Category: Historic Preservation

Categories
Historic Preservation Mid-Century Modern New Orleans New York City

Sunday Morning Reading

by Michael R. Allen

Francine Stock’s excellent Regional Modernism reports that St. Louis is not the only city taking aim at the work of New Orleans modernist Charles Colbert. Colbert’s hometown wants to level the playing field: the Recovery School District wants to demolish Colbert’s Phyllis Wheatley Elementary School (1955) as well as Curtis & Davis’s Thomy Lafron Elementary School (1954), also a modern landmark.

The New York Times reports on one man’s grassroots effort to save Admiral Row in Brooklyn, a row of stately 19th century houses once occupied by the Navy Yard’s highest-ranking officers. Architect Scott Witter’s crusade involves a curious home-grown museum, Brooklyn’s Other Museum of Brooklyn, which has found one of the best uses for blue painter’s tape that I’ve seen.

Categories
Historic Preservation Missouri Missouri Legislature Public Policy

Energy Efficiency Act Snubs Missouri Historic Tax Credit

by Michael R. Allen

Missouri State Senator Brad Lager (R-Savannah) won a legislative victory this year when his Energy Efficient Investment Act passed the General Assembly and was signed into law by Democratic Governor Jay Nixon.

The bill’s chief purpose is to allow utilities to recover costs of energy efficiency measures to deter construction of new power plants. Lager wisely has opposed public subsidy to power plant construction. The state’s Public Service Commission’s rule is that Missouri’s electric companies only raise rates if the rates are equal to or less than the rates that the companies would have charged if the company had built a new power plant. That rule encourages more energy output without addressing efficiency.

The bill allows utilities to count toward output energy not being consumed and enables utilities to establish programs where customers receive benefits for demand-side efficiency upgrades.

However, Lager could not resist riding his favorite hobby horse into the bill — opposition to the state’s historic rehabilitation tax credit, which was modified for the first time ever this year in response to Lager’s efforts to kill it.

Section 14 of the act states:

Any customer of an electrical corporation who has received a state tax credit under sections 135.350 to 135.362, RSMo, or received under sections 253.545 to 253.561, RSMo, shall not be eligible for participation in any demand-side program offered by an electrical corporation under this section if such program offers a monetary incentive to the customer.

Sections 135.350-362 deal with a range of tax credit programs that Lager also opposes, including the state’s low income housing tax credit, but sections 253.545-561 enable the state historic rehabilitation tax credit. Vigilance on the rehabilitation tax credit remains crucial in this post-Jeff Smith era.

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Central West End Historic Preservation Mid-Century Modern

Lindell’s Modern Buildings Should be Protected

by Michael R. Allen

My latest commentary for St. Louis Public Radio aired this morning; listen to or read it here.

Categories
Historic Preservation North St. Louis Northside Regeneration Old North

Old North Still Part of NorthSide Project Until Holdings Are Sold

by Michael R. Allen

Despite removing over half of the Old North St. Louis neighborhood from the NorthSide project boundary, McEagle Properties retains a strong presence in the neighborhood. In a future article, I will write about McEagle’s plans for the portion of the neighborhood that is included in the project. For now, here is a catalog of the 27 historic buildings owned by McEagle’s holding companies in that part of Old North for which the developer has no plans.

McEagle and elected officials repeat the line that “Old North is no longer a part of the project.” That’s not true. Over one-third of the neighborhood remains within the project boundary and the developer has yet to commit to a definite plan to either developing or selling properties that it owns in Old North. Maintenance is abysmal, and many buildings in need of structural repairs.

All of the twenty-seven buildings shown here are contributing resources to the Murphy-Blair Historic District, the National Register of Historic Places listing for most of Old North. All qualify for use of the historic rehabilitation tax credits at the state and federal level. Some are adjacent to rehabilitation projects ranging from owner-occupant work to the $35 million Crown Square redevelopment project.

The efforts of good people in Old North will rise the property values of McEagle’s holdings. However, long-term speculation is not fair to Old North. If old North is “out,” then McEagle needs to sell. The NorthSide redevelopment agreement must include binding language to compel McEagle to sell its holdings in Old North outside of the project boundary.

