For a long time I've preferred kid baseball to watching the pros. Starting from the time they're just learning to play, all the way up to when they get to play on a major league-sized field, it's always been more enjoyable watching these young people learn to play and improve. This year the changes have been dramatic. The finer points of the game stand out. Last night, I finally figured out why I prefer watching these young players so much: it's a far more precious thing.
When they're seven and eight years old, their young baseball lives seem like they'll last forever. But they don't. Each year, more and more of them drop out. Some of them stay with it, but by the time they reach high school, most of the players are done with the competitive track of the game.
Last night our guys played their final league game of the season. For a lot of them, it will likely be the last competitive baseball game of their lives. This fall, as they enter high school, some will try to make their high school teams. Some will make them, but many won't. Of the ones who do, plenty will spend most of the season riding the bench. Only the top players will see much playing time.
A few years from now, when these young people enter the working world, some will probably play adult softball. St. Louis is among the top recreational softball towns in the country. But you usually don't see many parents cheering their kids at beer-league games. We're fading out of the picture.
So as last night's game wound down, it was a sentimental time for some of us. We enjoyed a few beers at the grand stand, looking out over the manicured diamond, watching as many of these young ballplayers - our sons - stood in the batter's box, taking the last competitive at-bats they'd ever see.
The outcome of the game was never in much doubt, and ended a rather uninspiring 8-2 loss. As the game ended, there was a beautiful sunset in St. Louis. I wonder if any of the boys realized that, for most of them, faroff dreams of playing professional baseball, if they ever had them, were now fading as fast as the setting sun over that outfield fence? Hopefully the thought never entered their minds.
Afterwards, a group of us went over to Gino's restaurant on Hampton. The group "Presentations" performs there on Thursday nights, and Rich Guzman, drummer for the band, invited some of the boys to sit in. They've got a rock band now, and they're doing pretty good. For the young band, this would be their first time playing a public performance. They played three songs, and received a good reponse from the crowd. The boys still need to come up with a name for the band.
We struggled for a long time trying to think of a name for the ballclub. Kerri was the one to think of "South Sox", since the team brought together players from neighborhoods all across South St. Louis. That was the perfect name. For the band, it's their turn. They'll have to come up with a name of their own.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Zip Codes, Parishes and School Districts
Besides our 100-something local municipalities, countless individual wards, neighborhood boundaries, and police districts, in St. Louis, we also identify by school district, zip code, and parish boundaries. Some people even get down to the X-hundred block of a street. When you're an old city, you develop a lot of layers. It's a lot to learn.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Districts or Wards?
After seventeen years in St. Louis, fourteen of them in the city , I still don't know the number for our police district. When people cite different police districts around town, I'm lost. It's the one time I feel like a real out-of-towner.
I know the location of the city's 79 neighborhoods and her 28 wards, but have no idea how many police districts we have, let alone their boundaries. Some folks are just the opposite. They'll use their police district and neighborhood name interchangeably.
There are people who say St. Louis is "subtle". Identifying with a police district is something I've never understood. It's another of those nuanced things like the "where'd you go to high school" question. Maybe the practice dates back to our loss of local control of the police department? Or maybe it's just another example of our strong sense of community and neighborhood identity.
I know the location of the city's 79 neighborhoods and her 28 wards, but have no idea how many police districts we have, let alone their boundaries. Some folks are just the opposite. They'll use their police district and neighborhood name interchangeably.
There are people who say St. Louis is "subtle". Identifying with a police district is something I've never understood. It's another of those nuanced things like the "where'd you go to high school" question. Maybe the practice dates back to our loss of local control of the police department? Or maybe it's just another example of our strong sense of community and neighborhood identity.
Northside Acquisition Effort Sign of the Times
Large scale purchases of land on the near north side by private interests are another sign of the city's turnaround. For decades, most of St. Louis had written off the north side. Then the city started its turnaround.
Neighborhoods rebounded. The state created the historic rehab tax credit. Momentum grew. Targeted investments drew more interest. Property values around the entire city increased. The city's population started growing again. The northside started showing more and more signs of life.
With her momentum swing to the plus side, the city was in a new position: it could start lowering the amounts of incentives being offered to attract investment. No longer would the city be the first money in on projects or land acquisition. Developers would have to risk their funds on the front-end of projects. The city would lower its participation and seek more leveraging.
Meanwhile, familiar themes remained: Assembling buildable sites for redevelopment continued to be a challenge. A statewide incentive for land assembly was needed.
Nature abhors a vacuum. Venture capital seeks opportunity. The near northside provides a solution to both.
Neighborhoods rebounded. The state created the historic rehab tax credit. Momentum grew. Targeted investments drew more interest. Property values around the entire city increased. The city's population started growing again. The northside started showing more and more signs of life.
With her momentum swing to the plus side, the city was in a new position: it could start lowering the amounts of incentives being offered to attract investment. No longer would the city be the first money in on projects or land acquisition. Developers would have to risk their funds on the front-end of projects. The city would lower its participation and seek more leveraging.
Meanwhile, familiar themes remained: Assembling buildable sites for redevelopment continued to be a challenge. A statewide incentive for land assembly was needed.
Nature abhors a vacuum. Venture capital seeks opportunity. The near northside provides a solution to both.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Must See TV
Channel 5, KSDK in St. Louis, reports on the improvements to the Macklind Avenue business district in the City's Southampton ("SOHA") neighborhood.
Doggie Diners
New legislation in the city permits dogs to be with their owners at outside tables at restaurants. However, the permission is only granted in certain wards.
Personally, I enjoy seeing friendly dogs in public and have no problem with well-behaved dogs joining their owners at sidewalk cafes. The concept fits with our inherited French culture.
The question I have is why the permission is only granted in certain wards? Like deciding whether to operate a smoking or non-smoking restaurant, shouldn't it be up to the owner of the restaurant whether dogs are allowed?
Then, as customers, we can decide whether we want to patronize the establishment or not. If my customers don't want dogs at the restaurant, then I probably won't be inviting them to dinner.
However, if my customers want to share their space with doggie diners, then why should the city tell me "no", if they tell my competitors across the street in a different ward they may do so?
Personally, I enjoy seeing friendly dogs in public and have no problem with well-behaved dogs joining their owners at sidewalk cafes. The concept fits with our inherited French culture.
The question I have is why the permission is only granted in certain wards? Like deciding whether to operate a smoking or non-smoking restaurant, shouldn't it be up to the owner of the restaurant whether dogs are allowed?
Then, as customers, we can decide whether we want to patronize the establishment or not. If my customers don't want dogs at the restaurant, then I probably won't be inviting them to dinner.
However, if my customers want to share their space with doggie diners, then why should the city tell me "no", if they tell my competitors across the street in a different ward they may do so?
Monday, June 25, 2007
Neighbors Debate Creating Local Historic District
The Journal has the story. McKinley Heights is the neighborhood. Both sides of the debate are well represented in the article.
Car Walk
Saturday morning about 7:15 I drove our '96 Plymouth minivan to Don Brown Dodge on South Kingshighway for its annual safety inspection. The weather was pleasant, so I decided to make the three mile walk home from the dealership.
South Kingshighway is auto dealer row, so for the first few blocks, I was able to stroll through dealership lots, checking out lots of new car models. On the Dodge lot there were sporty new models, the Toyota lot had some of those boxy Scions, and looking into the windows of one of my favorite places, Charles Schmitt, there were rows of classic cars.
I crossed Kingsighway about a block north of Chippewa to get a closer look at the Holy Ghost church. Holy Ghost sits behind the row of 1930s vintage commercial buildings fronting Kingsighway. You can see its steeple from Chippewa, many blocks to the east.
The alley on the south side of Holy Ghost backs up to some of the four-families off of Chippewa. Conditions vary on the backs of the buildings and the garages, some showing new rehab, others showing their years. One garage had no doors and the interior was filled with cast off junk.
I walked through one of those easement paths between buildings towards Chippewa, and on the other side, there was a police lady writing up a parked car for some ordinance violation. I approached her and asked the officer about open garages with loads of junk visible from the alley. She informed me that police have no jurisdiction in such cases.
You can't legislate common sense, so we're free to keep our garage doors open, and filled with junk and visible to the street if we want. This sounds like one of those delicate situations where some friendly neighbor to neighbor contact, perhaps through an NSO, might help convince the property owner to take better care of the property. Let's hope no one hears that tired "I can't control my tenants" line.
Around 7:45, crossing Chippewa, I bumped into an old friend pulling weeds in her bath robe. We talked about ten minutes, and she told me it was about another two miles from her place to ours. She said that her area had some problem tenants in recent years, but lately things have been good. The homes were being well maintained, and she said most of the 2-family properties had owner occupants.
The rest of the way was good, with the walked well-shaded by abundant street trees. Its nice walking past all the brick homes on their 25-30 foot lots. It's fascinating to see the little details in people's landscapes and years' of home improvement from block to block.
In our gridded-street neighborhood layout, there were thousands of alternate routes of commercial and residential blocks, streets and alleys, for that three mile walk home. Just guessing here, but I've heard that our city has some three or four thousand total miles of streets and alleys. And believe it or not, there are St. Louisans in the middle of quests to walk every block of it during their lifetime.
South Kingshighway is auto dealer row, so for the first few blocks, I was able to stroll through dealership lots, checking out lots of new car models. On the Dodge lot there were sporty new models, the Toyota lot had some of those boxy Scions, and looking into the windows of one of my favorite places, Charles Schmitt, there were rows of classic cars.
I crossed Kingsighway about a block north of Chippewa to get a closer look at the Holy Ghost church. Holy Ghost sits behind the row of 1930s vintage commercial buildings fronting Kingsighway. You can see its steeple from Chippewa, many blocks to the east.
The alley on the south side of Holy Ghost backs up to some of the four-families off of Chippewa. Conditions vary on the backs of the buildings and the garages, some showing new rehab, others showing their years. One garage had no doors and the interior was filled with cast off junk.
I walked through one of those easement paths between buildings towards Chippewa, and on the other side, there was a police lady writing up a parked car for some ordinance violation. I approached her and asked the officer about open garages with loads of junk visible from the alley. She informed me that police have no jurisdiction in such cases.
You can't legislate common sense, so we're free to keep our garage doors open, and filled with junk and visible to the street if we want. This sounds like one of those delicate situations where some friendly neighbor to neighbor contact, perhaps through an NSO, might help convince the property owner to take better care of the property. Let's hope no one hears that tired "I can't control my tenants" line.
Around 7:45, crossing Chippewa, I bumped into an old friend pulling weeds in her bath robe. We talked about ten minutes, and she told me it was about another two miles from her place to ours. She said that her area had some problem tenants in recent years, but lately things have been good. The homes were being well maintained, and she said most of the 2-family properties had owner occupants.
The rest of the way was good, with the walked well-shaded by abundant street trees. Its nice walking past all the brick homes on their 25-30 foot lots. It's fascinating to see the little details in people's landscapes and years' of home improvement from block to block.
In our gridded-street neighborhood layout, there were thousands of alternate routes of commercial and residential blocks, streets and alleys, for that three mile walk home. Just guessing here, but I've heard that our city has some three or four thousand total miles of streets and alleys. And believe it or not, there are St. Louisans in the middle of quests to walk every block of it during their lifetime.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Fox 2 Promotes City Life - Block Party Season Arrives
Fox 2 Morning Crew Visits City Block Party; the block party season is on!
Where else but St. Louis are neighbors crazy enough to show up for a 7:00 AM block party? Hey, it's Friday!
Where else but St. Louis are neighbors crazy enough to show up for a 7:00 AM block party? Hey, it's Friday!
Friday, June 15, 2007
Highlights from Recent STL Fed Conference Available Online
You can visit the May 2007 STL Federal Reserve community development finance conference as a virtual guest by clicking Exploring Innovation.
Site courtesy of the STL Federal Reserve Bank.
Site courtesy of the STL Federal Reserve Bank.
SLPS Turn the Page
After many years of turmoil, the SLPS have turned the page to begin a new chapter. An interim board takes control today, comprised of a diverse group of St. Louisans: A major home builder, a former Metropolis St. Louis president, and a long-time city businessman and SLPS parent and grand parent.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
It's all about substitution
The best when to analyze a market is to think in terms of substitution. Are the prices of comparable opportunities equal or higher to my choice? If so, then I'm probably paying about right.
In real estate, for example, is that house I'm thinking of buying on this block similar to the one for sale a block away? How similar? Is it in like condition? Is it less expensive? Is the block as nice? If so, then I'll probably go to the substitute and leave my original choice behind.
The idea of choosing substitute opportunities has me thinking about recent news of some popular people leaving St. Louis. We always are sad to see talented people not "choose" St. Louis. It makes some of us feel a little rejected.
When people leave, especially in such a strong neighborhood place as St. Louis, it can make us feel a little less validated about our own decision to choose St. Louis. For a long time, St. Louis has had issues and challenges in retaining young people. However, when people leave, they are making a similar substitute decision.
