TAXES
I spoke with someone downtown today to find out why my property taxes increased while 99% of the neighborhood had a decrease. Just as I thought, retaliation from WUMCRC for my involvement in helping to defeat the Special Business District Tax. Pay back. Evidently the PTB found a way to change the rating on my property. I will pay $100 more this December and everyone else will pay less. but.....................when the PTB decide to promote the SBD Tax again, the rest of the residents (if it passes) will pay what they would have paid before they lowered the assessments, as a result, (if it passes) I'll pay even more with the new tax. No wonder people who used to be active in neighborhood issues have stepped back and chose not to be seen or heard. I think this borders on discrimination and I will continue to ask questions.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Nextdoor
This is a private online free service to engage residents in their own neighborhood boundaries to communicate with each other. I have met newer residents and find them interesting. Residents who are not obligated to the PTB. Residents who will ask the same questions I have previously asked and received no answers. These new residents will get answers and I am going to be pleased to watch their progress. This service has 51 members at the time and hope the service will grow, we have 3000+ residents in our neighborhood, even an active 1000 on this service could have a big impact on the community as a whole. If people will engage in conversation and find solutions to issues, we can take back our neighborhoods dignity. We were a working class neighborhood with high dollar residents and property owners on the Western edge. Our Alderman lived on the 4500 block of Gibson and I think the correct name is Eagleton, Senator Engleton, I may have the name wrong, but it was a fact we had a retired Senator on the Southside of 4500 Chouteau at Kingshighway. He was a very good neighbor for the Neighborhood, as was our Alderman, back then. Today's Residents coming into the area, are well educated, financially secure and independent thinkers. I am looking forward to their actions. I have even heard the word 'protest'. Maybe we will get a new Alderperson after all!
More residents are beginning to ask 'where is the money?' Why have the sames issues been the same issues for more than 10 years?
Why have vacant properties been allowed to sit abandoned for many years?
Why have Speculators been allowed to let property deteriorate into a tear down condition?
Why have the PTB been given such a veil of secrecy that construction is underway before the connecting property owners are even aware of what the new construction will be. Even if neighbors disagree, it's too late, everything is already in place and construction has begun.
In this neighborhood only those that need to know have knowledge about future changes. Even when the information is beginning to trickle down, the one who knows more than you, still can't share details, only that something is coming. SECRET to everyone but the PTB. It's been this way for years. The PTB have their loyal supportors who are on various committee's to vote their way while representing the interests of the Neighborhood. They don't represent my interests!! I oppose theirs!
These new residents will have new eyes and ears to hold the PTB accountable for their deliberate destruction and devaluing of a prime neighborhood when they implemented their 50 year revitalization plan. (for the CWE)
More residents are beginning to ask 'where is the money?' Why have the sames issues been the same issues for more than 10 years?
Why have vacant properties been allowed to sit abandoned for many years?
Why have Speculators been allowed to let property deteriorate into a tear down condition?
Why have the PTB been given such a veil of secrecy that construction is underway before the connecting property owners are even aware of what the new construction will be. Even if neighbors disagree, it's too late, everything is already in place and construction has begun.
In this neighborhood only those that need to know have knowledge about future changes. Even when the information is beginning to trickle down, the one who knows more than you, still can't share details, only that something is coming. SECRET to everyone but the PTB. It's been this way for years. The PTB have their loyal supportors who are on various committee's to vote their way while representing the interests of the Neighborhood. They don't represent my interests!! I oppose theirs!
These new residents will have new eyes and ears to hold the PTB accountable for their deliberate destruction and devaluing of a prime neighborhood when they implemented their 50 year revitalization plan. (for the CWE)
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Wash U website
I was over there yesterday. Someone had sent me a sketch of what is to come on Chouteau they had found on their site.
This article was about the future Chouteau Park.
Here is history about how this park came to be.
