Categories
Historic Preservation Missouri Legislature Public Policy

Governor Nixon Speaks on Historic Tax Credits

by Michael R. Allen

Today, Democratic Governor Jay Nixon visited the Missouri House of Representatives today where he voiced support for a “soft cap” on historic rehab tax credits that would apply to larger projects. We were wondering what Nixon thought about the future of the state’s best tax credit program.

Anyone who wonders what Republican Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder has to say about historic rehab tax credits can check out a new video on the reborn Pub Def posted this morning. The video features interview footage with Kinder, Senator Jeff Smith, Amy Gill and Eric Friedman on the struggle to retain the historic tax credits.

Categories
St. Louis Board of Aldermen

Board of Aldermen Back in Session With New Faces

by Michael R. Allen

Today, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen convened for the first time since the general election. New members Antonio French (D-21st), Joe Vaccaro (D-23rd) and Shane Cohn (D-25th) joined 11 re-elected incumbents and 14 members whose terms do not expire until 2011. The board approved several consent resolutions and had first reading of 25 bills, including several to vacate streets and alleys.

Shane Cohn and Antonio French are young, neighborhood-oriented aldermen whose reputations as activists precedes their efforts at electoral politics. In Dutchtown, Shane has been part of an emerging renaissance of the business district around Meramec and Virginia. Shane is also the first openly gay member of the Board of Aldermen. Coming from the heart of south St. Louis, that is a great accomplishment.

Through Pub Def (reborn today), Antonio has kept the flame of intelligent political advocacy journalism alive in St. Louis. His prior campaign for the Board of Education showed that he is willing to act on his principles. In the six years since that run, Antonio’s work has only gotten better. One of his strongest traits is his penchant to build coalitions around issues he cares about — sometimes drawing together people who otherwise would not talk. He’s also been an ambassador to other cities, attending the Great Lakes Urban Exchange conferences to represent the great things happening in St. Louis to young people from the broader region.

Readers of this blog will take heart that both Shane and Antonio are preservation-minded. In fact, Antonio ran on a platform centered on re-directing block grant money from new construction to existing housing where constituents need home repairs. Both represent areas densely populated with abundant, aging stocks of historic buildings — pivotal wards for the future of preservation in the city.

I don’t know what Vaccaro will do in terms of preservation and development, but I have no reason to be alarmed.

Some may still mourn the lack of competition for Room 200, but I’m overjoyed that we elected two young, progressive aldermen this year. Change starts at home, not the executive office. Few call the mayor when they want the vacant house next door torn down — they call the alderman.

Categories
Historic Preservation Schools SLPS

St. Louis Public School Closings on NPR’s "All Things Considered"

KWMU reporter Adam Allington’s story on St. Louis Public Schools closings was carried today on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” NPR’s website features a gallery of photographs of schools closed in the current round. The story will air again tonight at 6:40 p.m. on 90.7 FM, and the audio file will be posted online after 7:00 p.m.

Categories
Abandonment East St. Louis, Illinois Metal Theft Metro East

Spivey Building Secured, Damaged

by Michael R. Allen

On Saturday, the UEU 314 blog reported that the Spivey Building in East St. Louis was now sealed following what may have been a collapse of building material. Knowing that some of the parapet had already been destabilized and removed onto the rooftop, and also having heard recently that someone absconded with that terra cotta, I called up a neighbor and we drove over to the Spivey Saturday evening.

Sure enough, all access points have been closed up. The method used is quite solid, and I was reassured that the owner (Stacey Hastie of EOI) is taking threats to the Spivey seriously.

A look up at the parapet revealed further spalling at the corner where the terra cotta rib had already been removed. Many pieces of terra cotta lie in ruin at the base of the corner, along with brick and stone coping from the side parapet wall.


However, the condition of the front parapet assembly has not deteriorated significantly since I took this next photograph in September 2007.

Still, vigilance is needed to keep the thieves away from the great buildings of downtown East St. Louis. The snakes have struck before, including in March 2005 when three ornamental keystones disappeared from the Murphy Building the same weekend an out-of-town architectural salvage dealer was in town.

Categories
Bohemian Hill Rehabbing South St. Louis

Rehabbing Resumed on Bohemian Hill

by Michael R. Allen

In recent weeks, the four-family at 1714 S. 13th Street on Bohemian Hill has received a lot of rehab work. Krystal Group LLC purchased the building in November 2008. While I am no fan of the single-pane windows the investors installed in place of one-over-one windows that had been there, I am glad to see rehab work on Bohemian Hill.

