Frequently Asked Questions

No. Even though QT owns the land for the proposed site, it is zoned as Residential. This means QT cannot build there without approval from St. Louis City through a Conditional Use Hearing. At this hearing, the public can share their support or objections, and a decision will be made based on the input. 4th Ward Alderman Bret Narayan has stated he will follow the wishes of the community. If he supports the project, it will proceed; if not, it won’t. It’s important to share your opinion with Alderman Narayan at Narayanb@stlouis-mo.gov. You can also sign our petition or join our effort to oppose the QT project. To view the Lindenwood Park Neighborhood Association (LPNA) Board's official position in opposition to the proposed QT, click here.

The proposed QT conflicts with St. Louis City’s Strategic Land Use Plan (SLUP) in several key ways. The SLUP calls for walkable, neighborhood‑serving development that supports local businesses, reduces car dependence, and strengthens residential character. In contrast, the proposed QT build includes their largest size gas station and convenience store (6,400 sq ft), plus a Bubble Bath Car Wash, all of which will bring more cars, risk, and pollution into this area. Does this sound like the mixed‑use, pedestrian‑friendly, community‑oriented activity the SLUP envisions for our City? Moreover, the committee for the Zoning Upgrade Plan (ZOUP) (a critical step in implementing the SLUP) specifically addressed gas stations in their second newsletter. Their article highlighted 13 negative impacts resulting from gas stations adjacent to residential areas: safety risks, environmental damage, development dead zones, traffic congestion, and more (see Issue 2, page 8).  We cannot overstate the importance of this article. Zoning serves to ensure that city goals are met by assigning the appropriate activities/uses to an area—this directly impacts the health and well-being of a community. And the ZOUP Committee expressly pointed out how harmful gas stations can be to residential areas. Our community deserves development that aligns with the SLUP and serves our residential area in a more beneficial and productive way than the proposed QT build.

The proposed QT would significantly increase car traffic at Jamieson & Arsenal. Transportation industry data indicate that large convenience stores with fueling stations are designed to attract substantial vehicle traffic and are typically located on high-volume roadways. QT’s own traffic study shows hundreds of vehicles entering and exiting the station daily (ie, 610 over just 3 peak hours), many of them turning in and out of the site at already busy intersections. This adds more conflict points for drivers, people walking and biking, and increases the risk of crashes. Extra cut‑through traffic on nearby residential streets would also make it harder and less safe for neighbors, kids, and seniors to move around the area. QT’s traffic study proposes some mitigation design, but we believe not nearly enough to compensate for the increased traffic and safety risks.  But more troubling, in some cases, their own design degrades traffic flow and safety even further than what has been experienced at Jamieson & Arsenal for years. The QT traffic study shows that 610 vehicles will enter/exit daily during just 3 peak hours (pg 17).

The QT build would be an unusually large development for South St. Louis City, covering about 2.4 acres—roughly four times the size of the nearby Circle K only 0.3 miles away. Building on this scale would require major land clearing and infrastructure work (including underground), with potential impacts on air, water, and soil quality, as well as the stability of the sloped area next to I‑44. Moreover, many authorities expressly state that gas stations add air/light/noise pollution, heat‑island effects, flooding and stormwater runoff, and broader climate impacts. Gas stations bring constant idling, fueling, and truck deliveries, which increase ozone‑forming emissions in a region that is already ranked among the worst in the country for ozone pollution (see St. Louis Public Radio’s May 1, 2026 article). More car trips also mean more greenhouse gases, directly at odds with the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and clean‑energy goals, which seeks to reduce citywide emissions by 80% by 2050. In addition, fuel handling and extensive paving further raise the risks of spills, flooding, stormwater runoff, and heat, instead of supporting cleaner, healthier land uses for nearby residents.  For more information, check out the recent newsletter issued by the Zoning Upgrade Plan (ZOUP) Committee, which outlines 13 negative impacts from gas stations adjacent to residential areas (see Issue 2, page 8).

All commercial builds potentially increase crime risks, diminish property values, and increase insurance premiums for their surrounding areas. Gas stations and convenience stores often see more theft and vehicle break‑ins because of increased traffic, distracted customers, and late‑night or 24‑hour operations. As crime rises, property values can fall, since homebuyers might avoid neighborhoods they see as less safe. Instead of strengthening our community as a walkable, mixed‑use neighborhood—which typically supports stable or rising values—the proposed QT would bring a highway‑style use that could make nearby homes seem less safe and less desirable. Accordingly, such results would diminish our quality of life, reduce the long‑term value of our biggest investment—our homes—and erode homeowners’ equity. On top of that, insurance premiums for both home and auto policies would rise in response to higher crime risk, adding ongoing financial strain. Should your family be subjected to this personal and financial risk?