What are they substituting? Weather. Traffic. History. Neighborhoods. Friends. Cost of living. Gritty urban fabric. Stable economy. Strong academic institutions. Great parks. Easy access around town. Lots of free amenities. Great restaurants. Overall, a great quality of life.
A friend and I were discussing this issue yesterday. I was asking him about what sorts of things would motivate him to leave St. Louis. Then we talked about it in terms of the overall substitution choice. You might get better urban density somewhere else, say in Manhattan or downtown Chicago, but what about the cost of living? You get the idea.
So what about you? Are there substitution choices so powerful that they'd motivate you to leave town? Besides a lover, a job, a teaching assignment?
For years, weather was a huge choice, driving millions of people to California. However, now other factors in a California choice, such as congested roads and high living costs, are having would- be emigrants to the west coast reconsidering the California option.
If you put everything in the lifestyle substitution basket together, you have your overall quality of life. Has anyone ever seen a quality of life ranking for US Regions? It would be interesting to see how St. Louis rates.
However, these lists always seem a little suspect. San Francisco probably rates very highly in terms of quality of life. However, unless you're an investment banker, a real estate tycoon, a dot-com millionaire, or a trust fund baby, you would have a hard time affording it.
If you're like most average income Americans, by choosing San Francisco, you'd be living in an area with great scenery, resort weather, congested roads, and probably crowded into a tiny apartment or a house under a freeway interchange. Which substitutions are you willing to make?
In real estate, for example, is that house I'm thinking of buying on this block similar to the one for sale a block away? How similar? Is it in like condition? Is it less expensive? Is the block as nice? If so, then I'll probably go to the substitute and leave my original choice behind.
The idea of choosing substitute opportunities has me thinking about recent news of some popular people leaving St. Louis. We always are sad to see talented people not "choose" St. Louis. It makes some of us feel a little rejected.
When people leave, especially in such a strong neighborhood place as St. Louis, it can make us feel a little less validated about our own decision to choose St. Louis. For a long time, St. Louis has had issues and challenges in retaining young people. However, when people leave, they are making a similar substitute decision.
What are they substituting? Weather. Traffic. History. Neighborhoods. Friends. Cost of living. Gritty urban fabric. Stable economy. Strong academic institutions. Great parks. Easy access around town. Lots of free amenities. Great restaurants. Overall, a great quality of life.
A friend and I were discussing this issue yesterday. I was asking him about what sorts of things would motivate him to leave St. Louis. Then we talked about it in terms of the overall substitution choice. You might get better urban density somewhere else, say in Manhattan or downtown Chicago, but what about the cost of living? You get the idea.
So what about you? Are there substitution choices so powerful that they'd motivate you to leave town? Besides a lover, a job, a teaching assignment?
For years, weather was a huge choice, driving millions of people to California. However, now other factors in a California choice, such as congested roads and high living costs, are having would- be emigrants to the west coast reconsidering the California option.
If you put everything in the lifestyle substitution basket together, you have your overall quality of life. Has anyone ever seen a quality of life ranking for US Regions? It would be interesting to see how St. Louis rates.
However, these lists always seem a little suspect. San Francisco probably rates very highly in terms of quality of life. However, unless you're an investment banker, a real estate tycoon, a dot-com millionaire, or a trust fund baby, you would have a hard time affording it.
If you're like most average income Americans, by choosing San Francisco, you'd be living in an area with great scenery, resort weather, congested roads, and probably crowded into a tiny apartment or a house under a freeway interchange. Which substitutions are you willing to make?
Monday, June 04, 2007
STL Rising - From 630 Feet
Have you heard about Archfund, a new organization seeking to secure supporters to help maintain and promote our town's most recognizable symbol? The flash version of the website has some great views of the Arch.
Market at McKnight in Rock Hill
Rising at the corner of McKnight and Manchester is an interesting looking mixed use development.
Fronting along the south side of Manchester Road are smaller-sized retail spaces, with parking to the rear of them (out of view from Manchester), and then larger-sized stores are in the back. Future phases of the project are planned for residential.
With most of the buildings now standing, the form of the development is readily recognizable: it will be new urbanism in the heart of St. Louis County.
Friday, June 01, 2007
"PPD"
With our semi-tropical warm season climate, St. Louis gets lots of rain in the March through June months. Our emerald green forested neighborhoods and countless flower gardens love the moisture, but all the rain wreaks havoc on amateur baseball schedules.
The rain makes it especially tough on the adult volunteers. They go in to the commitment with no idea of how much time they will ultimately give. Matt plays on two teams: a Catholic parish team and a more competitive South County team.
As of June 1, the parish team has only played one game this year, with six rainouts. Every time there's a rainout, the managers (dads usually) have to meet to schedule a makeup game. And with lots of the kids having various other scheduling commitments, rescheduling games is no easy proposition.
With a big rain, sometimes it can take 2-4 days for the fields to dry out, and if rain falls three or four days in a row, it's possible that a whole week's worth of games can be postponed ("PPD"). So, thanks to the moms and dads that keep youth baseball going. Without their commitment, the kids wouldn't get to play.
Who knows if the Old Man River vision, with its plan to build a mile-wide umbrella-inspired covering over a portion of the East St. Louis riverfront and downtown, will ever be realized. But if it came with baseball fields, I bet there'd be lots of St. Louis kids ready to cross the river to spend spring and summer afternoons and evenings in downtown East St. Louis!
As far as tonight's Baseball and Bricks fundraiser for Mullanphy, news regarding field conditions at Heine Meine can be had by calling the rainout number, at 314-638-8524. Keep in mind that it might be dry in Old North St. Louis, with a monsoon happening just a few miles away. If skys are threatening, best to call right before game time. The field crew (one or two guys with a small tractor and some soil drying agents) does everything in its power to get the games played. Tonight's game is scheduled on the big field for 8:00 o'clock.
With all the rain in the area yesterday, they were still able to get last night's games in at Heine Meine. Meanwhile, just a couple of miles away, games at Carondelet Park, were all rained out. As of this moment Friday morning, tonight's games at Heine Meine are still scheduled. Stay tuned...strong thunderstorms are predicted for the St. Louis area later today.
The rain makes it especially tough on the adult volunteers. They go in to the commitment with no idea of how much time they will ultimately give. Matt plays on two teams: a Catholic parish team and a more competitive South County team.
As of June 1, the parish team has only played one game this year, with six rainouts. Every time there's a rainout, the managers (dads usually) have to meet to schedule a makeup game. And with lots of the kids having various other scheduling commitments, rescheduling games is no easy proposition.
With a big rain, sometimes it can take 2-4 days for the fields to dry out, and if rain falls three or four days in a row, it's possible that a whole week's worth of games can be postponed ("PPD"). So, thanks to the moms and dads that keep youth baseball going. Without their commitment, the kids wouldn't get to play.
Who knows if the Old Man River vision, with its plan to build a mile-wide umbrella-inspired covering over a portion of the East St. Louis riverfront and downtown, will ever be realized. But if it came with baseball fields, I bet there'd be lots of St. Louis kids ready to cross the river to spend spring and summer afternoons and evenings in downtown East St. Louis!
As far as tonight's Baseball and Bricks fundraiser for Mullanphy, news regarding field conditions at Heine Meine can be had by calling the rainout number, at 314-638-8524. Keep in mind that it might be dry in Old North St. Louis, with a monsoon happening just a few miles away. If skys are threatening, best to call right before game time. The field crew (one or two guys with a small tractor and some soil drying agents) does everything in its power to get the games played. Tonight's game is scheduled on the big field for 8:00 o'clock.
With all the rain in the area yesterday, they were still able to get last night's games in at Heine Meine. Meanwhile, just a couple of miles away, games at Carondelet Park, were all rained out. As of this moment Friday morning, tonight's games at Heine Meine are still scheduled. Stay tuned...strong thunderstorms are predicted for the St. Louis area later today.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Blending Bricks and Baseball
I’m pleased to report that last night, the St. Louis South Sox, Juvenile One Division (ages 14-15), won their second game of the year by a score of 8-1, improving their season record to 2 wins against 5 losses. Son Matt pitched four scoreless innings to help secure the victory.
Weather permitting, the South Sox play again this Friday night at 8:00 PM at historic Heine Meine Field. Heine Meine is a beautiful baseball park just outside the city limits off of Lemay Ferry Road, a block south of River Des Peres. The St. Louis Cardinals have helped finance major improvements at Heine Meine, and in a few years, they will celebrate their 100th anniversary (so I’m told…they say it opened around 1911).
To tie this in with the drive to raise funds to preserve the Mullanphy Emigrant Home, STL Rising is pledging to donate $1 for every soda or beer purchased by supporters of the effort to rebuild the Mullanphy Emigrant Home in attendance at Friday night's South Sox game (Heine Meine's rainout number is 314-638-8524).
Every STL Rising dollar for Mullanphy combines with your buck or two for a soda or beer for Heine Meine, and together we turn a double play for historic preservation and kids baseball.
Weather permitting, the South Sox play again this Friday night at 8:00 PM at historic Heine Meine Field. Heine Meine is a beautiful baseball park just outside the city limits off of Lemay Ferry Road, a block south of River Des Peres. The St. Louis Cardinals have helped finance major improvements at Heine Meine, and in a few years, they will celebrate their 100th anniversary (so I’m told…they say it opened around 1911).
To tie this in with the drive to raise funds to preserve the Mullanphy Emigrant Home, STL Rising is pledging to donate $1 for every soda or beer purchased by supporters of the effort to rebuild the Mullanphy Emigrant Home in attendance at Friday night's South Sox game (Heine Meine's rainout number is 314-638-8524).
Every STL Rising dollar for Mullanphy combines with your buck or two for a soda or beer for Heine Meine, and together we turn a double play for historic preservation and kids baseball.
STL Rising: Find Your Grail
Whenever I read news about talented St. Louisans leaving town for places like New York or LA, I'm saddened to see them go. Yet it always reminds me to be thankful for the creative and energetic ones who choose to make STL home.
STL is a place where individuals without a big name or a lot of money can still make a big difference. The abundance of active dialogue in popular STL community interest blogs shows the impact individuals are making here. We know each other; STL is like a big small town. Opportunities abound to directly participate in the growth and improvement of our community.
Our-slightly-off-the-radar-screen, less-than-top-tier-status makes us affordable and fun with lots of work to do and places to help make a positive difference. Not getting lost in the crowd is one of the best things about STL.
STL is a place where individuals without a big name or a lot of money can still make a big difference. The abundance of active dialogue in popular STL community interest blogs shows the impact individuals are making here. We know each other; STL is like a big small town. Opportunities abound to directly participate in the growth and improvement of our community.
Our-slightly-off-the-radar-screen, less-than-top-tier-status makes us affordable and fun with lots of work to do and places to help make a positive difference. Not getting lost in the crowd is one of the best things about STL.
Cassilly's Riverfront Project Rising?
Was it at Mayor Slay's blog, where there's mention of a new northside project under development by Bob Cassilly, creator of the City Museum?
Does anyone know where it is? What it will be? Any details or links?
Does anyone know where it is? What it will be? Any details or links?
Friday, May 25, 2007
STL Rising Thanks "Grafitti Buster's"
With much of the recent blog world discussing the activities of "Ed Boxx", a local grafitti tagger, it was interesting to see a City Parks Department truck driving down the road this morning equipped for another day of grafitti removal.
Two city workers, a truck and trailer were headed somewhere to remove grafitti. On the back of the truck is a sign that reads "Grafitti Buster's". The trailer was loaded with a huge pastic vat filled with liquid (cleaning chemicals probably), a power washer, compressor, buckets, hoses, and other tools.
Cleaning grafitti must be a thankless job, and the cost to the city is substantial. It's a good thing we have these crews, but wouldn't it be nice if they were planting trees and maintaining park improvements rather than cleaning up the vandalism of others?
Let's keep our city beautiful. Please discourage grafitti artists.
Two city workers, a truck and trailer were headed somewhere to remove grafitti. On the back of the truck is a sign that reads "Grafitti Buster's". The trailer was loaded with a huge pastic vat filled with liquid (cleaning chemicals probably), a power washer, compressor, buckets, hoses, and other tools.
Cleaning grafitti must be a thankless job, and the cost to the city is substantial. It's a good thing we have these crews, but wouldn't it be nice if they were planting trees and maintaining park improvements rather than cleaning up the vandalism of others?
Let's keep our city beautiful. Please discourage grafitti artists.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Hampton Village "Noodles" Sets Nat'l Sales Record
Word is that the "Noodles" restaurant at Hampton Village smashed the chain's previous national sales record for grand openings.
Monday, May 21, 2007
"On the Couch" with STL Rising
Few things perk up the collective St. Louis psyche more than when out-of-town writers offer affirming things about St. Louis.