It came to my attention that BJC/Wash U were going to set things in motion for their future. The Rose Garden across from the hospitals had become an underground parking garage to meet the needs of their customers and visitors back in the 60's or 70's, That was a part of Forest Park that had been severed from the rest of the land by the highway department. When the garage was finished, they had it recovered to resemble a park and installed racquet ball and tennis courts, along with playground equipment and named it Hudlin Park after a famous St. Louisan. They did a nice job of letting that piece of Forest Park remain a park. Time moves forward and the future has arrived. Hudlin Park needs to be redeveloped. The hospital complex has outgrown their existing space and are having talks about expanding there business to a new building complex on the parking garage space.
Their existing space now is from Forest Park South to Barnes Plaza, East to what used to be Kingshighway, then South to the fence in both directions and East to Taylor, North to Forest Park and West to Kingshighway. BJC/Wash U has been like a vacuum in their pursuit of power and space. They have an investment in more land in their neighborhood than the City does. They own this neighborhood and they have for a long time.
They wanted to get clearance to rezone Hudlin Park. I protested, other people protested, we drew a crowd, we were seen on a news broadcast, select people from the CWE were asked to meet with the decision makers and come to a conclusion. None of the protesters from FPSE who instigated the protest were included in the negotiations.
Our reward ( FPSE ) for protesting the loss of public land was the piece of dirt you know as Chouteau Park. That was 7 or 8 years ago at least.
It was not always a piece of dirt. It was divided by a street running east and west and 6 or 8 single family homes faced south on the street and were occupied. There was a scaffolding business on the corner and had been there forever. It was a business which provided 5 or 6 jobs. Cowboy was the owner. He wore a white cowboy hat. The front of his business served as a voting precinct back in the 90's. Further east on Chouteau from Newstead were more homes.
This block of land was being scrutinized for the future. Wash U made several offers and was told no it was not for sale. The existing use of the property did not fit in with the future plan and it needed to change. The little houses were wood, had not had the care they needed to look good and the scaffolding business had a back yard to store a lot of stuff in. This was an eyesore for the new apartments that were in the planning stages as well. Everything was coming right along. Even better than expected.
Wash U had been coveting this property for a long time and now because of the loss of Hudlin Park this would be the replacement green space. Now an offer was made with eminent domain attached. The sale was made and Chouteau Park was born. I don't know what they plan to replace but I hope it includes tennis and racquetball courts, restrooms. pic nic areas and playground areas. That is what we lose when Hudlin Park disappears in the future. I think they should replace what they are destroying. They can do that. They can find out from the people who use Hudlin Park what services they want the Chouteau Park to offer , ask the people in the neighborhood what they would go there to enjoy if it were installed there.
Like I said this was a hostile purchase. The owner was forced to sell out, get out and retire. At the time it was a disgrace the tactics used by the PTB to get what they want. It still is. They have all the power and they keep everything in check and put all the players on committees and leave out the rest of us so there won't be interference from meddling and bossy land owners. It works very well. People on these committees are given the freedom to represent my interests without me even being aware there is an interest in something that would concern me. There is no transparency in my neighborhood and I have reached a place where the risks outweigh common sense. The future is at stake. I hope they do a fantastic job with Chouteau park, I hope I can go there and play racquetball, sit at a table swing in a swing. I hope the grass is soft and there is a lot of shade. At one time there were some beautiful old trees on that block which would have been as asset to any piece of dirt. A pavilion with a snack bar would be fantastic. Some really nice fountains, places to sit and meditate. Who knows what they will give you, but you really need to be asking for the things you think would be beneficial for the future. You will have it for 20+ years, enjoy it, one day in the future it will be housing,
That is the History of Chouteau Park for those of you who like to know the past.
This article was about the future Chouteau Park.
Here is history about how this park came to be.
It came to my attention that BJC/Wash U were going to set things in motion for their future. The Rose Garden across from the hospitals had become an underground parking garage to meet the needs of their customers and visitors back in the 60's or 70's, That was a part of Forest Park that had been severed from the rest of the land by the highway department. When the garage was finished, they had it recovered to resemble a park and installed racquet ball and tennis courts, along with playground equipment and named it Hudlin Park after a famous St. Louisan. They did a nice job of letting that piece of Forest Park remain a park. Time moves forward and the future has arrived. Hudlin Park needs to be redeveloped. The hospital complex has outgrown their existing space and are having talks about expanding there business to a new building complex on the parking garage space.
