110 HR 7252 IH: To designate the structure of the Gateway Arch and the U.S. House of Representatives 2008-10-03 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I 110th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7252 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 3, 2008 Mr. Clay introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To designate the structure of the Gateway Arch and the Old St. Louis Courthouse as National Historic Landmarks, to designate the grounds of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial surrounding the Arch for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, and for other purposes.

1.

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial was conceived in the 1930s to preserve St. Louis’s role as the Gateway to the West. Land was acquired, competitions were held, the renowned Arch was completed on October 28, 1965, and the Arch itself was designated a National Historic Landmark on May 28, 1987. (2)The original purpose of the Memorial, as described in President Roosevelt’s 1935 Executive Order and later in the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Act of 1954, was to commemorate the past, and especially, to keep alive the daring and spirit that moved pioneers to press westward before and after the consummation of the Louisiana Purchase and the historic role of the rivers and St. Louis in westward expansion. (3)To fully realize the true promise and significance of the Memorial and its Landmark, the Arch, the Memorial should connect with and be more accessible to the urban population and the river and commemorate the pioneering spirit of migration throughout the Nation by providing a visitor experience that includes educational, instructional, and research programs, facilities, and technology demonstrating— (A)the broad diversity of migrants; (B)the policies and conditions that produced migration; (C)the impact of migration on the political, economic, social, and architectural development of the Nation; and (D)a focus on African-American migration patterns from slavery to the underground railroad, and especially the migration of African-Americans from the south to northern industrial cities. (4)The project described in paragraph (3) should be completed by October 28, 2015, the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Arch, so that the area will be available to better engage the American public when the Centennial of the National Park Service is celebrated in 2016. (5)The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Act of 1954, which authorized the construction of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and directed the Secretary to construct the Memorial in accordance with the Eero Saarinen’s winning design for the development and construction of the Memorial, recognized the importance of highly visible cultural facilities and other attractions on the grounds of the Memorial to its central purpose of promoting the connection and significance of the historic St. Louis riverfront to the rest of the region, and in turn, the region to the Nation. (6)The Museum of Westward Expansion should be significantly improved before the Centennial of the National Park Service is celebrated in 2016.

2.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Act: (1)

Memorial

The term Memorial means the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. (2)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. (3)

Trust

The term Trust means the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Trust

3.

National historic landmark status of the gateway arch

To ensure the protections of the National Historic Preservation Act— (1)the structure of the Gateway Arch and the Old St. Louis Courthouse are hereby designated by Congress as National Historic Landmarks; and (2)the grounds of the Memorial surrounding the Arch are hereby designated by Congress for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

4.

Authority of the secretary

The Secretary may take the following actions: (1)Enter into agreements with the Trust to plan and develop the St. Louis riverfront between Eads and Poplar Street bridges, the Memorial grounds including the interstate highway and roadways now traversing them, Luther Ely Smith Square, and the Old Courthouse as a single project area. The master plan for the project area and the design of its highly visible elements shall be created pursuant to international design competitions to be conducted by the Trust as extensive as the 1947 competition which resulted in the selection of Eero Saarinen’s Arch design. (2)Enter into an agreement with the Trust to facilitate the planning, construction, and operation of a cultural facility on Federal land within the boundary of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial to enhance the visitor experience of the Memorial and for exhibitions, learning and interpretation associated with American migration, and other terms and conditions the Secretary determines to be necessary. An agreement authorizing the Trust to occupy or operate the cultural facility shall also provide for conveyance by the Trust to the United States of all right, title, and interest in such cultural facility. (3)Transfer one or more portions of the Memorial grounds to the administrative jurisdiction of the Trust and enter into agreements with the Trust for the Trust to assist in the implementation of the Final General Management Plan and Record of Decision. (4)Enter into agreements with the Trust for such other facilities and services provided in the design competitions in furtherance of the purposes of this Act, including completing the project described in paragraph (3) of section 1 not later than October 28, 2015.