Dutchtown’s Virginia Mansion Has Been Sold!

Hallelujah!

For those not familiar with the Virginia Mansion let me give you a short brief. It is a well known building on Virginia just South of Meramec. Purchased a few years ago by a local non-profit (Our Lady’s Inn that intended to renovate the building for transitional housing. This news didn’t raise many eyebrows but when about a year later said they wanted to raze the building people were upset. Demolition permit was denied by city and reaffirmed by circuit court judge. OLI lists and sells this building and buyers a four-family for their transitional housing program.

Myself and a small group of other local property owners were instrumental in fighting the demolition plan. OLI attempted to characterize our opposition as racist since many of their clients are African-American. But our opposition had nothing to do with who their clients were and everything to do with the building and zoning. We repeatedly suggested four-family buildings in the area as alternative locations — even some adjacent four-family buildings were they could have a total of eight units. They were having nothing to do with anything other than razing the building.

I’m glad OLI has moved on and purchased a four-family near their main facility. Now we can move on by working with the new owner on getting the building renovated and once again contributing to the area.

– Steve

Alderman Bauer is Recalled!

The precedent has been set. A South Side Alderman (read: white) can be recalled if the constituents are unhappy.

While I never cared for Bauer I did like that he was at least open to change which is more than I can say for some. But like too many Aldermen he didn’t seem to understand the reasons for the unrest.

Bland new developments and the threats of eminent domain are the crux of the issue. Other Alderman need to pay attention! One specific issue in the Bauer recall was the proposed taking of homes via eminent domain to build a new QuikTrip gas and convenience store.

QuikTrip is one of the most destructive forces currently in the City of St. Louis. But I defy you to find an Alderman (or Mayor) that is willing to say we don’t need anymore QuikTrip locations. I’ll give QT one thing — they maintain their locations well. The problem is they are huge. The small corner gas station now spans the length of an entire city block. It makes no sense to have smaller and older gas station sites sitting vacant while we build new QT locations.

QuikTrip is a major campaign donor. No QT exists in the 25th Ward where I ran for Alderman back in March yet they gave Alderman Kirner’s campaign the maximum allowed of $300 and another $300 in the general election. Perhaps they want to take homes in my ward and build one of their massive stores? To our elected officials that don’t really understand urbanity and city living they see this “investment” as a good thing. The rest of us see it as a reason to flee.

Many of our gas stations are locally owned franchise operations. But the QT stores are corporate owned so profits leave not only the city but the state. Money talks and if we continue to patronize QT they’ll continue razing our buildings and constructing behemoth gas stations. But here is the question — are we buying more gasoline or is another gas station losing business each time a new QT opens? While each year we are consuming more gasoline the overwhelming answer is another gas dealer — most likely a local owner — is losing business. Former gas station sites are one of the most costly to redevelop so does it make any sense to build more?

Bauer actually had the gaul to claim, before the recall, that the recall was motivated by greedy gas station owners that didn’t want the QT. The area in question is already awash in gas stations so it amazes me an alderman would want to take homes to build yet another. Some elected officials think progress equals razing neighborhoods and building new. Real progress is increasing the number of residents & local business in the city while remaining urban. Turning our city into suburbia is not a city in which I want to live.

I’m glad Bauer was recalled but that is only a first step. Too often we must spend our time fighting bad development rather than nurturing good development. We need new leadership throughout the city at all levels that will put an end to pushing through suburban sprawl crap development and work with citizens to bring appropriate new development to the city.

– Steve

A.G Edwards’ “Street Smart” Brochure Adds to Workers Fear of City

Earlier in the week I found myself on the 2nd floor of A.G. Edwards’ main building and next to the soda machines were some employee brochures. In a few prior posts I had been a bit critical of the A.G. Edwards campus. Wait, that is an understatement. I started off with an expletive laced rant last November.

Street Smart: Facts you need to know about the A.G. Edwards campus and your safety.

I could not believe this brochure. As soon as I read it I was furious. Sure, it is wise to advise employees about safety but you can do it in a way that doesn’t scare them so much they don’t explore the city.

Oh, good start. I can just see the new suburban employee that doesn’t know the city just having fears reinforced by such language. It only gets worse.

They are told while driving to lock your doors because, “a driver is especially vulnerable immediately after parking or when stopping for a traffic light or stop sign.” Other sections while driving include “be aware of your surroundings”, and “have your keys ready.”

The first subheading after “If your car breaks down” is, funny enough, “Avoid a breakdown.”
I love it. For your safety have “plenty of gas and good tires.” This is good,

Granted, if you get a flat directly in front of a crack house then stopping and changing the tire may not be advisable. However, i lived across the street from a crack house for over a year and never had any problems (and no, I was not a client).

In the ‘While Walking’ portion of the brochure the first subheading is good advice — “Know your surroundings, and walk with a purpose.” Makes sense. But the paragraph that follows is just fear mongering:

The entire brochure (3-panel letter sized) includes very sound advice but in a way that would discourage employees from walking and exploring the city. The safest sidewalk is a populated sidewalk and the A.G. Edwards campus creates lifeless sidewalks. If the area around their campus is not safe it is not because it is in the city but because all their parking lots and parking garages have removed diversity from the streetscape.

If only A.G. Edwards’ architects and planners would have had some urban design “street smarts” the area would likely be more vibrant.

– Steve

Gov. Blunt & St. Louis Business Journal Expand Downtown

From today’s St. Louis Business Journal:

The article goes on to explain the three “downtown” locations: the Bee Hat Building at 1021 Washington Ave., Ely-Walker Building at 1520 Washington Ave., and the South Side National Bank at 3611 South Grand Blvd.

It seems our boy wonder Governor and the St. Louis Business Journal have managed to expand the boundaries of downtown St. Louis to include the South Side National Bank located at Grand & Gravois – nearly five miles from the other two buildings on the list.

Click here for the full story.

– Steve

SBC Continues to Redline Parts of St. Louis City

I needed to call SBC today to look at adding an additional feature to my phone service. After deciding not to change my service the person tried to push internet or tv service. Little did he know he hit a hot button for me.

You see, SBC’s DSL service is not available everywhere in the City of St. Louis. Some areas, including my house, cannot get DSL. For my internet access I had little choice but to go with Charter Communications (cable). My office on South Broadway in Carondelet is also unable to get DSL.

I find it unacceptable that our Board of Alderman and Mayor allow such a large public utility to continue redlining neighborhoods. How can we attract new residents and businesses without such a basic of modern life?

– Steve