Categories
Central West End Demolition Historic Preservation Hyde Park North St. Louis Preservation Board

Plenty of Demolition Permits on Monday’s Preservation Board Agenda (Updated)

UPDATED: The Preservation Board of the City of St. Louis has published the final agenda for its meeting on Monday.

Among the controversial items are the following appeals of staff denials:

– Demolition permit for a house at 4320 Arco Avenue in the Forest Park Southeast Historic District

– Demolition of houses at 1120, 1124 and 1400 Newhouse in the Hyde Park Historic District

– Demolition of the Blairmont-owned building at 1629 N. 19th Street in the Clemens House/Columbia Brewery National Register District

– Replacement of the historic windows of the house at 59 Kingsbury Place in the Central West End Historic District (the owner has replaced — without a permit — the windows on the Colonial Revival home with Prairie School style windows)

The meeting takes place Monday, May 21, at 4:00 p.m. in the 12th floor conference room at 1015 Locust Street.

Categories
Demolition Downtown Laclede's Landing Switzer Building

Switzer Building Demolition Continues



Start of wrecking, Monday night. (Photo by Claire Nowak-Boyd.)


Tuesday night.

Categories
People

Marti Frumhoff

by Michael R. Allen

Yesterday, Marti Frumhoff passed away far too early. The news is shocking, and I barely know what words can summarize such a great person who lived a great life.

To me, Marti was that person whose advice was always constructive and affirming. Even when we disagreed a conversation with her made me feel like I had the power to change the city — and so did her numerous other friends. Not only did she believe that we would make St. Louis a great city, she inspired those around her to act on our beliefs. She was a catalyst between idea and action, and never adverse to learning about one more idea, meeting one more person and making one more good thing happen.

Her impact on others’ lives is astounding given how busy she kept herself. Many knew her as the founder and ringleader of the Rehabbers’ Club, the largest and most active historic preservation constituency in St. Louis. Recently, she had founded ReVitalize St. Louis to create a platform for progressive action on built environment, political and cultural issues in the city. She launched Mainstreet St. Louis — an innovative project with great potential. Her regular job was working as a realtor, selling the city as much as its houses. Somehow, she managed to show up at everyone else’s meetings and events to provide support; lately, she was active with the Historic Mullanphy Alliance. Marti would often invent the vehicles for change needed to make something happen — and never complained, or shirked the responsibilities she had. She did what had to be done.

Her tireless enthusiasm for changing St. Louis, educating people and bringing out the best in everyone surpassed that of anyone I know. Marti’s life is intertwined with so many people, organizations and places that have grown because of her. Her spirit will be with us forever.

For a recent account of Marti’s ideas, please read this transcript of a round-table discussion that appeared in the April issue of St. Louis Magazine featuring Marti, Joseph Heathcott, Steve Patterson and me.

Steve Patterson of Urban Review has also posted a tribute, “St. Louis Just Lost A Great Advocate”; he urges people to leave memories in the comments section.

UPDATE: The memorial service takes place tomorrow, Friday May 18th, 1:00 p.m. at Central Reform Congregation (Kingshighway at Waterman).

Categories
Downtown Events Mid-Century Modern

Celebrate Mid-Century Modern This Friday at "Blu"

This Friday, enjoy a free drink and cool mid-century architecture at Blu CitySpaces, one of the Plaza Square Apartment buildings downtown currently under rehabilitation.

Completed in 1961, the six Plaza Square Apartment buildings formed a unique urban renewal project that used the sleek modern design of Hellmuth Obata Kassabaum and Harris Armstrong to retain city residents amid rapid suburban growth. In contrast with previous large-scale urban renewal housing projects in St. Louis, Plaza Square Apartments forged a deliberate and successful connection with the surrounding urban environment. Before Busch Stadium and the remaking of the eastern end of downtown, the project brought innovative modern design from acclaimed architects to the city’s urban renewal efforts. Now the apartments are a unique part of a new wave of city living.

Celebrate the renewal of this mid-century modern landmark with your hosts, Silverstone Development and the Landmarks Association of St. Louis.

Friday, May 18, 2007
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Olive and 17th Streets (SE corner)
FREE

Reservations required: 314-421-6474.

Categories
Missouri Legislature North St. Louis Northside Regeneration

North St. Louis Landbanking Proposal May Be Dead for This Session

by Michael R. Allen

HB 327, the costly omnibus economic development bill passed from the Missouri Legislature that includes the Distressed Areas Land Assemblage Tax Credit Act, may be headed for a veto from Governor Matt Blunt.

SB 22, which modified laws relating to political subdivisions, that inappropriately contains the Distressed Areas Land Assemblage Tax Credit Act (oddly with a 100-acre minimum), appears to be dead this session.

HB 991 contains only the Distressed Areas Land Assemblage Tax Credit Act, but has not proceeded. The prospect of an up-or-down vote directly on the proposal probably doesn’t appeal to the proposal’s backers. For one thing, the process could lead to amendments that would make the credits actual public policy instead of a law for private benefit. For another, this tax credit proposal is one of the least popular bundled into the omnibus.

