What businesses do you want to see in Affton?

     We have written articles in Patch and on Facebook about what type of businesses people in Affton would like to see located here and would SUPPORT them.  Save-A-Lot and 7-11 both said they moved for lack of business, so this is what will happen if we entice businesses to move to Affton, but we don’t support them. Someone mentioned a bowling alley, but we already have one on Watson in Marlborough and one on Watson in Crestwood, and one on Lemay Ferry Rd. How many bowling alleys can the Affton area support?
     We have several grill & bars with another opening later this month. We have places for breakfast; we have several nice sit down restaurants. We list them on our web site--have you tried them? Several of the restaurants have games for the children like Fortel’s and Happy Joe’s. We have America’s Incredible Pizza on Lindbergh and Pole Position on Watson for recreation. Both are less than a mile from the 63123 boundaries. We have Affton Athletic Association for baseball, softball, & hockey; St. Louis Sports Center for basketball & fitness, Tower Tee for golf & batting cages, Indian Hills Swim Club at Bayless & Union and Carondelet RecPlex on I-55 in Carondelet Park. The Affton Community Center offers many different classes for young & old.
     At this time of the year, we receive many calls and emails about why doesn't Affton have a swimming pool. Affton is not a municipality, but part of unincorporated St. Louis County. In 2April 005, there was a Proposition on the ballot and it lost, especially in Affton. It would have provided the money to build a pool & aquatic center next to the Affton Community Center, where Bexley Station condos are now located.
     We have received many ideas and have recently sent letters to over 25 companies asking them to take a look at Affton. Problem is that many of the businesses that would fit in the footprint of the vacant buildings in Affton are franchises. This means someone would have to put up a fairly large sum of money to open the business. 
     Some of the letters we sent were to: Trader Joe's, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Wendy's, Monkey Joe’s, Great Harvest, REI, TJ Maxx, Chuck E. Cheese, Whole Foods, First Watch, Fro Jo, Checker’s/Rallys, Dippin Dots, Orange Leaf, Dollar Tree, Dots, Avenue, Chick-Fil-A, and others.
     We would appreciate it if anyone with ideas of businesses that would fit in Affton, would send the ideas and any contact information they have to us at info@afftonchamber.com.
     We have a link on our web site to Location One where all the “for sale or for lease” commercial properties are listed. Keep in mind that Affton is a community not a city, so there is no city money available.