Their existing space now is from Forest Park South to Barnes Plaza, East to what used to be Kingshighway, then South to the fence in both directions and East to Taylor, North to Forest Park and West to Kingshighway. BJC/Wash U has been like a vacuum in their pursuit of power and space. They have an investment in more land in their neighborhood than the City does. They own this neighborhood and they have for a long time.
They wanted to get clearance to rezone Hudlin Park. I protested, other people protested, we drew a crowd, we were seen on a news broadcast, select people from the CWE were asked to meet with the decision makers and come to a conclusion. None of the protesters from FPSE who instigated the protest were included in the negotiations.
Our reward ( FPSE ) for protesting the loss of public land was the piece of dirt you know as Chouteau Park. That was 7 or 8 years ago at least.
It was not always a piece of dirt. It was divided by a street running east and west and 6 or 8 single family homes faced south on the street and were occupied. There was a scaffolding business on the corner and had been there forever. It was a business which provided 5 or 6 jobs. Cowboy was the owner. He wore a white cowboy hat. The front of his business served as a voting precinct back in the 90's. Further east on Chouteau from Newstead were more homes.
This block of land was being scrutinized for the future. Wash U made several offers and was told no it was not for sale. The existing use of the property did not fit in with the future plan and it needed to change. The little houses were wood, had not had the care they needed to look good and the scaffolding business had a back yard to store a lot of stuff in. This was an eyesore for the new apartments that were in the planning stages as well. Everything was coming right along. Even better than expected.
Wash U had been coveting this property for a long time and now because of the loss of Hudlin Park this would be the replacement green space. Now an offer was made with eminent domain attached. The sale was made and Chouteau Park was born. I don't know what they plan to replace but I hope it includes tennis and racquetball courts, restrooms. pic nic areas and playground areas. That is what we lose when Hudlin Park disappears in the future. I think they should replace what they are destroying. They can do that. They can find out from the people who use Hudlin Park what services they want the Chouteau Park to offer , ask the people in the neighborhood what they would go there to enjoy if it were installed there.
Like I said this was a hostile purchase. The owner was forced to sell out, get out and retire. At the time it was a disgrace the tactics used by the PTB to get what they want. It still is. They have all the power and they keep everything in check and put all the players on committees and leave out the rest of us so there won't be interference from meddling and bossy land owners. It works very well. People on these committees are given the freedom to represent my interests without me even being aware there is an interest in something that would concern me. There is no transparency in my neighborhood and I have reached a place where the risks outweigh common sense. The future is at stake. I hope they do a fantastic job with Chouteau park, I hope I can go there and play racquetball, sit at a table swing in a swing. I hope the grass is soft and there is a lot of shade. At one time there were some beautiful old trees on that block which would have been as asset to any piece of dirt. A pavilion with a snack bar would be fantastic. Some really nice fountains, places to sit and meditate. Who knows what they will give you, but you really need to be asking for the things you think would be beneficial for the future. You will have it for 20+ years, enjoy it, one day in the future it will be housing,
That is the History of Chouteau Park for those of you who like to know the past.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
SPOOKY
Has anyone noticed all the boarded up property on 4400 Vista?
I used to know so many people on that street. Did anyone know Ron and Barb Sherrill? He was the17th Wards Republican Committee Man, we went to school together at O'Fallon. I lived around the corner. Last time I talked with him, several years ago, he had lost his sight and they had moved out of the neighborhood. I hope they are well.
So much has changed on the street. So many people have vanished. So much property standing to waste down enough to be torn down. What is the plan? Has the future arrived? Who knows the secrets? What is not being talked about loud enough for me or you to hear. Somebody in Wash U Land knows what is on the horizon, but it's only on a need to know basis.
Who owns all those boarded up properties? Why are they not undergoing renovation instead of abandoned and left to the elements. There is a 'plan' afoot. Does anyone care to share? I suppose this is where others might want to share a guess and see how many people guess right.
4400 Vista was a full and busy street with a little candy store/stuff in the middle of the block, it's still over there if you would like to take a historical tour, yellow I think. At the store front on the southwest corner was a grocer.
