21st Ward: Unfinished Subdivision for Sale

This past April I did a post on the unfinished subdivision, Ville Phillips Estates, in the City’s 4th Ward. It was an interesting story involving multiple aldermen, a recall election and buyers stuck in the middle. It is my understanding newly elected Alderman Sam Moore intends to set things right at Ville Phillips Estates.

Here is the sequel, similar story but different setting and actors.

The subdivsion started by current and former 21st Alderman Bennice Jones King is called King’s Estates. City records show building permits issued in 1999 for new homes on each of the seven lots, none were started. In 2001 King was not re-elected, Melinda Long was instead voted into office. Apparently Long went on a quest to take properties up and down the 21st ward’s section Natural Bridge — enough of a plan to get her recalled just two years into her term (KSDK story on recall vote).

Bennice Jones King was re-elected and is the current aldermen. Additional city records show new building permits were issued for new homes in 2005. Three of the seven were built, two are sold and owner-occupied. A third, shown above at left, is completely finished but boarded up. MLS (Multiple Listing Service) records show Pyramid Realtors was the listing agent for the houses. However, Pyramid had nothing to do with the development and construction of the homes. The development and construction was by Mosley Construction, Inc of Kirkwood.

From Mosley’s website:

In our twenty five years in commercial construction and construction management, we have never failed to complete
an awarded contract. Our commitment to quality and hard work is what we deliver to our clients.

Boy, time to update that website.

In December 2006 UMB Community Development Corporation foreclosed on the properties. Mosley Construction has not returned my call. My email to Mosley Construction from 6/5/07 was returned, “user is over quota.” Twenty-first ward Alderman Bennice Jones King has not responded to my email, also from 6/5/07.

I also contacted real estate attorney Daniel J. Burke from the firm Armstrong Teasdale which handled the foreclosure on behalf of UMB Community Development Corp. Today I spoke with a representative from UMB, Mary Amburg, who called me back regarding my request to speak with someone about the disposition of the properties. Ms. Amburg indicated they are accepting bids for the sale of the four remaining lots and the one finished but unsold house, the offer deadline is 5pm tomorrow. When I asked for a website or other information to pass along she said none existed.

Homes across the street are more of what you’d expect to see in the city although this area does have newer homes from the 1940s-1960s.  Very few streets in this area have alleys with homes having front garages or rear garages accessed via front driveways.  Apparently this site was part of a dairy at one time. From the city’s development webpage on this project, last updated on 6/27/2005:

This former dairy location is being developed by the Mosley Group into five dwellings that will be for-sale, market rate homes. Construction of the new housing is expected to begin in 2004.

The land, as you might suspect, was city owned property.  This project received 10-year tax abatement and who knows how much additional subsidies.   The homes that sold and the last listing on the finished home were all around $200,000.  The street name is Kingston Court, click here for a map.

Access Changes at Loughborough Commons

This is a quick update post from my favorite auto-centric sprawl shopping center in the city, Loughborough Commons. As regular readers know, I’ve been making a big deal about the poor pedestrian access to the center. This update shows you some good and some not so good things at this time.

Above was the view looking north from the front of the Schnuck’s store on November 28, 2006. I thought they were going to provide some sort of access at that time but they did not. Note the customer walking against traffic in the main auto drive.

So I was very glad to see that in the last few days a temporary pedestrian walkway has been created between the main auto entrance and where another building is being construted (I believe for an office supply chain store). Though likely not ADA compliant this is a very nice but long overdue gesture on the part of developer DESCO.

In the back ground near the white van they’ve also started to excavate for more of the sidewalk on the east side of the main auto drive. Eventually these walkways should connect although the stop sign at this internal intersection has been removed for months now. We’ll see how the crossing gets marked and signed. Again, I am very glad to see they are taking steps to provide this access.

Shifting now out to the public street, the sidewalk situation along Loughborough has had ups and downs turing this project.

Above is a view from August 30th, 2006 looking westbound from the bus stop. You can see the sidewalk, the old auto entrance, now blocked, and the new auto entrance. In the background is the big pile-o-dirt where the recessed new strip center is being constructed today. Not exactly great but at least passable for most.

Sadly, for roughly nine months the public sidewalk along Loughborough (just east of the new auto entry) has been left in this condition (above). Missing curb, stagnant water, broken concrete, piece of plywood, etc. The benches for those using the bus were removed last year as well.

Close up view of the conditions, above. Note the changing water marks on the warning barriers. The lights have long stopped flashing.

