Today We Save the San Luis

1015 Locust Street, Suite 1200
Downtown St. Louis, 63101
4 PM - ?

Preservation Board Decides DeVille Tomorrow

Send your letter or attend the meeting starting at 4PM tomorrow.

Members of the Preservation Board,

The proposed demolition of the San Luis Apartments, formerly the DeVille Motor Hotel, at 4483 Lindell Boulevard, constitutes an egregious affront to the Central West End Neighborhood, the local Central West End National Register Historic District, and greater City of St. Louis. The Central West End, a neighborhood of density, cultural diversity, and regionally unique architectural character, cannot suffer the supplantation of the DeVille with that of a parking lot – one of the lowest possible land uses and a detriment to the pedestrian realm.

Due to the Central West End’s overwhelmingly pedestrian design, the success of neighborhood businesses conjoins itself with the existence of this walkable environment. The economic vitality of the Central West End depends upon a diversity of uses which do not include parking. Parking lots only serve as temporary, intermittently used automobile storage and do not provide the sustained customer base of residential and mixed use. Parking lots incentivize free riders -- those who visit areas of our City yet do not reside or remain for a sustained about of time. When this occurs businesses suffer as owners do not have sufficient foot traffic to support their store. The success of our commercial districts and the health of our robust neighborhoods depend not upon the proliferation of parking, but through promoting the walkable environment which promotes our urban way of life.

The Central West End remains one of the most desirable neighborhoods for many reasons, yet these all relate to the neighborhood’s proliferation of diverse land uses that facilitate the walkable environment – the preponderance of which include historic and contemporary mid to high rise buildings, mixed use storefronts that form contiguous commercial districts, and stately single family homes which are unique amongst the entire State. The sense of place that exists within the Central West End, which the locally certified National Register Historic District seeks to protect, did not come into existence through the proliferation of parking – a process that has permanently eviscerated Downtown St. Louis’ sense of place and urban potential. This cancer of parking permanently suburbanized downtown -- promoting free riding St. Louis Countians -- discouraging residents and therefore undermining what was once the center of commerce and pedestrian life for the entire St. Louis Region.

Given St. Louis City Ordinance 64689 Section 61, the Preservation Board and Cultural Resources should consider several criteria relating to the proposed demolition of the DeVille Motor Hotel for a parking lot: the existence of a previous redevelopment plan, the architectural quality of the building, the condition of the building, neighborhood affect and reuse potential, and urban design. Presently no redevelopment plan exists, therefore statutory requirements for demolition are absent. The sound condition of the steel and concrete DeVille warrants no structural requirement for demolition. Only through the eviction of tenants by the owner, the Archdiocese of St . Louis, did the DeVille become vacant. Similarly only through mismanagement and neglect did the minor, superficial conditions of a public nuisance enter existence. The Archdiocese attempts to reach the criterion of Neighborhood Affect while attempting to sway the Preservation Board into ignoring Reuse Potential and Urban Design.

Elaborating upon architectural significance, the proposed devolution of this site to parking, from one of the first motor hotels in St. Louis City, ignores the building’s potentially Qualifying Status thus inclusion within the local Central West End District. In November 2008 the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office gave a very promising response to an eligibility assessment submitted for the San Luis. The San Luis could potentially be listed for significance in a number of areas, including transportation and architecture. This would enable the issuance of State and Federal Historic Tax Credits – incentives which have led to billions in private reinvestment. Such financial incentive enables the San Luis’ preservation and reuse entirely feasible. We've seen far worse buildings -- the Continental Life Building, Chase Hotel, and finally the Coronado -- brought back to life because of these tax credits. The International Fur Exchange, absent Historic Tax Credits, was brought back mid demolition due to the leadership of Charles Drury. With incentives and the leadership of entrepreneurs, the same should apply to the DeVille.

The demolition of the building, which was once a hotel, lowers the maximum potential of the neighborhood – as this building could regain its former use. When considering the reuse potential of the DeVille Motor Hotel, the Preservation Board must consider the Roberts Brothers’ rehabilitation of the former Bell Air Motel at 4630 Lindell. Listed on the National Register May 1st, 2009, this building received $9,000,000 in rehabilitation[1] for reuse as the popular Indigo brand of boutique hotels. Given the DeVille’s grander scale, that a precedent for Mid Century Modern nominations exists given the Bell Air’s nomination but also Nooter Corporation’s May 16^th 2008 listing[2], a developer could certainly find this unique building aesthetically and financially attractive for redevelopment. Only through categorically ignoring the Reuse Potential of the DeVille could demolition be acceptable.

