There's $412,430 demo permit application for 4960 Laclede. Anyone know what's going on?

There is a big surface parking lot next to this.  

Something significant could be built there if there is a will.

jfc. this is a substantial, attractive building. it should not be torn down for another f*cking 5-over-1. unless it's going to be a tower and all financing is in place, no f*cking way.

this would go before the CRO and Preservation Board, right?

Yeah, I just can't imagine that place being torn down. Great building. Isn't it currently occupied?  

It is likely an interior demo permit application. Recently, we've been submitting permit sets separately to get different parts of the project moving faster. (ie. demo first, interior renovations second). 

City’s website shows the 2023 property taxes are yet unpaid - that should be an automatic denial with no further review necessary.

Its ultimate owner appears to be an “Atlas Healthcare”. Based out of NJ.

Can we tell whether the permit is for the whole structure or just internal demo?

Washington University Medical Center is seeking demo. It's on the preliminary agenda of the Presentation Board.

Hi everyone, Alderman Browning here. I wanted to share some additional context for this demo permit. The request is for a complete demolition of the building. Washington University Medical Center is making the request. The last occupant and current owner of the building is the Royal Oaks Nursing home, and they vacated the building in February 2022. The last two years have taken a significant toll on the building as any attempts to secure it have failed.

In the past couple of years, multiple developers have taken a look at this building and determined it to be cost-prohibitive to renovate. While the exterior is beautiful, past extensive renovations have removed almost every historical feature on the interior of the building. Since its abandonment, trespassers have vandalized and stolen much of the electrical wiring, plumbing, and other parts of the building. Perhaps most perplexing, the interior of the building features a series of long, steep ramps that serve in place of the elevator, which only holds three people. The ramps are not an original feature of the building, feature no railings, and are far steeper than would be accepted under the standards put in place by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The effect is the division of the building into a series of sublevels that are not easily converted. To be clear, the original floor plan of this building is no longer existent. Ceiling heights, window placement, and more make the building very difficult to renovate. I have spoken with multiple developers who have stated that even with extensive incentives and historical credits, a renovation project would not be financially possible. 

Here are some photos I took of the interior on a tour back in August. I think we can have reasoned opinions on this, I just want to make sure everyone knows the context of the demolition request. 

It only takes money and WUSTL has a lot of it. They took Umrath Hall on the Danforth campus down to the stone when they rehabbed it.

Is there an immediate replacement planned?

Thanks for the additional details. What are WashU’s plans? Surface or structured parking should be unacceptable especially given this real estate is coming off the tax rolls….forever.

Who’s paying the back taxes?

There is not an immediate plan for replacement, but any replacement will have to adhere to the CWE Form-Based Code, which has a required building height minimum of six stories. For the time being, I have assurances from Washington University Medical Center that this will not be used for parking and will be maintained as green space until there are plans. Even the adjacent parking lot will be removed. 

Appreciate you coming on here to give some reasoning. I would deny any demo until they have firm plans in place for new construction.

Yeah they've let the former Schoenberg Nurse's Residence lot lie vacant for 10+ years. 

Thanks for the info, Michael. It sucks that the owner was allowed to neglect this place. It can't keep happening. The City needs to beef up and modernize its building division, and we need much stricter laws to deter this crap. And this is in our premier urban neighborhood! Now Wash U will likely land-bank it for 10–20 years. Do you happen to have a schematic of the current floor plan? From the outside, there appears to be no shortage of large windows. And maybe the ceiling heights aren't appropriate for high-end condos but not every apartment needs 14-foot ceilings. I doubt the ramps occupy that much space—not sure why it would be so difficult to replace them with stairwells. And an elevator with room for 3 seems sufficient to accommodate those with disabilities but, if not, it can't be prohibitive to construct a small external elevator shaft, can it? Is it realistic to raze every building that can't be cheaply retrofitted for ADA compliance? With the right incentives there's no reason this place can't be repurposed. Agree with others that, at the very least, no demo permit should be issued until financing is in place for a replacement. And in the meantime code violations need to be strictly enforced.

It would be hypocritical to approve the demolition of the Frisco Hospital with no immediate plan while denying AHM a demo permit with an actionable plan on a less historical building.

^^ according to the prelim agenda, the owner is Siro Prop Royal Oak LLC and the appellant is Washington University Medical School.

 i also don't understand why Wash U Med is appealing the demo denial if they aren't the owner. my guess is Wash U wants to buy it and bank the land so they're helping to get it razed. and since Wash U gets whatever Wash U wants, i'm sure it'll sail through.

This is a case where I'd hope the Preservation Board, and any other city board this comes before, denies the application for demolition without a replacement.

Additionally, I think that if the property is to be demolished, the site would be better suited for a mixed-use development rather than medical. While the Albion project is moving at a snails pace, it doesn't mean demand isn't there for additional housing overlooking Forest Park. The number of opportunities for such a development is low. Even though the entire site doesn't have a view of the park, it doesn't matter. I'm certain you could develop apartments, condos, and hotel rooms on this site and things would go well. Hire an architect, like SOM or KPF, to design something fitting for the site and it'll sell itself. Both firms were involved in project(s) close by, so they know the neighborhood (and they also nailed their designs pretty well for what they were once working on, blending the neighborhood's beautiful architecture with modern designs).

Demolition of a nice building without an iconic and proper replacement is lunacy. 

Actually is adjacent to WashU danforth architecture. Good looking building. I actually did not realize it was vacant

Another vacant parcel here really leaves a couple blocks of our premier neighborhood awfully empty - this would be a huge vacant lot, Kingshighway-Lindell, Lindell-Euclid. Plus quite a bit of surface parking around Montclair and along Pine.

STLAPTS wrote: ↑

Nov 11, 2024

It would be hypocritical to approve the demolition of the Frisco Hospital with no immediate plan while denying AHM a demo permit with an actionable plan on a less historical building.

Exactly!