Category: South St. Louis

Blocking Streets in Gravois Park?

Post author By Michael R. Allen
Post date May 12, 2005

Alderman Craig Schmid of the 20th Ward sent the following e-mail to the Gravois Park listserv outlining proposed changes to the street grid in that area of the city. These changes are the tired and ineffective methods of blocking streets and turning others one-way. In Forest Park Southeast, barriers and one-way streets have created fertile pockets for criminal activity and abandonment — check out the 4400 blocks of Swan, Norfolk and Vista to see what effect barriers have on a neighborhood. We’re fighting to get ours removed!

Feel free to give Alderman Schmid your two cents. He’s the only south side alderperson who seems to have genuine progressive inclinations, and usually is reasonable. He may be persuaded.

From: “craig schmid”
Subject: [gravoispark] Proposed barricades and one-way streets to keep non-resident criminals out of area.
Date: Tue, 10 May 2005 23:13:28 -0500

> Greetings:
>
> The police major for the South Patrol Division has compiled
> statistics to show that 2/3 of the folks arrested in our area come
> from outside of the neighborhoods. Therefore, he is committed to
> working with the City and neighborhoods to install barricades and
> one-way streets to deal with the easy accessibility of our
> neighborhoods to criminals. These are just proposals (which are in a
> number of wards), but the intent would be to try to put them in place
> by June. Let me know what you think.
>
> BARRICADES:
> Texas south of Arsenal; Juniata east of Minnesota; Nebraska
> north of Juniata; Ohio south of Arsenal; Pennsylvania south of
> Wyoming; Winnebago west of Jefferson; California north of alley to the
> north of Chippewa; Osage west of Broadway; Ohio south of Gasconade;
> Compton between Osage and Gasconade [Marquette Park].
>
> ONE-WAYS:
> Change 36xx Iowa to one-way north (was south); Meramec from
> Broadway to California one-way west; Osage from Virginia to Louisiana
> one-way west; Osage from Virginia to Compton one-way east; Miami from
> Arkansas to Grand one-way west; Osage from Tennessee to Louisiana
> one-way east (neighbor suggests one way west); Osage from Virginia to
> Louisiana one-way west (neighbor suggests one way east from Louisiana
> to Compton); Louisiana 34xx block one-way north (neighbor sugggests
> leaving two-way); 35xx Pennsylvania one-way north (was south); 36xx
> Iowa one-way north (was south); Jefferson one way east from Texas to
> Jefferson.
>
> Thanks.
> Craig
>

Abandonment Lafayette Square LRA South St. Louis

Eads House

Post author By Michael R. Allen
Post date March 15, 2005

by Michael R. Allen

The so-called Eads House at 1922 Chouteau Avenue in Lafayette Square was owned as investment property by James B. Eads, designer and builder of the famous Eads Bridge in St. Louis. Built in 1872, the mansard-roofed Second Empire originally was divided into two townhouse-style units but was later further divided into four units. The building has stood empty for at least 25 years, and has begun to fully collapse. The Chouteau facade seems intact but a walk around to the alley elevation reveals that the building is in need of desperate help. Homeless people still sleep under the building’s sturdy front steps, though.

Clearance McRee Town South St. Louis

The Destruction of McRee Town: March 2005

Post author By Michael R. Allen
Post date March 5, 2005

2005 St. Louis Election Demolition Downtown North St. Louis South St. Louis

Some News Today

Post author By Michael R. Allen
Post date February 25, 2005

OVER AT THE CENTURY BUILDING SITE

Masons are working quickly to close up the holes in the Syndicate Trust Building. Meanwhile, the Century basement is entirely excavated. The parking garage will sit on the basement floor, which will not be removed. So some part of the 1897 building will live on for the 60 years it will take for the parking garage replacement to collapse.

Oh, and the renderings of the replacement garage continue to show less and less detail. Perhaps the plan is to make the Old Post Office look better by building the ugliest downtown garage ever next to it.

THE LITTLE BUILDING THAT DIDN’T

Wreckers recently demolished the two-story storefront building directly north of Uncle Bill’s Pancake House on South Kingshighway. The little building, respledent with braided terra cotta columns and other details, was the only traditional storefront building remaining between Connecticut (near Arsenal) and Beck (near Chippewa) streets. The building fell for a an expansion of the Uncle Bill’s parking lot. Across the street, QuickTrip is building yet another new location.

