DeBaliviere wrote:From the Arch City Chronic(what?)cle:
14th Street Mall Plan Unveiled
Karen Heet
In the face of speculator acquisition and the deterioration of the existing buildings, plans to renovate the 14th Street Mall in Old North St. Louis were revealed August 29th at a community meeting held by the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group (ONSLRG).
Phase 1 of the plan is a $25-30 million renovation of the historical buildings on the mall, which span a two-block area from St. Louis Avenue to Warren Street in the 5th Ward. The 14th Street Mall Association, a partnership between ONSLRG and the Regional Housing and Community Development Alliance (RHCDA), now has site control of the majority of the buildings on the mall, and the group is currently in discussions with the four remaining property owners.
Sean Thomas, executive director of ONSLRG, says that pre-development financing has been secured, and the 14th Street Mall Association aims to close on the renovation financing in the spring of 2007. Construction will begin immediately after financing is in place.
The plan calls for opening the pedestrian mall to cars and renovating the historic buildings on the Mall into mixed-use venues for live/work spaces, apartments and retail stores. Green building components are being considered. The 14th Street Mall Association will maintain ownership of the buildings in order to qualify for federal historic tax credits. State historic tax credits, new market tax credits and tax abatement will also be used to offset the renovation costs of the project. The architectural firm Rosemann & Associates has developed the site plan, and E.M. Harris will be the general contractor for the renovations.
Crown Candy Kitchen, at the north end of the Mall, has been a neighborhood anchor since 1913. Standing-room-only lines await customers most days at lunchtime. The 14th Street Mall Association hopes that the retail activity from Crown will drift south into the Mall area once it is completed.
With the Edward Jones Dome and the Arch centered in view, The 14th Street Mall is located in the quaint residential neighborhood of Old North St. Louis: a tight-knit community that was an independent village until it merged with the City of St. Louis in 1841. The neighborhood is bound by I-70 to the east, Branch Street to the north, N. Florissant to the west and Cass Avenue to the south.
The Mall was first closed to vehicular traffic on March 26, 1977 during a national trend toward pedestrian malls. The idea failed miserably, and as the city population declined in the late 70s and early 80s, many of the Mall’s buildings became vacant.
Hopes and visions for rejuvenating the Mall rose often over the years. Site plans were made, and residents gave their input, but no one had control of the site. More than 20 different people owned property on the Mall. Many individual owners could not get financing to renovate their properties, and no one entity had the means to purchase and renovate all the property at once.
Interest was renewed two years ago when a developer from Atlanta got contracts for most of the properties on the mall and looked capable of financing the project. However, the developer disappeared amid speculations of fraud, and fears arose among the community that an outside party could determine the fate of the Mall. This became the impetus for the creation of the 14th Street Mall Association.
Residential development activity has been heavy in the southern part of the neighborhood as the ONSLRG, again in partnership with RHCDA, has formed the North Market Place Redevelopment Area, which is renovating and constructing new single- and multi-family homes. The North Market Place Homes range in price from $156 to $192 thousand for a 1,500 to 2,000 square-foot home. Eight of the eleven new homes have received funding from the Affordable Housing Commission and therefore have been built using Universal Design, which creates ease of use for people of all abilities and ages.
Ralph Wafer is the architect for the North Market Place Homes and was chosen because of his previous work with many homeowners in the neighborhood. Vatterot is the general contractor for the project.
Kennedy & Associates is the firm that handles the North Market Apartments, and general contractor E.M. Harris is making renovations. The apartments meet “affordable” guidelines, so renters who make 80 percent of the median income are eligible for one- to three-bedroom apartments from $395 to $625 per month. The Lipton Group has the management contract and has seen a growing waiting list for the apartments.
Development opportunities abound north of the 14th Street Mall, as well. The Land Reutilization Authority (LRA) has requested proposals for five large areas for renovation or infill. More information can be found on the city’s website at http://www.stlouis.missouri.org/develop ... e/onslrfp/
Thanks for the article.
So when was this street mall at it's prime? I moved here in 1978 and have no memory of it. (I was 8 years old and living a sheltered existence in Ballwin)
