urbanSTL

DaronDierkes wrote:nobody picked up on,

McKee's own companies will operate a materials recycling center to process concrete, brick and other materials from demolished buildings.

Which demolished buildings?

Monday, November 1, 2010
Schnuck's Demolished
I was surprised to discover that the Schnuck's owned by Paul McKee was being demolished when I drove by a few weeks ago. I checked the new Mississippi River bridge's website, and realized that it will be in the middle of the new access street for the bridge.

JEFFERSON CITY • The state has given developer Paul McKee an additional $8 million in tax credits to rebuild a huge swath of north St. Louis, but not before McKee agreed to repay the money if a court throws out his plan.

The Missouri Department of Economic Development issued the credits on Dec. 30 to help reimburse McKee for money he spent last year to buy property in a two-square-mile area north of downtown.

The credits, which come on top of $20 million the developer received in 2009, were authorized under the Distressed Areas Land Assemblage program. Economic development officials said that after McKee met all the law's requirements, they had no choice but to issue the credits.

In a lengthy letter “To the people of St. Louis” Paul McKee has addressed the status of the NorthSide development, where his team found “large scale neglect, broken infrastructure and hazardous environments in much of north St. Louis.” He also reports on what the McEagle team is currently doing.

Renovation and completion of the office/warehouse for National Sales Products, bringing 75 jobs to the area
Preparing sites for the inclusion of projects from China in cooperation with the China Hub Commission
Historic renovation of an existing school for a new Pre-K through fourth grade school
Demolition and environmental cleanup of more than 187 buildings and 2,800 sites involving 300 jobs over three years
Creation of the SMART (Sustainable Material and Replacing Technology Center) for acceptance of all demo material creating 25 jobs
Proposing a new green energy assemble plant creating more than 300 jobs
Developing a new urgent care center in cooperation with many north side not-for-profits
Developing a new retail and service center to bring more local purchasing into the north side, creating over 450 new jobs
Establishing a strong working relationship and agreement with SLATE, Job Corp, Better Family Life, Construction Career Academy and St. Patrick’s Center for job training and a hiring pool from and within the north side.
http://bergersbeat.com/

As someone who was born on the northside. Has lived on the northside. Has family on the northside. I have to agree with GuyinShanghai and McKee. Anyone who believes that the northside is going to be better off with piecemeal development is a fool. Even ONSL is a work in progress and will take 20+ years to be as stable as somewhere like Soulard. The simple fact is that St. Louis City doesn't have that much time. Change is needed now in the urban core and the region as a whole. Some may not like McKee's approach, but the best thing we can do at this point is rally behind him and ensure a quality development. Not throw stones from a distance. Also the notion that North St. Louis is going to be as urban as North Chicago is absurd. There is simply not the demand for that kind of super high density development outside the Central Corridor. St. Louis would be well served with a Stapleton, CO styled development with a St. Louis flavor.

dredger wrote:Mayor's Slay website had a link posted without much fanfare. The site links to the latest project agreement, the smaller area with the proposed smart center. Probably old news on this blog, but thought it was kinda funny how Slay prsented it.

http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews ... eb.pdf.pdf

Neither the City nor the Developer agrees with the Court’s holding in the Lawsuit that the Redevelopment Plan and/or Plan Ordinance was in any way deficient and that the execution of this Agreement is not meant as, and should not be construed as any admission or agreement by the parties the either the Redevelopment Plan and/or Plan Ordinance was in any way deficient.

doug wrote:Of course his opinion matters on the merits. If he still backs the project then it has a greater likelihood of going forward.

Colby wrote:Mckee won at the MO Supreme Court: http://www.box.net/shared/5a4x2d7floy35rhsistx

Nearly three years after it was unveiled, Paul McKee's NorthSide Regeneration celebrated its first ribbon-cutting Wednesday.

It was at the new headquarters of National Sales Corp., a piping supplier that has refurbished and expanded a warehouse at 1533 Delmar Boulevard, across from the City Museum and on the southern edge of McKee's 1,500-acre NorthSide footprint.

The company moved across town, from its old warehouse on Duncan Avenue which is being taken by the CORTEX development east of Barnes-Jewish Hospital. The new location will give National Sales more room and better access to more highways, said president Lenny Knese.