urbanSTL

Too little, too late, but still welcome news. Doesn't get McKee off any of his properties immediately, but I wonder if this starts the ball rolling for Bank of Washington to foreclose on everything. Doesn't mean they will sell it for a reasonable price either. It's all a big mess that could have been avoided had a few more members of the Board of Aldermen listened to the citizens that knew what was going on.

So what happens to the properties? Will they be sold off individually? Or does the City have a new developer lined up. Does anyone want to buy the properties? Is it now the city's responsibility to stem property deterioriation?

Northside Regeneration, LLC still owns all the properties that they have acquired since 2003. That won't change until someone doesn't pay the taxes long enough, or the lender allows a sale or forecloses. They could also fix all of the stated problems in the notice of default within 30 days and get back in good standing. That seems a little unlikely.

Of all the McKee shenanigans, Lacy Clay's comments might infuriate me more than anything. Just willful ignorance and rhetoric because McKee is willing to line Clay's pockets with donations.

jbacott wrote: ↑

Jun 13, 2018

Of all the McKee shenanigans, Lacy Clay's comments might infuriate me more than anything. Just willful ignorance and rhetoric because McKee is willing to line Clay's pockets with donations.

on public reports Mckee has ONLY given Clay $7,500 but the piece in the Biz Journal was probably written by former Clay Chief of Staff and current McKee lawyer, Darryl Piggee. Who also happens to represent Carr Square Tenant Corp, which owns 2.5% of Northside Regeneration LLC, and its the reason the Hubbard family will do anything to hold on to the 5th ward alderman spot, because father Hubbard is the President of that org, while daughter Hubbard is the alderman and while the son hubbard while a state rep introduced a bill for Land Assemblage tax credits at the Missouri Legislature in 2007 that allowed McKee to get all the properties. Mother Hubbard is the one who got her ass kicked by Bruce Franks in a special election after she got caught cheating in the Dem Primary.

Missouri Attorney General files suit against McKee:

https://www.stltoday.com/business/local ... 11197968C6

The steel for the roof on the grocery building has been going up and the gas station is framed up. Workers are there everyday, but not the quickest pace I have ever seen.

This little massively subsidized project is unaffected by the default declaration because it is under different ownership and already underway. The New Markets Tax Credits, TIF, and USDA grant will not be unwound, even if the subsidy should have never been offered for what is not much more than a gas station just a block from another big gas station that also sells some produce (of questionable quality, but it is there).

The City's fight with McKee seems to be slowing down other projects:




https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/col ... 93A4F9A75A

I don't understand why Messenger is so defensive of McKee. That whole column sounded like a PR piece for McKee. This potential developer doesn't need anything from the City, and the legal issues between McKee and the City have no bearing on whether this guy can proceed or not. I'm more skeptical of him never having built a house before and now he wants his first project to be 250 houses in North St. Louis.

City high school students competing to design an "interactive urban park":

https://www.constructforstl.org/m-prope ... rban-park/

Wanted to see if anyone has info on some development that I saw. Driving on 70 north west right around the Grand exit I saw a bunch of land cleared on the west side of the highway. Anyone know what is going on?

What to do with the northside?
On September 8, Tulsa celebrated the grand opening of Gathering Place, a new park beside the Arkansas River near the city’s Maple Ridge neighborhood. The goal behind it, says Executive Park Director Tony Moore, is to bring together Tulsans from all walks of life so they can enjoy a shared experience. That’s not unusual—but Gathering Place is very different from the average public park in its variety of spaces and sheer scale.
https://www.citylab.com/design/2018/09/ ... rk/570595/

https://www.gatheringplace.org/

Schmitt settles state tax credit fraud lawsuit against McKee's NorthSide Regeneration

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office has agreed to dismiss a 2018 lawsuit accusing Paul McKee’s NorthSide Regeneration of state tax credit fraud and waived all future claims against the developer for its use of a now-lapsed tax credit program.

The lawsuit, filed in 2018 by then-Attorney General Josh Hawley, sought the repayment of $2.62 million in tax credits.

In its settlement, NorthSide Regeneration agreed to pay the state $323,930.

walker wrote: Schmitt settles state tax credit fraud lawsuit against McKee's NorthSide Regeneration

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office has agreed to dismiss a 2018 lawsuit accusing Paul McKee’s NorthSide Regeneration of state tax credit fraud and waived all future claims against the developer for its use of a now-lapsed tax credit program.

The lawsuit, filed in 2018 by then-Attorney General Josh Hawley, sought the repayment of $2.62 million in tax credits.