Here are two articles written by "Chip, the Beer Guy" from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Chip was here covering the recent St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival.
We met Chip and his fiance, Diane, at Iron Barley on Virginia. Chip is an on-air personality of the radio station "Rock 107" in Scranton. In a two-part series, he has nice things to say about St. Louis.
Part One
Part Two
Here are two articles written by "Chip, the Beer Guy" from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Chip was here covering the recent St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival.
We met Chip and his fiance, Diane, at Iron Barley on Virginia. Chip is an on-air personality of the radio station "Rock 107" in Scranton. In a two-part series, he has nice things to say about St. Louis.
Part One
Part Two
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Marti Frumhoff
Last night St. Louis lost a great friend in Marti Frumhoff. Marti was a true believer and inspiration for many.
Marti was a marketing and public relations powerhouse and she was a huge factor in building the momentum for the city's rebirth. Her annual Big BIG Tour project was a major positive force, promoting the entire city.
She was a doer until the end. On the day of her passing, she was announced as a co-sponsor for the concert to raise funds for the preservation of the Mullanphy.
When they write the story about the revitalization of St. Louis, they will need a whole chapter just for Marti.
Thank you Marti for your friendship, your vision, your passion, and the pathways you have created for the rest of us.
Marti was a marketing and public relations powerhouse and she was a huge factor in building the momentum for the city's rebirth. Her annual Big BIG Tour project was a major positive force, promoting the entire city.
She was a doer until the end. On the day of her passing, she was announced as a co-sponsor for the concert to raise funds for the preservation of the Mullanphy.
When they write the story about the revitalization of St. Louis, they will need a whole chapter just for Marti.
Thank you Marti for your friendship, your vision, your passion, and the pathways you have created for the rest of us.
Monday, May 14, 2007
STL Rising Welcomes Your Anonymous, Unfiltered Comments
In the last thread, "STL Rising: In Search of the $100,000 Neighborhoods", I nearly succumbed to the temptation of deleting an anonymous comment. Someone anonymously suggested that the reason for affordability in a neighborhood is crime, by making a link to an STL Today article from this weekend which told the story of a 90 year-old South City man mugged in his alley back in March.
If you read the article, you probably felt sorry for the man, but also might have been scratching your head as well. We don't see too many personalized news stories about crime victims, written weeks after the incident, with a major angle of the story connecting the crime to the neighborhood. So, I nearly deleted it.
However, given that the story was front-paged in the Post Dispatch, and widely available online, what would be the point of deleting it here? The link remains, as do all of your uncensored, anonymous, non "blog-owner approved" comments.
At STL Rising, we welcome your unfiltered comments. If they should be challenged, challenge away! Anonymous or not, it's up to you.
If you read the article, you probably felt sorry for the man, but also might have been scratching your head as well. We don't see too many personalized news stories about crime victims, written weeks after the incident, with a major angle of the story connecting the crime to the neighborhood. So, I nearly deleted it.
However, given that the story was front-paged in the Post Dispatch, and widely available online, what would be the point of deleting it here? The link remains, as do all of your uncensored, anonymous, non "blog-owner approved" comments.
At STL Rising, we welcome your unfiltered comments. If they should be challenged, challenge away! Anonymous or not, it's up to you.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
STL Rising: In Search Of The $100,000 Neighborhoods...
With property values on the rise in St. Louis, it's getting harder to match first time homebuyers with quality affordable housing.
There are still homes for sale in the $90,000-$120,000 range, but the choices are getting fewer and competition for starter homes is getting tough. First time homebuyers often wind up competing with real estate investors buying homes for use as rental property.
If you were making recommendations to someone starting out in the St. Louis housing market, what would be your advice?
There are still homes for sale in the $90,000-$120,000 range, but the choices are getting fewer and competition for starter homes is getting tough. First time homebuyers often wind up competing with real estate investors buying homes for use as rental property.
If you were making recommendations to someone starting out in the St. Louis housing market, what would be your advice?
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Ballpark Village Groundbreaking?
Based on previous news reports, it should be starting any day now. Any word on the official start date?
One possible use - a baseball-themed hotel for the area - has not been mentioned. Doesn't that seem like a perfect fit, replete with player or team themed rooms and baseball decor? How about a rooftop party area with bleachers overlooking Busch stadium, similar to Wrigley Town?
Does Ballpark Village "complete" downtown's comeback? Or are we already there?
One possible use - a baseball-themed hotel for the area - has not been mentioned. Doesn't that seem like a perfect fit, replete with player or team themed rooms and baseball decor? How about a rooftop party area with bleachers overlooking Busch stadium, similar to Wrigley Town?
Does Ballpark Village "complete" downtown's comeback? Or are we already there?
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
.012346
Do you know the significance of the number .012346 to St. Louis? It's a tiny number, but it represents something very important to the City. Do you know what it is?
If you think you do, post your answer in the comment section. The first correct answer wins an STL Rising prize package!
If you think you do, post your answer in the comment section. The first correct answer wins an STL Rising prize package!
Monday, May 07, 2007
ESL Old Man River Plan
Originally conceived over 20 years ago by architect Buckminster Fuller, the Old Man River plan proposes a new paradigm for American cities and land ownership, to be located along the bank of the Mississippi River in East St. Louis, Illinois.
Proponents of the concept are still pursuing the effort, with features of the project including shared land ownership, an environmentally friendly power plant, an "Aquatron" (comparable to MoBot's Climatron - except based on fresh water science), affordable housing, and a cultural center building on the legacy of East St. Louisan Katherine Dunham.
The original concept featured a lightweight umbrella-type cover over roughly a 1 mile diameter crater-shaped area. The design would allow free flow of fresh air and water, while becoming a symbol of social progress around the world.
State Representative Yvetter Young is currently proposing Illinois House Bill 2352 in support of the project and draft organizational documents for the sponsoring entity are in legal review.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
The Opposite
Yesterday we featured an aerial image of a part of north city where most of the original building stock is intact. Today we will examine the opposite situation. Many of the neighborhoods on the north side are well preserved. However, there is no question that parts have seen significant building loss.
The aerial above provides a good example. In this area there are multiple blocks entirely devoid of any buildings, and some with only a few remaining. Of those still standing, frequently they are vacant and substantially deteriorated. In these areas, other than the original street grid, the rest of the historic neighborhood context is lost.
What is unseen is the reality on the ground. Or better put, under the ground. People refer to greenfield and brownfield developments. These areas meet the definition of brownfield.
As described in the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association Roadmap report on Brownfield redevelopment, in the broadest sense, a brownfield is defined as "real estate that has been rendered either underutilized or completely unusable due to the existence - or mere threat - of environmental contamination".
For years, when demolished, abandoned buildings were collapsed into their basements and covered with a thin layer of soil. To redevelop these sites requires thousands of dollars in site excavation and possible environmental remediation. The high cost to return these parcels into buildable sites often results in net negative land value.
However, despite the real costs of redevelopment, landowners aren't likely to pay developers to purchase their lands. As a result, this unworkable economic reality has removed the bottom from the real estate market, leaving, as we have seen, brownfield sites in the heart of our city vacant for years.
Not unlike the historic tax credit for rehabilitating historic buildings, a tax credit program for land assembly, designed to offset some of the upfront costs of returning abandoned properties to productive reuse, has the potential to be one part of an overall community redevelopment program.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Northside Preservation
Last week there was discussion about providing incentives for land assembly for redevelopment in distressed communities. The above is an aerial view of the neighborhood around St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church on Shreve in North City.
St. Elizabeth church is in the middle of a beautiful northside neighborhood with nearly all of its original buildings intact. We made a point of returning to the neighborhood again soon to attend church services at St. Elizabeth's.
The idea of land assembly for major redevelopment here is probably a low priority compared to preserving the historic character of the area. Lots of the north side is similarly intact in terms of its original building stock.
If you're interested in learning more about community based organizations working to strengthen the northside of the city, be sure to include the long term efforts of Erma Lawrence and the Northside Preservation Commission in your research.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Challenges in Community Revitalization
For years, urban planners, developers, architects, elected officials, neighborhood residents, community organizations, and a huge array of other interested parties have worked together addressing the difficult challenges of community revitalization. While the challenges differ from neighborhood to neighborhood and town to town, some issues are common in the most troubled situations.
Low property values, high development costs, weak real estate markets, poor public perception, and aging infrastructure are frequently part of the mix. There's another major issue challenging community developers: the difficulty in site assembly.
Site assembly is not a sexy issue. In fact, it can be downright dull. While it's going on, there's usually not a shovel in the ground, and lots of money being spent. It gets further clouded when viewed in discussions involving the use of eminent domain. Nonetheless, for any development to occur, it's an absolute necessity. The lack of site assembly can hold back redevelopment efforts for decades.
Bring together a group of experienced community developers from across the country, and they will usually agree that the ability to assemble large, contiguous sites for redevelopment is critical. Why is this important?
Successful redevelopment projects create positive visual impact and critical mass. They establish economy of scale in the installation of public and private improvements. They are connected.
For our local redevelopment efforts to be successful, where property ownership has become a dizzying patchwork of mostly tiny, often vacant, publicly and privately owned parcels, we must overcome the upfront challenge of site assembly to create opportunities to build quality planned developments.
For macro challenges we need solutions of scale.
Low property values, high development costs, weak real estate markets, poor public perception, and aging infrastructure are frequently part of the mix. There's another major issue challenging community developers: the difficulty in site assembly.
Site assembly is not a sexy issue. In fact, it can be downright dull. While it's going on, there's usually not a shovel in the ground, and lots of money being spent. It gets further clouded when viewed in discussions involving the use of eminent domain. Nonetheless, for any development to occur, it's an absolute necessity. The lack of site assembly can hold back redevelopment efforts for decades.
Bring together a group of experienced community developers from across the country, and they will usually agree that the ability to assemble large, contiguous sites for redevelopment is critical. Why is this important?
Successful redevelopment projects create positive visual impact and critical mass. They establish economy of scale in the installation of public and private improvements. They are connected.
For our local redevelopment efforts to be successful, where property ownership has become a dizzying patchwork of mostly tiny, often vacant, publicly and privately owned parcels, we must overcome the upfront challenge of site assembly to create opportunities to build quality planned developments.
For macro challenges we need solutions of scale.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
STL Most Enhanced: Pre-Nomination
At the southwest corner of Devonshire and Macklind, just across from Manzo's (best salsiccia in St. Louis) grocery and deli, Raineri Construction, a general contractor actively working on historic rehab in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood, has acquired and is performing the first true gut rehab in the Southampton neighborhood,
The building is a typical city corner storefront, solid brick construction, featuring a cast iron column on the front corner entrance, and an apartment upstairs. The new rehab will restore the original large-sized windows of the commercial space.
At one time, the building was home to "Buckets Lounge". Back around 1994, the building sold for about $38,000. Shortly thereafter it was badly remuddled, and sold again in the $150,000 range. Now, in 2007, it's getting the royal treatment.
If you haven't visited Macklind Avenue in a while, it's taking off in the way neighborhood leaders envisioned ten years ago.
The building is a typical city corner storefront, solid brick construction, featuring a cast iron column on the front corner entrance, and an apartment upstairs. The new rehab will restore the original large-sized windows of the commercial space.
At one time, the building was home to "Buckets Lounge". Back around 1994, the building sold for about $38,000. Shortly thereafter it was badly remuddled, and sold again in the $150,000 range. Now, in 2007, it's getting the royal treatment.
If you haven't visited Macklind Avenue in a while, it's taking off in the way neighborhood leaders envisioned ten years ago.
Chicken or Steak?
This morning I was waiting in line for a cup of coffee, when two people behind me were discussing their dinner choices at a recent banquet: chicken or steak. They had a long talk about it. I'm thinking, hmm, I think I'd be happy with either one. However, for the two of them, it mattered. Chicken or steak was an issue.
The conversation made me think about our town. Some issues mean a great deal to one group of people and very little to others. Other issues have large groups of supporters, while some have very few. In our urban world, we read lots of articles ranging from things like pedestrian friendly design, historic preservation, "urban scale", public shools, charter reform, and so on.
But how many people really pay attention to these things? Last night, our son Matt and I attended an orientation for Matt's new high school. He'll be a freshman next year, and attending a Catholic high school in the middle of St. Louis County. During one part of the orientation, they had the incoming class take turns standing up based on their place of residence.
We were in the group that lives "east of the school". Then there were those from St. Charles County, North County, and West County. The kids were from all over. I'm wondering how many of the people there would get excited about pedestrian access or urban scale? They were probably more concerned about their jobs and their kid's educations. And who will get to do all that driving to their kid's new friend's houses all across the metro area...
We all have different priorities in our lives. Does St. Louis bring a passion out of you? What kind? Is it a luxury or a sacrifice to follow a passion? A little of both maybe? Does where you live make a difference?