PROGRESS, IN MY BOOK

A new Big Lots has opened in the once-moribund plaza at Kingshighway and Devonshire, behind the Department of Motor Vehicles office.

BUT WAIT!

Arch City Chronicle reports that both Payless and OfficeMax in the St. Louis Marketplace are closing.

THEM KIENLEN BUNGALOWS

I love the one-story bungalows lining Kienlen Avenue north of Martin Luther King Boulevard. They are sturdy and simple, and due to road expansions now sit almost directly on the sidewalk line.

IRENE AND DARLENE — AND MIKE

I am spotting lots of paired Irene Smith for Mayor and Darlene Green for Comptroller signs, including some in Shaw. In Ward 19, the pair often gets a third wheel — Re-Elect Michael McMillan for Alderman signs.

UPDATE ON WESTERN LANES

Steve Patterson posted an informative update on the shuttered Western Lanes bowling alley in his campaign blog. Steve in running for aldermen of the alley’s ward, 25, in the Democratic primary. If he wins the primary, he’ll be the next alderman, because no other parties have any candidates. Don’t forget to vote for him — in just eleven days!

Demolition Events South St. Louis

Truman Center Sale

Post author By Michael R. Allen
Post date January 30, 2005

From the Rehabbers’ Club listserv:

I will be holding a public sale of the contents of the Truman
Restorative nursing home (5700 Arsenal) on Feb 16-19. Everything
in the building or attached to it will be for sale from toilets,
sinks, marble dividers, chairs, desks, faucets, computers, doors,
lights, hospital beds, kitchen equipment. I’ll even pay you to take
away some items (lights & doors)!!

Everything in the building must go as it will be demolished in
preparation for building new homes on the site.

Hope you can attend!
Thanks,
Mark Benckendorf
314-413-0182

Churches Princeton Heights Salvage South St. Louis

Our Lady of Sorrows Convent

Post author By Michael R. Allen
Post date January 29, 2005

by Michael R. Allen

LOCATION: 5050 Rhodes; Princeton Heights; Saint Louis, Missouri
DATE OF CONSTRUCTION: 1927
OWNER: Archdiocese of Saint Louis

Today we woke up to find a light covering of snow on the ground on Swan Avenue in St. Louis — nothing troublesome compared to the 12 inches that bogged us down one week earlier when we were packing up to move out of Chicago.Â I thus continued with out plans to attend a public sale of fixtures and furniture at the convent of the Our Lady of Sorrows parish on Kingshighway in Princeton Heights.Â I had received an announcement one week earlier in my email and was intrigued to learn that the 1927 convent building — with which I was admittedly not familiar — adjacent to the landmark parish church would be demolished to make way for a new school building, and that the parish was selling as much of the building as possible to raise money for a construction fund.Â After all, this announcement came at a time when the Archdiocese of St. Louis is planning to close 37% of the cityâ€™s remaining parishes.

How does Our Lady of Sorrows manage to do so well — well enough to build a new school?

As we discovered, the parish is a friendly and dedicated group of Catholics who are committed to their neighborhood, their community and recycling their resources. At the sale, we spoke with many parishioners who said that they wanted to make sure none of the buildingâ€™s fixtures ended up in the landfill and who spoke of concern at the alarming number of parishes closing this year. Even though they are pursuing demolition of the historic Italian Revival convent for their school expansion project, they are trying to avoid the wastefulness that seems endemic to the archdiocesan plans.

The sale encompassed door frames, doors, cabinets, windows, light fixtures, sink basins and many parts of the convent, which seemed to be in fairly good shape, not to mention a wonderfully complimentary building in the parish complex. Yet there was more: modern furniture, kitchen gadgets, suitcases, typewriters, lamps and curtains. Needless to say that I have now completed the furnishing of a new flat with items that tell a story, all for under $40.

May the parish thrive for years to come. They have placed banners on many light posts around their block proclaiming their forthcoming centennial: “1907 â€“ 2007.” They should make it longer than that, if the archdiocese puts faith in the efforts of parishioners to keep traditions alive. The loss of the convent is unfortunate and one with which I do not agree, but it is small compared to the potential devastation that may come from the current round of parish closings.

