Mayor Glantz Writes About The Winds Of Change

The following column appeared in the city of Creve Coeur's newsletter and is excerpted here with permission.

“When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.”

This Chinese proverb is a personal favorite and quite poignant, as I had the good fortune recently to talk about the “State of the City” at a luncheon meeting sponsored by the Creve Coeur/Olivette Chamber of Commerce. I am very proud to serve as mayor of our community, and always enjoy the opportunity to share some of our current achievements, and talk about so many possibilities for the future.

For example, construction has commenced on the new Plaza Jaguar/Land Rover dealership (at the old Reuther Automotive site) on Olive Boulevard. The Goddard School for early childhood development is also under construction at the corner of Mosley Road and Olive Boulevard, and expected to open in November. The University of Missouri Extension is occupying their new office space on Gateway Boulevard, and Village Green re-invested in our community, hosting a grand opening last month for three completely remodeled multi-family properties in our city.

Just recently, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center announced plans for an extensive expansion project on their Creve Coeur campus which is projected to generate at least 100 new jobs for scientists in our community. The City of Creve Coeur, in collaboration with the Danforth Center, Bio-Research & Development Growth (BRDG) Park, and the Helix Center (St. Louis County’s high tech incubator) is actively engaged in an ongoing effort to help brand this area of our community as the premier bio-tech corridor. 

Other significant proposals (providing a variety of complementary uses to some of these projects) are at various stages of review and will be thoroughly vetted by a wide array of community stakeholders to ensure that the end results are commensurate with our vision of a high quality city. To make sure that process is successful, it is imperative that community leaders maintain accessibility to all constituents, are available to address questions and concerns, and (perhaps most importantly) are fostering a positive environment by listening to and sharing ideas for continued excellence in Creve Coeur. This continues to be the motivating factor for my monthly “Coffee with the Mayor” program (now officially a year old). I am thrilled that this platform for engagement continues to gain in popularity and substance, and that key city staff and many City Council representatives use this opportunity to connect with our citizens as well.

Creve Coeur is so fortunate to be the home of vibrant residential neighborhoods, complemented by a thriving business community. The confidence to invest (and re-invest) in our city is the wind that benefits all of us…will we build walls or windmills?