urbanSTL

Mark, would you stop by there and ask what's up? Sometimes construction workers are a great place to get a scoop because they hear their bosses talking. I'd run by there myself if I weren't away on business.

these next two days are really tight for me (I'm teching two classes after work) - but I'll try



just in case your wonedring - niether class is on typing or spelling

I heard today that the city has plans for a shopping center to cover the entire area. A guess would be that even the 3 newer homes there will be torn down. That is, unless plans reflect a creative, award-winning building style. Otherwise, maybe plans are for just another project like Kingshighway@Chippewa?



Has anyone heard anything about a public process for this plan?

Matt wrote:maybe plans are for just another project like Kingshighway@Chippewa?

If that's the case I think we definitely need to do what we can to change this project to more of an 'urban-minded' development.



Hackman, you stated that it would be a mixed use development with a Straubs/Trader Joe's, residential, and underground parking. That's awfully specific to just be making it up. Want to give us some peace of mind and give up your source or at least give a % chance that the mixed use development will happen?

Any demolition in the area has to go through the cultural resources office because of the historic district. I would be shocked if the staff let demolition of the rest of those houses go through, especially if the planned redevlopment is some kind of suburban bullsh*t. Therefore, they will remand the demolitions to the preservation board and we can all go to the meeting (along with the rest of the neighborhood) and FREAK OUT if we need to.

i'm freaking out already - i live by there and I'm amazed that these buikldings can be razed without even publicizing what means to replace them

Ditto. It's remarkable what they put individual historic homeowners through and then demolish an entire historic area without mention. What is difficult for them to grasp is that such actions destroy investor confidence in all future development. My understanding is that all the homes and property are being taken through eminent domain.

Eminent domain for private enterprise.

by the way - I've been by there lately and I haven't seen anyone to ask .... sorry.

Another Loughborough Commons, Kirkwood Commons, Desco development, etc...



The historic Frenchtown homeowners may already be preparing a lawsuit to protect the value of their homes. Fortunately in Missouri, homeowners can sue for the loss in value caused by certain other landowners.



With smart growth and development (especially making further connections to downtown), many were planning on home values rising to around $1 million. I don't know if this could happen if another Loughborough Commons is built right in the middle of the district.

are you speculating about the suburban "commons" idea?

This whole thing is really weird. Even with all of the well-connected, knowledgeable people on this forum, we still don't even know the boundaries of this mystery project? I mean, is it going to stretch all the way to Gravois/12th street, or what?

Speculating or guessing...yes. I don't know what force is out there to change the trajectory? On second thought, there is one developer who has done faily decent stuff in St. Louis but I can't recall his name or the company's name. Developments in downtown Kirkwood and one planned in Brentwood. Who built that new stuff across from the Galleria?



I've heard that Gilded Age has the redevelopment rights on this area of Bohemian Hill.

^Pace Properties did Boulevard St. Louis (across from Galleria), but normally build auto-oriented retail power centers. Known more for their mixed-use developments, MLP Investments did Kirkwood Station and now Hanley Station.

Matt, you are correct in who owns the rights.



I heard it was to be a pharmacy, speciality grocery store and condos in the back. Trader Joes and Straubs was my wishful thinking.

hmm .. that sounds like it might be promising .... assuming the pharmacy isn't a big box walgreens (there are some urbanish walgreens in Chicago ..)

That was the pharmacy mentioned.

I'm not even sure I'd be against eminent domain if I knew people were getting a good amount of money for their place and the development replacing the homes was in the best interest of the community. Having no details, though, and understanding I'd be upset if I were in their position, I thought I should share this with everyone...

Seems to me like sowing Wild Oats.



So how many homes are in danger of being "taken" in this attempt at E.D.?

I really hope that wild oats thing you just said was a hint. That would be nice.

I attended the meeting on Saturday along with about 50 other people. I forget the actual number of homes that are slated for E.D. demolition, but I keep remembering 20. Forgive me if that is the wrong figure, I will get the correct number ASAP. The residents have been informed that their homes are going to be taken and they are PISSED. Many of these historic homes have been recently re-habbed; some of them are actually new. The 7th Ward Alderman, Phyllis Young [youngp@stlouiscity.com] has blighted the homes so that Guilded Age can put in a retail development. Guilded Age is refusing to give anyone the plans, though people are currently attempting to force their hand. One Bohemian Hill Resident received an email from Ms. Young that allegedly stated as follows



"What I can say is that it's highly probable that there will be a

retail/commercial district extending from at least 13th St west. There

will likely be lighted parking lots and possibly businesses that

operate

24 hours, 7 days a week with the accompanying traffic and noise. The

character of the neighborhood will change significantly from what it is

today."



I say allegedly because this admission seems so inflammatory that I can't imagine a politician actually saying it.



I drove the development area yesterday and the homes are really very nice/ have excellent potential. In addition, their presence, along with the City Hospital, creates a nucleus around which a dense streetscape could be restored along Lafayette avenue linking Soulard to Lafayette Square. The Foodland site on Jefferson is waiting for development, and furthermore, there are already plenty of vacant spaces in the vicinity of Lafayette, 14th and 12 streets. These extant spaces are much more suitable to small-scale, urban retail development that will be consonant with the character of the neighborhood. This one bears watching closely.

I think there are only three owner occupied homes remaining. These are the new construction. There may be a condo or two also that were sold recently. The area has been troubled and blighted in appearance for the past several decades. Previous development hasn't leveraged anything.



The big risk now is in controlling what the type and style of development that Gilded Age will build. Hope floats higher than if the developer was Desco but the neighborhoods will still be providing vehement oversight.



Personally, I wouldn't settle for anything less than the best in new urbanism design.

It is 18-20 buildings and the project is bigger than we thought. According to the contact people that are listed on the handouts from the meeting on Saturday, the project's boundaries are from the Truman off-ramp to Tucker on the east, and from I-55 to Lafayette on the North. There are two blocks of buildings that are going to be demolished; the one where demolition has already largely taken place between the Truman off ramp and 14th street, and the largely occupied and intact section between Tucker and 13th, Lafayette and 55.

Will the city's very best infill project to date (the three Bohemian Hill oddities) be swallowed by this development?



I think I will chain myself to those houses if it's true.

That is what the Bohemian Hill resident and contact (whose name is on the Stop Eminent Domain...post from last friday) says. He insists that they are planning to take the nice block from the west side of Tucker through 13th as well, including those nice NEW infill properties. He also said that he is going to be on the Sloan Ranger radio show tonight, 920 am between 5:00 and 7:00 pm discussing the project, and that Phyllis Young (7th ward Alderwoman) will be on as well.