Publicly and privately, Paul J. McKee, Jr. complains about his reception in Old North (exemplified by the feisty meeting there last Monday). There is good reason for that reception, as the condition of these buildings and McEagle’s vague plans for the future show. Old North is hardly different from any neighborhood in resenting the presence and impact of a large-scale nuisance owner. I’m sure that WingHaven residents would be up in arms if a speculator started buying up residential foreclosures and left the houses vacant and untended for five years.

Last November, I offered free advice to McKee: “In preservation-minded Old North, there is a clear way to gain respect and built support: save buildings.” Not interested? Then it’s time to sell.

2900 N. 14th Street
Owner: Dodier Investors LLC

3115 N. 14th Street
Owner: Blairmont Associates LC

3236 and 3238 N. 20th Street
Owner: Sheridan Place LC

3237 N. 20th Street
Owner: Sheridan Place LC
Had been largely rehabbed by owner who sold to McEagle.

1415 Benton Street
Owner: Dodier Investors LLC

2701 Blair Avenue
Owner: Dodier Investors LLC
Located at the intersection of Blair and Montgomery — Blairmont!

2710 Blair Avenue
Owner: VHS Partners LLC
Located adjacent to Crown square redevelopment. Photo shows a fence now removed and replaced by tenant parking for a rehabilitated building.

1500 Branch Street
Owner: Blairmont Associates LC
The entire two-part commercial row is included.

1449 Clinton Street
Owner: Noble Development Company LLC
Shown at right above.

1913 Dodier Street
Owner: MLK 3000 LLC

3211 Blair Street
Owner: Blairmont Associates LC
At left next door to owner-occupied home.

1420 and 1424 Hebert Street
Owner: Dodier Investors LLC
Two cool small houses. The house at 1422 Hebert (left) is a flounder house.

1420 Hebert Street, Rear
Owner: Dodier Investors LLC
Two-and-a-half story alley house next door to fully-rehabilitated alley house.

3240 and 3242 Knapp Street
Owner: Dodier Investors LLC

3248 Knapp Street
Owner: N & G Ventures LC

3261 Knapp Street
Owner: Dodier Investors LLC
Alley house. Adjacent neighbor demolished.

1445 Monroe Street
Owner: Noble Development Company LC
Permastone covers brick. Great vergeboard!

1119 Montgomery Street
Owner: Union Martin LC
Just the left side of the first building in the row of houses. Purchased by agent Harvey Noble at a tax sale in 2008 apparently “by mistake.”

1416 Montgomery Street
Owner: Noble Development Company LLC
Located between occupied business and the Crown Square redevelopment project, in which it could have been included.

1501 Palm Street
Owner: Blairmont Associates LC
More coverage here and here.

1523 Palm Street
Owner: Blairmont Associates LC
Just the left side of the left building is owned by McEagle. Building at right being fully rehabilitated.

1311 St. Louis Avenue
Owner: Blairmont Associates LC
Photograph taken before McEagle purchase; second floor now boarded most of the time. Directly across the street from the Crown Square redevelopment.

1437 Warren Street
Owner: Dodier Investors LLC
Building adjacent to a church.

1215 Wright Street
Owner: Blairmont Associates LC.
At right. Shown here before McEagle boarded the second floor windows.

Categories
Historic Preservation LRA North St. Louis Old North

Old North Moving Foward on Stabilizing Historic Buildings

by Michael R. Allen

While people are debating larger projects, the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group started a small but very important one: stabilization of several vacant historic buildings in the neighborhood formerly owned by the city’s Land Reutilization Authority (LRA). This comes after the group issued a request for proposals that led to two vacant houses finding owners who plan full rehabs.

Above is the house at 1300 Monroe Street, a very stunning corner house that has seen some rough days. The Restoration Group has already secured all of the openings with boards. The next steps are major masonry repairs and new roofing, on the flat roof as well as the projecting bay. When work concludes, what started as a hard-to-handle city-owned vacant building will be a rehab-ready, structurally-sound shell. The Restoration Group will place the home on the market.

