I drive through there about every week. Judging only as a passive observer, I don't see any evidence that neighbors have organized to make improvements. Conditions of blight still outweigh beauty. Painting a sign on a house did nothing but contribute to disregard for historic preservation.
Nobody's going to put money into a house if they're afraid it's going to be taken away from them soon.
Framer wrote:Nobody's going to put money into a house if they're afraid it's going to be taken away from them soon.
I guess they've been afraid it would be taken away from them soon for the last 30 years or so?
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KMOV has just added this story to its website:
http://www.kmov.com/topstories/stories/ ... 92a04.html
On seeing the title, I was expecting to read of a setback to the planned downtown Schnuck's, but it seems to be an update on the project discussed earlier in this thread. The Walgreen's is still scheduled to be finished in "late spring or early summer" of next year, which is consistent with the timeline outlined in July.
http://www.kmov.com/topstories/stories/ ... 92a04.html
On seeing the title, I was expecting to read of a setback to the planned downtown Schnuck's, but it seems to be an update on the project discussed earlier in this thread. The Walgreen's is still scheduled to be finished in "late spring or early summer" of next year, which is consistent with the timeline outlined in July.
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[cynicism]Why do I get the feeling all we're going to have on this lot is a freaking Walgreens?[/cynicism]
Moorlander, as always, nice job of representing on the KMOV website.
Moorlander, as always, nice job of representing on the KMOV website.
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SoulardD wrote:Framer wrote:Nobody's going to put money into a house if they're afraid it's going to be taken away from them soon.
I guess they've been afraid it would be taken away from them soon for the last 30 years or so?
Umm...the precedent for taking homes in that area (Darst-Webbe, LaSalle Park Urban Renewal, I-44, I-55, Clinton-Peabody) extends beyond 30 years.
Matt Drops The H wrote:SoulardD wrote:Framer wrote:Nobody's going to put money into a house if they're afraid it's going to be taken away from them soon.
I guess they've been afraid it would be taken away from them soon for the last 30 years or so?
Umm...the precedent for taking homes in that area (Darst-Webbe, LaSalle Park Urban Renewal, I-44, I-55, Clinton-Peabody) extends beyond 30 years.
So you're saying, "Yes, they have been afraid of their homes being taken away for over 30 years, and that's why the homes look like they haven't had a dollar invested into them since the 70s."?
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No, I was just pointing out that the threat of "redevelopment" has always lingered over this area. I do think that chases away investment.
When you have urban renewal on all sides, landlords and property owners have on their hands properties with lower land values. It becomes economically not feasible to rehab the properties to any acceptable degree at a certain point.
Hopefully, though, I don't have to explain urban decline and, even more hopefully, I don't have to defend historic, but rundown neighborhoods from "economic development" that will truly be an even bigger blight to the neighborhood in 20 years.
I mean...neighboring LaSalle Park is a gorgeous and stable remnant of a historic neighborhood. Soulard and Lafayette Square, both rundown by the 1960s, were slated for demolition because of their disinvested state. How much more of our city do we need to tear down in order to realize we lost something irreplaceable and almost never put something better in its place?
Suburban design and national chains will create a suburb in an already too fragile and disrupted urban fabric. St. Louis cannot afford any more of this type of development.
When you have urban renewal on all sides, landlords and property owners have on their hands properties with lower land values. It becomes economically not feasible to rehab the properties to any acceptable degree at a certain point.
Hopefully, though, I don't have to explain urban decline and, even more hopefully, I don't have to defend historic, but rundown neighborhoods from "economic development" that will truly be an even bigger blight to the neighborhood in 20 years.
I mean...neighboring LaSalle Park is a gorgeous and stable remnant of a historic neighborhood. Soulard and Lafayette Square, both rundown by the 1960s, were slated for demolition because of their disinvested state. How much more of our city do we need to tear down in order to realize we lost something irreplaceable and almost never put something better in its place?
Suburban design and national chains will create a suburb in an already too fragile and disrupted urban fabric. St. Louis cannot afford any more of this type of development.
Matt Drops The H wrote:No, I was just pointing out that the threat of "redevelopment" has always lingered over this area. I do think that chases away investment.
When you have urban renewal on all sides, landlords and property owners have on their hands properties with lower land values. It becomes economically not feasible to rehab the properties to any acceptable degree at a certain point.
Hopefully, though, I don't have to explain urban decline and, even more hopefully, I don't have to defend historic, but rundown neighborhoods from "economic development" that will truly be an even bigger blight to the neighborhood in 20 years.
