urbanSTL

From MayorSlay.com...

Saaman Development is proposing the $8.2 million construction of twenty-eight new residential townhomes in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood at the corner of Chouteau and Newstead, on a portion of the property formerly occupied by the Laclede Gas storage tanks that were a highly visible landmark on I-64. The new townhomes, the first of their kind in Forest Park Southeast in many years, will provide homeownership opportunities for those who work at the Washington University/BJC Medical Center — and more customers for the new Grove restaurants springing up on Manchester thanks largely to the efforts of Amy and Amrit Gill. The developers are requesting a $1 million TIF.

^ WOOT!



I like the fact that this area (Chouteau between Taylor and Tower Grove) is going to be developed by more than one person. 28 units is a good start - this is a big area and could help 150+ units in my estimation. If we could get quality infill off the ground that would be great!

Saaman does really nice work - glad to have them working in FPSE.

Bastiat wrote:I hope that this will include some retail at the corner of the intersection at the very least.

Retail options are always good, but Taylor is a busy street through to the BJC complex, Tower Grove is well-travelled as well by people driving from the TG area to the CWE, Sarah is slated to become a more commercial strip - as it's started to become north of FPP - and Manchester obviously has quite a number of vacant buildings . . . so I say skip the retail at this corner.

Bastiat wrote:

Grover wrote:

Bastiat wrote:I hope that this will include some retail at the corner of the intersection at the very least.

Retail options are always good, but Taylor is a busy street through to the BJC complex, Tower Grove is well-travelled as well by people driving from the TG area to the CWE, Sarah is slated to become a more commercial strip - as it's started to become north of FPP - and Manchester obviously has quite a number of vacant buildings . . . so I say skip the retail at this corner.

But there is already retail on the other built corners. I can understand that maybe the demand is not yet there for the retail tenant, but maybe they could build it out as a first floor residence that can be easily converted? Those buildings on Manchester are not going to be vacant for that much longer.

I believe this development is slated for Newstead/Chouteau - the site of the old gasometer - and there's no retail there currently. Maybe I misunderstand?

An article from the <I>Suburban Journals</i> regarding the bill recently introduced by Alderman Roddy (backed by Dan McGuire and the Gills) to restrict the types of businesses allowed on Manchester between Kingshighway and Vandeventer:



<a href="http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/ar ... .txt">FPSE wants ban on over 20 types of businesses</a>

Today's temperature in hell: a chilly 32 F.



A St. Louis neighborhood bans drive throughs and auto parts stores!

Matt Drops The H wrote:Today's temperature in hell: a chilly 32 F.



A St. Louis neighborhood bans drive throughs and auto parts stores!

And payday loan stores! WOOT. Of course with the price of a scone at La Dolce Via I could use a loan now and then!

Looks like they decided not to include tattoo shops. Good job Gill's.

I wonder what the ACLU thinks of all this. I mean really, that list pretty much zeros in on the types of businesses that cater to lower-income people. I'm not opposed to the plan myself, but I do wonder how constitutional it is.

If they can get it passed, good for them. I recently moved here from Honolulu, and before that I lived in Philadelphia, before then Boston, and i have never seen so much concern for lower income folk as I do here. I am new here and i guess i just don't get it. I just got done reading a thread about how one of the better city neighborhoods(cwe) needs and should have more lowerer income housing.

If a neighborhood can come togeather and say we want things better, good for them... Thats progress.

^ha, welcome to STL, Robby! we are definitely peculiar when it comes to lower income folks

I think the fact that one would find concern for the plight of the city's poor peculiar is a sad commentary on urban life in America. I don't think being exclusionary is progressive at all, it merely allows the affluent to ignore societal problems by not having to encounter them in their everyday life. That being said, I'm all for keeping out businesses like payday loans that take advantage of the already cash-strapped poor with predatory lending practices. Perhaps if we try treating everyone we encounter with a little dignity, regardless of their net worth, we might see the city improve a bit.

Totally agreed. ^



Thanks for beating me to it.

Robby, Welcome to St. Louis! While I would like to think that the kind people of STL are more concerned about poor people than other cities, I don't really think that is the case. If you go to forums in Boston & Philly, you will find plenty of discussion on gentrification and how it effects poor people. I don't think St. Louis has a corner on decency.

Framer wrote:I wonder what the ACLU thinks of all this. I mean really, that list pretty much zeros in on the types of businesses that cater to lower-income people. I'm not opposed to the plan myself, but I do wonder how constitutional it is.

I believe South Grand and The Loop business areas have basically the same restrictions - and have for some time.

While Boston and Philly both have many low income neighborhoods they also have thriving market rate neighborhoods. When i lived in the North end of Boston and Queens village of Philly there was no rooting for poor/low income housing to move in.

In my opinion St louis needs more, many more people to move into its city limits. They also need these people to bring thier money with them. If St Louis continues to cater to the poor, those people just won't move here. The fact is if you can afford to live in a place that is not next to poor/low income/subsidized housing you will. Im sure St Louis does need more low income housing but does it do any good to put it in neighborhoods like the CWE. Won't this stiffle progress?

St. Louis also has market rate neighborhoods that are not rooting for low income housing. And I agree that STL needs more middle and higher income people. We are always rooting for that. You were trying to make a point that St. Louis is somehow out of step on these issues with other cities, rooting more for low income people. There are advocates of poor people in all cities. So, I don't agree with that point. In fact, in very expensive cities like Boston, the cost of housing for lower income people is a big issue that gets lots of airtime.



The above paragraph is from Expat the poster.



This is from Expat the moderator. The issue of low income housing is a citywide issue,if not national issue, and if it is to be discussed in depth, belongs elsewhere. This is a thread about Gills work in a particular neighborhood. Sorry, I indulged in straying the topic. If anyone is interested, please take it to a more appropriate thread.

clearly tattoo shops are not outlawed in the loop, unless Iron Age was grandfathered in or got a special permit. in any case i don't get the stigma attached to tattoo parlors these days. most of their clients are college kids and yuppies. especially in a place like the loop or the soon-to-be grove.

First of all, just because you want to see an area thriving, doesn't mean you like to ignore the plight of the less fortunate, or impoverished. But, the more money we bring into the city, the more residents that we bring in, the faster we can get closer to fixing some of those problems.



I doubt we'll ever be able to eliminate poverty, but growing the middle class is something the city can do. And it sounds like many of the businesses that they are looking for are those that cater to the middle class as well as the upper class.



As somebody who doesn't make a whole lot of money, this district really caters to me with the ban of those businesses. I'm not rich, I'm a freakin' high school basketball coach. I'm hoping to clear $30K this year with my addition of tending bar at Simply Fondue.



PayDay Loans and other such businesses don't cater to the poor, they feast on them. The elimination of these kinds of businesses is a good thing.



Finally a neighborhood in St. Louis that really understands how to build a cohesive urban neighborhood.

^ Well said. The Grove is looking for more people like you!