Demolition Salvage South St. Louis

Salvaging Our Lady of Sorrows Convent

Post author By Michael R. Allen
Post date January 18, 2005

Our Lady of Sorrows Convent (built 1927) will soon be emptied out so that demolition can begin.

Mementos, furniture, house wares, interior wood trim, doors, hardwood floors, bathroom fixtures and more will be sold

General Public Sale
Saturday, January 29, 2005
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The OLS Convent is a bit west up the street from Rhodes and Kingshighway.

All proceeds will go to the Our Lady of Sorrows Building With Faith Capital Campaign.

thanks,
Joe Daus

Clearance McRee Town South St. Louis

The Destruction of McRee Town: December 2004

Post author By Michael R. Allen
Post date January 2, 2005

Photographs taken by Michael R. Allen on December 29, 2004

Views of the 3900 block of Lafayette Avenue

The corner of 39th and Lafayette, seen in the first photograph, was once the southern corner of McRee Town’s bustling 39th Street business district. The only remaining business on 39th Street in McRee Town is the St. Louis Architectural Art Company, which is on the east side of 39th and is unaffected by the clearance. The fences are part of the new development, which will leave all lots along 39th Street empty and enclosed.

“Dead Center”: Lawrence Avenue at McRee Avenue

This was the corner where the neighborhood grocery store stood just a few months earlier. Under the new project, this area will be left open as park space. Yet one assumes that the new residents will be humans and will require food and drink from some source.

Views of the 4000 block of Lafayette Avenue

Five buildings remained on the north side of this block, three of which were still occupied as of December 29, 2004. The twin two-flats below were the occupied, while the other two-flat shown below was unoccupied. Crews were working on tree removal in the 3900 block of Lafayette and were preparing to chop down the trees visible in these photographs.

Views of the 4000 block of McRee Avenue

Views of the 3900 Block of Blaine Avenue

The subdivision started booming in early December. Over six new homes were under construction alongside the three display buildings. People were moving into two of the display townhouse units.

Demolition Fox Park LRA South St. Louis

Commercial Building at 2652 Geyer Avenue

Post author By Michael R. Allen
Post date November 15, 2004

by Michael R. Allen

The impressive mixed-used commercial building at 2652 Geyer (at Ohio Avenue) in Fox Park was recently demolished. Owned by the City of St. Louis’ Land Reutilization Authority in recent years, the building has long been vacant. The building’s three-story height and rounded corner made it unusual for the neighborhood, while its Romanesque Revival traits place it in a common and significant local stylistic tradition.

The building was indeed derelict, with a collapsed roof, broken windows and deteriorating floor joists. Yet its distinctive presence and solid brick walls were intact enough to convey a sense of elegance to its corner, which was otherwise surrounded by two-story flats. The building’s corner storefront was framed with lovely cast iron columns. The building had a narrow interior light shaft running north-south down its middle. Its five apartments were spacious, and its yard ample. In short, it was ripe for reuse as a vital component to the restoration of the Fox Park neighborhood.

Alas, I walked down the street to catch only part of the rounded corner still remaining and most of the building’s western wall gone. The eastern bays were intact enough to convey some sense of the buildingâ€™s appearance from Geyer Street, but the elegant corner was torn away above the first floor, and the western bay was completely missing save the first floor corner and part of the second story elevation wall on Geyer.

Colorful pieces of linoleum and 1970s wallpaper littered the ground. A crew of workers was busy making up pallets of bricks, which they would sell to suppliers for $20 per pallet. (The suppliers will sell the pallets to projects for $170 or more each.) One man was breaking apart portions of the fire escape for sale as scrap iron.

Geyer in Fox Park lost a lot of buildings to the construction of I-44 in 1960 and still others to senseless demolition plans that have left vacant lots. Three out of four corners are vacant lots at the next intersection west of Geyer and Ohio, Geyer and California. This is a street that has many dedicated residents but suffers from the disruptive energy of I-44. It certainly does not need the additional problem of demolition, especially of its few hybrid buildings. Surely, another vacant lot here could cause harm — although a shoddy replacement structure may be on the way. Now the street is further damaged and a building has been destroyed without substantial documentation.

Photograph by Robert Powers on October 30, 2004