Poll: Thoughts on Culinaria (Downtown Schnucks grocery)

Culinaria, the downtown Schnucks grocery store, opened 4 years ago today. Schnucks management originally had very low expectations, but the location has consistently done a very good volume of business, according to managers anyway.

During the last 4 years the store has changed very little, except for trying to squeeze more product by adding displays here and there. They just completed the first major revamp of the store, closing an aisle to add more shelving.

Over the last four years the store has been inproving the foods offered since opening day. I recall early on the only flour they had was bleached white flour, I had to visit Straub’s to get decent flour for something I wanted to bake. After I complained they added unbleached & wheat flour from Gold Medal, but now they also have several varieties of flour from King Arthur. Just took too long for a store with the tag line “bring out the foodie in you” to get ingredients this foodie uses.

I don’t know about you but I don’t look for produce & gourmet cheese at Best Buy, nor do I buy televisions at the grocery store. Culinaria has also sold charcoal, mini grills, & lighter fluid — likely aimed at downtown residents. The thing is, we can’t use charcoal grills! We can use propane grills, but no charcoal.

Eventually I think they’ll figure out how to sell groceries in a compact downtown setting, maybe in another 4 years. Anyway, the poll this week wants to know how you feel about the store. The poll is in the right sidebar, mobile users need to select the desktop layout.

— Steve Patterson

Lecture and New Book on The Architecture of Maritz & Young

Authors Kevin Amsler and L. John Schott will give a lecture on the architecture of Maritz & Young next week, here are  the details:

When: Wednesday, August 14 2013 at 7:00 pm
Where: Missouri History Museum, AT&T Foundation Multipurpose Room (lower level)
How Much: Free

This lecture coincides with the release of their book The Architecture of Maritz & Young: Exceptional Historic Homes of St. Louis

The Missouri History Museum Press is pleased to announce the publication of it latest book, The Architecture of Maritz & Young: Exceptional Historic Homes of St. Louis. No single architecture firm has shaped the style of St. Louis more than Maritz & Young. Anyone who has driven along Lindell Boulevard across from Forest Park or strolled the sidewalk on Forsyth by Washington University has seen the residential architecture of two men named Raymond Maritz and William Ridgely Young. The homes include the French Renaissance splendor ofhotel owner Morris Corn’s Lindell mansion and the Spanish-influenced Forsyth home of William Lewin.

From the beginning of the 20th century, Raymond E. Maritz and W. Ridgely Young built more than 100 homes in the most affluent neighborhoods of St. Louis County, counting among their clientele a Who’s Who of the city’s most prominent citizens. The Architecture of Maritz & Young is the most complete collection of their work, featuring more than 200 photographs, architectural drawings, and original floor plans of homes built in a variety of styles, from Spanish Eclectic toTudor Revival. Alongside these historic images, Kevin Amsler and L. John Schott have provided descriptions of each residence detailing the original owners. Lovingly compiled from a multitude of historical sources and rare books, this is the definitive history of the domestic architecture that still defines St. Louis.

I’ve only had time to browse the book, but it is packed with great vintage images and detailed text. The book is on sale now, copies will be available for purchase at the lecture as well. The authors will sign copies following the lecture.

— Steve Patterson

New Downtown Elementary School Open House Saturday August 10th 10AM-Noon

For a couple of years now a small group of parents have been working to open a new charter school: Lafayette Preparatory Academy:

We start with the conviction that every child, at-risk or otherwise, has the right to a high-quality education. We follow it with the vision that if we provide the families living in the Urban Core and surrounding neighborhoods of St. Louis that education, it will not only benefit them individually, but contribute to what is increasingly becoming the revitalization of downtown St. Louis.

Subscribe to the upcoming Newsletters or join the conversation and stay up-to-date on Facebook and Twitter. 

I first met with organizers in the Fall of 2011, offering some help with social media. At that time they described a their desire to stay in St. Louis, but also make sure their young kids get a quality education.