The conversation made me think about our town. Some issues mean a great deal to one group of people and very little to others. Other issues have large groups of supporters, while some have very few. In our urban world, we read lots of articles ranging from things like pedestrian friendly design, historic preservation, "urban scale", public shools, charter reform, and so on.
But how many people really pay attention to these things? Last night, our son Matt and I attended an orientation for Matt's new high school. He'll be a freshman next year, and attending a Catholic high school in the middle of St. Louis County. During one part of the orientation, they had the incoming class take turns standing up based on their place of residence.
We were in the group that lives "east of the school". Then there were those from St. Charles County, North County, and West County. The kids were from all over. I'm wondering how many of the people there would get excited about pedestrian access or urban scale? They were probably more concerned about their jobs and their kid's educations. And who will get to do all that driving to their kid's new friend's houses all across the metro area...
We all have different priorities in our lives. Does St. Louis bring a passion out of you? What kind? Is it a luxury or a sacrifice to follow a passion? A little of both maybe? Does where you live make a difference?
Cherokee Now
Things seem to have quieted down along Cherokee since the 20th ward primary. There was buzz on the blogs for a while about getting more neighborhood involvement, especially for residents interested in the future of Cherokee. But that seems to have faded, at least by what you can gauge from local blogs.
Does anyone know a place online to keep up with the continuing revitalization of Cherokee, especially the section between Jefferson and Gravois? Please post if you know of any links. Or is it time to start a new free blog...just for Cherokee?
Does anyone know a place online to keep up with the continuing revitalization of Cherokee, especially the section between Jefferson and Gravois? Please post if you know of any links. Or is it time to start a new free blog...just for Cherokee?
Thursday, April 19, 2007
The St. Louis Paradox
The anonymous comment made in this post raises a question that must have an answer: If St. Louis has so many problems (as noted by the anonymous poster), how is it possible she is attracting so many new residents?
"College Town" Atmosphere Rising in STL?
Even though we have many fine universities in the St. Louis area, most people don't think of us as a "college town". And while we don't have an NCAA Division One football team, we do have Division One men's and women's basketball teams in the St. Louis University Billikens.
And soon, St. Louis will have Division One men's and women's sports played at an on-campus facility. Do you think that will change the atomsphere of college sports in St. Louis?
And soon, St. Louis will have Division One men's and women's sports played at an on-campus facility. Do you think that will change the atomsphere of college sports in St. Louis?
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Downtown STL Reaching Critical Mass?
I've lost count. How many housing options are available in downtown STL? Yesterday, I saw the old Ford Apartments on 14th being gutted in preparation for a high-end condo development.
The transformation in the last ten years has been remarkable, and in the next five years we will have a downtown core that will be a model for urban revitalization.
Ballpark Village will be complete and thousands of new residents will be calling downtown St. Louis home. Revitalization of the Gateway Mall will likely be complete or in full swing.
City living has many advantages. Will St. Louis be the mecca for those seeking a hip, affordable, exciting, environmentally-friendly, downtown lifestyle? The groundwork has been laid, and now we are seeing the results of years of planned progress.
The transformation in the last ten years has been remarkable, and in the next five years we will have a downtown core that will be a model for urban revitalization.
Ballpark Village will be complete and thousands of new residents will be calling downtown St. Louis home. Revitalization of the Gateway Mall will likely be complete or in full swing.
City living has many advantages. Will St. Louis be the mecca for those seeking a hip, affordable, exciting, environmentally-friendly, downtown lifestyle? The groundwork has been laid, and now we are seeing the results of years of planned progress.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Supporters Raise Over $12,000 at Mullanphy Fundraiser
We attended the fundraiser for the Mullanphy on Saturday held at the Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood. It was our first time visiting this not-so-microbrewery, and it's good knowing there's one more reason to spend time in our city-friendly neighbor to the west.
When we arrived, the parking lot was jammed, and a goodly number of the visitors were there for the Mullanphy event. In total, there were close to 150 people in attendance for Mullanphy, and over $12,000 was raised, with more contributions arriving by mail. People in attendance could not remember any event in St. Louis history where more funds were raised so quickly to help preserve a local landmark.
We made a big dent in accomplishing our fundraising goal. There's a long way to go; however, this event was successful in expanding awareness, building momentum, and growing the financial base it will take to preserve the Mullanphy building.
Watch for more opportunities to get involved. If you couldn't attend, but want to help, the most important thing needed right now is financial support. How about hosting a coffee in your home to raise funds for Mullanphy? No matter what amount you an afford, every dollar raised in this appeal will go towards the preservation of this St. Louis landmark and Old North St. Louis neighborhood anchor.
The best part of the Mullanphy event at the Bottleworks was the bottom line fun and fellowship of St. Louisans from a variety of backgrounds all gathered together for the purpose of building up St. Louis.
When we arrived, the parking lot was jammed, and a goodly number of the visitors were there for the Mullanphy event. In total, there were close to 150 people in attendance for Mullanphy, and over $12,000 was raised, with more contributions arriving by mail. People in attendance could not remember any event in St. Louis history where more funds were raised so quickly to help preserve a local landmark.
We made a big dent in accomplishing our fundraising goal. There's a long way to go; however, this event was successful in expanding awareness, building momentum, and growing the financial base it will take to preserve the Mullanphy building.
Watch for more opportunities to get involved. If you couldn't attend, but want to help, the most important thing needed right now is financial support. How about hosting a coffee in your home to raise funds for Mullanphy? No matter what amount you an afford, every dollar raised in this appeal will go towards the preservation of this St. Louis landmark and Old North St. Louis neighborhood anchor.
The best part of the Mullanphy event at the Bottleworks was the bottom line fun and fellowship of St. Louisans from a variety of backgrounds all gathered together for the purpose of building up St. Louis.
Friday, April 13, 2007
A Dedicated Fund For Historic Preservation In STL?
How's that old saying go? "Better to have and not need than need and not have?"
Well, at the present time, we've got more of the latter than the former when it comes to dedicated historic preservation funding in St. Louis.
So, this Saturday, from 5:00 - 7:30 PM at the Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood, supporters of historic preservation are gathering to raise emergency stabilization funds for the Mullanphy Emigrant Home.
Maybe the conversation will include establishing a dedicated source of funding to support historic preservation around St.Louis?
If you're interested in promoting the cause of historic preservation, please join us this Saturday in Maplewood and be a part of the effort.
Well, at the present time, we've got more of the latter than the former when it comes to dedicated historic preservation funding in St. Louis.
So, this Saturday, from 5:00 - 7:30 PM at the Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood, supporters of historic preservation are gathering to raise emergency stabilization funds for the Mullanphy Emigrant Home.
Maybe the conversation will include establishing a dedicated source of funding to support historic preservation around St.Louis?
If you're interested in promoting the cause of historic preservation, please join us this Saturday in Maplewood and be a part of the effort.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Neighborhoods Pulling Together on Mullanphy Effort
Organizers of the effort to preserve the Mullanphy Emigrant Home are reaching out across the St. Louis area to expand the base of support for the project by forming the "Historic Mullanphy Alliance".
Neighborhood organizations, professional associations, historic preservation groups and individuals are all joining the Alliance to become part of this collaborative effort.
Look for the launching of a new website which will provide links to all of the organizations signed on to the Alliance.
If your organization is interesting in becoming part of this pro-St. Louis, pro-neighborhood effort, please contact me at rbonasch@sbcglobal.net or the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group directly at 314-241-5031 for more information. Thanks.
For Sale Or Rent?
One of the debates in establishing housing priorities for neighborhoods on the mend is finding the right mix of rental and for sale housing. Given a choice, there is usually a preference for home ownership over rental.
However, at the present time, especially in areas with lower housing prices, financing programs to rehabilitate housing in historically designated areas often make rental developments more feasible.
If you were on the housing committee of your local community development organization, would you prefer a historically accurate, professionally managed, rehab of a 1-4 family building for rent, or a code compliant, non-historic, vinyl clad rehab of the same building for owner occupancy?
However, at the present time, especially in areas with lower housing prices, financing programs to rehabilitate housing in historically designated areas often make rental developments more feasible.
If you were on the housing committee of your local community development organization, would you prefer a historically accurate, professionally managed, rehab of a 1-4 family building for rent, or a code compliant, non-historic, vinyl clad rehab of the same building for owner occupancy?
Friday, April 06, 2007
April 14 Mullanphy Fundraiser - See You There!
Let's Save This Landmark! (Click on the image for a larger view)
She Loves Her People...Too Much!
Every morning we wake up with our seven-year old Shepherd/Beagle mix curled up at the foot of the bed, keeping our feet warm. We adopted her when she was about six months old from a local humane society. Her name is Hollie and she's a small to mid-sized dog, weighing a little under 25 pounds.
Hollie has lots of friends. She wants to be everyone's friend. She is particularly devoted to little people. She loves children and other dogs. She does not love rabbits or squirrels.
She likes to go out in the middle of the night to flush the yard clear of wildlife. That is her job. It's one of the things she does to protect her people. With her Beagle nose, she finds every hiding rabbit or running squirrel and chases them out of the yard.
She barks to let her people know if there are any intruders. If I go outside with her, then she won't bark. So sometimes, in the middle of the night, I'll wrap myself in a blanket and lay back on one of our patio chairs while she makes her midnight rounds. When I'm outside with her, she doesn't bark.
When one of us leaves the house, she takes her place on the top of the sofa, looking out the front window. She stays there until we return. This is one of her people, and she loves them. When we come home, we see her little face and perked up ears looking out the window at us. Then she jumps down and greets us at the front door with her tail wagging happily. She does a little dance, jumping up and down in little jumps. She wants to be with her people.
And if her people bring new people in the house, then she wants to make them her people too, and she will love them even more, especially if they are little people - the tinier the better. She loves little babies. It is her goal in this world to serve and please her people. She lives to love and serve her people and to have companionship with other dogs.
If there is a dog barking somewhere in the distance, her ears perk up, and she trains on the sound. Then she barks in reply, in support of another dog serving its people.
Hollie has many voices. She sings and moans and makes pleasing clicking sounds from deep in her throat. Her name could be "Mona" for all the different sounds she makes. She makes her clicking sounds when she is the most content with her people. The clicking sounds like the kind of sound some higher intelligence, alien life form might make. Or like dolphins talking. She also makes a funny sound when she yawns.
When she's sleepy, she yawns and when she yawns, her Shepherd jaws spread open wide, revealing rows of big, sharp, white teeth, and you can see the pink and brown speckled roof of her mouth. Then, if she yawns a big yawn, sometimes she shakes her head a little and lets out a super high-pitched, 2 or 3 second long squeak.
When she yawns and lets out the little squeaks, it always makes her people laugh, even though they've seen it hundreds of times before. When she's done, her eyes sparkle and her head stops shaking. Then she looks at her people with her big brown Beagle eyes and they pet her or pat her on the head and give her big hugs. Sometimes then she will start making the clicking sounds, or moan if her people stop petting her.
But she doesn't like it when they touch her feet. And she cries when they clip her nails, but she always forgives them when it's done. And she doesn't like it when she sees a lone man walking down the sidewalk. Unless the man is a friend of her people, then she will wag her tail and love the man too much.
She's been in our home for almost seven years now, and she keeps loving her people more each day, and she keeps getting more people. There is no limit to the number of people she can love and the amount of service she can give from her big heart.
There are lots of dogs with no homes or people of their own to love and serve. If you have a place in your home for one of them, and the time to share your life with it, please consider adopting a dog to let it love and serve you and your people for the rest of its life.
Hollie has lots of friends. She wants to be everyone's friend. She is particularly devoted to little people. She loves children and other dogs. She does not love rabbits or squirrels.
She likes to go out in the middle of the night to flush the yard clear of wildlife. That is her job. It's one of the things she does to protect her people. With her Beagle nose, she finds every hiding rabbit or running squirrel and chases them out of the yard.
She barks to let her people know if there are any intruders. If I go outside with her, then she won't bark. So sometimes, in the middle of the night, I'll wrap myself in a blanket and lay back on one of our patio chairs while she makes her midnight rounds. When I'm outside with her, she doesn't bark.
When one of us leaves the house, she takes her place on the top of the sofa, looking out the front window. She stays there until we return. This is one of her people, and she loves them. When we come home, we see her little face and perked up ears looking out the window at us. Then she jumps down and greets us at the front door with her tail wagging happily. She does a little dance, jumping up and down in little jumps. She wants to be with her people.
And if her people bring new people in the house, then she wants to make them her people too, and she will love them even more, especially if they are little people - the tinier the better. She loves little babies. It is her goal in this world to serve and please her people. She lives to love and serve her people and to have companionship with other dogs.
If there is a dog barking somewhere in the distance, her ears perk up, and she trains on the sound. Then she barks in reply, in support of another dog serving its people.