No matter how long the buildings take to sell, they will stand safe and secure. Meanwhile, the Restoration Group will have demonstrated how a community development corporation can act to safeguard vacant historic buildings and get those buildings out of the LRA inventory and into a more sale-ready situation.

Support these remarkable efforts this Friday evening at a silent auction from 7 – 9:30 p.m. at 1331 North Market. The auction benefits the Restoration Group’s plans to fully rehab one of the vacant buildings. A mere $5 is the suggested cover, but of course you can be more generous! Details are here.

Categories
Historic Preservation North St. Louis Northside Regeneration

Next Step for NorthSide

by Michael R. Allen

I have a column in today’s St. Louis American: “Holding McKee to his preservation promises”.

After last night’s TIF Commission vote to recommend approval of tax increment financing for the first two phases of the NorthSide, we’re moving on to legislation at the Board of Aldermen. Last night provided a show of the discontent that remains, as well as the uncertainty of financing a project as vast as NorthSide. I would say those with serious ideas for the redevelopment ordinances ahead have a great chance at being heard and making change. These are not just ordinances for Paul J. McKee, Jr. — these are ordinances for citizens of the north side, the affected neighborhoods, and for our entire city. They must reflect all of the associated aspirations for transformation.

Categories
Flounder House Historic Preservation JeffVanderLou North St. Louis Northside Regeneration

Snapshots from JeffVanderLou

by Michael R. Allen

I have been working on an architectural survey in JeffVanderLou (details to come) and wanted to share some images from the area just west of Parnell and north of Cass avenues. This is a neat urban pocket filled with historic buildings dating from 1870 – 1910 that is located in the fourth phase of the proposed NorthSide project. There is the abandonment and building loss typical of this neighborhood, JeffVanderLou, but the level of historic integrity remaining is actually strong. A historic district is certainly possible here.

The image above shows one of the most splendid rows in the area: the 1700-1800 block of Leffingwell Avenue, just south of North Market. This intact street wall faces Yeatman Park (which, by the way, happens to have excellent tennis courts). Of course, this photograph shows that the four of the eight buildings at the left are vacant. However, only one of these buildings is owned by a holding company controlled by McEagle Properties LLC. Three are owned by the city’s Land Reutilization Authority (and likely to be purchased by McEagle) and the corner unit of the corner building is owned by one Hillmon Bonds.

This image cuts against the stereotype that the NorthSide area is an urban prairie with a few decrepit houses here and there. This is a block of historic homes comparable to blocks found across the city, with as many houses occupied as vacant. Every time I am on this block, people are around tending to their yards or cars. While the fates of the four vacant houses concerns this architectural historian, those fates concern the residents and owners of the remaining four buildings even more.

Take away half of this row, and what is left is diminished. The quality of life on this block would be much improved if the vacant houses were again occupied by families. The difference between a fully occupied row of historic homes facing a lovely city park and a group of isolated survivors ringed by vacant lots could not be more stark.

There is a flounder-style house at 2627 Howard Street. Flounders are indigenous to St. Louis, Philadelphia and Alexandria, Virginia, and feature a roof slope (sometimes hipped) that runs from one side of the building to the other. The origin is unknown and the prevalence unaccounted for. All we know is that these are a precious American architectural resource. This one is owned by Dodier Investors LLC, a McEagle holding company.

The rest of this block of Howard is the typical mix of vacant and occupied for the neighborhood. This photographs shows a typical density of remaining historic resources — too dense to ignore. Second from left is a one-story flounder house that is occupied. Once again, we see that historic preservation planning in the NorthSide project is crucial. Preservation here is preservation of the livability of whole city blocks.

Categories
Central West End Historic Preservation Mid-Century Modern

CVS Proposal Threatens Two Modern Buildings on Lindell

by Michael R. Allen

Here is the site at Lindell and Sarah avenues in the Central West End that discount and drug store giant CVS is targeting for a new store. The site encompasses two historic buildings from our recent past that would be obliterated for a low-density big-box store with a drive through lane. Domino effect is evident: Walgreens is just a block west on a site where the mid-century Cinerama fell for the chain-store box. CVS wants to follow suit, but its aim is at a prominent corner, and three buildings with higher merit and reuse potential than a movie theater.