In its settlement, NorthSide Regeneration agreed to pay the state $323,930.

ass clown.

 “Nationwide, dollar stores now outnumber Walmart and McDonald’s locations combined, with the number of locations reaching 30,000 in 2018, according to Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR). Dollar stores have also surpassed Whole Foods in feeding Americans… ILSR reports that a Dollar General’s arrival typically cuts a small town’s supermarket sales by about 30 percent. Additionally, dollar stores are not necessarily less expensive; they simply offer more single-serving quantities, many of which actually cost more per ounce. ‘Our research suggests that they often target African American neighborhoods,’ reads the report. ‘Their strategy of saturating these neighborhoods with multiple outlets can make it nearly impossible for new grocers and other businesses to take root and grow.'” • Single servings would be the food-store equivalent of selling loosies.
https://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/food ... id=6243521

Not sure where to put this, so...

"SLDC to Host Public Meeting for N. Jefferson Ave. Stakeholders"

"The Jefferson Avenue/ Parnell Corridor Revitalization Project is approximately two miles of planned improvements including upgraded signal timing at intersections, ADA crosswalks, roadway resurfacing, traffic calming, and street beautification along the public right-of-way. This project is a component of the proposed $130 Million investment the City is committing to improve accessibility between North and South St. Louis City"

https://www.constructforstl.org/sldc-to ... keholders/

^ Thanks framer

You got a pretty serious investment for West downtown/midtown if you take in the $50 million 22nd parkway removal and new street grid going on top of the Jeff Ave improvement as outlined.   Essentially $180 million not towards freeway expansion.  Maybe the city can find a way to get Forest Parkway & Grand Ave at grade intersection funded.  

I think that the city really needs to look hard on how it can relocate metrolink station on the west side of Union Station and get BRT on Grand as well as Jeff Ave or at least increase service on these north south corridors instead of waiting for the pot of gold at the end of the proposed N-S light rail expansion.  In other words, more transit on the north south axis that might be obtainable sooner then later. 

Interesting interview with Paul McKee https://soundcloud.com/550ktrs/paul-mckee.  McGraw basically sounds like his lawyer the entire interview the way he defends him.  Paul, as usual, talks a good talk.  And, as usual, we'll have to wait years before we find out if any of his developments actually get built.  In the meantime, hundreds of properties will be left to rot.      

Preservation was never part of the McKee plan.  Paul is a developer not a re-developer.  His stated focus was to assemble land which would enable scratch construction.  It's what he's done at Winghaven and Northpark.  It's what will happen at Northside.

NGA construction is about to commence.  The Pruitt Igoe site will begin soon after.  The Jefferson streetscape remake and new 40/64 interchange will change perception on entering the area from the southernmost portion of the redevelopment (which will be anchored by the new MLS Stadium).  It's all starting to fall into place.  These large developments and streetscape improvements seem like the logical first step before additional business, residential and retail developments manifest.  It's taken what seems like far too long, but I sense the original vision outlined for Northside is finally starting to gain traction.       

^ I recall seeing a proposal for a big box development along the edges of the NGA footprint.

Yes, streetscape improvements are great.  The truth is that we need to get this land subdivided, and development rights granted to the right people who have a proven track record of honoring the urban past of these areas.

And a city-wide form based code for redevelopment, would be an obvious step.  As much as affordable housing is necessary, do we really just want to see cheap construction littered all over the city? This is where subsidies should be used, to have quality construction, but keep prices affordable to the surrounding neighborhoods.  I know, I ask too much.

bwcrow1s wrote: ^ I recall seeing a proposal for a big box development along the edges of the NGA footprint.

Yes, streetscape improvements are great.  The truth is that we need to get this land subdivided, and development rights granted to the right people who have a proven track record of honoring the urban past of these areas.

And a city-wide form based code for redevelopment, would be an obvious step.  As much as affordable housing is necessary, do we really just want to see cheap construction littered all over the city? This is where subsidies should be used, to have quality construction, but keep prices affordable to the surrounding neighborhoods.  I know, I ask too much.

I wish a form-based code applied.  We already have a massive fortress development plopped in the middle of the area.  The expectation any future projects will respect the original street grid has no basis.  Whatever the user wants will likely happen.  The MLS leadership may want to restore some street grid.  Future developers around the NGA campus may want to eliminate the grid in spots.  I would describe the situation as haphazard with no real foresight.  I view the Pruitt Igoe site as the first real test.  I can only hope the original street grid is restored.