The Corner ‘Blade’ Sign Making A Comeback

I’ve eaten at Rosalita’s Cantina only once since it opened a few months ago, but I’ve admired their sign each time I pass by. My admiration of their sign began last October.

Blade (projecting) signs were once common throughout cities, but in the 1970s a national movement to remove “clutter” began that killed off unique signs, especially those that projected from the building facade.  Thankfully those decades old attitudes are slowly dying off.

Note to self, have lunch at Rosalita’s Cantina again soon.

– Steve Patterson

100 Years Ago Today: The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

Architecture students learn many things in college, including about notable fires.  The 1980 MGM Grand Fire is one, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of March 25, 1911 is another.

The Triangle fire in New York City on March 25, 1911, killed 146 people, mainly women, mainly young immigrant women. Some were girls of 14 and 15. The fire broke out on the upper floors of the factory, too high for fire department ladders of those days to reach. People gathered on the street below watched in horror as women and men jumped to their deaths to avoid the enveloping flames. Observers talked of the sky raining flaming bodies. Many of the workers trapped inside were burned beyond recognition. (CNN)

I’m sure you are wondering why I’m writing about a New York City fire on a St. Louis blog, let me explain.  The fire lasted only thirty minutes, but the tragedy sparked changes to building codes and labor laws that endure today.  Regulations requiring emergency exits to be unlocked when a space was occupied came as a result of this fire. Some exits were locked, trapping victims. According to Wikipedia, a factory owner was “arrested for locking the door in his factory during working hours. He was fined $20.”

This fire strengthened the labor movement as workers increasingly demanded safer working conditions. In St. Louis garment factories had to change their ways to prevent a similar tragedy here.

– Steve Patterson

Curb Ramps Still Missing in Key Locations 20 Years After the ADA

Last week I was at Tower Grove Ave & McRee Ave for a ground breaking when I left in my power chair I had to head south a few blocks to Tower Grove Ave & Shaw to catch the bus.  At Tower Grove Ave & Lafayette Ave I encountered the above situation, no curb ramp into the sidewalk.

All the rest of the intersections had curb ramps, but all it takes is one missing to make an entire stretch impassible.  Thankfully a section of curb was missing, allowing me to pass by.  At Thurman Ave pieces of curb were also missing, allowing me to pass through there as well.

– Steve Patterson

Readers: St. Louis Public Schools Must Improve To Stop Population Loss

In the poll last week readers agreed that our K-12 schools must improve to stop population loss:

Q: It has been said by many the St. Louis Public Schools must be improved to stop population loss. Agree? If so, how?

1. Agree, no clue how to improve them 61 [36.53%]
2. Agree, need more students from higher economic backgrounds 53 [31.74%]
3. Other answer… 28 [16.77%]
4. Agree, the schools just need more money 11 [6.59%]
5. Disagree, children are becoming less and less important in future demographic trends 7 [4.19%]
6. Agree, cut out competition from charter schools 6 [3.59%]
7. Unsure/no opinion 1 [0.6%]

The top answer, not surprisingly, was “no clue how to improve them” with students from higher economic  backgrounds a close second.

Charter schools are often seen as the solution by some and the problem by others.

The following were the numerous “other” answers submitted:

1. The Schools need more than just money and diversity to improve. What though?
2. Vouchers for all schools
3. Agree, schools need more funding/teacher evaluations/more comprehensive approach
4. Revitalize neighborhood schools
5. Agree, but needs more than just money.
6. agree, schools need more money and real involved committment from adults.
7. eliminate city corruption
8. Good students must have the ability to learn separated from misbehaving students
9. Charter Schools won’t fix poverty present in our neighborhoods
10. Agree provide more competition from more charter schools
11. more responsible parents willing to work on improving the SLPS
12. Agree but there is no 25 words or less solution
13. its a combination of things. not just bad kids with bad homes
14. Agree, better smaller administration
15. Make it a point of community pride; require parent service hours and outreach.
16. Go to a voucher program – problem solved, especially for low income families.
17. A total revemp of the system, including the important step of parent involvement
18. More charters less control from the divided leviathan.
19. No, this is still a white flight issue. Keeping our kids away from “them”
20. Agree, but only good parental involvement
21. Of course, this is a no brainer
22. Agree, Gens Y and Z may not all have kids now, but we will soon.
23. These options are laughable.
24. Families aren’t moving to the city with high crime rates no matter the scho
25. Decertify the NEA
26. Replace all public schools with charters.
27. Agree, city families need access to great schools chartered, district, private
28. More charter schools-city schools irretrievably broken