There seems to be major concern about the design on the part of the West Pine/Laclede Neighborhood Association, whose boundaries encompass the sites. Earlier, the neighborhood group was opposed based on a terrible site plan that CVS has since replaced. This month, the group voted to continue discussions.

At stake is the fate of two buildings whose individual densities are separately greater than the single building that will replace all three. While not completed, the forthcoming Central West End Sustainable Development Plan will likely include provisions discouraging the development of low-density uses on major neighborhood streets like Lindell. Thus, preservation is aligned here with larger planning goals.

The building at 4100 Lindell dates to 1956 and is one of the first works by then-new firm Hellmuth Obata and Kassabaum (HOK). Built as the regional office of typewriter giant Sperry-Rand Corporation, the building is most familiar to St. Louisans as the headquarters of the St. Louis Housing Authority. The Housing Authority relocated last month to a new building on Page Boulevard.

The Housing Authority building definitely has individual architectural significance. As an early work of HOK, the building is a key part of the development of a body of work that has international significance. The building itself is a fine essay in minimalism. This city has few true examples of modern “glass boxes” and this is one of them. The International Style roots are evident in the ample glazing, neutral colors, and the vertical I-beams that frame the recessed windows. This is a class act, and a fine corner anchor.

To the west, at 4108 Lindell, is a modest modern work. Built in 1960 for the St. Louis Society for Crippled Children (think Easter Seal), this building is a fine supporting player in the mid-century carnival on Lindell Boulevard. There are 30 modern movement buildings on Lindell between Grand and Kingshighway out of 32 built between 1941 and 1977. Not all of these buildings are tied to great architects or original expressions, but all are integral to an overall composition unlike any other in the city. Where else do we have such abundant mid-century architecture interspersed with the high-style architecture of the Gilded Age and early 20th century? Alas, our decision-makers are just a generation too close to the birth of these buildings to appreciate their significance.

To the west sits a for-sale building that might be more conventionally assumed to be “historic.” However, the Colonial Revival office building that once housed Places for People has more in common with its forward-looking neighbors than Independence Hall — this building dates to 1948 and is part of the wave of new construction on Lindell that took place after World War II. Some developers stuck with the tried and true rather than embrace new design. Either way, the results are splendid.

Today, we are the stewards of this development. The significance of the modern buildings is just starting to be explored by historians. Yet the contrast between the recent demolition of the San Luis Apartments and $9 million rehabilitation of the Hotel Indigo show the divergent paths of owners of these buildings. Perhaps architectural significance will be better appreciated by future generations, but even today we see that these buildings are much better for the urban street scape and Central West End planning goals than a drug store box.

Categories
Historic Preservation James Clemens House North St. Louis Northside Regeneration St. Louis Place

Clemens House Wall Collapse Highlights Continuing Neglect

by Michael R. Allen

Over a week ago, gaping hole appeared in the front yard wall at the James Clemens, Jr. House (1849 Cass Avenue in St. Louis Place). The cause of the collapse was structural failure, but the hole and its resulting brick debris attracted a truck load of thieves warded away by vigilant neighbors. Since the wall’s partial collapse, the hole has attracted photographer, a television news crew, concerned neighbors and property owners, thieves and — not surprising — no maintenance crews from Clemens House owner McEagle properties.

The wall remains breached, and the brick bats piled behind the breach right where they fell. When McEagle’s representatives talk about saving the Clemens House, what do they mean? A June draft of the revised tax increment financing (TIF) application for the NorthSide project showed an $8.6 million budget for rehabilitation of the Clemens House — in the project’s second phase with no item for repairs in the first phase — with 100% of the funds to come from TIF funds (at least prior to historic tac credit reimbursement).