This first year (2013-2014) the school offers kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade. Their original plan was to add a grade level each year through high school graduation. The school is opening in leased space in the office wing attached to Christ Church Cathedral. The community is invited to an open house tomorrow morning:

Come one, come all … LPA is ready to open and wants to share with you all of the hard work put in by the many volunteers and families committed to bringing an excellent elementary school to support the growth in Downtown St. Louis. We invite you to come see what all the hype is about. At the Open House, you will see the changes made in our facility and learn more about our college prep program. (source) 

The open house is 10am-noon Saturday August 10th at 1210 Locust (entrance off alley on east side).

— Steve Patterson

Asphalt Roadway Damaged at MetroBus Stops

City buses are great ways to transport many people, but their weight can take a toll on roads.  Bus stops, in particular, take a lot of punishment. This #11 stop on Chippewa at Hampton is a good example:

Asphalt tends to move when it is hot and pressure is applied over and over. To avoid such a maintenance headache some cities & transit agencies are paving bus stops in concrete.

These concrete bus stops aren’t cheap though, and with hundreds of heavily used bus stops the cost to upgrade all would be astronomical.

I’ve observed damage like this at numerous other bus stops. I’m not sure how much this costs the city to repair, or if remains until the road is resurfaced. Thoughts?

— Steve Patterson

Readers: No Clear Favorite For License Collector

Governor Nixon must now appoint someone to fill the county-level position of License Collector, vacated by Michael McMillan who has started a new position as president of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, see Poll: Who Should Gov Nixon Appoint St. Louis License Collector? for the introduction of last week’s poll. Here are the results:

Q: Who should Missouri Gov Nixon appoint as St. Louis License Collector to finish Michael McMillan’s current term?

1. Brian Wahby 16 [17.2%]
2. Terry Kennedy 16 [17.2%]
3. Phyllis Young 15 [16.13%]
4. Fred Wessles 9 [9.68%]
5. Nobody listed here 8 [8.6%]
6. Other: 7 [7.53%]
7. Martin Casas 6 [6.45%]
8. Jeffrey Boyd 5 [5.38%]
9. Unsure/No Answer 5 [5.38%]
10. Donna Baringer 4 [4.3%]
11. Marlene Davis 2 [2.15%]

Nobody jumped to the front of the class, Wahby & Kennedy tied with Young just one vote behind. Readers provided 7 other answers:

1. Steve Patterson
2. no-one combine with collect of rev
3. State Representative Josh Peters
4. May
5. Darius Chapman
6. Dave Drebes
7. Steve Patterson

Let’s go through the above list:

1. I’m not sure if the two that put my name in were serious, or not. I’m flattered but I’d be a horrible license collector.
2. In the comments on the original piece there were suggestions on doing away with the position, more on that below.
3. I haven’t met Josh Peters but he was elected in April to finish the unexpired term of the 76th Missouri house district.
4. May is in reference to Karla May, daughter of St. Louis Registrar Parrie May. More below.
5. Darius Chapman works in the License Collector office as manager of Field Operations & Manufacturing Departments, see award
6. Dave Drebes describes himself on his Twitter profile (@MissouriScout) as a “political observer.”

The separate elected positions of license collector and collector of revenue could be combined. One person interested in the job wants to eliminate the position:

“I would like to eliminate the elected position,” Sixteenth ward Alderwoman Donna Baringer

Baringer wants to be the new city license collector and then immediately put herself out of a job. (KMOV)

I think we need to reconsider every elected office, city department, etc in city government.

The St. Louis American had a different look at who Nixon might select:

Karla May – the new African-American consensus pick to succeed Michael McMillan as St. Louis license collector – comes highly recommended by her colleagues, past and present, in the Missouri House of Representatives. (Source – recommended)

I don’t have a favorite, but I do favor reducing the number of elected offices.

— Steve Patterson