Hollie has many voices. She sings and moans and makes pleasing clicking sounds from deep in her throat. Her name could be "Mona" for all the different sounds she makes. She makes her clicking sounds when she is the most content with her people. The clicking sounds like the kind of sound some higher intelligence, alien life form might make. Or like dolphins talking. She also makes a funny sound when she yawns.
When she's sleepy, she yawns and when she yawns, her Shepherd jaws spread open wide, revealing rows of big, sharp, white teeth, and you can see the pink and brown speckled roof of her mouth. Then, if she yawns a big yawn, sometimes she shakes her head a little and lets out a super high-pitched, 2 or 3 second long squeak.
When she yawns and lets out the little squeaks, it always makes her people laugh, even though they've seen it hundreds of times before. When she's done, her eyes sparkle and her head stops shaking. Then she looks at her people with her big brown Beagle eyes and they pet her or pat her on the head and give her big hugs. Sometimes then she will start making the clicking sounds, or moan if her people stop petting her.
But she doesn't like it when they touch her feet. And she cries when they clip her nails, but she always forgives them when it's done. And she doesn't like it when she sees a lone man walking down the sidewalk. Unless the man is a friend of her people, then she will wag her tail and love the man too much.
She's been in our home for almost seven years now, and she keeps loving her people more each day, and she keeps getting more people. There is no limit to the number of people she can love and the amount of service she can give from her big heart.
There are lots of dogs with no homes or people of their own to love and serve. If you have a place in your home for one of them, and the time to share your life with it, please consider adopting a dog to let it love and serve you and your people for the rest of its life.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Cold Outside? Try Park and Ride!
The weather was a little on the cold side today, so, feeling a tinge of lightweight public citizen guilt, I took the low impact option, and drove the mile or two to the Metrolink Station, to give the park and ride option a try.
What's not to like? Ample free parking. Park your car right on the station lot and stroll over to the brightly lit, easy to access ticket area. Walk up the stairs to the waiting train. Have a seat in the comfy, heated modern rail car.
This is new life, uncomplicated!
What's not to like? Ample free parking. Park your car right on the station lot and stroll over to the brightly lit, easy to access ticket area. Walk up the stairs to the waiting train. Have a seat in the comfy, heated modern rail car.
This is new life, uncomplicated!
STL Rising: Downtown Shortcuts!
Last night, we were driving into downtown via northbound I-55 to Memorial Drive. Meanwhile, ballpark traffic in the lefthand lanes of Memorial Drive was backed up all the way to the Poplar Street Bridge. Oddly enough, the righthand lanes were wide open.
We kept to the right, and made it all the way to the stoplight next to the Old Cathedral. Gridlocked traffic in the left lanes, waiting to make a left turn on Market past the Drury Inn, was waiting...and waiting...and waiting. Given the length of the line of cars waiting to turn on Market, drivers were probably waiting 20-30 minutes or more to make this turn.
It's a breeze to avoid this delay; remember, we have a grid street system! One block further north, south, east or west and you probably can steer clear of all sorts of traffic jams.
We circumvented the traffic by travelling one block out of our way, and had the car parked and were in our seats at the ballgame while some of the cars we had passed ten minutes earlier were probably still lined up on Memorial Drive.
Take a different turn! There are lots of ways to get from Point A to Point B!
We kept to the right, and made it all the way to the stoplight next to the Old Cathedral. Gridlocked traffic in the left lanes, waiting to make a left turn on Market past the Drury Inn, was waiting...and waiting...and waiting. Given the length of the line of cars waiting to turn on Market, drivers were probably waiting 20-30 minutes or more to make this turn.
It's a breeze to avoid this delay; remember, we have a grid street system! One block further north, south, east or west and you probably can steer clear of all sorts of traffic jams.
We circumvented the traffic by travelling one block out of our way, and had the car parked and were in our seats at the ballgame while some of the cars we had passed ten minutes earlier were probably still lined up on Memorial Drive.
Take a different turn! There are lots of ways to get from Point A to Point B!
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
"TOL"
Back in the day, people used to say "bad" for things that were cool.
A bunch of us studied German in high school, and we learned that the German equivalent for "bad" was "tol". Tol means cool in German, and according to Wiktionary, it still does.
Thirty years later, I'm finding a whole new meaning for tol, and this time, it's really cool...
TOL as in Transit-Oriented-Lifestyle. Since I started riding Metro last week, the lifestyle benefits have been amazing. Now we're figuring out ways to fit transit into more of our daily routines.
For $60 per month, you can buy an unlimited monthly pass on Metro. That $60 gets a rider unlimited access to the airport; downtown; Clayton; Laclede's Landing, the Riverfront, and the Eads Bridge; the Convention Center; Union Station; Busch Stadium; Maplewood; and, the Galleria.
I can be nearly free from the car and the hassle of driving, reduce a huge chunk of our $300-$400 monthly gasoline expense, eliminate $120 per month in parking fees, and save on car repairs. For the times I need to drive somewhere during the day, there are multiple options, including parking at one of the free, nearby Metro parking lots, and then taking a short ride on Metro to pick up the car. Walking back and forth to the Metro stations creates a built in exercise routine.
In addition to the savings, convenience, and health benefits, Metro is just plain clean and fun. The views are beautiful and the elevated sections along the new I-44 extension are like riding an amusement park attracton. St. Louis looks great from a skyway!
Now that's tol!
A bunch of us studied German in high school, and we learned that the German equivalent for "bad" was "tol". Tol means cool in German, and according to Wiktionary, it still does.
Thirty years later, I'm finding a whole new meaning for tol, and this time, it's really cool...
TOL as in Transit-Oriented-Lifestyle. Since I started riding Metro last week, the lifestyle benefits have been amazing. Now we're figuring out ways to fit transit into more of our daily routines.
For $60 per month, you can buy an unlimited monthly pass on Metro. That $60 gets a rider unlimited access to the airport; downtown; Clayton; Laclede's Landing, the Riverfront, and the Eads Bridge; the Convention Center; Union Station; Busch Stadium; Maplewood; and, the Galleria.
I can be nearly free from the car and the hassle of driving, reduce a huge chunk of our $300-$400 monthly gasoline expense, eliminate $120 per month in parking fees, and save on car repairs. For the times I need to drive somewhere during the day, there are multiple options, including parking at one of the free, nearby Metro parking lots, and then taking a short ride on Metro to pick up the car. Walking back and forth to the Metro stations creates a built in exercise routine.
In addition to the savings, convenience, and health benefits, Metro is just plain clean and fun. The views are beautiful and the elevated sections along the new I-44 extension are like riding an amusement park attracton. St. Louis looks great from a skyway!
Now that's tol!
Monday, April 02, 2007
Mother Nature Raises Bar On Mullanphy Effort
Strong storms this past weekend have dealt a major setback to the efforts to preserve the historic Mullanphy Emigrant Home in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood.
What began last year as an emergency project to save one of the city's most historic buildings, became a fate uncertain now with the structural integrity of the Mullanphy severely weakened.
The Historic Mullanphy Alliance, an ad hoc coaliton of city organizations, formed this year to work together across neighborhood boundaries to preserve the building. The effort was gaining momentum just as this latest setback occurred.
The immediate future of the building is unknown. There will certainly be an updated assessment of its structural condition. After the initial damage in 2006, the building was nearly demolished for public safety purposes. Facing a huge challenge, the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group intervened, taking on the responsibility of the building and its preservation.
The effort to preserve the Mullanphy has significance beyond one building. The larger challenge we face is how to elevate the cause of historic preservation beyond ad hoc initiatives to one with sustainable funding and a physical development strategy.
Maybe there is greater potential for the Historic Mullanphy Alliance than we first believed?
(photograph courtesy of Michael Allen, Ecology of Absence)
Thursday, March 29, 2007
STL 2017
With so many efforts underway to improve the St. Louis area, there is a wide range of possibilities for supporting our region's growth. How do you think we should prioritize our efforts?
Tutoring kids in school?
Neighborhood cleanups?
Historic preservation?
Home repair or rehab?
Demolition of certain beyond-hope structures?
Park and greenspace improvement?
Outdoor/farmer's market support?
Economic development?
Senior services?
Stream cleanup?
Tourism promotion?
Neighborhood involvement?
In the past ten years, we've made great progress...
Major improvements downtown...
Historic rehab across the city...
New downtown stadium...
City population stabilized and increasing...
Substantial redevelopment on the city's northside...
For the next ten years, what should we set out to accomplish?
New Mississippi Bridge?
Restructure public education?
Revitalize Dr. Martin Luther King commercial corridor?
Redraw certain neighborhood boundaries?
Increase our bio-tech status?
Gateway Mall?
We have momentum. How should we leverage it?
Tutoring kids in school?
Neighborhood cleanups?
Historic preservation?
Home repair or rehab?
Demolition of certain beyond-hope structures?
Park and greenspace improvement?
Outdoor/farmer's market support?
Economic development?
Senior services?
Stream cleanup?
Tourism promotion?
Neighborhood involvement?
In the past ten years, we've made great progress...
Major improvements downtown...
Historic rehab across the city...
New downtown stadium...
City population stabilized and increasing...
Substantial redevelopment on the city's northside...
For the next ten years, what should we set out to accomplish?
New Mississippi Bridge?
Restructure public education?
Revitalize Dr. Martin Luther King commercial corridor?
Redraw certain neighborhood boundaries?
Increase our bio-tech status?
Gateway Mall?
We have momentum. How should we leverage it?
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Old North St. Louis House Tour - May 12
This is a tour for all St. Louis. The positive changes happening in Old North are proof positive that community development does work. Check it out so you can be part of the change.
Missouri Takes Lead in SLPS Debate
When Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education ("DESE") removed accreditation from the St. Louis Public Schools, I think most people were under the impression that the state's board of education would now take charge of the city's public schools.
However, subsequent to DESE's move, the debate has quickly shifted to the state legislature in Jefferson City, where elected officials from all across Missouri are now debating the future of the city's public schools. Did anyone see this coming?
The debate has evolved from a local issue into a statewide discussion about the future of urban education in the City of St. Louis.
However, subsequent to DESE's move, the debate has quickly shifted to the state legislature in Jefferson City, where elected officials from all across Missouri are now debating the future of the city's public schools. Did anyone see this coming?
The debate has evolved from a local issue into a statewide discussion about the future of urban education in the City of St. Louis.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Metrolink Convert?
Yesterday I rode the new Shrewsbury Metrolink extension for the first time. What a beautiful ride! Great views, fun, and convenient! Very modern.
I rode it to the end of the line, and then walked the rest of the way home. The walk took about 30 minutes.
Let's see....if I start riding Metrolink to work, I could...
Save $$$ on gasoline...
Save $$$ on car repairs...
Eliminate the $120 per month payroll deduction for parking...
Get regular daily exercise...
Have a safe and relaxing ride to and from downtown...
Monday, March 26, 2007
2-Way Streets Rising
Traffic safety and how we can make our neighborhood streets more inviting are favorite neighborhood topics. One of the simplest and lowest cost ways to slow down cars is to have 2-way way streets. Making a narrow city street 2-way really works!
It may seem counter-intuitive to have 2-way traffic on a one lane street, but you should see the difference in the speed of cars. Drivers are forced to slow down for oncoming traffic, and they a lot more in general to pay attention to, so they naturally lower their speed.
Yesterday, we found one of the narrowest 2-way streets anywhere in St. Louis. It's Bonita, in the first block west of Macklind, one block north of Loughborough. This block of Bonita leads you to one of the coolest alleys in the city, a semi-circular one serving the homes on Woodbine Court.
The next time someone tells you your street is too narrow to be 2-way, take them over to Bonita and show them how calm the traffic is.
Prefer speeding traffic down your block? Make it one-way.
For more info on the neighborhood-friendly aspects of 2-way streets, check out: streetsblog.org
It may seem counter-intuitive to have 2-way traffic on a one lane street, but you should see the difference in the speed of cars. Drivers are forced to slow down for oncoming traffic, and they a lot more in general to pay attention to, so they naturally lower their speed.
Yesterday, we found one of the narrowest 2-way streets anywhere in St. Louis. It's Bonita, in the first block west of Macklind, one block north of Loughborough. This block of Bonita leads you to one of the coolest alleys in the city, a semi-circular one serving the homes on Woodbine Court.
The next time someone tells you your street is too narrow to be 2-way, take them over to Bonita and show them how calm the traffic is.
Prefer speeding traffic down your block? Make it one-way.
For more info on the neighborhood-friendly aspects of 2-way streets, check out: streetsblog.org
Friday, March 23, 2007
Mississippi Bluffs Update
According to a reliable source in the Carondelet area, Michael Curran's Mississippi Bluffs project is about to commence construction.
Will this be the first high-end riverfront housing development in the City of St. Louis in over fifty years?
Will this be the first high-end riverfront housing development in the City of St. Louis in over fifty years?
