Category: Northside Regeneration

Categories
Demolition Northside Regeneration St. Louis Place

Another North Side Building Lost Under Blairmont Project

by Michael R. Allen


This two-story 19th-century commercial building at 2413 Cass Avenue, owned by N & G Ventures LC, fell to wreckers last week after being pillaged by brick rustlers. The building stood just north from the Pruitt-Igoe housing project site, and shared a wall with a small Modern Movement building (still standing) to the east that was once home to the social services office for Pruitt-Igoe. The city’s Building Division applied for an emergency demolition permit on April 19 (see here), issued on June 1. The lot is now strewn with the signs of fresh demolition: straw and seed. The city sends the estimated $8,500 bill on to the owners of N & G Ventures LC, which include Paul J. McKee, Jr.

For more on McKee’s project, see today’s article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch by reporter Jake Wagman: Plans ride on ties to city

Categories
Northside Regeneration People

Paul McKee Praised

by Michael R. Allen

In her latest post to the Riverfront Times blog, Kathleen McLaughlin profiles one “flaming liberal” and unexpected WingHaven resident who has genuinely come to respect developer Paul J. McKee, Jr.:

The Softy Side of Paul McKee

Categories
Clearance JeffVanderLou North St. Louis Northside Regeneration

In 1966, City Demolished 150 Buildings on Near North Side

by Michael R. Allen

According to an article that appeared in the November 26, 1966 issue of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat with the prosaic title “$151,000 Demolition Job,” the city of St. Louis was embarking upon a large-scale scattered-site clearance project on the near north side. In an area bounded by Jefferson on the east, Delmar of the south, Grand on the west and St. Louis on the north, the city was planning to demolish 150 buildings identified as substandard. This area at the time was known as Grand Prairie or Mid-City, but today is better known as the eastern half of JeffVanderLou. $101,000 of the $151,000 cost of the project came from federal funds.

This project started six years ahead of the introduction of the Team Four Plan for the wholesale deprivation of the near north side. This came ahead of widespread organized architectural surveys conducted by Landmarks Association of St. Louis and city government. This came thirty years before Paul J. McKee, Jr. set his sights on this area.

This part of the city has been long betrayed by many people. McKee’s plans are simply the endgame of decades of deprivation, demolition and neglect. However, knowing what we know now about the lack of sustainability of large-scale urban renewal projects, we should be in a better position to avoid further destroying the near north side. We don’t have the density of physical and social resources that should remain on the near north side, but we now know the value of what’s left, if only due to its scarcity.

Categories
North St. Louis Northside Regeneration Old North

McKee’s Holding Company Spent $900K Between May 17 and June 20

by Michael R. Allen

Despite statements to the contrary, Paul McKee’s north side holding companies continue their purchasing spree. One of those companies alone, MLK 3000 LLC, spent $935,400 between May 17 and June 20 in order to acquire nine properties.

The properties and their recorded sales prices are: 2517 North Market, $92,000.00; 2225 Mullanphy, $80,500.00; 2223 Mullanphy, $80,500.00; 2221 Madison, $74,750.00; 1902 Dodier: $115,000; 1831 Laflin, $78,200.00; 1836-42 N. 22nd, $147,200.00; 2529-31 Hebert, $97,750.00; 2500 Sullivan, $172,500.00.

The building at 1902 Dodier is an occupied contributing resource to the Murphy-Blair National Historic District, the largest historic district in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood.

The deeds are signed by Roberta M. Defiore, manager of MLK 3000 LLC and former consultant to the Archdiocese Office of Urban and Community Affairs (see here). The loans come from the Parkburg Fund LC, an entity incorporated in August 2006 prior to MLK 3000 LLC’s first purchase.

Categories
Media Midtown Northside Regeneration People

Blairmont, Locust Street Covered in Today’s RFT

by Michael R. Allen

There are two excellent articles in today’ Riverfront Times pertaining to controversial development matters:

Phantom of the Hood, Part 2 by Kathleen McLaughlin

The newest member of the RFT staff has written a great article on Paul McKee’s north side project. Some of the new information she dug up includes the fact that McKee’s attorney Steve Stone of Stone, Leyton & Gershman was involved in drafting the Distressed Areas Land Assemblage Act. McLaughlin includes a choice quote from State Sen. John Griesheimer, original sponsor of the tax credit: “My idea of redeveloping is taking a blighted area and bulldozing it, putting mixed-uses in.” The “bulldoze the ghetto” rhetoric gains some credibility. Kathleen McLaughlin’s byline is definitely one to watch; she is tenacious and smart.

Rebuilt to Suit by Randall Roberts

Randall Roberts’ last story for the RFT covers the tension between St. Louis University and the developers and businesspeople who are transforming Locust Street (as well as parts of Olive and Washington) east of Grand into a force that puts the “life” in that fables intersection Grand Center advertises. The last part chronicles the livery stable demolition, bringing to light SLU’s promise to demolish no more of its holdings north of Lindell. Roberts has a fine sense of public journalism, and of how an article like this one can make a difference for the better. While this article comes out too late to make a difference in the livery stable fight, its timing is still good since few know SLU’s next step on Locust Street. I’m confident that McLaughlin will continue Roberts’ legacy of providing critical coverage of development and preservation issues in the RFT.

