Proposed Designs to Give UMC "Plaza Look"
Todd Copilevitz


Plans for making UMC a pedestrian –oriented campus, including proposed designs 
for the Lowry Street Mall, will be presented to the University Board of Curators 
in March.

If the plans are approved, construction on the long-range project could begin as 
early as spring. 

On Thursday, student leaders and various faculty members were given an 
opportunity to view and comment on proposed designs for the mall and its 
surrounding areas.

The plans will be finalized and presented to the board at its March 20 meeting 
in St. Louis. 

The plans include closing Ninth Street from its entrance to the Missouri 
Bookstore parking lot to the Arts and Science Mall; completely closing Lowry 
Street; closing Hitt Street from the north side of the Fine Arts Building to 
Conley Avenue; closing Conley Ave. From the rear entrance of Ellis Library to 
Missouri Avenue and building a bridge over Rollins Street to connect the Arts 
and Science Mall with the Lowry Street Mall. 

Once the streets are closed, a series of plazas will be constructed, along with 
gathering areas.

Then plans call for a large open area in front of the Memorial Union with a 
mosaic “MU”, as well as two connected plazas that will run from its entrave to 
the Fine Arts Building and to the west side of McDonalds.

The plaza surrounding the Francis Monument will be enlarged along with the steps 
from Ninth Street to the East side of Jess Hall.

Another plaza will be placed at the intersection of Ninth Street and Conley 
Avenue.

The plans also include kiosks (information centers), shaded areas, wooden 
benched, a sculpture or fountain on the Ninth Street side by Ellis library, a 
“Big Mac Terrace between Lowry Hall and McDonalds, and a turn-around area for 
traffic at the corner of Hitt Street and Conley Avenue.

Austin Tao of Tao and Associates, one of the firms responsible for the project, 
said efforts will be made to make a “subtle transition” between the red campus 
and white campus. He said he hopes this can be accomplished by varying the color 
combination of each area. 

Tao said the architectural firms plan to reuse the bricks left when Lowry Street 
is torn up. 

Comments from the student leaders and faculty members who attended the 
discussion session showed varying levels of support. 

“I am just enthusiastic about the plan” UMC student Joe Wellman said. But others 
expressed more restraint in their comments. Several participants expressed more 
restraint in their comments. Several participants expressed hesitation at 
placing an amphitheater near the entrance of Ellis Library. Once library worker 
said she is worried that people gathering in the area might create distractions 
for students studying in the library. 

Bob Pugh, vice president of Missouri Store Co. said he is not concerned about 
the actual design of the project if Missouri Bookstore does not lose access to 
its back parking lot. He said the store has hired architects to evaluate the 
facilities and make recommendations for possible building renovations. “We’re 
not going to be a sore thumb,” he said. 

The only complaint from Will Summers, landscape architect for the University 
Facilities Management, was, “the large paved areas need breaks in them (with 
trees) for shade.”

Bill Ruppert, coordinator of special projects for UMC, said he is pleased with 
the comments form the Thursday meeting. He said he likes the plans but, h e 
said, “The general concern I had was accommodation short-cut traffic around the 
library.

William Hull, of CHNMB and Associates of San Francisco, the other firm working 
on the project stressed the project will have a long time span because of its 
high price tag of $1,000,000. “If you like what you see (the plans), you’ll see 
it