One Cardinal Way: 5 years of St. Louis revival

ST. LOUIS - One Cardinal Way opened five years ago in downtown St. Louis as part of a revitalization effort to bring people back into the area. Ballpark Village would grow with multiple businesses and residences, but especially One Cardinal Way.

“One of my favorite places to watch the game is from the pool,” resident Mary LaPak said.

The skyrise apartment complex features a rooftop pool, bar, and lounge area overlooking Busch Stadium.

“There's also some weekends that get a little bit crazier than others, especially when the Cubs come into town or like when we had the Yankees in town,” Chris LePak, Mary’s husband, said.

The revitalization efforts have brought the area back to life, attracting a whole new crowd of people and businesses.

“When we first were moving down here, our friends were like, oh, aren't you concerned about the crime?” Mary said. “There's crime everywhere, and it's just being smart when we go out at night, where we're usually with each other or with a group of people.”

Crime statistics from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department show a decrease in crime over the last five years since the apartments opened and the village began booming.

“We're not just isolated to what happens to Ballpark Village,” President of Ballpark Village Mike LaMartina said. “We're part of a downtown community here, and it's important that we're focused on safety, we're focused on measures that create a safe environment, whether it's a game day or a Monday in January, you need to feel safe when you come downtown.”

The second phase of the revitalization project was completed when One Cardinal Way opened in 2020. Residents and LaMartina said during the pandemic, as places were closing, the apartments and businesses in the area were on the upswing already and have been ever since.