Building from 1987 as blighted than those from 1887
The term “blight” is often used when referring to old buildings, generally applied to the kind many of us see revitalized as part of a repopulated inner city. Most would consider the area at Page & Goodfellow (map) blighted. To me the source of the blight is not the earth 20th century buildings on a 19th century street grid. No, the blight comes from late 20th century failures:
This gas station is from 1987. Someone probably argued a shiny new gas station would revitalize the neighborhood. It didn’t and now it is bringing down the neighborhood.
City records show applications to construct a new station on the site: one in February 2008 and one in October 2009. Both applications are listed as “canceled.” Cheap auto-centric development in the city is about short-term profit, not a long term revitalization strategy. Gas station, strip shopping center, drive-thru restaurant, etc. are not going to help in the long term. In the short term they provide a way for politicians to talk about all the investment happening.
Cheap structures such as this can’t sustain themselves for more than two decades. They are quickly dated and there is almost always a newer version down the street.
– Steve Patterson
Right, because someone is going to develop a Ritz-Carlton gas station @ Page and Goodfellow. And sorry to say, but cars ain't going away any time soon. Here's a challenge… What would a tasteful, inexpensive gas station in this location look like?
We don't need the Ritz-Carlton of gas stations, we just need to not abandon them after just 20 years for a newer station a few blocks away. Want a newer station? Replace an older one to do so.
Steve,
Thanks for pointing out something I've been thinking about for a long time: the number of abandoned, gas stations in this city. Of course we need gas stations, but there all clearly too many, otherwise they wouldn't be going out of business in droves. More often than not, the abandoned gas stations left behind are difficult to switch to alternate uses.
Debating the form of the gas station is meaningless since the intersection clearly survives without it. When was the last time anyone heard of someone running out of gas in the city while looking for a station?
New stations are larger and almost always built on other sites so we end up with a string of old stations that have zero use. At least the 19th century structures can be put to good use for the 21st century.
Agreed….same problem we see with new suburban neighborhoods.
Steve,
Can definitely see your point, now what? For one, building to last a 100 years is expensive, much more now then 1887. In fact, I would say the developers of 1887 as the developer of this gas station wasn't concerned if their building was useful 100 yrs laters. What hasn't changed in a 100 yrs is that the concern is how to be a viable business and based their decisions on what was commercially viable for the time. I also believe that not all buildings in 1887 were viable now or built for 100 years. Start with horse barns and or blacksmith shops. Yes, both relevent during that time period but built cheaply and subject to fires.
Dave makes a point lost on urbansim at time even though I agree that density creates better communities. Cars are here to stay in the foreseeable future. Technology might change to the point of not having too drive. But, still an individual vehicle meant to provide individual convenience. Futhermore, oil or gas will drive that train for a while. Businessweek recently had one of the best articles on oil, supply and availability. What I think is missing in urban development discussion is what design is more viable and recognizes the current economic reality of gas stations. The ironic twist is that they have become the corner store because their margin or profits don't rely on gas. They rely on what is on the shelf in the store. Your photo simply shows the economic reality of a bad bet. At the same time, the corner station now needs the space to tend to individual vehicles that simply didn't exist in 1887
Builders of gas stations probably only expect 15-20 years at tops. Our land policies (zoning) keeps land literally dirt cheap so it is easier for them to abandon the old station rather than rebuild on the same site. Fossil burning cars will be with us for many years but when a service station exceeds its service life it needs to be replaced. Perhaps a moratorium on new gas stations. To build a new one you must replace an old one.
Actually the station you picture could be an interesting structure, bring glass down along the perimeter onto a new poured/tiled floor, remove the gas pumps, and then you have a private room in the center. A modernist home or store is the result. (Remove the parking and replace with a garden)
You are right, it is generally a waste to build these stations, especially if it involves the removal of existing buildings. The shelf life of these stations is too short to justify demolition of city structures, and especially in historic areas. Planning decisions need to take into account how many gas station sites does St. Louis really need? That along with other factors should encourage any new gas stations to be built at existing sites.
I remember a beautiful, if not magnificent row of mansards at the corner of Gravois and Jefferson where the 7-11 and the check cashing buildings now stands. After their short economic life, there is nothing left to replace the previous grandeur of that corner. (It was probably around 1980 that this all happened) The current 7-11 looks like a dump ready to be replaced.
Agreed, these types of commercial structures are disposable. But is that all bad? Tastes change and styles change. While it may seem counterintuitive, it may actually be more efficient to tear down, recycle and build new than it is to put the proverbial “round peg in a square hole”, aka, renovating old buildings to fit new uses. New buildings tend to be more energy efficient and more accessible to people with disabilities, plus, rebuilding puts more architects, engineers and contractors to work. And the argument that tearing down and rebuilding in the same location rarely happens really doesn't wash – just look at the number of McDonald's and, now, Hardee's that are being torn down and replaced around St. Louis.
It's all about the economics – the ONLY reason that this corner remains vacant is either that the location sucks or the owner doesn't want to lease or sell to a competitor. It has little to do with the presence or absence of any particular type or age of structure, it has all to do with anticipated return on investment, including any “new competitors down the street”. And, unfortunately, demographic and crime data factor into any analysis, more so than any governmental incentives, and those will likely need to improve significantly before you see much of anything happening on this corner.
Yes, the corner gas station has morphed into the “modern” Quik Trip mini-mart model. Combine that with EPA regulation of underground tanks, and it's nearly impossible for the “old” mom-and-pop model to work anymore, so the number of stations has gone down as the total number of pumps in the area has remained pretty much the same. Things change. Self-service has replaced the pump jockey and the grease monkey. Nostalgia is a good thing, but there must be reason why so many of us aren't looking back . . .
The Delmar loop is most divided at Skinker. It isn't just about the width of the road though. That intersection isn't great because it features a gas station, a fenced off parking lot, and a fast food shack. The barber shop used to be the only anchor. The proximity of Pin-Up Bowl helps.
Though the Shell station and the Church's Chicken are actively used. I'd love to see them pick up and move. I'm sure a lot of other things could be better put on those corners.
In the city, flip the building frontage to the street side where possible, leaving the lot the to rear with all the necessary vehicle circulation. In the county… it's a lost cause. Fuel plazas are likely better larger, and less frequent as in the example of QT. I like QT. Their corn dogs rule.