Several other examples of Mid Century rehabilitations must be reviewed when considering the DeVille’s potential; these include the Washington Avenue Apartments in St. Louis City[3], the State House[4] in Springfield Missouri, the Thunderbird[5] in Savannah Georgia, the MiMo District[6] in Miami Florida, the Avalon Hotel in Beverley Hills California[7], the Double Tree Metropolitan in Manhattan[8], the Standard in Hollywood California[9], and finally the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale Arizona[10]. These examples prove that the Mid Century architectural style becomes aesthetically desirable again through rehabilitation, under the guidance of entrepreneurs. Yet without leadership on behalf of the Preservation Board, the potential of the DeVille may never be realized.

Demolition of the DeVille Motor Hotel must be seen as an affront, the egregious violation of St. Louis City's character and sense of place. St. Louis City has Historic Districts, Preservation Review, and economic mechanisms that promote rehabilitation, for the purpose of protecting the unique assets that define its environment. Examples of buildings in for worse condition exist. They were rehabilitated with incentive, under the auspices of leadership who knew they must not fall -- and shouldn't because they are not simply relics of our glorious past, but unique architectural resources that make St. Louis a desirable place to live and work. Should parking replace the DeVille, leadership categorically ignores its reuse potential and contribution to the economic vitality of the City. In a time of economic scarcity, it’s entirely irresponsible to demolish irreplaceable buildings which provide St. Louis City with a comparative advantage over suburbia and other cities nationally.

---

[1] http://ecoabsence.blogspot.com/2009/06/realizing-potential-of-mid-century.html

[2] http://www.landmarks-stl.org/news/nooter_corporation_building_listed_in_national_register_of_historic_places/

[3] http://tobybelt.blogspot.com/2008/10/washington-avenue-apartments.html

[4] http://ecoabsence.blogspot.com/2009/06/springfields-state-house-inn-another.html

[5] http://media.www.dailygamecock.com/media/storage/paper247/news/2005/09/29/TheMix/Developer.Rehabs.Modern.Building.That.Savannah.Loves.To.Hate-1002692.shtml

[6] http://www.mimoboulevard.org/

[7] http://www.avalonbeverlyhills.com/index.html

[8] http://www.metropolitanhotelnyc.com/

[9] http://www.standardhotels.com/hollywood/rooms/

[10] http://www.hotelvalleyho.com/scottsdalehotels/index.html

One Week To Save the San Luis!

The Preservation Board will determine the fate of the San Luis next Monday June the 22nd at:

1015 Locust, Suite 1200
St. Louis, Missouri 63101
314)622-3400 Fax (314)622-3413

Please send our sample letter to members of the Preservation Board, Alderwoman Lyda Krewson, and Monsignor Gardin, also please attend the meeting! The Board needs to hear from you as to how parking lots kill cities and especially must not replace such a magnificent building which could easily be rehabbed!

Also please distribute our newest full color flier!

Finally, take a look at some fine Mid Century Modern hotels in Los Angeles and don't tell me the San Luis couldn't look as good! With historic tax credits there's no reason for this gem to fall, especially given the Robert's Brothers recently listed the Bel Air on the National Register and it's reopening as an Indigo boutique hotel!

Gregali: Take the Avalon, Now

Alderman Gregali should have taken the Avalon Theater shortly after insane owner Tsevis refused to match block grant funding in order to rehabilitate the building. The refusal of these funds, disbursed by Gregali, occurred in 1999 with condemnation in 2006. Neighborhood residents should not have to wait years for action, especially in a healthy area of St. Louis City during a time of economy plenty.

The problems of mismanagement are well known. Since closure the building has deteriorated contentiously. Gregali said in 2006, when it was condemned, that he might eminent domain the Avalon. Three years later and we have no action on the Avalon while the building has only declined. Why has Alderman Gregali not taken action on this historic theater? A judge would determine the fair market value well below Tsevis' asking price of around $1,000,000, historic tax credits and other mechanisms would be used to entice a buyer, and it's entirely possible the Avalon could be open today.

