Makes you want to retreat to the mastebatorium...oh, the possibilities.
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Thats for all those that have seen "Running with Scissors."
this is all great news. I still think its a joke that you have a business, the LARGEST business in your city and you have a situation where they want to expand, you would think the city would pull out ALL stops to make it possible. Nickeling and diming for little pet projects up north is a political joke if you ask me. The most important thing is expanding the largest business and creating more jobs. As it was stated BJC is the largest employer of African-Americans. That in itself shows what this comes down to, more jobs- better city. I'm all for Fairgrounds, O'Fallon Park, etc looking great, but to hold BJC hostage over paying for them is almost as impressive as the alderwoman who pissed in the trash can.
- 11K
For the record - BJC was forced to commit (in the lease) to opening a trauma unit somewhere in North St. Louis. The politics surrounding funding parks in North St. Louis was between the Aldermen and the Mayor.
Now we get to see if our beloved city politicos can put aside their own petty bullsh*t sqabbles long enough to create jobs.
Forest Park deal advances in City Hall
By Jake Wagman
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
02/23/2007
The city's Estimate Board gave its approval today to sending the Forest Park lease deal forward, although political differences that erupted today could potentially threaten the deal.
Even as the deal now heads to the Board of Aldermen for further approval, today's vote raises more questions than answers.
There was clear tension at this morning's Estimate Board meeting between Mayor Francis Slay and Comptroller Darlene Green, who have endured a cool relationship during their tenures at City Hall.
This week, Green announced that she is in favor of the deal, provided that parks throughout the city get an equal share of money made available by the plan.
But exactly how to do that has emerged as a key point of contention between the mayor and the comptroller.
Barnes-Jewish Hospital has agreed to pay $2 million a year on for a long-term lease of a slice of Forest Park next to its Central West End campus.
That would free up about $1.2 million for other parks in the city. Green supports language in the park lease that would require at least half of that money to go to parks “north of Delmar Boulevard.”
Slay, in a plan being supported by the Board of Aldermen's Black Caucus, wants to instead identify the African-American areas by ward. He proposed an addition to the lease that would guarantee money for 14 city wards -– the 12 represented by black aldermen, and two others with a substantial amount of African-American residents. Most, but not all, of those wards are north of Delmar.
Green called that plan “unacceptable” because ward boundaries can change every ten years after the Census report.
“I reject it firmly from the mayor. I reject the mayor even bringing it up today,” Green said. “This is outrageous.”
Slay eventually relented, backing off his version of the plan, because Green made it clear that she would not approve the lease deal otherwise.
The mayor also reluctantly supported an ordinance proposed by Green that mimics the language of an April 3 ballot question that would require a public vote to sell or lease parkland in the future. That section of the proposed ordinance would only go into effect if the ballot question failed.
Slay initially abstained from voting on the proposal, before voting for it with a warning that there were legal concerns that might make it unenforceable.
Even so, Green said that she would refuse to sign the lease -– something the comptroller must do for all city land transactions – if the ordinance was not later approved by the Board of Aldermen.
Slay, in remarks after the meeting, acknowledged that it might take a court case to compel Green if she refuses to sign the lease after it has been approved by aldermen.
“I hope that it will not come to that,” Slay said.
Forest Park deal advances in City Hall
By Jake Wagman
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
02/23/2007
The city's Estimate Board gave its approval today to sending the Forest Park lease deal forward, although political differences that erupted today could potentially threaten the deal.
Even as the deal now heads to the Board of Aldermen for further approval, today's vote raises more questions than answers.
There was clear tension at this morning's Estimate Board meeting between Mayor Francis Slay and Comptroller Darlene Green, who have endured a cool relationship during their tenures at City Hall.
This week, Green announced that she is in favor of the deal, provided that parks throughout the city get an equal share of money made available by the plan.
But exactly how to do that has emerged as a key point of contention between the mayor and the comptroller.
Barnes-Jewish Hospital has agreed to pay $2 million a year on for a long-term lease of a slice of Forest Park next to its Central West End campus.
That would free up about $1.2 million for other parks in the city. Green supports language in the park lease that would require at least half of that money to go to parks “north of Delmar Boulevard.”
Slay, in a plan being supported by the Board of Aldermen's Black Caucus, wants to instead identify the African-American areas by ward. He proposed an addition to the lease that would guarantee money for 14 city wards -– the 12 represented by black aldermen, and two others with a substantial amount of African-American residents. Most, but not all, of those wards are north of Delmar.
Green called that plan “unacceptable” because ward boundaries can change every ten years after the Census report.
“I reject it firmly from the mayor. I reject the mayor even bringing it up today,” Green said. “This is outrageous.”
Slay eventually relented, backing off his version of the plan, because Green made it clear that she would not approve the lease deal otherwise.