The remaining houses on Bohemian Hill have been under threat of eminent domain for the past three years, and the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority had started buying houses on this block in 2007. Gilded Age Development is building a retail project named “Georgian Square” to the west on cleared land, and had originally discussed acquisition of the two blocks east of 13th Street. Those plans now are scuttled.

Meanwhile, Georgian Square is now under construction. At least, the Walgreens store is under construction on Lafayette Avenue across the street from City Hospital.

Categories
Housing Hyde Park LRA North St. Louis

Lost Neighbor to House on Farrar

by Michael R. Allen

Following up on Monday’s post on the house at 2521 Farrar Street in Hyde Park, I combed my photographic archive. I found this photograph that I took on March 18, 2005 showing the house with its next door neighbor. That house would last another 18 months before the Land Reutilization Authority demolished it.

Categories
Preservation Board St. Louis Board of Aldermen

Kennedy Out as Public Safety Chair, Preservation Board Member?

by Michael R. Allen

Word from the Board of Aldermen this week is that Alderman Terry Kennedy (D-18th) is out as Chairperson of the Public Safety Committee, to be replaced by Alderman Phyllis Young (D-7th). Kennedy is supposed to chair the Transportation Committee instead.

This move is significant to historic preservation because the chair of the Public Safety Committee by ordinance has a seat on the city’s Preservation Board. The chairperson can take that spot himself, as Kennedy did, or appoint a proxy member of the Public Safety Committee. No news yet on Young’s intentions.

Terry has been a thoughtful member of the Preservation Board, often raising issues of class, race and public policy that no one else would. While more often than not we have been on opposing sides of granting demolition permits, I have always appreciated Terry’s principled voice and willingness to discuss — and find solutions to — deep divides between preservationists and communities.

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

San Luis: This Was the Future

by Michael R. Allen

In early March, I received a call from Jeff Vines. He was part of a team that entered a documentary film competition, and they had been fortunate enough to draw “history” for their topic. You know what that meant — a chance to celebrate the DeVille Motor Hotel! Jeff’s team included familiar faces — his brother Randy, filmmaker Carson Minow, editor Jon Swegle and musician Brian Wiegert. Toby Weiss and I were interview subjects for what turned out to be a smart, cool little film. Check it out!

Categories
Schools SLPS

SLPS Deed Restrictions Out

by Michael R. Allen

From the St. Louis Public Schools:

ST. LOUIS, MO, April 17, 2009 – The Special Administrative Board of the St. Louis Public Schools voted unanimously (3-0) in closed session last evening to remove the deed restriction clause currently included in all property sales contracts. This policy goes into effect on June 30, 2009, to allow the district ample time to evaluate the facility needs for the upcoming school year in light of several new academic initiatives presented at the meeting by Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Adams.

Among those issues are:

· Assessing the required classrooms and schools needed for initiatives, such as pilot independent schools, before and after school programs, and alternative education programs which are included in Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Adams’ academic plan for the district.

· Providing alternate school sites for buildings undergoing lead paint abatement during the summer of 2009.

“We have worked with our elected leaders at the state capital in resolving this issue, and we appreciate their support in finding a resolution where we can enhance the education for all of our City students,” said Rick Sullivan, President & CEO of the Special Administrative Board.

The deed restriction has been a long standing issue from past school boards, and it was determined by the Special Administrative Board to be in the best interest of student education in St. Louis to revisit and revise the policy.

State Representative Tim Jones (R-89) said, “I appreciate the willingness of the St. Louis Public Schools to revisit this policy. I believe that by working together, we have reached a solution satisfactory to all parties for the betterment of education for the children in the City of St. Louis.”

State Representative Chris Carter (D-61) added, “I support the Special Administrative Board in this decision that will help make our neighborhoods stronger. This decision allows the St. Louis Public Schools to do what it believes is in the best interest of all the students in the City of St. Louis.”

Categories
Historic Preservation Illinois

Celebrate: Illinois Historic Sites Reopening!

by Michael R. Allen

If you ever doubted the power of one person in elected office to mangle sensible public policy, the saga of former Democratic Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was a sobering lesson. A more hopeful lesson comes from current Democratic Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, who has gracefully built consensus to quickly reverse Blagojevich’s cuts to state government agencies.

Great news came yesterday when Quinn announced that Illinois’ 11 shuttered historic sites are reopening. Thirty-three laid-off workers have been recalled to duty on April 22.

According to the Associated Press:

The closures cost the state tourism revenue and Quinn said he’s not going to “squeeze a nickel and lose half dollars.”

Right on! Illinois’ return to sanity in state government is welcome.