Categories
Demolition Downtown Laclede's Landing Switzer Building

Switzer Building Coming Down Slowly

by Michael R. Allen

On the first night of wrecking the Switzer Building on Laclede’s Landing, the going was slow. The crane operator knocked loose a few columns and triggered one small collapse, but stopped wrecking by midnight. There are many nights ahead this week before the memorable painted Switzer signs on the south and north elevations disappear, and more time before the primary elevation on 1st Street is gone forever.

Several people gathered on the upper level of the riverfront parking garage to watch the wrecking.

Categories
Events Mullanphy Emigrant Home North St. Louis Old North

Mullanphy Benefit Show Wednesday at Christ Church Cathedral

The next big event where you can show your support for the effort to preserve and stabilize the Mullanphy Emigrant Home is this Wednesday:



Mullanphy Benefit Concert

Featuring Lydia Ruffin and the Flying Mules

Wednesday, May 16
7:30 PM (Doors at 7:00 PM)
Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust Street
$25 at the door; $20 in advance (call 231-5031)

Categories
Demolition Downtown Laclede's Landing Switzer Building

Switzer Demolition Begins Monday

by Michael R. Allen

Demolition of the Switzer Building begins on Monday. Supposedly the wrecking ball will make its first strike at 10:00 p.m. that day.  More information is available in this post on MayorSlay.com.  Demolition will not include the three adjacent historic buildings to the north also owned by Clarinet LLC. Clarinet is salvaging the cast iron storefront and much of the decorative limestone from the front elevation for potential reuse.

Categories
Downtown Hamilton Heights Historic Preservation Midtown National Register O'Fallon SHPO St. Louis County The Ville

Eight St. Louis Area Sites Headed to National Register

by Michael R. Allen

At its quarterly meeting Friday in Joplin, the Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation voted to approve the following St. Louis area nominations to the National Register of Historic Places and forward them to the Keeper of the National Register:

  • Holly Place Historic District (prepared by Carolyn Toft, Michael Allen and Tom Duda for Landmarks Association of St. Louis)
  • Plaza Square Apartments Historic District (Carolyn Toft and Michael Allen for Landmarks Association of St. Louis)
  • Glen Echo Historic District (Ruth Keenoy, Karen Bode Baxter, Timothy P. Maloney and Sara Bularzik)
  • Ramsey Accessories Manufacturing Company Building (Matthew S. Bivens for SCI Engineering)
  • Harrison School (Julie Wooldridge for Lafser and Associates)
  • Hempstead School (Julie Wooldridge for Lafser and Associates)
  • Olive & Locust Historic Business District (Julie Wooldridge for Lafser and Associates)
  • Wagoner Place Historic District (Kathleen E. Shea and Jan Cameron for the Cultural Resources Office, City of St. Louis)

All votes were unanimous, although the Plaza Square Apartments Historic District is being sent for substantive review due to its construction date within the past 50 years. Nominations forwarded by the Advisory Council are typically listed on the Register within 45 business days of approval.

Notable among the approved nominations are the Plaza Square Apartments district, a local milestone of midcentury urban renewal and modern architecture. Under national regulations, nominations of properties that have achieved significance with the past 50 years require a demonstration of exceptional significance. Such nominations are infrequent, but contribute to greater recognition of the architectural achievements of the middle of the twentieth century.


Detail of one of the Plaza Square Apartments buildings.

Also interesting was the deliberation over the Ramsey Accessories Manufacturing Corporation Building at 3693 Forest Park Boulevard in St. Louis city, a nomination that raised issues of integrity due to the yet-incomplete removal of the stucco and concrete slipcover added in 1969 that covers the three-story building,. built in 1923 with addition in 1934. Fortunately, Bivens unearthed a wealth of information on the Ramsey Corporation that manufactured the “Ramco” piston ring and showed that the primary elevation is largely intact underneath the slipcover. The McGowan Brothers have an option on the building and hope to restore its original appearance.

One nomination not approved was that of Big Boy’s Restaurant in Wright City. The Council tabled the nomination due to concerns about an underdeveloped statement of significance while generally finding the building eligible for listing. With some improvement, the nomination should be in good shape by the next quarterly meeting in August.

Categories
Missouri Legislature North St. Louis Northside Regeneration

Bill With McKee’s North St. Louis Credits Passes

by Michael R. Allen

Yesterday the Missouri House truly passed HB 327, sometimes known as the Quality Jobs Act. The bill contains the $100 million Distressed Areas Land Assemblage Tax Credit Act sought by St. Charles County developer Paul J. McKee, Jr. for his massive, controversial north St. Louis “Blairmont” project.

St. Louis area Representatives Jeanette Mott-Oxford, Mike Daus, Michael Vogt and Jamilah Nasheed voted no. All other St. Louisans voted in favor of the bloated “economic development” bill.

The Distressed Areas credits received strong support from St. Louis city and county governments as well as McKee’s McEagle Properties. Opponents never coalesced into a formidable lobby despite strong individual efforts and no existing organization took up their cause.