urbanSTL

2800 St. Vincent Ave. $48k demo permit application submitted. Anyone know what's going on?

quincunx wrote:Anyone know more about the history of 2645 Lafayette?

I swear it had a fire recently but cannot confirm


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We'll see if they appeal.

Stltoday - St. Louis preservation agency rebuffs attempt to demolish former Bob Cassilly studio

https://www.stltoday.com/business/local ... e6727.html

quincunx wrote: ↑

Sep 10, 2023

SLU has submitted demo applications for 3217 and 3225 Olive. These are not within a Preservation Review District nor a Historic District, so no CRO review.

3225 Olive.jpg

Those are great looking buildings. Demo just to demo or is there a plan?

There is no plan that is available to the public. 

Still waiting for the planned ambulatory care center where the Pevely was.

SLU's land policies never fail to depress me.

There is a rally tomorrow evening.

Of the two facades there, the taller one is more interesting, and more complete.  I say salvage and preserve what can be had from the west facade, and try to convince SLU to incorporate the east facade into what they're building.   Very likely they're looking a build a 5 storey apartment box of some sort.  That three story facade would make a unique and handsome entrance and everyone could call it a win.

At least this time they aren't trying to BS us with a fake plan like with the Pevely. SLU gave a statement to the RFT. Are they listed for sale somewhere? Is SLU willing to sell at a price that makes sense for someone to do something with them? Or are they creating fake urgency to shift responsibility for their demo onto others?

statement, Saint Louis University said, "SLU is committed to ensuring the long-term vitality and vibrancy of the campus and the surrounding community. In an effort to continue to improve the area around SLU’s campus, the University recently acquired these two structures, which had been vacant and boarded up for many years.

"It is in no one’s interest for the buildings to continue to deteriorate indefinitely. While SLU applied for a demolition permit, the University is also seeking to engage parties interested in acquiring and redeveloping the properties."

Neato buildings. Demo them for what? What will be in their place, another expanse of lawn the same that is now at the corner of Grand and Chouteau?

verdantruins wrote: ↑

Sep 12, 2023

Of the two facades there, the taller one is more interesting, and more complete.  I say salvage and preserve what can be had from the west facade, and try to convince SLU to incorporate the east facade into what they're building.   Very likely they're looking a build a 5 storey apartment box of some sort.  That three story facade would make a unique and handsome entrance and everyone could call it a win.

They are interesting buildings and deserve to be saved in some shape. I do think they are too short for olive at that point. It is a huge road and a building 10 stories tall would feel more to scale.

NextSTL - Demo Alert: 3200 Olive, Rally tonight to stop SLU's wrecking ball

https://nextstl.com/2023/09/demo-alert- ... king-ball/

Changing Direction: St. Louis University seeks developer for Olive Street buildings

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/bus ... b35f8.html

Watch what they do, not what they say.

Have they retracted the demo application? If not I'm inclined to agree that this is just misdirection.

flipz wrote: ↑

Sep 13, 2023

verdantruins wrote: ↑

Sep 12, 2023

Of the two facades there, the taller one is more interesting, and more complete.  I say salvage and preserve what can be had from the west facade, and try to convince SLU to incorporate the east facade into what they're building.   Very likely they're looking a build a 5 storey apartment box of some sort.  That three story facade would make a unique and handsome entrance and everyone could call it a win.

They are interesting buildings and deserve to be saved in some shape. I do think they are too short for olive at that point. It is a huge road and a building 10 stories tall would feel more to scale.

I think the massive width of Olive is a big part of the problem.  Its too wide to feel like anything you'd want to live on.   IMHO, Olive should be reduced to 3 drive lanes from Tucker to at least Grand, and use the space for protected bike lanes and street trees.  I think you'd find it a lot easier to find both a developer for those historic buildings and see a lot of new infill if it were.  

I think it could easily be one lane each direction. That said, I think there's more to it than an over large road. The difference between the Central West End, the Delmar Loop, and Midtown is instructive. Each was a mixed use neighborhood anchored by institutions and with a a smattering of shopping, upscale housing, hotels, entertainment, and a large university. Each suffered population decline and commercial losses in the  sixties and seventies. In the eighties and nineties each university bought a fair few buildings in their immediate area; closed shops, empty houses, and so forth. In one case the university rebuilt them and used them to expand or rented them out for other purposes. In the other the school tore them down and began to wall itself off from its neighborhood. It's oversimplifying a little bit, but I do think the difference is enlightening.

verdantruins wrote: ↑

Sep 13, 2023

flipz wrote: ↑

Sep 13, 2023

verdantruins wrote: ↑

Sep 12, 2023

Of the two facades there, the taller one is more interesting, and more complete.  I say salvage and preserve what can be had from the west facade, and try to convince SLU to incorporate the east facade into what they're building.   Very likely they're looking a build a 5 storey apartment box of some sort.  That three story facade would make a unique and handsome entrance and everyone could call it a win.

They are interesting buildings and deserve to be saved in some shape. I do think they are too short for olive at that point. It is a huge road and a building 10 stories tall would feel more to scale.

I think the massive width of Olive is a big part of the problem.  Its too wide to feel like anything you'd want to live on.   IMHO, Olive should be reduced to 3 drive lanes from Tucker to at least Grand, and use the space for protected bike lanes and street trees.  I think you'd find it a lot easier to find both a developer for those historic buildings and see a lot of new infill if it were.  

Olive could definitely use some beautification with trees.