Now a lot of homes have gone missing, (wasted down and torn down) there are many, many board ups, some homes still occupied. They too will be boarded up one day. Just a matter of time.
Something is coming. Does anyone know? It's in the preparation phase of the development. Some of us have been watching for more than 20 years, the demise of this street, but for what??
I'll venture to guess, individual town homes connected by a common wall. Condos. Row Houses.
It would be an improvement to what is there and has been there for 20+years. I don't understand why it takes so long to improve the Residential District. WUMCDC knows to the season and year when something will be started and completed. They can twitch and get anything they want. Why has property on Vista been boarded up?? This is evidence of something to come and this dirt needs to be readied for a tear out just like McCree Town. They are moving ahead with their 'Revitalization Plan' and we the neighbors are kept in the dark.,
If the street is not being readied for improvement then why are the homes there just sitting and not being offered to the public for revitalization. It is a waste of property, architecture, a home and potential revenue. They are small and very versatile could be great additions. NO TAX ABATEMENT, you own property and pay taxes just like others do. Tax Abatement needs to come to an end.
I asked at a Gibson Heights Neighborhood Association meeting, one night, when the Alderman was there and Dan Krasnoff from Park Central answered my question. The question was when does tax abatement come to an end?. The answer: as long as there is one blighted property in the neighborhood, then you qualify for tax abatement. It's free for 10 years for all who qualify. That's just so wrong.
Does anyone know whether any of these little houses is available for purchase?? Who owns the red board ups? Why are they boarded up? The value of the neighborhood and nearby properties would increase with residents and restorations.
I used to know so many people on that street. Did anyone know Ron and Barb Sherrill? He was the17th Wards Republican Committee Man, we went to school together at O'Fallon. I lived around the corner. Last time I talked with him, several years ago, he had lost his sight and they had moved out of the neighborhood. I hope they are well.
So much has changed on the street. So many people have vanished. So much property standing to waste down enough to be torn down. What is the plan? Has the future arrived? Who knows the secrets? What is not being talked about loud enough for me or you to hear. Somebody in Wash U Land knows what is on the horizon, but it's only on a need to know basis.
Who owns all those boarded up properties? Why are they not undergoing renovation instead of abandoned and left to the elements. There is a 'plan' afoot. Does anyone care to share? I suppose this is where others might want to share a guess and see how many people guess right.
4400 Vista was a full and busy street with a little candy store/stuff in the middle of the block, it's still over there if you would like to take a historical tour, yellow I think. At the store front on the southwest corner was a grocer.
Now a lot of homes have gone missing, (wasted down and torn down) there are many, many board ups, some homes still occupied. They too will be boarded up one day. Just a matter of time.
Something is coming. Does anyone know? It's in the preparation phase of the development. Some of us have been watching for more than 20 years, the demise of this street, but for what??
I'll venture to guess, individual town homes connected by a common wall. Condos. Row Houses.
It would be an improvement to what is there and has been there for 20+years. I don't understand why it takes so long to improve the Residential District. WUMCDC knows to the season and year when something will be started and completed. They can twitch and get anything they want. Why has property on Vista been boarded up?? This is evidence of something to come and this dirt needs to be readied for a tear out just like McCree Town. They are moving ahead with their 'Revitalization Plan' and we the neighbors are kept in the dark.,
If the street is not being readied for improvement then why are the homes there just sitting and not being offered to the public for revitalization. It is a waste of property, architecture, a home and potential revenue. They are small and very versatile could be great additions. NO TAX ABATEMENT, you own property and pay taxes just like others do. Tax Abatement needs to come to an end.
I asked at a Gibson Heights Neighborhood Association meeting, one night, when the Alderman was there and Dan Krasnoff from Park Central answered my question. The question was when does tax abatement come to an end?. The answer: as long as there is one blighted property in the neighborhood, then you qualify for tax abatement. It's free for 10 years for all who qualify. That's just so wrong.
Does anyone know whether any of these little houses is available for purchase?? Who owns the red board ups? Why are they boarded up? The value of the neighborhood and nearby properties would increase with residents and restorations.
