The building I most want to see renovated

The City of St. Louis has hundreds, if not thousands, of beautiful urban buildings I’d like to see renovated.  Significant buildings like the Arcade/Wright downtown, among them.  But the one building I think I’d put at or near the top of my list is a 2-story building at the East end of Fountain Park (map):

In researching this story I found a few posts from friends.  Matt Mourning observed on July 6, 2008, “The pleasant building seems to literally embrace the oblong Fountain Park that is its neighbor.” So true, the building was built before zoning existed yet it manages to do a spectacular job.  As cities write form-based codes they look at buildings like the above to see if it could be built under a new zoning code.  Our 1947-era zoning would not allow this fine building to be built today.  We need to do two things about that.  1) save this example of how to have a building relate to the sidewalk and adjacent area and 2) change our zoning to allow/encourage modern versions.

Matt’s post led me to Toby Weiss’ post from February 4, 2007 where she wrote:

It was built in 1897, with store fronts at ground level and apartments above. The building curves to match the geometry of the neighborhood, and the cylindrical turrets are like lyrical bookends. I immediately imagined decades of people lounging in these spaces, gazing out over the park, and it felt magical.

Magical indeed.  Whenever I’m in the vicinity of Fountain Park I take a spin past this building.  Toby linked to Robert Powers’ photo site, Built St. Louis. I scrolled down to the comments on Toby’s post and the first one was from me.  I had posted a link to a post I had done on this building in February 2005.  At the time I wrote:

The building curves to follow the street pattern. This is a lost art — most people just build square buildings these days. The composition of this building is one of the finest I’ve ever seen — anywhere. Seattle has nothing like it. Vancouver has great buildings downtown but their residential neighborhoods are a bit dull architecturally. Same for San Francisco, D.C., and most others. Scale, proportion, materials. All come together in a way that most newer buildings just don’t. This building just belongs – feeling perfectly at home with the adjacent houses. Rarely is a commercial building such a fit in a residential area.

Obviously I can see past the current condition. Hopefully you can too. The surrounding residences are being rehabbed and if someone is smart they’ll snap up this building and do a coffee house/deli/cafe/market on the ground floor. The sidewalk facing Fountain Park is just begging for outdoor dining. The old upstairs apartments would make great condos.

Only after we see past old racial lines and boards on windows will we fully realize the potential of our city. Good urbanity is colorblind.

I had a wide angle lens back then:

Two comments after mine on Toby’s blog was from yet another friend, Lisa Selligman. She wrote in February 2007:

The mixed-use castle on the corner, embracing the square with its turrets and archways, remained derelict, and I dreamed of buying it, restoring it, opening a coffee shop on the ground floor, with tables on the sidewalk filled with chattering customers. My studio on the second floor overlooked a renewed park with the fountain splashing in the distance.

As has been noted by others the building is actually two buildings joined by a brick wall.

The north structure is fine in its own right but the combination of the two it was make this corner of the city such a gem.

I am positively captivated by this building.

With several storefronts the options are many.  A coffee shop on the ground floor at the corner seems ideal.  Cafe tables and umbrellas out front.  Something modeled on Hartford Coffee or the original Kaldi’s.The reasons for this building to never be renovated are numerous: low adjacent values, perception of neighborhood by outsiders, current economy, etc.  I want the harder list — the ways in which this project can once again be occupied and be a part of a vibrant Fountain Park neighborhood.

– Steve Patterson

St. Louis’ Juneteenth Celebration in Fountain Park June 19-21

St. Louis was sympathetic to the Union but slaves were bought & sold in St. Louis in the 19th Century.  Humans being treated as property.  Beyond me how slavery ever existed in a “civilized” society.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.  (Source: juneteenth.com)

History buffs will correctly note that the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863:

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take possession of the state and enforce the emancipation of its slaves. (Source: Wikipedia)

So two and a half years later troops enforced the proclamation.  In St. Louis the celebration will take place in Fountain Park (map):

June 19-21, 2009 – Neighbors of Fountain Park Association – will celebrate its third annual Juneteenth Community Awareness Event As Neighbors of Fountain Park Association our mission is to empower, educate and promote healthy living by connecting the community to resources. the weekend is dedicated to making a difference in the community. The Event will host live music, guest speakers,children activities, free food, community education resources, voter registration and much more…
Location: Fountain Park St. Louis, Missouri
Dates: Friday June 19th 3:00p.m.-9:00p.m
Saturday June 20th 9:00a.m.-9:00p.m.
Sunday June 21st 10:30a.m.-8:00p.m.
Activities: games, face painting, entertainments groups, and guest speakers.

I’m going to stop by on my way to the screening of scenes from the upcoming documentary on Pruitt-Igoe (see post).

– Steve Patterson

Neighbors in Fountain Park Neighborhood Continue Organizing

Few neighborhoods symbolize St. Louis as well as Fountain Park (map). The once densely filled neighborhood retains much of the feel it would have in the 19th Century.

The namesake park is beautifully scaled.  The gently curving street pleasantly deviates from the street grid.

But for the last half century the neighborhood has had some of the same issues faced by others: fewer residents, fewer businesses, a concentration of lower income residents and nuisance crimes.  Stately homes with owners unable to afford increasing maintenance costs.

Despite its issues, the neighborhood remains appealing.  Efforts continue to reverse its fortunes.

http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/?p=4501

Neighbors plan to meet with city officials this Saturday (4/18/09) at Centenial Church (4950 Fountain), 10am.  This is a neighborhood worth fighing for.

Fountain Park Residents Come Together In Park

Last month I joined residents of the Fountain Park neighborhood (map) as they came together in the namesake park and raked leaves.

It was nice to see young & old alike out helping in their own neighborhood.

The park is stunning and in very good condition. The fountain needs some attention (it was drained for winter).  A woman who lives in one of the big homes facing the park came out to help.  She has lived there for 35 years.  She said the park used to be far more beautiful – well maintained and with flowers.  Plus she is not fond of the current color of the fountain – it used to be more subdued like the base is currently.

The park is pretty unique in the city –I can think of only a few others like it  – none being as grand.  The park is a gentle oval with houses facing it all around.  It is two blocks long.  Euclid Ave is bisected by the park although Police and others drive through the middle of the park on a sidewalk rather than going around.

The “Suburban Track” streetcar right-of-way runs along the bottom of the above aerial view.  Compared to parts East of Jefferson, this was very suburban.  But it was still walkable and connected via transit.

I’m glad I stopped by to help these residents — I did some leaf raking using one hand.

A good morning’s work.  I think they will continue neighborhood improvement efforts in the Spring.