St. Louis to close Gasconade animal control facility

The city’s animal control facility has been located at 2120 Gasconade St since 1941:

A week ago today the following announcement was made on Mayor Slay’s campaign website, mayorslay.com:

St. Louis has made remarkable progress over the past few years in becoming a more pet-friendly city. That has meant acting on our resolution to treat all animals, beloved pets and ferals, humanely.

Because of its age and obsolete design, the City’s Animal Control Center is no longer able to provide humane care for stray animals. After consultation with its staff, I have decided to close the facility by summer, at the latest.

Several years ago, the City first made the decision to replace the Animal Control Center. The plan – which I strongly supported – was to build a new facility, privately financed by animal lovers. Unfortunately, fund raising for Animal House has lagged.

I no longer believe we can wait for the economy to rebound and fundraising to improve for taking action. So, in the next few weeks, the City will issue an RFP or RFQ from non-profit animal shelters to take over the Center’s function. I am confident that one of the region’s many animal care organizations will give these pets the best possible chance to find new homes.

I have already spoken to the leaders of Animal House. While they have not raised enough money to build a new facility, they believe they have raised enough money to retrofit an existing building. Therefore, they plan to compete in the process.

Under the new system, City employees will continue to respond to complaints about abandoned or dangerous animals. However, once they have picked up the animals, the new entity will take care of the animals until permanent homes can be found for them.

The Health Department has studied various options and believes this sort of approach has worked well in other cities and will work well in St. Louis.

While we go through the competitive process of selecting a service provider, I have asked acting Health Director Pam Walker to focus as much of her time and energy as necessary to make sure the dogs and cats are treated well during the transition.

As an aside, I am deeply disturbed that such decisions are announced not through the city’s press release site but through his political campaign website. The City of St. Louis has issued no press releases in 2010 and the last one from the mayor’s office was released on December 1, 2009.  City business should be announced via the city system, campaign business via the campaign site.

Okay, on to the issue of the welfare of the animals.

I am a supporter of the fund raising effort, the Animal House Fund.  They day after the mayor made his announcement they issued the following statement (PDF):

Animal House Fund received news that the City of St. Louis would announce plans to outsource the management of an Animal Care Facility through an RFP selection process. Chairman of the Board, Ed Throop, has responded to the Mayor’s announcement in saying, “We have been made aware of the situation. It was our hope that the building project would be further along at this point, but we are still committed to building a better life for the City of St. Louis’ animals. We look forward to participating in the City’s RFP process and are confident we can make a positive impact.”

The organization, founded in 2003, and later taken over by Throop, was created to make a new location for an Animal Care Facility in the City possible, to reduce the number of strays, to give homeless and abandoned animals a better chance to find families, and to help St. Louis become a more pet -friendly city. The City’s current Animal Control Center, located at Gasconade and Highway 55, was constructed in 1941 and was intended for short-term use only – to catch or receive animals and dispose of them quickly. Animal House Fund has worked tirelessly over the years to form a partnership with the City, the animals and the residents, in furtherance of the organization’s vision.

Animal House Fund has the support of a strong board, dedicated volunteers and a passionate community of animal lovers. The organization will be an enthusiastic participant in the RFP process and is excited about continuing its work to find a greener solution in compassionate care for the City’s animals.

While the City’s announcement changes the original hope of constructing a new, state-of -the-art facility, it provides Animal House Fund with an opportunity to explore other options, including retro- fitting an existing building, which would reduce the required level of project funding and allow the organization to have a hand in bringing about, more quickly, a brighter future for animals in the City.

I hope the Animal House Fund is successful in their effort to provide good accommodations for animals in the City of St. Louis.

I want to learn more about the current 1941 building.  I have to wonder if the stone used was from the demolition of buildings for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

– Steve Patterson

The folded paper map displaced by online map services

I love old city maps, they can be so informative:

But when it comes to mapping out my route in the present no printed map will do, I love online maps.  I used to buy a laminated map when visiting other cities, with maps on my phone those are no longer necessary for me.

The poll this week asks which online map service you use most often.  In the comments below share your thoughts on the passing of the folded map.