Oakland Row House
IMPROVEMENT WITH A LOCAL FLAIR
How many people know the Oakland Row House? 4400 Oakland. If anyone has any pictures of anything I write about, please feel free to submit your pictures and words. I don't have any befores. There are those that do and there may be some on the Internet, I do not have enough computer savvy to take a picture from somewhere and post it here or an article I might find. This site permits multiple authors, if you want to contribute your knowledge it would be appreciated. This will be a book about the Neighborhood and needs a variety of input from a variety of sources.
A story I might tell might be off a bit, but not far. I am 66 years old and I am having memory losses. Poor diet, poor exercise, smoker and carbonated beverages have been the leading edge for this malady. I welcome the input of others who want to correct my mistakes, most likely we can come to an agreement and the story goes on. I relish discussion's, I just become too demonstrative with my passion for the subject. I have to learn not to be pushy. I got that from my Dad. I can guarantee there will be no one to challenge that comment. My dad would be 103 this year, he did not smoke, but he drank, died at 68. Mother at 54, she drank and smoked. All their friends are gone as well, so no one can back me up and say my Dad was pushy and I apologize, but so am I. Bring it to my attention and I will work on it with the time I have left.
I'm just sayin', please jump in, this will be fun. Granted, I am not going to sugar coat anything I might write about. I will not always say good things about the PTB, but that is my right. You can. There are two sides to every interaction, and if no one agrees with my side then so be it, that does not make it wrong, it just means they have more to lose if they agree with me publicly. That's all. I have had people tell me that. People do what people do
Now we've got the introduction out of the way, we shall move along.
20 families lived in the row house on the north side of Oakland and 12 on the south side. The buildings were full. One bedroom apartments, up and down, with a common back yard for parking and playing. The one on the south side shared parking space and such with the Hitchin' Post Tavern on the corner at Manchester. Remember, women and children were safe back then. Kids were welcome in the bars.
The Row House had a variety of people, all white. Small families, couples starting out, single people making a home for themselves. The owners maintained the property. It rarely had a vacancy, until.
I don't know if there was a new owner for the property or the old owner changed his mind about keeping the property up. But about 1969 thru 72 the residents were beginning to move because of maintenance issues. They didn't like living there anymore. Some tenants had been there for many years. When a vacancy occurred, it stayed vacant for awhile, as though it were reserved. Then one day, it seemed, people on the street woke up to find new tenants in the building. They had been relocated from the projects the city was tearing down. It was not very long until the left over tenants were moving out. The new tenants brought an abundance of kids and noise. No occupancy permits back then. Before long there were conflicts with the neighbors about trash, disrespect, trespassing and vandalism. People on the street began to move as well. The neighborhood was undergoing it's first hostile takeover, you could see such a change from the peaceful friendly community it had always been. The new people who were being relocated didn't like being displaced into an area where the were not welcome. It created a lot of conflicts, which was part of the plan.
Overtime the Row House was a sad sight to see. The building on the south side of the street was torn down in the early 70's. It had become a real eyesore. The 'new development plan' by Wash U had been successful in eliminating a multifamily unit on a corner. It was gone, just like that and a dirt spot took it's place. (Still there with grass) The one on the north side was allowed to continue to deteriorate and it did. When tenants moved out they did not rent out the units any more, the apartments remained vacant and became a target for rocks. Eventually, the whole building was abandoned. It sat over there and just rotted for years. All the glass had been broken, doors removed and the building was open to the elements. It was dead. It had been killed for the future. I am thinking it was about 1986 or thereabouts, it was put on 'The Wash U Plan's List' for developing. Residents were beginning to take issue with the danger it presented. The building was open and the floors had rotted. I was in it one day rescuing a cat and I fell through the floor. That may have prompted it's renovation. I was alone going after that cat and did not like getting stuck in a floor for hours and I could not pull my leg up out of the hole I had crashed through. When I was found by a passerby who helped pull me up, I began my campaign to get something done about this hazard.
The crime in the neighborhood was at it's worse. People had moved away, abandoned buildings and boarded up storefronts were all we had left, it was not a pretty site to the people who lived here but Wash U was wallowing in their success. They had blighted this neighborhood with the blessings of the City and help from the Alderman to orchestrate it's demise and recovery.