South St. Louis once had many movie theaters. They provide an essential service that a neighborhood must have to truly be considered such: entertainment. Saving the Avalon isn't simply about historic preservation, but providing city residents with economic services that they need and want. We need to preserve our historic architecture as it shapes lives through memory and shared experiences, yet we also need to promote diverse services. St. Louis only has three theaters in the City: the Moolah, the Chase Park Plaza, and the Hi-Pointe. Two of these theaters only have one screen. When we have an historic, walkable movie theater sitting vacant, with a clearly insane "owner," action must be taken.

The city needs retribution," Alderman Stephen Gregali said. "We need to do our job to go after a slumlord here."

The City does not need to punish South St. Louis, or the building itself, for the mismanagement of a lunatic or the inaction of Alderman Gregali. If St. Louis City must be recompensed for the Avalon debacle, then let Gregali endure this cost.

Gregali said that over the years, developers have come up with ideas for the property but that none ever moved forward.

Obviously because the owner wanted to sell at an inflated price. Obviously because the aldermen chose inaction instead of facilitating the Avalon's redevelopment.

A reopened Avalon would certainly would serve. Louis City. City residents going to St. Louis County for a film can only be defined as inexcusable. We must provide these within our own borders. First we must have aldermen who have a clue.

Contact Alderman Steven Gregali and render support for the Avalon Theater.

Kiel Redevelopment Passes HUDZ

The redevelopment of the Kiel Opera House by Dave Checketts' SCP Worldwide came out of HUDZ today 16-1.

A certain Missouri State Senator once told me I'm "against everything."

Well I happen to wholeheartedly support the long overdue redevelopment of the Kiel Opera House, a building which I loved at first sight, and only wish the Auditorium didn't suffer a worse fate. If only the Highlands Lofts didn't exist and we still had The Arena. Unfortunately, hopefully, I'll have to settle for the Opera House.

Assuming we don't demolish any buildings for a parking garage or three, along with the alleged redevelopment of the shuddered Municipal Courthouse, this will bring back significant activity to the Western Gateway Mall. However, the opening of the Ford Building and Park Pacific, much needed residential, remain integral to the overall success of the Western Gateway Mall. We must have sustained activity stimulated by mixed uses, which the rehabilitation of the Municipal Courthouse should provide. As we know with the Fox Theater and Grand Center, patrons are not enough to spur development when they exodus to St. Louis or St. Charles County. We must have the residential component which supports sustained retail. With the Opera House, at least we have an important redevelopment moving forward.

I look forward to attending the Kiel Opera House dressed to the nines with a hot date. Such grand civic buildings makes St. Louis City a place I will always love despite its repetitious failures, depressing leadership, and complacent citizenry. Hopefully SCP Worldwide overcomes past attempts at redevelopment and my fantasy of attendance transcends to reality.

The Post Dispatch with a mouth watering video of the interior.

McKee Applies for TIF Today

According to his time line, McKee applies for his $400,000,000 TIF today with our City Community Development Agency. There will be a public hearing for this TIF.

Neighbors for Social Justice, residents and neighbors affected by Blairmont, submitted a letter against the TIF. Hopefully more residents speak out against government subsidized Negro Removal, a process that Alderwoman April Ford-Griffin, who received some $5,000 in campaign contributions from McKee since 2003, said should not be allowed.

North St. Louis, even if promised "green development" instead of the suburban styles which St. Louis County received in exchange for its African American neighborhoods, should reject this development entirely.

Matthew Mourning describes the situation accurately:

The St. Louis area has a long history of ignoring its African American population until it is convenient to seize their low-valued land and "humanely" remove them from the blight that failed urban policy and structural racism helped to create in the first place.

Decades of divestment and racism imposed by a white hegemony created these problems. Over the past 5 years McKee exacerbated them and made the situation even worse. Regardless of legal constraints placed into the upcoming redevelopment ordinance, or any verbal promises given, we should not pay McKee to fix the problems he promoted as a pretext for this development.