Bevo Rising
There's a lot of rehab going on in Little Bosna. Old storefronts are being reopened. There's an attractive new coffee shop opened just southwest of the old Gravois Bootery. Closer to the viaduct there's lots of mixed use rehabs. Even Bevo Mill is getting in the act, with frequent radio advertising on KTRS announcing "...Bevo Mill Game Time is..."
A couple of years ago, the city changed the lane configuration along Gravois through the area to create a 2-way center turn lane. However, after receiving complaints from concerned citizens, it was changed back. I must be in the minority, but I prefer the center turn lane alternative. It always feels safer making left turns when you aren't afraid someone is going to rear end you at 45 mph.
QuikTrip just closed its store across from the Bevo Days festival lot in favor of a much expanded offer a few blocks in at Chippewa and Gravois. Gas prices at the new store were 20 cents a gallon cheaper than what I paid yesterday at the Hampton and I-44 Shell.
With QuikTrip now doing some strategic store relocations, it will be interesting to see what happens to their closed locations. They are trying to sell them. The one at Gravois and Heege has been for sale for sometime, and they've lowered the price at least once.
For competition reasons, they probably would not allow a gas station to reopen at the sites. Maybe they're looking for quick oil change or auto repair uses?
A couple of years ago, the city changed the lane configuration along Gravois through the area to create a 2-way center turn lane. However, after receiving complaints from concerned citizens, it was changed back. I must be in the minority, but I prefer the center turn lane alternative. It always feels safer making left turns when you aren't afraid someone is going to rear end you at 45 mph.
QuikTrip just closed its store across from the Bevo Days festival lot in favor of a much expanded offer a few blocks in at Chippewa and Gravois. Gas prices at the new store were 20 cents a gallon cheaper than what I paid yesterday at the Hampton and I-44 Shell.
With QuikTrip now doing some strategic store relocations, it will be interesting to see what happens to their closed locations. They are trying to sell them. The one at Gravois and Heege has been for sale for sometime, and they've lowered the price at least once.
For competition reasons, they probably would not allow a gas station to reopen at the sites. Maybe they're looking for quick oil change or auto repair uses?
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Stairway Together
Yesterday's mail came with a letter from Matt's high school containing the electronic transfer forms required to pay tuition. The cost will be more than double what we've been paying through eighth grade. The school has an excellent tradition, so we are looking forward to an exciting new phase in our lives. On the same day the mail arrived marking a milestone in Matt's education, he made another in his efforts as a young musical artist.
For guitarists, it's a rite of passage to learn Zeppelin's classic, "Stairway To Heaven". I can't remember how old I was when I first played it, but it was a very long time ago. For the past couple of months, Matt's been working on learning the song himself.
He's had formal music training since first grade, including three years' piano lessons, and playing trombone for his school's jazz and concert bands. This year, he made first trombone for an all-metro honor jazz band at UMSL.
However, guitar has always been his creative diversion. There hasn't been any structured training, just occasionally ne passing along pointers while he's playing. His guitar playing's all self-directed, and he's a pure ear player.
It's interesting the parallels between sports and music. Both are creative physical pursuits, and the earlier one starts the easier they are. Last night, Matt calls me downstairs to play accompaniment bass while he practices improvising leads.
He's getting pretty good, and's already far better than I was at his age. He and a couple of his friends have started a rock band, and they're getting pretty good. Darn good. Instead of just pounding on drums and electric guitars, they're working out instrumental and vocal harmonies. For eighth graders, they're good.
In the middle of last night's practice session, he asks me to show him some more of the passages in Stairway to Heaven. We're sitting in chairs, facing each other, as I walk him through the changes. He can't read a note of music for guitar and knows maybe three or four chords if you call them out to him. But he was hungry to learn the remaining parts of this song.
We went over them a couple of times, and he was real close. I asked him if he had the song loaded on his Ipod, which he did. The Ipod is connected to a sound system, so upon scrolling to the song, it's like inviting Jimmy Page and Robert Plant to play alongside in our basement.
We're playing along with the Ipod, and Matt is doing well keeping up. The length and repetitive nature of the song gives us multiple opportunities to work on the parts he's working out. He's making rapid progress through each verse. The hard rock ending is standard power chord fare, so we were jamming in stride to the finish.
Connecting families across generations through music is a reward none of us thought of during all those years of lessons and practicing. Mom and Dad, thanks to you guys for providing a music tradition to us, and Matt, thanks to you for carrying it on.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Taking Out the Trash
Fortunately, we don't witness scenes like the one in the picture above in St. Louis. But we have enough of our own decay to keep redevelopers busy. When things hit rock bottom, whether in terms of abandoned buildings or vacant land, we need tools to repair the damage.
Assemblying sites for redevelopment in blighted areas is a key first step in the redevelopment process. Sometimes, eminent domain is the only option. The next time you hear someone critical of the use of eminent domain, think of vacant land or buildings in the middle of an abandoned neighborhood.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Losing the Haircut Lottery
There's a race underway on the top of my head. It's between my gray hair and receding hair line, and at this stage, it's pretty much a draw.
I'm not much into haircuts, and have never established loyalty to a particular barber shop or salon. When it's time for a cut, I go for convenience.
Saturday we're at the ScholarShop in Webster. After about twenty minutes, I've got what I'm looking for and Kerri's still shopping. Hey, I can get a haircut! So, I take off in the car to scope out Big Bend for a salon. There's Music Folk, then KFNS, and a few doors further, sure enough, there's a hair cut shop.
It seems like hair salons are all pretty much the same. When you walk in, you're hit with a wall of air heavy from the smell of hair products, and on the coffee tables, there are stacks of style magazines filled with pictures of gorgeous models.
I look for the places with a couple stylists sitting around. As I enter this shop, it fits the bill: in the back, two ladies are reading the paper.
One stands up, gives me a big smile, and offers her hand in introduction. She asks if I'd like a shampoo, and I say "yes" and follow her to the shampoo sink. For me, the next twenty minutes will be torture. It always starts with the same question: "How do you like it?"
I don't know anything about cutting hair, and can't describe how I "like it". So I say, "Uh, take about an inch off, and make it even with the top of the ears". Okay, I know it's not much of an answer, but that's my stock reply. Next off come the glasses and for the next ten or fifteen minutes, I'm legally blind and at the mercy of the stylist.
She starts cutting. Now comes the small talk. "Do you work?" she asks. We small talk about job stuff. "Oh, that sounds interesting!" she says. Next she tells me about the 18-year old home she and her newlywed husband purchased in December in Valley Park. They wanted something "newer" and Webster Groves was too expensive.
I'm thinking about asking her how it's working out for the Valley Park City Council and their anti-illegal immigration ordinance when she starts telling me about her friends who bought an older home in St. Ann, Missouri. She said how her friends had done a lot to fix it up. I said I thought St. Ann was nice. She said how one time she and her husband got lost trying to find St. Ann, and how some people don't like "to venture". Then she said how her friends wanted to move to Valley Park, too.
I'm trying to figure out what she means by "venture" as she starts finishing up the haircut. She asks me how I like it. Everything is blurry, so she hands me my glasses. It looks a little uneven. I reach up and start mussing with it. "Oh, you like it messy!" she asks.
It has that Woody Woodpecker flip thing working in the front. "Well, I....uh...it looks a little uneven...Could you take a little bit more off the top?"
Back off with the glasses and she starts cutting some more. Her motions are more feverish this time. Now a feeling of dread starts to weigh in my gut. She stops cutting and hands me my glasses. She gives me a mirror and says, "Look at the back! The back is so important, and we never stop to look at it!". She whirls me around and I'm looking back through the mirror.
Now there's a noticeable left to right slant. "It looks good!" I say. I need to leave. "I like it!" She takes the smock thing off of me and I get up and reach for my wallet. We walk to the cashier's station and she tells me it will be $21 for today. She fills out a little temporary business card and reintroduces herself.
I leave out the front of the store, taking in a big breath of fresh air, glad to have the haircut done. Looking in the vanity mirror in the car, I can see that the bald head has built a solid lead over the gray hair.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Loughborough Commons Update
Based on the number of cars in the parking lot, activity at the new Loughborough Commons shopping center in South City is getting busier by the day.
From the "Carondeletter", newsletter for the Carondelet Community Betterment Federation (CCBF), here is a report about the new shopping center:
"In September Schnuck's opened their new and larger market at the Loughborough Commons Shopping Center (I55 and Loughborough). The store provides for any needs and is beautifully designed.
In mid-October Lowe's opened their very large store at the same shopping center. Lowe's manager, Jacob Lutes says "We're excited about this being the first store inside the city limits." The store has 154 employees-60 percent are full-time. In addition to the 116,000 square feet of retail sales, there is a garden center of 31,000 sqare feet.
The ribbon cutting was held on October 21st with the following present: Mayor Francis Slay, Alderman Matt Villa, Alderman Fred Heitert 12th Ward, Alderman Fred Wessels 13 Ward, Sr. Marie Charles Buford, Executive Director of CCBF-represented by Ted Naegel. CCBF received a gift of $1,000 on opening day.
Desco, the developer for the shopping center, reports another 43,000 square feet of retail space is planned to include 7-12 retailers."
Thanks to CCBF for this information. For more information about CCBF, please call (314)752-6339 or visit them online at ccbf-inc.org.
From the "Carondeletter", newsletter for the Carondelet Community Betterment Federation (CCBF), here is a report about the new shopping center:
"In September Schnuck's opened their new and larger market at the Loughborough Commons Shopping Center (I55 and Loughborough). The store provides for any needs and is beautifully designed.
In mid-October Lowe's opened their very large store at the same shopping center. Lowe's manager, Jacob Lutes says "We're excited about this being the first store inside the city limits." The store has 154 employees-60 percent are full-time. In addition to the 116,000 square feet of retail sales, there is a garden center of 31,000 sqare feet.
The ribbon cutting was held on October 21st with the following present: Mayor Francis Slay, Alderman Matt Villa, Alderman Fred Heitert 12th Ward, Alderman Fred Wessels 13 Ward, Sr. Marie Charles Buford, Executive Director of CCBF-represented by Ted Naegel. CCBF received a gift of $1,000 on opening day.
Desco, the developer for the shopping center, reports another 43,000 square feet of retail space is planned to include 7-12 retailers."
Thanks to CCBF for this information. For more information about CCBF, please call (314)752-6339 or visit them online at ccbf-inc.org.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Mullally Field Fundraiser
St. Mary Magdalen parish on the city's southside is holding a trivia night to raise funds to improve the soccer field next to the parish center. The date is March 24, the price is $120 for a table of eight, and includes beer, soda, and popcorn.
Funds are being raised to install lighting for the soccer fields. Lights are vital to increasing the use of the facility. Increased use means more revenue to support the long term viability of the facility.
For more information, please contact Mike Schwartz, parishioner at St. Mary Magdalen church, 314-481-6542. Thanks.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Magnolia Square Church Key
The new name for the Manchester strip in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood is "The Grove". The Grove is a hot night spot in St. Louis. I met Calvin last night during our first night time visit to The Grove.
The Church Key in The Grove doesn't allow smoking in the main bar. In the back they have put up a little one-room building with a fire pit where smokers gather. Calvin's job is to stoke the fire. The Church Key is owned by the same family that owns Bellon Wrecking.
The little building with the fire pit is made out of pallets of salvaged brick, stacked three high. The bricks are fastened to the pallets with steel straps. The fire pit is in the center of the room, and the roof is reinforced by huge steel I-beams and covered by salvaged steel plating. Adding to the casual atmosphere, there are a couple of strands of large-sized, Christmas lights hung from the ceiling. There's a small boom box in the corner playing music, but you couldn't hear it until very late at night when the conversation and the crackling fire had quieted down. The little room is cozy and inviting. From the outside, it looks like a primitive brick mound.
Calvin and I talked about demolition. Calvin works for the Bellons. Bellon lost out on the bid to Spirtas for the Gasometer demolition over on Chouteau. Spirtas and Bellon are competitors in the demolition business. Calvin said that Bellon and Spirtas are the two biggest demo contractors in St. Louis behind Alberici. Calvin laughed when he told me how Bellon won a bid to a demolition right next door to the Spirtas office.
The Grove is rapidly improving and it has a feel different from any of the other hip destinations around St. Louis. It's an old highway. Last nite, we had to park a few blocks away from the Church Key to find a parking space on Manchester. The other nearby bars and restaurants were packed. One member of our party said the new "R-Bar" is the latest hot spot. The Chouteau viaduct just reopened, making it easier to get to The Grove from the east. Calvin said this part of Manchester Road is the old Route 66.
Bellon demolished the old Chouteau viaduct. The viaduct travels over lots of rail lines. Calvin said the railroad has its own rules. They wouldn't let Bellon work during daylight hours, so the demolition had to all be done in the middle of the night. The new viaduct is beautiful and reconnects St. Louis east and west.