The mayor also reluctantly supported an ordinance proposed by Green that mimics the language of an April 3 ballot question that would require a public vote to sell or lease parkland in the future. That section of the proposed ordinance would only go into effect if the ballot question failed.
Slay initially abstained from voting on the proposal, before voting for it with a warning that there were legal concerns that might make it unenforceable.
Even so, Green said that she would refuse to sign the lease -– something the comptroller must do for all city land transactions – if the ordinance was not later approved by the Board of Aldermen.
Slay, in remarks after the meeting, acknowledged that it might take a court case to compel Green if she refuses to sign the lease after it has been approved by aldermen.
“I hope that it will not come to that,” Slay said.
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Anybody else seee a problem with not including SOUTH St. Louis ??????
Forrest Park is the greatest city park in the country and the last time i looked
any person ... ANY PERSON from North or SOUTH was welcome to enjoy this great ammenity... WHY is NORTH St. Louis even being brought up ?????????????
AND IF YOU INCLUDE North then in my estimation you must include the southern parks as well .. Mrs. Green is playing politics and fairness is getting tossed out the window.
Forrest Park is the greatest city park in the country and the last time i looked
any person ... ANY PERSON from North or SOUTH was welcome to enjoy this great ammenity... WHY is NORTH St. Louis even being brought up ?????????????AND IF YOU INCLUDE North then in my estimation you must include the southern parks as well .. Mrs. Green is playing politics and fairness is getting tossed out the window.
- 11K
The agreement would cover maintenance for Forest Park (with FPF). If 1/2 of the $1.6M the city would "save" goes to parks north of Delmar, the other half goes to parks . . . south of Delmar. I think that Ms. Green was simply afraid that the northside would be neglected again and than much more money would be spent around Fox, Benton, Tower Grove, Lafayette, Carondolet Parks, etc. There are probably multiple reasons that the northside parks aren't as nice, but they have been largely left out of our city parks revival of recent years.
- 378
if that's her goal then rather than bring up North vs South I suspect a better solution would have been an agreement that stated the money moving away from FP would be allocated based on park size and NOT location ..
- 2,005
Mark Wegmann wrote:Anybody else seee a problem with not including SOUTH St. Louis ??????
Forrest Park is the greatest city park in the country and the last time i looked
AND IF YOU INCLUDE North then in my estimation you must include the southern parks as well .. Mrs. Green is playing politics and fairness is getting tossed out the window.
I lived on the northside for 3 1/2 years and I can assure you that this proposal is more than fair. South City seems to always have the smoother roads and stoplights that are timed properly. Also, much of the cities infrastructure including parks is much older than south city as the northside was settled much earlier.
Also, much of the cities infrastructure including parks is much older than south city as the northside was settled much earlier.
Huh? Soulard (1790 land grant)? Carondelet (1767)? Benton Park (1865, and a cemetery before that)?
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^I don't have the map in front of me(there is one at the OPO library branch). North city was platted and built out long before south city(i.e St. Louis Hills).
- 1,282
A map from 1930
http://genealogyinstlouis.accessgenealogy.com/1930.htm
edit: not very helpful since most of the city was built out, 1859
http://exhibits.slpl.org/maps/data/dm54370593.asp
1879
http://exhibits.slpl.org/maps/data/DM51429665.asp
1914
http://exhibits.slpl.org/maps/data/dm48340767.asp
1918
http://exhibits.slpl.org/maps/data/DM56087074.asp
http://genealogyinstlouis.accessgenealogy.com/1930.htm
edit: not very helpful since most of the city was built out, 1859
http://exhibits.slpl.org/maps/data/dm54370593.asp
1879
http://exhibits.slpl.org/maps/data/DM51429665.asp
1914
http://exhibits.slpl.org/maps/data/dm48340767.asp
1918
http://exhibits.slpl.org/maps/data/DM56087074.asp
Proposing a commitment to northside parks was just a move to secure support from northside politicians and community leaders. It's blatent politicing, but from what we know I don't have a problem with it in this instance. As someone else pointed out the north side has faltered for many reasons--not all of them institutional. But it's in St. Louis's best interest for all of its neighborhoods to be sustainable. If this can help towards that goal, then that's good.
whatever it takes to get it done.. even if it's a total joke.. I hope they build a 40 story hospital building on this site.
- 476
From the PD today. Pretty funny how one day everyone can be so up in arms and the next it all seems alright.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/s ... enDocument
"After months of a see-saw political battle, the Forest Park lease proposal with Barnes-Jewish Hospital appears all but a done deal.
Aldermen this morning backed a revised version of the plan, but not before a biting round of debate that underscored some of the board's racial divisions.
At issue was language in the plan that requires at least half of $1.2 million made available by the deal go to parks “north of Delmar Boulevard.”
