year. In Bridgeton, several parks got a lovely facelift in 2009, and a new city government complex is currently being built. In the Old Jamestown area, residents won further legal protections for the uniquely beautiful Florissant Karst.

In the Spanish Lake area, a gorgeous new visitor center was built at the Confluence, helping to draw larger crowds to this amazing natural wonder. And all across North County, despite the steady drum beat of negativity regarding local schools, students and teachers at every school district won awards and made countless achievements that were rarely reported on the evening news.

This year also saw bright spots in terms of redevelopment: The Express Scripts distribution facility is currently under construction at NorthPark and will eventually create 300 new jobs. Seventy-six acres of new cargo facilities will soon be built in Hazelwood, just north of Lambert Airport. Also in Hazelwood, the long-vacant former Kmart was redeveloped into professional office and conference space, giving a boost to local small businesses. And on Dunn Road near Bellefontaine and 270, the National Archives and Records Administration is building a $100 million, 475,000-square-foot records center that will be home to 800 employees.

At the site of the former Gem department store, the largest National Archives building outside of Washington D.C. is being built. Right here in NoCo.

Will Bridgeton kick off 2010 by using TIF money to get a Super Wal-Mart built on the site of the former Value City? Will St. Louis County allow a casino to be built in a pristine natural area near Spanish Lake? Will Ferguson approve the demolition of 7-8 handsome vintage houses to make room for a CVS (right next to a Walgreens)? Only time will tell. But clearly, somebody sees potential in North County, so that’s a hopeful sign.

As for me, I’ve spent the past few weeks planning my NOCO articles for 2010, and wow, there are so many great stories coming down the pike! Historic golf courses, hookah lounges, musicians, ice skating, glee clubs, fun places for kids, aviation history, car collectors, private schools, dive bars, artists, local nonprofits, community gardens, and even one of the oldest fencing clubs in the country – you can read about all that and more in upcoming NOCO posts.

Donate $2 or more to NOCO and get this fun sticker! The tip jar is in the far right sidebar.

And if that’s not exciting enough, I’m also throwing in a bonus, meant to really rev up your North County mojo! Starting January 1, anyone who donates $2 or more to help keep NOCO up and running will receive a big fat NORTH COUNTY PRIDE bumper sticker – sure to be the envy of everyone in St. Louis!

(Don’t worry, it’ll fit just fine next to your FERG sticker. And you’ll finally be able to tell the world, or at least fellow drivers, “I’m from NoCo and damn proud!”)

Can a blog and a bumper sticker really turn the tide for North County? Honestly, I don’t know. But if you keep reading, I’ll keep writing. And with a little collective pride and a commitment to remain active, invested and hopeful in our community, I truly believe we can make 2010 an even brighter year for our beautiful little corner of St. Louis.

So Happy New Year, everyone! Thank you so much for supporting NOCO (and NoCo) in 2009!

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