Categories
Media North St. Louis Northside Regeneration

McKee’s North St. Louis Project Makes Front Page of Sunday Post-Dispatch, Above the Fold

by Michael R. Allen

A tax-credit bill for one man? – Virginia Young and Jake Wagman (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 17) [DEFUNCT LINK]

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch makes up for its rather late coverage of Paul McKee’s acquisitions in north St. Louis with a well-written in-depth story that appears above the fold on the front page of Sunday’s paper. Online, there is additional material including a great Flash graphic showing the flow of campaign contributions and in-kind gifts from McKee to a host of Missouri politicians, from Matt Blunt to Lewis Reed.

Despite significant coverage from other media outlets ranging from the Riverfront Times (the first major media outlet to cover the story, thanks to reporter Randall Roberts), Pub Def, KWMU, KDHX’s “The Wire” program and KMOV Channel 4 TV news, this issue has not received the huge major publicity it deserves. Here it is, at long last — and before Governor Blunt’s decision on the economic development bill in which the tax credit program sought by McKee is embedded.

Categories
Downtown Green Space Northside Regeneration

City Officials Making Best of Dirty Situation

by Harland Bartholomew, Jr.

ST. LOUIS — In an unexpected move, dirt for both the construction of the Mississippi River island and the mound at the western terminus of the Gateway Mall arrived early. Out of town crews trucked in more of the brown matter than St. Louis had seen in years, although construction of the new civic destinations is years away.

To deal with a possible dilemma, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay ordered the dirt spread across 75 non-contiguous acres of north St. Louis for storage. Slay thinks that the dirt companies may be eligible for a proposed land assemblage tax credit designed to smother areas like north St. Louis.

“We’re a unique city, with unique problem — too much dirt,” quipped Slay. The mayor says that other cities have actually noted dirt shortages in recent years.

St. Louis Planning Director Rollin Stanley said that St. Louisans have nothing to fear from the new dirt.

“Other cities have recognized that dirt provides the sort of 24-hour excitement that creates destinations,” Stanley said. “Dirt is literally always around, even in the middle of the night.”

Stanley added that the dirt would only be temporarily stored in north St. Louis.

“The temperatures in Hades are lowering, indicating that construction of the island and the mound could start at any moment.”

One person unhappy with the move is developer Paul J. McKee, Jr., who expressed interest in being the only recipient of the state tax credit.

“We do not have enough dirt in north St. Louis to construct an island in the Mississippi River,” read a written statement from McKee. “However, we are interested in seeking other parties who own dirt so that we can partner on making things with our dirt. We regret that the nameless and faceless dirt movers have changed the nature of my project so I cannot continue as an assembler of dirt.”

Slay suggests that competition for the tax credit is a good thing.

“Every city in America would love to have two large-scale plans for spreading dirt over economically distressed areas. Think of this as a blessing.”

On a related front, Philadelphia is donating a Starbucks kiosk from a downtown park to the St. Louis Gateway Mall effort.

“The last newspaper article calling the kiosk innovative was published in 1999,” said Philadelphia Parks Director Sara Collins.

###

Categories
JeffVanderLou North St. Louis Northside Regeneration Old North St. Louis Place

Plywood and Public Policy

by Michael R. Allen

Tonight, I was part of a group of three Old North St. Louis residents and one other city resident who undertook securing a building owned by a holding company controlled by Paul J. McKee, Jr. This particular house sits on a block McKee’s agents have worked hard to bust, and in just a few months since purchase has been stripped of new aluminum windows exposing other more historic features intact inside.

We in Old North are a vigilant bunch, and we don’t let our heritage get plundered. Upon spotting the empty window openings, my neighbor Barbara Manzara spread word and gathered an impromptu board-up crew. Now, the building is secure before irreplaceable parts are gone. Of course, boards won’t protect against brick rustlers who have destroyed many other vacant north side buildings owned by McKee’s companies, the city’s Land Reutilization Authority and other private parties. These boards can — and will — be removed. But residents will probably return to keep the boards on.

On the larger scale, though, we face hundreds of vacant buildings owned by McKee. Four people can’t get to them all, and most of the buildings don’t have even one person in close proximity to keep watch. Many are already so damaged by theft and weather that they may be lost forever.

Vigilante board-ups are no substitute for a public policy that would protect historic community resources and make them part of the burgeoning revitalization of the north side. Until there are assurances from city officials that they are interested in preservation planning as well as code enforcement for the area that McKee has targeted, residents will continue to take action — and be suspicious of those who are charged with safeguarding their rights as city residents to participatory government.

Categories
Media North St. Louis Northside Regeneration

Pub Def Covers Blairmont

Pub Def just published an excellent video, What’s McKee Planning for Old North?.  Thanks to Antonio French and Dan Martin for this good work.

Categories
North St. Louis Northside Regeneration

Blairmont Video

Michael Allen appears in this video produced by Antonio French for Pub Def.