I mean...neighboring LaSalle Park is a gorgeous and stable remnant of a historic neighborhood. Soulard and Lafayette Square, both rundown by the 1960s, were slated for demolition because of their disinvested state. How much more of our city do we need to tear down in order to realize we lost something irreplaceable and almost never put something better in its place?
Suburban design and national chains will create a suburb in an already too fragile and disrupted urban fabric. St. Louis cannot afford any more of this type of development.
I agree with everything above. I'd love to see BH renovated and the historic homes stay.
On the other hand, I have no sympathy for the owners that let those homes fall into the state of disrepair they are currently in. I just don't think you can say 'economically feasible' when talking about taking care of your home.
I wish the owners could be forced to sell to owners who will redevelop and gives these homes the care they deserve.
The Lafayette Square Marquis had some updates relating to this project in the October issue. Chris Goodson of Gilded Age acknowledged that it was "temporarily stalled", but that the Walgreens should break ground by the end of the month or early November. He mentioned the "shifting around of possible tenants", and that an upscale grocery is still a posibility.
All in all, don't look for anything more than a Walgreens anytime soon.
All in all, don't look for anything more than a Walgreens anytime soon.
Prediction...It will be years before anything occurs on this property.
Hopefully the city can reaquire and find a developer that can do something with it.
Hopefully the city can reaquire and find a developer that can do something with it.
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Watcher wrote:Prediction...It will be years before anything occurs on this property.
Hopefully the city can reaquire and find a developer that can do something with it.
I'm not sure any Developer could have gotten things going in the last year. I'm sure the grocery store, Walgreens and/or Starbucks have told the Developer that they're not ready yet to sign a lease (as has been the story with plenty of retail developments recently) and no Developer should start construction until they have a firm commitment from their anchors.
As someone already posted on another thread - It looks like the Walgreens is going forward. Sorry, to lazy to go back and give credit where it is due.
I noticed that a new sign for a different contractor was up next too it. As well as the BSI trailer parked forever is gone (neve thought about the trailer until I noticed the new sign).
I noticed that a new sign for a different contractor was up next too it. As well as the BSI trailer parked forever is gone (neve thought about the trailer until I noticed the new sign).
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bulldozer is on site. Looks like they're getting ready to start diggin
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Bulldozer digging this morning. The parking lot will be huge!
Please tell me there will be tons of security cameras with blinking lights on this Walgreens. I love those.
How many of you would purchase a condo with a view of a Walgreen's in all its obnoxious parking lot lights across the street? Something tells me that property values in the Georgian just decreased...
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^ I tend to agree, but people like amenities. If it's more than just a Walgreens it would look much better. Whether downtown or in the CWE quite a number of homeowners look out onto businesses and the Georgian shouldn't be a bucolic retreat set in a field. IMO - the problem is that there isn't more around the Georgian - again, if it's just a walgreens it will stick out like a sore thumb.
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STLgasm wrote:How many of you would purchase a condo with a view of a Walgreen's in all its obnoxious parking lot lights across the street? Something tells me that property values in the Georgian just decreased...
We all know the prime views are to the north. This shouldn't be too much worse than the highway interchange.
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dweebe wrote:Please tell me there will be tons of security cameras with blinking lights on this Walgreens. I love those.
Yes, those are quite lovely, aren't they?
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Moorlander wrote:We all know the prime views are to the north. This shouldn't be too much worse than the highway interchange.
That's just what I was thinking. Other than the sculpture at the interchange, there is nothing attractive to the south. I doubt it has any affect on the Georgian.
Surely one can look past the interchange and future Walgreen's, since they are too close to the building to be considered the "view".
The views to the South include Soulard, South City, church steeples, the AB complex, maybe even the Mississippi and the horizon in general.
Obviously the North views include the downtown city skyline, but that requires looking beyond the empty gravel lots, huge parking lot, unfinished hospital buildings and expansive apartment complexes directly to the North.
Georgian views aside,
I'll be thrilled to have a new Walgreen's so close by. I just hope that more gets built on the site, since its already a vacant lot now.
The views to the South include Soulard, South City, church steeples, the AB complex, maybe even the Mississippi and the horizon in general.
Obviously the North views include the downtown city skyline, but that requires looking beyond the empty gravel lots, huge parking lot, unfinished hospital buildings and expansive apartment complexes directly to the North.
Georgian views aside,
I'll be thrilled to have a new Walgreen's so close by. I just hope that more gets built on the site, since its already a vacant lot now.