ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOX) - The Federal Government gave the St. Louis metro area a grant to develop the land around metro stations, and now its up to you to decide what to build.

East West Gateway and Metro are holding meetings over the next three days near different metro stops to ask if you want stores, high rises or office space.

Mary Beth Lewandowski is organizing these meetings and she says the goal is to develop communities by building things near transit stops; it’s a strategy called Transit Oriented Development.

But she says St. Louis poses a unique problem. As soon as the metro runs out of the urban core, the population density is much lower. She says that makes it difficult to justify large developments; the fear is no one will use what they build.

But the hope of the meetings is to find what people will use. Lewandowski says each meeting will represent a few stations, so people living near those stations should come and voice their opinions. Each one is from 4:00-7:00.

Tuesday, December 11:
Emerson Park and Jackie Joyner-Kersee Stations
Jackie Joyner Kersee Center, East St. Louis IL

Wednesday, December 12:
Fairview Heights Station
Fairview Heights Public Library, Fairview Heights IL

Thursday, December 13:
North Hanley Station
University of Missouri – St. Louis, Summit Room. St. Louis MO