Enter Michael Curran, a contractor. He was allowed to restore the Row House. The property had served it's purpose it had brought down the monetary value of the street and the neighborhood. Now it was time for the next phase, encouraging people to move here that had some connection to Wash U, usually. There were others, some had connections to the Alderman or his family. A subtle take over by people who would be supporting the PTB.
Michael Curran was a really nice contractor, he extended his services to the people on the street if they needed help. He was friendly and sincere.
He gutted the building. Put on a new roof and begun the process of a makeover. This would now be a 10 unit row of modern 2 bedroom townhouses with 2 floors to each door. His crew took the old door for the upstairs apartments and made them into full length windows for the new condo. He built garages and erected fences, extended the lower level and added a 'patio' and a deck on the second level. Two bedrooms, 2 baths, living room, dining area, kitchen, sun room/family room and a laundry closet. They were nice. Better than what was anyway. There was a change though, they became a 9 unit building instead of 10. CK bought two and had them converted into one.
When you look at the building, where there used to be a transom over a door you will see stained glass. Karl Chauff, who used to live on Arco, behind the Row House made a deal with Mike Curran to give the building some character and beauty by making and replacing each stained glass transom by hand in his basement. He was very detailed oriented and did a beautiful job. St. Louis has a lot of stained glass History and Karl gave Oakland some of that History for the future in an old crumbling yellow brick building that had been abandoned, burned, boarded up and left for dead by installing these beautiful works of art in the NEW Row House.
Karl is still in the neighborhood over on Chouteau, he may be retired by now from SLU. He was very talented and patient, if you run into him be sure and let him know he did a fine job.
The Row House is occupied and has been since it was rediscovered. A few owners are original, some rent from an absentee landlord to lives in Chicago or somewhere else, one is a hand me down to a family member and CK stills owns his two. It's been a nice addition to the street. I wonder if 'the Planners' had not blighted our community for the future, how that building and the whole neighborhood would be today. Our bordering communities were fortunate not to be in the cross hairs of Wash U Development Corp.
Tidbit: The movie White Palace was filmed in the double townhouse. You want to see inside, rent the movie.
How many people know the Oakland Row House? 4400 Oakland. If anyone has any pictures of anything I write about, please feel free to submit your pictures and words. I don't have any befores. There are those that do and there may be some on the Internet, I do not have enough computer savvy to take a picture from somewhere and post it here or an article I might find. This site permits multiple authors, if you want to contribute your knowledge it would be appreciated. This will be a book about the Neighborhood and needs a variety of input from a variety of sources.
A story I might tell might be off a bit, but not far. I am 66 years old and I am having memory losses. Poor diet, poor exercise, smoker and carbonated beverages have been the leading edge for this malady. I welcome the input of others who want to correct my mistakes, most likely we can come to an agreement and the story goes on. I relish discussion's, I just become too demonstrative with my passion for the subject. I have to learn not to be pushy. I got that from my Dad. I can guarantee there will be no one to challenge that comment. My dad would be 103 this year, he did not smoke, but he drank, died at 68. Mother at 54, she drank and smoked. All their friends are gone as well, so no one can back me up and say my Dad was pushy and I apologize, but so am I. Bring it to my attention and I will work on it with the time I have left.
I'm just sayin', please jump in, this will be fun. Granted, I am not going to sugar coat anything I might write about. I will not always say good things about the PTB, but that is my right. You can. There are two sides to every interaction, and if no one agrees with my side then so be it, that does not make it wrong, it just means they have more to lose if they agree with me publicly. That's all. I have had people tell me that. People do what people do
Now we've got the introduction out of the way, we shall move along.
20 families lived in the row house on the north side of Oakland and 12 on the south side. The buildings were full. One bedroom apartments, up and down, with a common back yard for parking and playing. The one on the south side shared parking space and such with the Hitchin' Post Tavern on the corner at Manchester. Remember, women and children were safe back then. Kids were welcome in the bars.
The Row House had a variety of people, all white. Small families, couples starting out, single people making a home for themselves. The owners maintained the property. It rarely had a vacancy, until.