– Steve Patterson

Show your support for transit

On Tuesday April 6, 2010 voters in St. Louis County will vote on a measure to help fund transit operations in the region. Voters in the City of St. Louis approved a companion measure years ago and it will begin once the county approves their measure.  Myself and others have changed our Facebook profile pictures to show us using public transit:

There are some rules about photography but they don’t prevent snapping a quick pic such as mine above:

Photography on the Metro system is permitted with the following limitations. Photographers and videographers who plan to take photos or video for commercial use, or who need to set up tripods, lighting or other equipment need prior approval. For approval call 314-982-1440 or e-mail SpeakerTourResearch@metrostlouis.org. Please be advised that security personnel may approach photographers and videographers to inquire about their purpose. Activities may be limited for security, safety or customer convenience. Photography of critical infrastructure including MetroLink tracks, bridges, and tunnels is not permitted.

So get out there on our transit and get a picture of yourself using the system so your friends in St. Louis County will realize that even if they personally don’t ride transit, they know folks who do.

– Steve Patterson

St. Louis needs a parking meter upgrade

The collection of change from city parking meters is a full-time job, I must see this happening here on Locust Ave at least once per week.  One person walks to each meter while a van follows.  Recently increased parking rates requires $2 for two hours of time.  That is a lot of change.

The better way is a couple of meters per block that accept bills and credit cards.

The city did a brief test on these meters on South Grand in 2006.  The Treasurer’s office that controls parking revenue in St. Louis quickly ruled these a failure.  I personally love them.

– Steve Patterson

Gentrification in St. Louis

Commercial districts throughout the City of St. Louis have changed dramatically throughout the city’s history, take Cherokee Street as an example:

As districts evolve over time the clientele changes. In my 19+ years in St. Louis I’ve seen dramatic changes to a number of districts:

• Cherokee St  East of Jefferson was very much antiques.  Cheap Trx, now on South Grand, sold refinished furniture.
• Cherokee St West of Jefferson wasn’t much of anything except a place for prostitutes and drug dealers.
• South Grand (Arsenal-Utah) didn’t have much going on either except for the old diner and various Asian restaurants.
• Euclid Ave North of Lindell was the center of gay life, including playing host to the then much smaller annual Gay Pride Parade.
• Morgan Ford, Ivanhoe and Macklind don’t stand out in my memory.

In a recent post, St. Louis’ Cherokee Street developing organically, I mentioned a discussion to be held tonight (3/4/2010) on gentrification. The discussion in the comments was so lively I thought I’d share my thoughts on the subject.  The first place to start is the definition.  Merriam-Webster defines gentrification as:

Main Entry: gen·tri·fi·ca·tion
Pronunciation: \ˌjen-trə-fə-ˈkā-shən\
Function: noun
Date: 1964

: the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents

The origin of 1964 is important for it was then that we began to see a backlash to massive federal urban renewal projects.  The classic Death and Life of Great American Cities was published three years earlier in 1961 so you will not find gentrification in the index.  “Gentrification” was the large scale displacement of the poor through large-scale “slum clearance” projects.  Today, however, the term is often use to express displeasure with the natural evolution of a commercial district or residential neighborhood.

Back to Cherokee Street.  It has seen substantial investment over the last 15 years from White and Latino businesspersons.  The intersection of Cherokee St & California Ave, two blocks West of the above intersection, is the center of the Latino businesses on the street.  I love the current vibe on the street.  I had dinner at Don Carlos Restaurant (new advertiser) on the SW corner of the intersection two nights ago with a Latina business owner.  I learned many Latinos own their properties — a smart move as popularity (and rents) increase.

But many storefronts facing Cherokee from Jefferson to Compton remain vacant.  Along the cross streets just around the corners you see there is still a need for more investment.

The key is to try to find ways to ensure existing merchants are not unwillingly squeezed off the street as buildings are renovated and rents rise.  But understand the rise, fall and rise of commercial streets is a natural process when it happens over long periods of time. Discuss below and tonight at City Affair XIV.

– Steve Patterson