I highlighted #9 because I really liked the comment, no school public or private is going to fix poverty.  Face it, a school with low income students of any race will not be the best learning environment.  On Sunday 60 Minutes did a story on a charter school in a poor neighborhood in NYC that is focusing on getting the very best teachers to improve the student’s test score:

(CBS News) With state after state confronting massive budget problems, several governors have been looking to extract whatever they can from public employees like teachers, going after benefits packages and guaranteed job security that unions have won for them. But would teachers be willing to give up those protections for a chance to earn a lot more money?

Test scores overall are still low but some individual students have jumped two grade levels in reading in a single year, very important to their future.

– Steve Patterson

Botanical Grove: Green City Living in the Heart of Saint Louis

A ground breaking was held last Friday afternoon for the Botanical Grove project in the Botanical Heights neighborhood.

The Botanical Heights Neighborhood is a centrally located neighborhood with close proximity to many Saint Louis amenities and destinations. The neighborhood is in the midst of a series of planned redevelopment projects that aim to improve the area, creating a vibrant walkable urban community. The first portion of redevelopment was completed between 2004 and 2007 and included the construction of 150 new homes on the six blocks bounded by 39th Street and Thurman Avenue, completed by St. Louis based homebuilder McBride and Sons. Botanical Grove represents the next phase of development, with a focus on green building within and the historic context of the western half of the neighborhood.

The neighborhood was formerly called McRee Town, so-named after McRee Ave that runs east-west through the neighborhood. Here is info on the project:

Botanical Grove includes thirty new homes on the 4200 Block of McRee in the Botanical Heights Neighborhood of St. Louis. These homes include all new homes as well as complete renovations of historic homes, with a range of unit types and sizes. All homes are built to LEED for Homes standards, to your custom specifications. Green construction on all homes, including standard geothermal heating and cooling, means a healthy lifestyle at a low operating cost. Combining these green features, with quality construction, and ten year property tax abatement allows Botanical Heights Homes to offer exceptional homes at a an exceptional value.

The firm UIC + CDO, located at McRee Ave & Tower Grove Ave , is the developer.  The project has been in the planning stages for the last five years.  In August 2010 I attended a neighborhood meeting where the project was presented to the neighbors, Ald Joseph Roddy (17th Ward) and Stephen Conway (8th Ward) both spoke at the gathering.

I like many things about this project, among them:

• Existing privately owned homes within the defined area will remain in the hands of the current owners. Existing residents I spoke with will be glad to see  neighboring properties renovated and vacant lots infilled.
• Vacant structures will be renovated, not razed.
• New construction offers a contemporary, but compatible aesthetic.  The Model 1 has a great floor plan with central kitchen and rear living room.
• LEED construction for the buildings as well as green elements for the street, such as rain gardens, are important to reducing waste.
• Commercial buildings along Tower Grove Ave will also be renovated.
• The homes include single-family detached and townhouses. The sizes are reasonable, not McMansions.

I’d be concerned about starting such a project in this economy but the bankers present on Friday are behind the effort.  I think they will phase the project over the next few years as buyers sign on the dotted line for each renovated building or new construction.

This firm has already demonstrated with both of their buildings at Tower Grove Ave & McRee Ave that good design and a slow approach can make a huge difference over time. Over the next 10 years we will hopefully see the rest of the vacant structures in Botanical Heights renovated and the vacant lots infilled with new housing units.

– Steve Patterson