I spent most of my time back in the little brick room with the smokers around the fire. Even though the weather has warmed up, it was still cool enough outside to enjoy a warm fire. Calvin and I took turns stoking it. Occasionally, I'd walk back inside the main bar. The Church Key is a beautiful historic rehab on the north side of Manchester.
Out back, next to the little building with the fire pit, there's a concrete patio with some stone benches. One of the benches is next to the back fence. I climbed up on it to look over the fence and into the neighborhood. About ten yards past the fence, on a formely vacant lot, there's a brand new, beautiful playground for children and families.
The north side of Forest Park Southeast is now on the National Register of Historic Places and the Church Key is one of many historic rehabs completed or underway in the neighborhood. When the Bellons renovated the Church Key, they used some of the contents from the old St. Aloysius Church near Cunetto's on the Hill to finish the rehab. Bellon demolished St. Aloysius last year to make way for the new, upscale Magnolia Square housing development.
The demolition of St. Aloysius reminded me of the demolition of the old Arena. I had many fond memories, all sports related, of St. Al's. The gym at St. Al's had a Lamella roof, just like the Arena, only smaller. The coolest thing about a Lamella roof is the wide, unsupported span of wood-framing it creates. It makes for great sight lines. If you were ever in the Arena, you know what I mean. At St. Al's it was the same thing, only smaller. We used to watch CYC basketball games in the St. Al's gym. It was my favorite gym on the CYC circuit and one of the oldest.
The Church Key in The Grove doesn't allow smoking in the main bar. In the back they have put up a little one-room building with a fire pit where smokers gather. Calvin's job is to stoke the fire. The Church Key is owned by the same family that owns Bellon Wrecking.
The little building with the fire pit is made out of pallets of salvaged brick, stacked three high. The bricks are fastened to the pallets with steel straps. The fire pit is in the center of the room, and the roof is reinforced by huge steel I-beams and covered by salvaged steel plating. Adding to the casual atmosphere, there are a couple of strands of large-sized, Christmas lights hung from the ceiling. There's a small boom box in the corner playing music, but you couldn't hear it until very late at night when the conversation and the crackling fire had quieted down. The little room is cozy and inviting. From the outside, it looks like a primitive brick mound.Calvin and I talked about demolition. Calvin works for the Bellons. Bellon lost out on the bid to Spirtas for the Gasometer demolition over on Chouteau. Spirtas and Bellon are competitors in the demolition business. Calvin said that Bellon and Spirtas are the two biggest demo contractors in St. Louis behind Alberici. Calvin laughed when he told me how Bellon won a bid to a demolition right next door to the Spirtas office.
The Grove is rapidly improving and it has a feel different from any of the other hip destinations around St. Louis. It's an old highway. Last nite, we had to park a few blocks away from the Church Key to find a parking space on Manchester. The other nearby bars and restaurants were packed. One member of our party said the new "R-Bar" is the latest hot spot. The Chouteau viaduct just reopened, making it easier to get to The Grove from the east. Calvin said this part of Manchester Road is the old Route 66.
Bellon demolished the old Chouteau viaduct. The viaduct travels over lots of rail lines. Calvin said the railroad has its own rules. They wouldn't let Bellon work during daylight hours, so the demolition had to all be done in the middle of the night. The new viaduct is beautiful and reconnects St. Louis east and west.
I spent most of my time back in the little brick room with the smokers around the fire. Even though the weather has warmed up, it was still cool enough outside to enjoy a warm fire. Calvin and I took turns stoking it. Occasionally, I'd walk back inside the main bar. The Church Key is a beautiful historic rehab on the north side of Manchester.
Out back, next to the little building with the fire pit, there's a concrete patio with some stone benches. One of the benches is next to the back fence. I climbed up on it to look over the fence and into the neighborhood. About ten yards past the fence, on a formely vacant lot, there's a brand new, beautiful playground for children and families.
The north side of Forest Park Southeast is now on the National Register of Historic Places and the Church Key is one of many historic rehabs completed or underway in the neighborhood. When the Bellons renovated the Church Key, they used some of the contents from the old St. Aloysius Church near Cunetto's on the Hill to finish the rehab. Bellon demolished St. Aloysius last year to make way for the new, upscale Magnolia Square housing development.
The demolition of St. Aloysius reminded me of the demolition of the old Arena. I had many fond memories, all sports related, of St. Al's. The gym at St. Al's had a Lamella roof, just like the Arena, only smaller. The coolest thing about a Lamella roof is the wide, unsupported span of wood-framing it creates. It makes for great sight lines. If you were ever in the Arena, you know what I mean. At St. Al's it was the same thing, only smaller. We used to watch CYC basketball games in the St. Al's gym. It was my favorite gym on the CYC circuit and one of the oldest.
Now the church, the school, and the gym are gone and the site is being developed into a subdivison of upscale homes. The parishioners have been assigned to St. Ambrose on the Hill. Neighbors of the old St. Al's were happy to see the new homes come in. The houses at Magnolia Square have nice designs, with alley-facing garages, front porches, and many quality features. Selling in the middle-upper three hundred thousand dollar range, Magnolia Square has raised the bar substantially for home prices in the area.
Back at the Church Key, some of the custmers, neighbors of mine, were talking about the reuse of old St. Aloysius church parts. Pews had been converted to booths, a stained glass window is back-lit into a nice wall feature, and the old kneelers are now foot rests for the bar. Using old church parts in bars and restaurants is nothing new in St. Louis.
The most famous example was the old Talayna's pizza place across from Washington University. Talayna's was filled with sculpture and stained glass from many old city churches. Talayna's closed and the old building was torn down. The religious artworks all found new homes. An attractive new building has taken its place.
We talked some more about the pews and the kneelers inside the Church Key, and how cool the whole place is. One person said how maybe someday the pews in our church would end up in a restaurant. Or maybe something like Ninth Street Abbey? It could happen.
A couple years ago, St. Aloysius was a vacant, surplus church and Manchester Road in Forest Park Southeast was mostly filled with vacant old brick buildings, left behind when Highway 40 bypassed Manchester Road. There was no such thing as "The Grove".
Today, the old St. Aloysius church site has been transformed into an upscale housing development, and there is new life in "The Grove", some of it transported from St. Aloysius Church.
Back at the Church Key, some of the custmers, neighbors of mine, were talking about the reuse of old St. Aloysius church parts. Pews had been converted to booths, a stained glass window is back-lit into a nice wall feature, and the old kneelers are now foot rests for the bar. Using old church parts in bars and restaurants is nothing new in St. Louis.
The most famous example was the old Talayna's pizza place across from Washington University. Talayna's was filled with sculpture and stained glass from many old city churches. Talayna's closed and the old building was torn down. The religious artworks all found new homes. An attractive new building has taken its place.We talked some more about the pews and the kneelers inside the Church Key, and how cool the whole place is. One person said how maybe someday the pews in our church would end up in a restaurant. Or maybe something like Ninth Street Abbey? It could happen.
A couple years ago, St. Aloysius was a vacant, surplus church and Manchester Road in Forest Park Southeast was mostly filled with vacant old brick buildings, left behind when Highway 40 bypassed Manchester Road. There was no such thing as "The Grove".Today, the old St. Aloysius church site has been transformed into an upscale housing development, and there is new life in "The Grove", some of it transported from St. Aloysius Church.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Springtime In the Garden
With nice days stringing together, the ground is warming up and bulbs are starting to flower.The dead, grey days of winter are fading and giving way to a colorful spring and summer. Welcome the change!
Friday, March 02, 2007
Botanical Heights
On the eastern half of the old McRee Town neighborhood, a new housing development is remaking this once blighted area. For years, drivers on Interstate 44 traveled passed blocks of mostly abandoned, derelict buildings in the heart of the city. News stories of violent crime were frequent. In the larger McRee Town area, this eastern half was by far the most deteriorated.
Today, new homes nearly fill out the site. At the grand opening, there were lines of homebuyers awaiting the opportunity to make deposits on their new homes. The location is conveniently situated, near the SLU Hospital complex, the neighborhoods of South Grand, the Hill, and downtown.
The vacancy factor in the former residential housing stock was significant. There are those in the community who decry the full-scale demoliton of buildings, and displacement of the few remaining, very low income, residents. There are others who see the project as a much needed, huge success, one which draws new homeowners to the city, and reestablishes the housing market.
There is no doubt the view from Highway 44 is vastly improved, especially compared to what it was five years ago.
Monday, February 26, 2007
The BJC Lease - It's All There!
For anyone looking for a great primer on St. Louis, look no further than the pending BJC lease. It's got it all......the sale or leasing of city property
...advancing the city's bid to become a leader in bio-tech
...expanding the city's base of both construction and permanent jobs
...memories of ward redistricting
...citizen petitions
...expansion of the city's health care industry
...creation of neighborhood parks
...expansion of health care services on the city's northside
...revenue creation for the city of St. Louis
...distribution of park funding to wards and neighborhoods
...the role of the Aldermanic Black Caucus
...the role of the Board of Aldermen
...the role of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment
If you thought the issue was simply a choice between hospital expansion or saving parkland, you need to go back to school!
Saturday, February 24, 2007
How it happens...
http://stlouis.godengo.com/blog/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=66&blogId=1
Does anyone know who the writer of the At Home Blog post linked above is? It's a great example of how the St. Louis area converts newcomers into charmed supporters.
The writer moved to the midwest in 1999, and was travelling on interstates and on and offramps, until he/she ventured into one of our most historic areas, when the conversion began.
Does anyone know who the writer of the At Home Blog post linked above is? It's a great example of how the St. Louis area converts newcomers into charmed supporters.
The writer moved to the midwest in 1999, and was travelling on interstates and on and offramps, until he/she ventured into one of our most historic areas, when the conversion began.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Mullanphy Community Drive, Part 2
A few years back, a book came out entitled "Bowling Alone". It was about the decline in our sense of community and the fall off in the number of community-based organizations. Fortunately, that's not much of a problem here in St. Louis.
Now in our high-tech age, we have the added power to create online communities. It's easier and cheaper than ever to network with others. Our challenge is to take this easy access and leverage it into action. We need to turn the easy access we enjoy and convert it into positive results.
Everyone visiting STL Rising is aware of the effort to help save the Mullanphy Emigrant Home. So far, proponents have raised about $15,000 of the roughly $150,000 needed to stabilize the storm damaged building. We need to take our efforts to the next level. We need to turn our friends and contacts into partners in the effort. Let’s use the internet as one tool to build a coalition of organizations supporting the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group in its effort to rebuild this landmark St. Louis building.
We need internet readers to approach their neighbors, friends, and membership organizations about joining the coalition to save the Mullanphy. Let’s create a grass roots movement around this cause. Starting online, then reaching out person to person, we can bridge St. Louis boundaries of neighborhood identity, wards, the north/south division, etc, to support a big-time, specific, historic preservation and neighborhood revitalization goal of one of our neighbors, Old North St. Louis.
This is also an opportunity for bloggers to use their influence to engage the community around this specific, community building goal.
Let’s hear from the folks. We need to build the network. And we need a name for the (Save-The-Mullanphy) Coalition. I pledge to organize all of the STL Rising responses and work to join these people and their organizations with the effort being led by the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group.
Please contact me at rbonasch@sbcglobal.net or through the comment section to find out more about getting involved in this grass roots community building project.
Now in our high-tech age, we have the added power to create online communities. It's easier and cheaper than ever to network with others. Our challenge is to take this easy access and leverage it into action. We need to turn the easy access we enjoy and convert it into positive results.
Everyone visiting STL Rising is aware of the effort to help save the Mullanphy Emigrant Home. So far, proponents have raised about $15,000 of the roughly $150,000 needed to stabilize the storm damaged building. We need to take our efforts to the next level. We need to turn our friends and contacts into partners in the effort. Let’s use the internet as one tool to build a coalition of organizations supporting the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group in its effort to rebuild this landmark St. Louis building.
We need internet readers to approach their neighbors, friends, and membership organizations about joining the coalition to save the Mullanphy. Let’s create a grass roots movement around this cause. Starting online, then reaching out person to person, we can bridge St. Louis boundaries of neighborhood identity, wards, the north/south division, etc, to support a big-time, specific, historic preservation and neighborhood revitalization goal of one of our neighbors, Old North St. Louis.
This is also an opportunity for bloggers to use their influence to engage the community around this specific, community building goal.
Let’s hear from the folks. We need to build the network. And we need a name for the (Save-The-Mullanphy) Coalition. I pledge to organize all of the STL Rising responses and work to join these people and their organizations with the effort being led by the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group.
Please contact me at rbonasch@sbcglobal.net or through the comment section to find out more about getting involved in this grass roots community building project.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Mullanphy Community Drive
A group of city supporters met yesterday at the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group office to continue the effort to restore the Mullanphy Emigrant Home. It's going to take a lot more than music lessons to raise the kind of dollars necessary to rebuild the storm damaged south wall of the building.