St. Louis cannot afford another Mill Creek Valley or McRee Town. Instead of compromising their ethnics for a few thousand dollars and the erroneous promise of 22,000 new regionally unique jobs, our elected officials must practice what they profess. Given McKee's already stellar record, aldermen should reject this Super-TIF. Both Marlene Davis and April Ford-Griffin sit on the HUDZ committee. Given that fact and the practice of aldermanic courtsey, they have near absolute control over how this project progresses.

All eyes should be on Marlene Davis and April Ford-Griffin.

Memorable Blairmont Quotes

Review and commentary regarding May 21 McKee meeting forthcoming. Until then a few statements from Alderwoman Marlene Davis and April Ford-Griffin.

Alderwoman Marlene Davis, recipient of McKee's campaign contributions, 6:00 PM at Lexington School September 12, 2007:

McKee wants to destroy the black race on the North Side.

In St. Louis Beacon:

"As long as we communicate," she said, "life will be better. It's never going to be perfect. We've got a long way to go.

"Before, we knew nothing. We knew nothing. We're a lot better off than we were six months ago. But community engagement is critical.

May 21 2009 Blairmont meeting:

...I also ask you to trust me...I have never misguided anyone that gave me the responsibility to lead and serve. I ask you to give me that trust again...I'm always going to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. I'm here now because we need to open this dialogue.

April 2007:

A tax credit bill for one man....who is not communicating with anyone, who has no plan.

Alderwoman April Ford-Griffin, who also received campaign contributions from Paul McKee, August 2007:

...just for a developer who has ignored 5th Ward Master Plan, ignored constituent calls, over 500 purchases in 5th ward, intentionally does nothing to maintain property, but intentionally tries to create blight...they have acquired the whole block...do not maintain it...able to use City resources to maintain a millionaires property...5th Ward Plan said we would have inclusion, residents would have input, there would not be mass destruction or mass relocation or displacement. And that clearly seems to be the plan that they have.

You should not be rewarded for neglect. You should not be rewarded for coming in and trying to re-gentrify an area and clearly that's what it is and those of you who been around a while who have seen it happen in Mill Creek, you've seen it happen in McRee Town, and you've seen it happen in other areas and that's what's happening here today.

And then look at the tract record of trying to force our people out, by buying property and letting it crumble intentionally and then go and tell the State to give you the money and reward you for doing business that way. That's not acceptable.

The Beacon:

As far as the level of trust, Griffin-Ford said that is growing, but in the end it may not be the most crucial aspect of the deal.

"He has come to the table," he said. "Many residents have asked for years what is the plan. That's what he is showing them now.

"I do business with a lot of people I don't trust," she said. "It's about mutual respect. It's not about my personal feelings. It's about getting better living conditions for my constituents."

McKee's Vision, Our Terror

I haven't written much due to anxiety. Over what? McKee's plan. This is place erasing so that white suburbanites may feel comfortable residing in the City. This is Mill Creek Valley, McRee Town, etc., on a much larger scale. Mayor Slay and McKee would have you ignore the progress in Old North St. Louis. We should forget the turnaround in Soulard, Lafayette Square, the Central West End, and Downtown. The only solution for this area can’t be rehabilitation and empowerment of existing residents, but what African American novelist and playwright James Baldwin called, reflecting on the Urban Renewal Projects of his time, “Negro Removal.”

If McKee wanted to redevelop the site of Pruitt-Igoe and implement infill with rehab in surrounding areas, with minimal demolition, then fine. We should support that entirely as this would create jobs and socioeconomic opportunity for existing residents in surrounding neighborhoods. Yet that positive outcome fails when we evict residents and they move to an economically depressed inner ring suburb. This plan happens to be exactly the opposite of what we need and it’s what Jane Jacobs calls cataclysmic money. These projects, the ones James Baldwin bemoaned, did not save our cities before and we’re arrogant to believe that McKee’s clear cutting then New Urbanism will be a game changer. Assuming McKee can actually build all he wants, and he wont, then we will replace a real city with faux-Disney urbanism that has no soul, character, or diversity, a sense of place that still remains and could be resurrected broadly if these buildings were rehabilitated!

North St. Louis was far better before McKee despoiled the character present in even the most decrepit buildings. Even recipient of McKee’s campaign contributions and supporter 5th Ward Alderwoman April-Ford Griffin, at meetings she hosted herself and with Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe, admitted that she’s seen drastic decline since the slumlord began his acquisitions. The people who remained in these areas, after decades of divestment and marginalization, deserved better than to be kicked aside, pushed out of the City, only to have their historic homes supplanted with frame brick veneer and former suburbanites.