Pedestrians heading to & from Loughborough Commons have managed to avoid the above mess by taking a short cut which you can see clearly in the grass. This, of course, does not help those using mobility aids such as wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

I recently pointed out these conditions to officials via email. Today crews are working to finish the curb and sidewalk in this area. But just as I think I am making progress something else happens. Ald. Matt Villa, of late, has been receptive to discussions about access and has been very responsive to my requests to push for completion of some of these area. DESCO may have had these things on their schedule for now anyway so it is hard to say if my complaining was effective, I like to think it helped grease the wheel.

The above is along Loughborough east of the main entrance, let’s now switch to west of the main entrance.

Above was the scene on August 30th, 2006. The old store had just closed and the new store opened but pedestrians coming from the west were forced into the street. Yes, I know a construction zone not finished – just hold on before you scroll down and yell at me in the comments!

A month later, on September 30, 2006 a new sidewalk was poured and the big pile of dirt was removed (to where the old store was located, now razed).
Skipping ahead to April 24, 2007 and switching directions in the same area:

Above we can see the sidewalk from September 2006 is still in place and being used — we have a mom and her child heading to the store and another customer just leaving.

However, by June 3, 2007 much of the sidewalk from September 2006 and the remaining old sidewalk had been removed, including the corner ramp at Grand. Here you can see a customer who had just left the Schnuck’s walking in the street. I’m actually glad to see the old sidewalk and corner ramp go away as they were in poor condition and should have been replaced back in September 2006. I don’t know the plan here but hopefully the sidewalk will be back in place soon so that more customers are not forced into an un-friendly street.

Earlier this year the auto drive was also restriped to change some lanes, I’ll spare you the pictures (for now).

“St. Louis-based” Scottrade Has No Branch Office in the City of St. Louis

The discount brokerage firm Scottrade recently opened their 300th branch office (press release), however, the company located in St. Louis’ suburbs does not have a branch in the City of St. Louis.  Their name is in big letters downtown but as the naming rights for a sports facility. Can someone downtown please give Scottrade CEO Roger Riney a tour of available spaces?

City Hospital-Georgian Square on Two Agendas on 6/6/07

TIF Meeting; 8am

AGENDA

CITY HOSPITAL-GEORGIAN SQUARE (RPA3) TAX INCREMENT FINANCING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS

REGULAR MEETING – REGULAR SESSION

12TH FLOOR – BOARD ROOM Wednesday, June 6, 2007 – 8:00 a.m.

1.    CALL TO ORDER

2.    PUBLIC HEARING – AMENDMENT TO THE CITY HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT PLAN AND APPROVAL OF THE GEORGIAN SQUARE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA (RPA3) (7th Ward/Alderwoman Young)

RESOLUTION NO. 07-TIFC-242 – RESOLUTION RATIFYING THE “NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING” AS AMENDED, AND THE “NOTICE OF CHANGES TO TIF REDEVELOPMENT PLAN,” AUTHORIZING AN AMENDMENT TO THE TIF REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE CITY HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT AREA, AS DESCRIBED THEREIN, APPROVING THE AMENDED REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA 3 (RPA3) -GEORGIAN SQUARE AND EXPRESSING ITS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN OF THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI WITH RESPECT TO SAID AREA, AMENDED PLAN AND REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT (Dale Ruthsatz)

NOTE:    PLEASE BRING WITH YOU THE APPLICATION DATED APRIL 3, 2007. ATTACHED IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE CITY HOSPITAL TIF PLAN DATED APRIL 20, 2007, AS REVISED MAY 30, 2007 AND A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS DATED APRIL 20, 2007.

All the plans and revisions are mentioned to members of the TIF commision but not available online for the general  public to review.

Planning Commission; 5:30pm 

8. PDA-103-07-REZ – Georgian Square Area – Rezone A & D to H – Peabody Darst Webbe Neighborhood – (CB 820, 820.04, 820.05, 414, 415)

These blocks are the ones that are currently vacant, not the ones with occupied homes that Ald. Young wants to take via eminent domain and then raze.

Prior Posts:

• February 28, 2008
• February 21, 2007

Click here for map of area.

Developer paves front yard for condo parking, hearing on the 6th

For years the large building at the corner of Halliday & Grand (map) was a trouble spot in the Tower Grove East neighborhood, the usual drug dealing and such. So it is no surprise that area residents are all glad a developer has converted the building into condos, but not all agree on the parking ‘solution.’ This story of parking has many issues and no obvious solution. St. Louis’ Board of Adjustment will try to make sense of it Wednesday (Meeting starts at 1:30pm, Room 208 City Hall).

The small front yard wasn’t exactly paradise but it got paved anyway. Some neighbors say the developer, on a weekend and without a proper permit, created a concrete parking lot for four cars. These neighbors want to see it removed. Other neighbors say they don’t care for the solution but they must accept it to get an entrance marker for their street, Halliday. More on the entry marker later.

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