While the final TIF application due out tomorrow may not include that line item, the draft idea is discouraging. What if the TIF does not pass the Board of Aldermen, or what if it passes without city backing and McEagle cannot monetize the TIF? The most pressing point is that there is no indication that structural issues like this fence failure or last year’s chapel wall and roof collapse will be abated before TIF funds are available.

This photograph of the wall that I took before the collapse shows the massive inward bow of the wall. The wall’s weight load was shifted askew. Additionally, the wall is tuckpointed incorrectly with a hard mortar, which forces moisture weeping through the bricks instead of the mortar joints. Over times, the bricks in the bow have split due to shifted weight load’s resulting stress, and have been weakened by the hard mortar. A collapse was building.

Of course, this is not the first part of the wall to fall. The limestone return of wall on the east is missing, all of the way through the corner at Cass Avenue.

There is also a partly-collapsed section in front of the chapel at this end. This section collapsed in 2005.

A central feature of the wall was the wrought iron gates, crudely removed by a thief after the Berean Missionary Baptist Association vacated the Clemens House in 2000. This photograph comes from the Landmarks Association of St. Louis and dates to 1980.

Here’s the reverse view in early 2008, showing the damage to the wall caused by hasty removal. My guess is that the thieves tied each gate to a pick-up truck, and pulled them off by accelerating. Perhaps the gates were mangled in the process and ended up in the scrap yard instead of the salvage shop. (Any dealer who accepted and then sold these gates deserves prison time, by the way.)

So now the Clemens House sits behind an unstable, damaged high brick wall missing its iron gates.

Once upon a time, back in 1860 when this silver albumen print was made, the mansion sat behind an elegant iron fence. The iron fence was low and afforded great views of the majestic house. The fence ended at the wooden fencing that surrounded the rest of the Clemens estate.

Preservation of the Clemens House need not retain the later brick wall, which suffers disrepair and obscured views of the house and its later chapel addition. One possible plan would be demolition of the later brick wall and replication of the original iron fence, would would reconnect the Clemens House to the Cass Avenue streetscape and surroudning neighborhood.

However, the fence plan would have to be made as part of a total preservation plan for the site that would take into account use of historic tax credit programs that come with review guidelines that may necessitate retention of the existing wall. To date, there has been no preservation plan produced for the Clemens House — no historic structures report, no structural assessment, nothing. Until McEagle produces a plan, the brick wall needs to be stabilized. The breaches should be closed, and the wall should be braced. If the wall comes down, that act should be planned.

For now, the gaping hole stands as naked testament to the lack of planning for the future of the Clemens House. I want the house to be saved, and I want McEagle to make preservation a priority that is not tied to the outcome of the TIF financing. The Clemens House remains one of the city’s most important 19th century buildings, and its fate truly is of regional concern. McEagle should fix the wall and then work on a serious preservation plan with stabilization work occurring in the first phase of the NorthSide project. Can you imagine a better good will gesture than prompt maintenance and early stabilization? Once stabilized, as the Mullanphy Emigrant Home demonstrates, a building will buy significant time for reuse planning. No preservationist that I know is hollering for McEagle to reopen a fully-restored Clemens House immediately. We just want to make sure than no part of it — including the chapel, which is not far gone despite visible damage — falls down.

Categories
Central West End Demolition DeVille Motor Hotel Historic Preservation Mid-Century Modern Salvage

All of the San Luis is Not Lost

by Michael R. Allen

This week, the St. Louis Building Arts Foundation accepted the donation of two of the light posts from the San Luis Apartments (originally the DeVille Motor Hotel) at 4483 Lindell Boulevard. Here’s a case where cooperation transcends conflict: Friends of the San Luis board member Jeff Vines saw the posts removed and contacted Tom Richter at the St. Louis Archdiocese. Richter promptly agreed to the donation and made arrangements with Building Arts Foundation President Larry Giles for pick-up.

The light posts are headed to the Foundation’s Conservatory in Sauget, Illinois, where they will live on alongside parts of the Century Building, the Ambassador Theater and countless other lost St. Louis buildings. As a board member of both the Building Arts Foundation and the Friends of the San Luis, I thank the Archdiocese for their assistance in preserving a small part of the modern motel!