The call for designs follows the release of a general management plan last month by the National Park Service.
The superintendent of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial -- which includes the Arch -- is Tom Bradley. He says the Arch grounds need to have a better connection to downtown St. Louis and Illinois, across the Mississippi River.
"On one hand it's fairly simple. You'd like a nice, safe, simple way to cross Memorial Drive or over the depressed lanes. And also to do something neat and I don't know what neat is but something on the riverfront to make that more attractive and part of the attraction for downtown," Bradley said.
A decision on a design should be made by October. The goal is to implement the changes by 2015, the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Arch.
© Copyright 2012, St. Louis Public Radio