Repeating slum clearance, urban renewal, and divisively racist housing policies such as these cannot be excused for whatever outcome happens. The potential of what could have occurred if he worked with existing residents to implement a wide scale infill and rehabilitation program will never be reached by his clear cutting, under-the-table tactics, which are a violation of human and property rights. He won’t be able to rebuild trust beyond buying the acceptance of the push over public officials that support his agenda.

Simply replacing Urban Renewal's superblocks or suburban styles with New Urbansim does not change the fact that it eviscerates our City. 500 acres, that the Post Dispatch says McKee wants to redevelop, will permanently be 500 acres of irreplaceable City lost to obsolete planning theories. The form of the proposed development seems inconsequential when compared to the urban infrastructure which has been marred and will never exist again despite the grandiose hallucinations of McKee, Slay, and the hired planners. The new alleged residents and businesses cannot outweigh the utility of a rehabbed Pruitt Grocery Store, with Tavern across the street at the turreted building, at the intersection of Glasgow and St. Louis Avenue. If we still believe in Slum Clearance, after its proven record of failure, then I say we don't deserve this 4th City and should move to Phoenix where we can no longer do such irrevocable damage through complicity with McKee's Plan and negligence of its effects.

When people talk about this "development and investment," perhaps they should realize a large human component is involved. These are peoples lives, their primary investment, many people worked for years rehabbing in ONSL and are threatened. Some thought the progress in ONSL could have spread to other areas making the area near what it was decades ago.

A savior doesn't go around devaluing neighborhoods only making them worse so he can change the demographics and re-create it in his "image," which isn't even original and based upon racist, outdated planning theories which have been proven entirely wrong.

A savior would have rehabbed the Clemens Mansion years ago, funded the nomination of a local National Register Historic District on St. Louis Avenue, rehabbed hundreds of buildings instead of demolishing them, built wonderful new infill construction, funded or at least lobbied for the creation of community housing corporations in J-V-L and St. Louis Place, and done all of this in a manner which respects existing residents and follows the principles of full disclosure and the democratic process. He would have sponsored a charette and invited neighborhood residents to come. He would have included everyone because this is our City, we are stakeholders, and should have been included from the beginning. If he did all of this then he would have deserved public support and even subsidy, but since he has done none of these things, and only devalued the area, I cannot support this "development."

McKee should be in jail. I would not propose any development tools that allow this to go forward because McKee has already shown contempt for our City. Why would he listen when hes already proven we'll roll over and sell out for a few thousand in campaign contributions and the facade of "fixing" North St. Louis (as if ONSL doesn't already provide an ideal model?). Sadly he has the ball in his court. We, who claim to be advocates, have failed.

If we let this project sit as it is at least we may not lose as many buildings compared to his upcoming demolitions.

The City should eminent domain what they can from him and give them to what developers could afford them. The Distressed Areas Land Assemblage Tax Credit Act should have reimbursed the City for the cost of acquiring McKee property and giving it to someone else. Sadly this isn't the best time for that given the economy, but even if they're out of town developers maybe at least they could be held in better condition than the James Clemens Mansion for example. Maybe someone else would see the buildings as actual assets thus secure them properly? Perhaps the Police could start actually taking rustling as a serious crime?

With McKee St. Louis gets no respect. In a town with leaders this con artist would have been thrown off the Eads Bridge.

We should call this plan a grand failure of government due to racism, broadly insufficient institutional capacity, hubris, and ignorance of history.


Urbanists should not accept the demolition of entire blocks, or wonderful buildings like those at Glasgow and St. Louis Avenue!

Any urbanist who supports this plan might as well be in People's Temple following Jim Jones to an imminent demise.



Read North Side resident Claire Nowak-Boyd's Destruction not Development

Read Blairmont Finally Made Me Cry Tonight and see the building on 2900 Montgomery.

Read Robert Powers' Daily Doses of Blairmont

View the collapse of the James Clemens Mansion.

Watch the demolition of Glasgow and St. Louis Avenue:




Attend the "public" meeting tonight at Central Baptist Education Building, 2837 Washington!

Cleveland

Richard Pryor: Prison