Nearby local businesses have voiced grave concerns about how this build will dangerously increase traffic, jeopardize daily operations, and increase security risks. One prime example is Hof Construction, which has been in St. Louis City since 1911 and moved to the Jamieson-Arsenal intersection in the 1980s. As Daniel Hof II, Project Manager at Hof Construction, stated in an email to 4th Ward Alderman Bret Narayan on February 13, 2026: "From the transportation side, I see this gas station as a disaster. The way the Jamieson and Arsenal on and off ramps to 44 are set up as a pair will drag large flows of traffic through an area that is already congested at times and already has some grade issues that create potentially dangerous intersections. From my desk I see a minimum of 10-15 car accidents at the Jamieson on-ramp per year. More people using it who are not familiar with the area will cause a large spike in accidents. The Arsenal on-ramp is also integrated into the neighborhood. Increasing traffic would be detrimental to those neighbors and will pose hazards to the businesses operating there. Interstate 44 was built with a much older design language than other highways and interstates in the area. ... The city style on and off ramps are foreign to many people, cause confusion, which then causes dangerous situations and accidents. Unless QT is willing to foot the bill for a major infrastructure upgrade, I do not believe they should be permitted to build." Hof's email goes on to explain that the QT is not an appropriate fit for the neighborhood and that they've already seen an uptick in crime that has affected their ability to conduct business. Moreover, given QT's lack of proper maintenance of the U.S. Ring Binder building, Hof theorized that QT is deliberately allowing the area "to become such a nuisance, that residents capitulate to their plan and allow them to build without making any improvements to surrounding streets and traffic patterns." Should QT continue to allow the property to fall into disrepair, Hof Construction urged Alderman Narayan "to seize this land via the LRA so it can be put to use to strengthen the community." [LRA stands for St. Louis City's Land Reutilization Authority.] And again in May 2026, serious objections to the proposed QT were posted on the Ellendale Neighborhood Association (ENA) website by William Frisella, the landlord for METRO Electric Supply. Like Hof Construction, METRO Electric Supply sits at the Jamieson-Arsenal intersection itself. Frisella had similar concerns about the dangerous traffic risks posed by the proposed QT and said: "The entire Quick Trip plan should be scrapped. It's going to be a total nightmare for Arsenal and Jamieson." To view his concerns in full, expand the comments on the ENA website. In addition to these large business concerns immediately at the Jamieson-Arsenal intersection, some businesses located in the Ivanhoe Small Business District (SBD) (only one block from the site) are also voicing concerns about the proposed QT and its impacts on traffic and their business. Given all these complaints, we believe the proposed QT threatens local businesses by creating dangerous traffic and safety conditions, pulling everyday spending away from neighborhood‑serving shops, and concentrating it in a single, car‑oriented chain. Instead of people walking to multiple local stores (like in the Ivanhoe SBD), a large gas station and convenience store encourages quick in‑and‑out car trips where gas, snacks, and basic groceries are all bought on‑site. This could weaken the customer base that independent businesses rely on and undermines the walkable, mixed‑use commercial areas envisioned in the City’s land use and zoning plans, which are meant to support local entrepreneurs—not replace them with more highway‑style development. Existing local businesses could relocate outside of St. Louis City, and we do not wish to aggravate or harm these businesses that have long been part of our community (some for decades).

The QT traffic study did not address the protection and safety of pedestrians and bicyclists (i.e., "vulnerable users") in our community, which is a critical area of concern for residential areas. Instead, the QT build would replace our neighborhood‑scale corner with their largest model gas station, a convenience store, and a car wash to expressly cater to vehicular use—covering more than 2.4 acres. This auto-centric focus endangers the vulnerable user and does not fit in with our residential streets. The QT build would bring heavy traffic, light/air/noise pollution, and truck deliveries that feel more like a highway exit than a city neighborhood. Moreover, the proposed build will cut down mature trees in the area, create an enormous concrete-paved area, and irreparably change the neighborhood “feel” with such a large, commercial construction. The QT build would add more car trips, idling, and fuel handling in a city already struggling with ozone pollution and climate impacts, working against local clean‑energy and sustainability goals (see Issue 3 above). All of this erodes the sense of safety, calm, and community that drew many of us here in the first place.

QT bought the U.S. Ring Binder building in early 2023, but it has been poorly maintained, as seen in the subpar repair at Jamieson & Arsenal. QT is responsible for its upkeep, and approving their requests would set a bad example for future developers by rewarding acquisition, neglect, and deterioration. While demolition is an option, preserving and reusing the building is preferred. Our neighborhood thrives on its unique architecture and character, with many once-neglected City buildings now transformed into vibrant spaces like SqWires, Urban Chestnut, and Blueprint Coffee. These successes show the value of reuse over demolition.