Probably a combo of the 2 and happy is not part of the combo
This is getting infuriating.
So if that's the case, why is legal action never taken against the property owners who do otherwise?
Emphasis mine.Eddie Roth, the deputy chief of staff to Slay, said that casting fault for the demolition was a tricky question because of the weather events.
“We believe everybody who owns property in the city has an obligation to maintain that property according to the law,” Roth said, in general. “Public employees and officials who own city properties put their reputations on the line if they fail to meet their obligations.”
So if that's the case, why is legal action never taken against the property owners who do otherwise?
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I bet the demolition mafia working in tandem with city politicians have been salivating at the big payday associated with bringing down this one!
What a bunch of embarrassing losers.
What a bunch of embarrassing losers.
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Sometimes I think Spiritas and other demo companies are our biggest employers.
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Why is St. Louis ok with allowing its black heritage to be completely forgotten like this? What happened to Mayor Slay's fund for propping up falling in buildings?
Looks like it was introduced and had its first reading at the October 18th meeting: Board Bill 209 Increase in permit fees issued by the Building Division:siu850956106 wrote:What happened to Mayor Slay's fund for propping up falling in buildings?
I haven't seen any more of it, though. I don't know if it's been voted on by the Board of Alderman yet. If it passes the BoA, it would then have to be voted on city wide in order to go into effect.An ordinance submitting to the qualified voters of the City of St. Louis a proposed permit fee increase on mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits issued by the City of St. Louis Building Division, establishing a City of St. Louis Historic Building Stabilization Fund, establishing a Historic Building Stabilization Fund Committee, and contributing to the existing Special Demolition Fund.
A different but related bill was introduced this week. Maybe it's supposed to clarify buildings to be targeted for stabilization, or maybe it's a different track entirely: Board Bill 332 Ordinance relating to identification of High Merit historic properties.:
An Ordinance relating to the identification of High Merit historic properties in the City of St. Louis that are undergoing Demolition By Neglect providing procedures for the designation of such properties; and for the prosecution of owners and persons in control of such properties, promoting stabilization and restoration of such properties to the benefit of the City of St. Louis and its residents; containing definitions, penalties and a Severability Clause.
Looks like it was introduced and had its first reading at the October 18th meeting: Board Bill 209 Increase in permit fees issued by the Building Division:
Good, glad someone is doing something
The Castle could really use an angle donor swopping in about now
Good, glad someone is doing something
The Castle could really use an angle donor swopping in about now
The 1920's have been called the golden age of jazz or the jazz age. Commercial radio stations, which first appeared in the 1920's, featured live performances by the growing number of jazz musicians. New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, and New York City were all important centers of jazz. - Source (WORLD BOOK)
This is sad. This story needs to go national. I cannot believe there are no entities or on-going efforts willing to save this building. Miss Robbie Montgomery, with her national identity, should be able to bring in some celebrities and entertainers. Miss Montgomery of Sweetie Pie's - knows plenty of entertainers.......Dr. John. Tina Turner. Chaka Khan etc.
What about a benefit concert featuring national jazz artists? Wynton and Branford Marsalis. Why isn't one of the world's largest private Jazz labels - based in St. Louis - Max Jazz doing more? Home grown entertainers such as Cedric The Entertainer, Jon Hamm, Andy Cohen, Neicy Nash, Nelly, Chuck Berry, Sheryl Crow, John Goodman, Pokey LaFarge, Amber Bullock (Tina Turner's cousin), Erin Bode etc.
There are also enough local well-heeled African-Americans to contribute to the effort.
Where's the Kickstarter? Was there ever one? Hell, I'd donate. I donated to the National Blues Museum's efforts.
While I'm very selective on the buildings I think St. Louis should save, this building is one I believe should be saved. Very few buildings regarding St. Louis' early music history remain. St. Louis' historic music venues are disappearing and eroding. What a shame. What's up with the apathy? Other cities would kill to have a venue like this still standing - even partially.