Alderman Stephen Conway called it an attempt to “extort” Barnes-Jewish Hospital, which has agreed to pay $2 million a year for 9.4 acres of parkland next to their Central West End Campus.
“We cannot continue to torture, extol, make these people pawns in some political debate that they have nothing to do with,” said Conway, who represents the Eighth Ward, near Tower Grove Park.
Alderman Charles Q. Troupe said he was “offended” by the remark.
“The only people in this city that have been extorted historically are the black taxpayers, who don't get a thing for it,” Troupe said.
Conway also took a swipe at Comptroller Darlene Green, who originally refused to support the lease deal. Later, Green endorsed the plan, backing an amendment to the lease that included the provision ensuring money for parks north of Delmar.
“In order to save her political reputation, she came on board and made a few changes that even the Black Caucus found offensive,” Conway said.
Green, in a brief defense on the board floor, said that the idea to guarantee money for northside parks originated in talks between the caucus and the mayor's office.
Even so, the caucus now supports dividing park money by ward -– a change that might be made next session. Caucus chair Terry Kennedy, who has been working behind the scenes for a compromise on the lease, urged his colleagues to quash the infighting.
“There is an African proverb that says, 'When the elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers,'” Kennedy said. “My father would say when the politicians fight, it is the people that suffer.”
Besides the mayor's signatures, all that's left for final approval of the lease deal is an additional vote Friday -– a formality considering the wide-margin of approval today.
Aldermen this morning took a voice vote, a procedure used when support of an issue is not in doubt."
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/s ... enDocument
"After months of a see-saw political battle, the Forest Park lease proposal with Barnes-Jewish Hospital appears all but a done deal.
Aldermen this morning backed a revised version of the plan, but not before a biting round of debate that underscored some of the board's racial divisions.
At issue was language in the plan that requires at least half of $1.2 million made available by the deal go to parks “north of Delmar Boulevard.”
Alderman Stephen Conway called it an attempt to “extort” Barnes-Jewish Hospital, which has agreed to pay $2 million a year for 9.4 acres of parkland next to their Central West End Campus.
“We cannot continue to torture, extol, make these people pawns in some political debate that they have nothing to do with,” said Conway, who represents the Eighth Ward, near Tower Grove Park.
Alderman Charles Q. Troupe said he was “offended” by the remark.
“The only people in this city that have been extorted historically are the black taxpayers, who don't get a thing for it,” Troupe said.
Conway also took a swipe at Comptroller Darlene Green, who originally refused to support the lease deal. Later, Green endorsed the plan, backing an amendment to the lease that included the provision ensuring money for parks north of Delmar.
“In order to save her political reputation, she came on board and made a few changes that even the Black Caucus found offensive,” Conway said.
Green, in a brief defense on the board floor, said that the idea to guarantee money for northside parks originated in talks between the caucus and the mayor's office.
Even so, the caucus now supports dividing park money by ward -– a change that might be made next session. Caucus chair Terry Kennedy, who has been working behind the scenes for a compromise on the lease, urged his colleagues to quash the infighting.
“There is an African proverb that says, 'When the elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers,'” Kennedy said. “My father would say when the politicians fight, it is the people that suffer.”
Besides the mayor's signatures, all that's left for final approval of the lease deal is an additional vote Friday -– a formality considering the wide-margin of approval today.
Aldermen this morning took a voice vote, a procedure used when support of an issue is not in doubt."
- 466
it's a go now.
Forest Park-BJC deal wins final approval
By Jake Wagman
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/02/2007
As expected, aldermen gave final approval this morning to leasing part of Forest Park, ending months of at times contentious debate over 9.4 acres of land.
Forest Park-BJC deal wins final approval
By Jake Wagman
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/02/2007
As expected, aldermen gave final approval this morning to leasing part of Forest Park, ending months of at times contentious debate over 9.4 acres of land.
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ok now what? What is bjc's plan for the property. I assume they will be demo'n the garage and building a new wing (midrise) for expansion. Any info on their plans/timetable?
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Arch City wrote:According to the St. Louis American BJC is planning a $1.5-billion development.
"Another benefit to the black community and St. Louis in general would be business and employment opportunities created by the $1.5 billion development that is planned by BJH.
The project is subject to the mayor’s executive order that calls for inclusion of 25 percent minority-owned and 5 percent women-owned business enterprises."
Now that is quite a committment...I just love saying B in front of illion...
"mid-rise"?! it better be a high-rise, taller than their current building.
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I'm sure the new Darlene Green center for higher medicine wing will be quite the spectical. It will built Green ... u know energy efficient with a park on the roof ..
However, the plans only show a park on the north side of the roof .. go figure.
However, the plans only show a park on the north side of the roof .. go figure.
You must have worked hard on that one, eh? 