I don't know if there was a new owner for the property or the old owner changed his mind about keeping the property up. But about 1969 thru 72 the residents were beginning to move because of maintenance issues. They didn't like living there anymore. Some tenants had been there for many years. When a vacancy occurred, it stayed vacant for awhile, as though it were reserved. Then one day, it seemed, people on the street woke up to find new tenants in the building. They had been relocated from the projects the city was tearing down. It was not very long until the left over tenants were moving out. The new tenants brought an abundance of kids and noise. No occupancy permits back then. Before long there were conflicts with the neighbors about trash, disrespect, trespassing and vandalism. People on the street began to move as well. The neighborhood was undergoing it's first hostile takeover, you could see such a change from the peaceful friendly community it had always been. The new people who were being relocated didn't like being displaced into an area where the were not welcome. It created a lot of conflicts, which was part of the plan.
Overtime the Row House was a sad sight to see. The building on the south side of the street was torn down in the early 70's. It had become a real eyesore. The 'new development plan' by Wash U had been successful in eliminating a multifamily unit on a corner. It was gone, just like that and a dirt spot took it's place. (Still there with grass) The one on the north side was allowed to continue to deteriorate and it did. When tenants moved out they did not rent out the units any more, the apartments remained vacant and became a target for rocks. Eventually, the whole building was abandoned. It sat over there and just rotted for years. All the glass had been broken, doors removed and the building was open to the elements. It was dead. It had been killed for the future. I am thinking it was about 1986 or thereabouts, it was put on 'The Wash U Plan's List' for developing. Residents were beginning to take issue with the danger it presented. The building was open and the floors had rotted. I was in it one day rescuing a cat and I fell through the floor. That may have prompted it's renovation. I was alone going after that cat and did not like getting stuck in a floor for hours and I could not pull my leg up out of the hole I had crashed through. When I was found by a passerby who helped pull me up, I began my campaign to get something done about this hazard.
The crime in the neighborhood was at it's worse. People had moved away, abandoned buildings and boarded up storefronts were all we had left, it was not a pretty site to the people who lived here but Wash U was wallowing in their success. They had blighted this neighborhood with the blessings of the City and help from the Alderman to orchestrate it's demise and recovery.
Enter Michael Curran, a contractor. He was allowed to restore the Row House. The property had served it's purpose it had brought down the monetary value of the street and the neighborhood. Now it was time for the next phase, encouraging people to move here that had some connection to Wash U, usually. There were others, some had connections to the Alderman or his family. A subtle take over by people who would be supporting the PTB.
Michael Curran was a really nice contractor, he extended his services to the people on the street if they needed help. He was friendly and sincere.
He gutted the building. Put on a new roof and begun the process of a makeover. This would now be a 10 unit row of modern 2 bedroom townhouses with 2 floors to each door. His crew took the old door for the upstairs apartments and made them into full length windows for the new condo. He built garages and erected fences, extended the lower level and added a 'patio' and a deck on the second level. Two bedrooms, 2 baths, living room, dining area, kitchen, sun room/family room and a laundry closet. They were nice. Better than what was anyway. There was a change though, they became a 9 unit building instead of 10. CK bought two and had them converted into one.
When you look at the building, where there used to be a transom over a door you will see stained glass. Karl Chauff, who used to live on Arco, behind the Row House made a deal with Mike Curran to give the building some character and beauty by making and replacing each stained glass transom by hand in his basement. He was very detailed oriented and did a beautiful job. St. Louis has a lot of stained glass History and Karl gave Oakland some of that History for the future in an old crumbling yellow brick building that had been abandoned, burned, boarded up and left for dead by installing these beautiful works of art in the NEW Row House.
Karl is still in the neighborhood over on Chouteau, he may be retired by now from SLU. He was very talented and patient, if you run into him be sure and let him know he did a fine job.
The Row House is occupied and has been since it was rediscovered. A few owners are original, some rent from an absentee landlord to lives in Chicago or somewhere else, one is a hand me down to a family member and CK stills owns his two. It's been a nice addition to the street. I wonder if 'the Planners' had not blighted our community for the future, how that building and the whole neighborhood would be today. Our bordering communities were fortunate not to be in the cross hairs of Wash U Development Corp.