The local leadership at City Hall obviously doesn't see the urgency in this. While the Castle Ballroom is no Preservation Hall, imagine if Preservation Hall had been lost to Katrina or demolition.
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^you are welcome to start a kickstarter campaign. What would you need to save the building? 500k? What about to completely restore it? 15M? What would the space be worth afterwards?
One issue is obviously the lack of publicity. 99% of St. Louis area residents probably don't even know about the castle ballroom.
The rest that do aren't willing to put their own money at risk on preservation projects because they dont see the return on investment. Kickstarter is a good idea But that's a big number for kick starter. And it's a lot to risk if it's your own money, unless you have a vision for its use and the will to see it through. Hard to put a price tag on history but when it your money you do it all the time.
One issue is obviously the lack of publicity. 99% of St. Louis area residents probably don't even know about the castle ballroom.
The rest that do aren't willing to put their own money at risk on preservation projects because they dont see the return on investment. Kickstarter is a good idea But that's a big number for kick starter. And it's a lot to risk if it's your own money, unless you have a vision for its use and the will to see it through. Hard to put a price tag on history but when it your money you do it all the time.
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^ also, these things usually take a lot of time and energy and it is often too late after a "trigger event" for demo has happened.... the Pokey Preservationists are already focused on the Palladium and unfortunately it is so hard for the grass roots to extend the fight .
With regard to the board bills, it looks like bb 332 -- the one that is just being introduced now -- is more of having penalties for allowing demo by neglect of high merit buildings while the first bill is one of raising revenue for stabilization... is that about right?
With regard to the board bills, it looks like bb 332 -- the one that is just being introduced now -- is more of having penalties for allowing demo by neglect of high merit buildings while the first bill is one of raising revenue for stabilization... is that about right?
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honestly, i would say that 95% of metro residents wouldn't care if they did know. there seems to be an unusually strong disdain for the city and an apathy for its history among metro St. Louisans.STLEnginerd wrote:One issue is obviously the lack of publicity. 99% of St. Louis area residents probably don't even know about the castle ballroom.
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I know some otherwise very nice people who have nothing but severe disdain for the city. I also know many, many, many people who are very saddened to have seen it fall so far (this type of urban decay, crime and violence is a uniquely America phenomenon in the civilized Western World for the most part).
Under no circumstances should the city have fallen so far down the tubes. Not everyone left the city for Ladue. Being lower-income is no excuse for what happened to the city. And to some people, that is unforgivable.
Under no circumstances should the city have fallen so far down the tubes. Not everyone left the city for Ladue. Being lower-income is no excuse for what happened to the city. And to some people, that is unforgivable.
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But let's say they did care: what can the average metro St. Louisan do about it? Even in situations where people have been mobilized, we haven't been able to effect much change in situations like this.urban_dilettante wrote:honestly, i would say that 95% of metro residents wouldn't care if they did know. there seems to be an unusually strong disdain for the city and an apathy for its history among metro St. Louisans.
My two cents is that, by the time a particular building is on the verge of demolition, it's likely too late. If we want to protect buildings like this, we need to put pressure on the city to force owners to maintain their properties. I'd like to be wrong about that though, so if there's something to be done here, I'd love to hear it.
It would have been nice to get a Kickstarter/Brickstarter campaign going a long time ago. Why didn't the owners do it? Who would have thought this building would have fallen in disrepair so fast. There are too many examples in the city of how to seek funding to save truly historic buildings (such as Mullanphy Emigrant Home).STLEnginerd wrote:^you are welcome to start a kickstarter campaign. What would you need to save the building? 500k? What about to completely restore it? 15M? What would the space be worth afterwards?
Who would have thought the building's owners would have let it get that bad.
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Im one of possibly many that didnt know about the Castle Ballroom until i read about it in the Post ... I just find it sad that they are going to demolish something with so much history... This held Jazz greats and what not .. I don't know why some developers buy buildings and just let them rot to beyond repair ..
Ah, but if they had integrity we could trust them to be accountable to their own conscience. Obviously we can't.