The estimated cost to rebuild the wall is over $100,000. To date, the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group has raised approximately $15,000. We're making good progress, but we still have a long way to go.
There's the immediate priority to stabilize the building from further damage. And then there's the long range work to develop the property for its permanent reuse. We're working to raise awareness of the Mullanphy building, its significance to St. Louis, its important role in the revitalization of the Old North neighborhood, and its potential as a rallying point to connect St. Louisans who share a love for our city and want to be active in our city's rebirth.
We need to expand the base of this effort by forming a coalition of partners around this project. We need to come up with a name for the group. Suggestions welcome. The coalition will connect people and organizations across neighborhood and ward boundaries, north and south city, and beyond the city limits.
We are reaching out to individuals and organizations to join this effort. We need a name for our group. We meet again next week. Any recommendations for possible coalition names to take back to the committee?
The estimated cost to rebuild the wall is over $100,000. To date, the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group has raised approximately $15,000. We're making good progress, but we still have a long way to go.
There's the immediate priority to stabilize the building from further damage. And then there's the long range work to develop the property for its permanent reuse. We're working to raise awareness of the Mullanphy building, its significance to St. Louis, its important role in the revitalization of the Old North neighborhood, and its potential as a rallying point to connect St. Louisans who share a love for our city and want to be active in our city's rebirth.
We need to expand the base of this effort by forming a coalition of partners around this project. We need to come up with a name for the group. Suggestions welcome. The coalition will connect people and organizations across neighborhood and ward boundaries, north and south city, and beyond the city limits.
We are reaching out to individuals and organizations to join this effort. We need a name for our group. We meet again next week. Any recommendations for possible coalition names to take back to the committee?
Friday, February 16, 2007
STL Rising: Citizens, Bloggers, Developers Get in the Mix
St. Louis is waking up. This week's edition of the St. Louis Business Journal features the growing level of interest in the City coming from developers, citizens, bloggers, and neighborhood groups.
It's nice being at the center of attention again. Times have definitely changed! Have you heard? The City is the place to be!
It's nice being at the center of attention again. Times have definitely changed! Have you heard? The City is the place to be!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
"Greendale"
Where is "Greendale" Missouri? It's a municipality in the St. Louis area located along Natural Bridge Road in St. Louis County. Ever heard of it? Not me. What about these:
Berdell Hills
Black Walnut
Burke City
Village of Champ
Crescent
City of Fern Glen
Goldman
City of Greendale
Grubville
Hematite
Horine
Machens
City of Montgomery City
Morse Mill
Murphy
City of Old Monroe
Olympian Village
Otto
City of Robertson
Robertsville
Rock Community
Village of Schuermann Heights
City of Shady Valley
City of Sherman
City of Springdale
Village of Sycamore Hills
Ware
Anyone ever heard of these places? Every one of them is a unit of local government listed in the St. Louis phone directory with a 636 or 314 area code. Yup, we like our politics local!
Berdell Hills
Black Walnut
Burke City
Village of Champ
Crescent
City of Fern Glen
Goldman
City of Greendale
Grubville
Hematite
Horine
Machens
City of Montgomery City
Morse Mill
Murphy
City of Old Monroe
Olympian Village
Otto
City of Robertson
Robertsville
Rock Community
Village of Schuermann Heights
City of Shady Valley
City of Sherman
City of Springdale
Village of Sycamore Hills
Ware
Anyone ever heard of these places? Every one of them is a unit of local government listed in the St. Louis phone directory with a 636 or 314 area code. Yup, we like our politics local!
Dawn Griffin Real Estate and St. Louis Blog
City-friendly real estate agents play a key role in the revitalization of St. Louis. Check out the blog of Dawn Griffin for her insightful comments on St. Louis real estate, neighborhoods, and planning and development issues. Dawn's blog also features lots of excellent photographs.
http://blog.dawngriffin.com/
If you know of any other city-friendly, blogging real estate agents, please let us hear about them in the comments section. Thanks!
http://blog.dawngriffin.com/
If you know of any other city-friendly, blogging real estate agents, please let us hear about them in the comments section. Thanks!
Monday, February 12, 2007
STL Rising: City To Regain Control of SLPD?
PubDef has it. Robin Wright Jones and Maida Coleman co-sponsors of bill to return local control of the St. Louis Police Department to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.
Change would bring local control to police department for the first time since state enacted martial law in St. Louis during the Civil War era.
Change would bring local control to police department for the first time since state enacted martial law in St. Louis during the Civil War era.
New Ville Area Community Organization Link
http://www.vanhastl.org/default.htm
Permalinked on the right, here is a connection to reach the Ville Area Neighborhood Housing Association ("VANHA").
If you have an interest in supporting the revitalization of the historic Ville neighborhood, a call to VANHA would be a good starting point.
Permalinked on the right, here is a connection to reach the Ville Area Neighborhood Housing Association ("VANHA").
If you have an interest in supporting the revitalization of the historic Ville neighborhood, a call to VANHA would be a good starting point.
$80 Million Commercial Project Proposed at Southside Crossroads
Project to include a grocery store and pharmacy. Located at I-44 and I-55 interchange, 12th and Lafayette.
Currently, the site is mostly vacant with some existing and newer homes which may be cleared for the project. Does anyone have authoritative information about the sentiment of local neighborhood groups and elected officials on the proposal?
The shopping center developers, "Gilded Age", have a long history in the area, and are also the developers of the City Hospital project located directly across the street from the proposed shopping center.
Currently, the site is mostly vacant with some existing and newer homes which may be cleared for the project. Does anyone have authoritative information about the sentiment of local neighborhood groups and elected officials on the proposal?
The shopping center developers, "Gilded Age", have a long history in the area, and are also the developers of the City Hospital project located directly across the street from the proposed shopping center.
Friday, February 09, 2007
New Take On the Earnings Tax?
At STL Rising, we try to focus on the positive things going on in St. Louis. One topic that has been a long time challenge for the city is the 1% earnings tax. It's a simple enough thing-live or work in the city, and pay 1% of your gross pay to the City of St. Louis.
The City needs the money. The earnings tax provides a major part of the City's general revenue. Lots of people will say that as much as we wish we didn't have it, there's no way we make it without it. Well, I've been giving this some thought, and you know something, maybe there is.
Sure, there's no way we could say, drop the earnings tax this year and replace it with a property tax. Some argue for a "land tax" (a tax on vacant land), and maybe that'd help some. But it's questionable whether that'd replace all the revenue from the earnings tax. Here's another idea...
The city is growing. We are working to attract jobs, and we are building housing. The city is working to increase its tax base. As tax abatements run their course, real estate taxes can increase. And as employment grows, we get more people paying earnings taxes.
Okay, so I'm not an expert on this, but I think the city budget is something like $350,000,000 per year. What if we set a ten or fifteen year goal to remove the earnings tax? And lower it a little each year for the next ten or fifiteen years?
Say in 2008 we went from 1% to .9%. It would be just a little, but it would be a step. Then see how the budget goes. Apply the decrease to all workers-not just new employees. Then say in 2010 lower it again, say to .8%
Meanwhile, we keep working to draw more residents and jobs to the city. More residents and more jobs mean more economic activity, and more revenue flowing to the city. So say in 2012, we lower the earnings tax again, say to .6%, and so on.
Who knows? Maybe by 2020, the earnings tax is worked down to zero, the city's population reaches 450,000, and our workforce is 50% larger than it is today.
And we could start working towards a shared civic goal with a tiny 1/10 of 1% reduction in the rate of our current earnings tax. Any takers?
The City needs the money. The earnings tax provides a major part of the City's general revenue. Lots of people will say that as much as we wish we didn't have it, there's no way we make it without it. Well, I've been giving this some thought, and you know something, maybe there is.
Sure, there's no way we could say, drop the earnings tax this year and replace it with a property tax. Some argue for a "land tax" (a tax on vacant land), and maybe that'd help some. But it's questionable whether that'd replace all the revenue from the earnings tax. Here's another idea...
The city is growing. We are working to attract jobs, and we are building housing. The city is working to increase its tax base. As tax abatements run their course, real estate taxes can increase. And as employment grows, we get more people paying earnings taxes.
Okay, so I'm not an expert on this, but I think the city budget is something like $350,000,000 per year. What if we set a ten or fifteen year goal to remove the earnings tax? And lower it a little each year for the next ten or fifiteen years?
Say in 2008 we went from 1% to .9%. It would be just a little, but it would be a step. Then see how the budget goes. Apply the decrease to all workers-not just new employees. Then say in 2010 lower it again, say to .8%
Meanwhile, we keep working to draw more residents and jobs to the city. More residents and more jobs mean more economic activity, and more revenue flowing to the city. So say in 2012, we lower the earnings tax again, say to .6%, and so on.
Who knows? Maybe by 2020, the earnings tax is worked down to zero, the city's population reaches 450,000, and our workforce is 50% larger than it is today.
And we could start working towards a shared civic goal with a tiny 1/10 of 1% reduction in the rate of our current earnings tax. Any takers?
Thursday, February 08, 2007
State Lawmakers Propose Massive Tax Credit Program to Aid City Redevelopment
State legislators are proposing major incentives for redevelopment in St. Louis. Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder is looking to stimulate a new $100,000,000 redevelopment effort.
The incentives are aimed to assist developers in returning long vacant tracts of land and deteriorated buildings in our urban core to productive use.
One of the sponsors is Senator John Griesheimer. The new law would assist projects at least 75 acres in size, and provide developers with tax credits equal to half the cost of land and all interest costs.
The proposal is part of a state-wide program to produce good paying jobs in Missouri. For more information, check out Senate Bill 282 and House Bill 327.
The incentives are aimed to assist developers in returning long vacant tracts of land and deteriorated buildings in our urban core to productive use.
One of the sponsors is Senator John Griesheimer. The new law would assist projects at least 75 acres in size, and provide developers with tax credits equal to half the cost of land and all interest costs.
The proposal is part of a state-wide program to produce good paying jobs in Missouri. For more information, check out Senate Bill 282 and House Bill 327.
That Didn't Take Long!
BJC officials are already quoted in the Post Dispatch saying that city officials are sending a message they need to look outside the city limits to expand:
"They've sent a message that we need to start planning for our expansion outside of the city of St. Louis," said Barnes-Jewish spokeswoman June Fowler.
Full article here:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/060FE3A29191306E8625727C001BE613?OpenDocument
Comments?
"They've sent a message that we need to start planning for our expansion outside of the city of St. Louis," said Barnes-Jewish spokeswoman June Fowler.
Full article here:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/060FE3A29191306E8625727C001BE613?OpenDocument
Comments?
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
The Wittles
About ten years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Malcom Wittles took the lead in carrying out a number of historic residential rehabs around Fountain Park. Their projects went smoothly, and the developers were well received.
It's been years since I heard anything from the Wittles. They were getting older ten years ago, so they might be out of the business by now. Nonetheless, they worked hard to improve that one gem corner of the city.
If you ever visit Fountain Park, look for some of the historic residential rehabs. And remember the Wittles.
It's been years since I heard anything from the Wittles. They were getting older ten years ago, so they might be out of the business by now. Nonetheless, they worked hard to improve that one gem corner of the city.
If you ever visit Fountain Park, look for some of the historic residential rehabs. And remember the Wittles.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Mullanphy Wall Rising
Seen it over at What's New In Old North!
http://newoldnorth.blogspot.com/
For the would be rockers and folksters, STL Rising has one open guitar lesson slot, proceeds to benefit Mullanphy and ONSLRG till the wall is up and the bills are paid.
http://newoldnorth.blogspot.com/
For the would be rockers and folksters, STL Rising has one open guitar lesson slot, proceeds to benefit Mullanphy and ONSLRG till the wall is up and the bills are paid.
Friday, February 02, 2007
City Defends Use of TIF for Ballpark Village
The City of St. Louis was on KMOX yesterday in the person of Jeff Rainford, Chief of Staff in the Mayor's Office, defending the use of TIF for the proposed Ballpark Village project. Based on current site conditions, KMOX was questioning the use of TIF. KMOX was asking whether the Cardinals organization itself had caused the blight by creating the unsightly hole in the ground following the demolition of the old Busch Stadium.
Mr. Rainford explained that current site conditions are temporary until the start of Ballpark Village construction. He then raised important issues relative to the definition of blight. Rainford suggested state law on TIF be revised to target incentives to distressed communities. He went on to identify a number of facts supporting the definition of St. Louis as a distressed community (including household income levels, percent in poverty, and history of job and population losses).
Mr. Rainford explained that current site conditions are temporary until the start of Ballpark Village construction. He then raised important issues relative to the definition of blight. Rainford suggested state law on TIF be revised to target incentives to distressed communities. He went on to identify a number of facts supporting the definition of St. Louis as a distressed community (including household income levels, percent in poverty, and history of job and population losses).
What's your take?
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