Tidbit: The movie White Palace was filmed in the double townhouse. You want to see inside, rent the movie.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
COFFEE
Back in the 60's this was a coffee smelling neighborhood. The Cofee Companies liked to locate here and some are still here, The big one back in the day was on Hunt at Newstead. The Chock Ful O Nuts coffee company and they always had the neighborhood smelling good. There were others but that was the big one. Lots of employees. That was another good thing about the neighborhood, it had lots of jobs to offer. Everybody worked.
I would welcome a coffee shop without alcohol, like a Star Bucks. I don't think this neighborhood would support a Star Bucks because they are a bit pricey, There are others. I have visited a few and have invited them to come into the neighborhood.
Laundromats
I mentioned the neighborhood used to have 4 laundrys on the street. One was down by the Post Office, one was in one of the storefronts attached to what used to be the 9 0 5 Liquor Store. Bertram Drugstore was across the street. Then the big one where O'Shay's is now. That was a very good laundromat. I pushed my daughter in a stroller, from 1307 S. Newstead (home) up the street to go do our laundry. We didn't have a washer and dryer. The laundromat was always busy, this was in 1966. You had to wait for a machine. People would meet in the laundromat and chat and be neighborly. I was in there when my water ruptured with my second child. I couldn't understand why when I would pick up the basket or the child, I would wet myself. I asked one of the ladies. She was a nurse at Barnes. She told me I was about to go into labor and I needed to go to the hospital. OK, but I had to finish the laundry and get it home first. Then I had to go over to my Mom's house on Oakland and get a ride to the hospital, Jewish Hospital. Sometime after I moved away with my US Navy husband in 1968 that laundry died and was boarded up. Then when I came back to stay and pay attention in 1984, I noticed the Diner had been transformed into a laundromat. It was not as nice as the one had been across the street, it wasn't supposed to be, it was just there. It was supposed to become an eyesore to the people who did not use it, to request it be shut down and closed up. Then I got involved with a divorce and recovery so I left home for awhile, that was 1994. I moved to Poplar Bluff. I came back in 2002 It was still there then, but was a sorry sight to see and use. Then I left in 2007 and returned in 2010, it was gone when I got back and Mission St. Louis has claimed it for the time being. So far, there has not been a replacement to take the place of those lost in the decline and improvement of the neighborhood. There were always services here for the public but serviced more residents in the neighborhood than not. We had a great neighborhood at one time, but then came the decline. It came by invitation.
I mentioned the neighborhood used to have 4 laundrys on the street. One was down by the Post Office, one was in one of the storefronts attached to what used to be the 9 0 5 Liquor Store. Bertram Drugstore was across the street. Then the big one where O'Shay's is now. That was a very good laundromat. I pushed my daughter in a stroller, from 1307 S. Newstead (home) up the street to go do our laundry. We didn't have a washer and dryer. The laundromat was always busy, this was in 1966. You had to wait for a machine. People would meet in the laundromat and chat and be neighborly. I was in there when my water ruptured with my second child. I couldn't understand why when I would pick up the basket or the child, I would wet myself. I asked one of the ladies. She was a nurse at Barnes. She told me I was about to go into labor and I needed to go to the hospital. OK, but I had to finish the laundry and get it home first. Then I had to go over to my Mom's house on Oakland and get a ride to the hospital, Jewish Hospital. Sometime after I moved away with my US Navy husband in 1968 that laundry died and was boarded up. Then when I came back to stay and pay attention in 1984, I noticed the Diner had been transformed into a laundromat. It was not as nice as the one had been across the street, it wasn't supposed to be, it was just there. It was supposed to become an eyesore to the people who did not use it, to request it be shut down and closed up. Then I got involved with a divorce and recovery so I left home for awhile, that was 1994. I moved to Poplar Bluff. I came back in 2002 It was still there then, but was a sorry sight to see and use. Then I left in 2007 and returned in 2010, it was gone when I got back and Mission St. Louis has claimed it for the time being. So far, there has not been a replacement to take the place of those lost in the decline and improvement of the neighborhood. There were always services here for the public but serviced more residents in the neighborhood than not. We had a great neighborhood at one time, but then came the decline. It came by invitation.
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