urbanSTL

Steveinphila, I hadn't heard that the Chancery building is being torn down too (we're talking about the ultra-modernist round headquarters building, right?). If so, that makes this bad news even worse! That's one of the coolest (and most overlooked) buildings in St. Louis.



Just think about everything in this immediate area:



The New Cathedral (speaks for itself).

The matching stone mansion next door.

The Archdiocese headquarters building (world-class modernism).

San Luis Apartments (fully occupied mid-century high-rise).

The classic Lindell Terrace and the high-rise block to the west.

The Archbishop's residence (white stone mansion across Lindell)

The Optimist Internation HQ (very classy modernist bldg.)

Pierre Chouteau Condos (gorgeous Art-Deco highrise).

The Towne House (another mid-century high-rise).



And now this great collection of urbanism is going to have a huge hole knocked in it, just so they can have some place to park their damn tour buses!

Who grants the demolition permit on this property?

I definitely think this is a call to action for anyone concerned about St. Louis' architectural history and future. Let's keep our eyes on this one. Please post any info on any Preservation Board meetings regarding these buildings.

First of all, no one is tearing down the Chancery, someone just misspoke earlier in the page and it seems to have propagated. This is about the San Luis building, nothing else.



It sounds like the Seniors who live there are none too happy about leaving. Even though they might get nicer digs, as one of them put it "the location can't be beat". It sounds like the Catholics are being decent about relocating them, but still, I hope this is worth it, and if all we get is a surface lot, I'll be pissed.



http://cw11tv.trb.com/news/kplr-news-11 ... 0086.story

Wow IMO the story just highlights that these a**holes don't have a damn clue what they're doing. Why not take this be emminent domain? Even the owner says it's obsolete, so there's a higher use, so let's freakin' take it off their hands and actually increase the density of the CWE. Perhaps the church will have to sell it - it could receive a decent price - to pay off future scandals.

I forgot to include the Jackson Arms on my previous list of 4400 block of Lindell architecture. It's yet another mid-century highrise, right across the street from the San Luis.



Really, this is one of St. Louis' most impressive streets, and it's about to get one of it's front teeth knocked out!

This building could be completely stripped clean and modernized to todays standards. It reminds me of a modern version of an art deco south beach hotel. This building could look really cool if it was redone correctly. Does anyone have any historic photos. A F ing surface lot on LINDELL!?!? come on STL, wake up. This is such a travesty. Burke is the worst person in the world ( I hate keith olberman..) Really, how can this be allowed.



I know that the head of Landmarks Association lives next to this building, perhaps she wants a view of the arch... hmmm....

Nice letter from Randy Vines in the West End Word this week decrying the imminent destruction of this building.

Can always count on Jive.

Nice write-up from Mr. Allen:



Link

Sounds like STL-UP needs to meet again.



Seriously, we need a whole lot of letters being written to the Archdiocese right now.

Thanks for the link DeB.

Does something really need to be 50 years old or older to be considered architecturally significant...?? I think this is a very attractive structure. Needs a little TLC, perhaps not the best example of modern architecture, but certainly worthy of saving.

I'm at a loss as to why the St. Louis Archdiocese would rather destroy this structure in favor of a surface lot in its place. What reason...total disregard of the elderly, or total ignorance of urban function? Both, perhaps? Shame on the Archdiocese, whatever the reason.

Matt Drops The H wrote:Sounds like STL-UP needs to meet again.



Seriously, we need a whole lot of letters being written to the Archdiocese right now.

We've talked about this before, but this time I think we really need to do it:







It's time to put the band back together.

steveinphila wrote:BTW, before anyone flames me for taking jabs at his majesty, I am Catholic.

No flames here, and just for the record, I am also Catholic.



Abp. Burke has rubbed me the wrong way ever since he came to town, and now he's done it again!

Well let's get together soon! I can contact Lyda Krewson and perhaps she can meet with us. We need to act though.

Seems to me that the way to stop the demolition is to find who grants the demolition permit and try to block the granting of the permit. No permit, no demolition.

JCity wrote:This is such a travesty. Burke is the worst person in the world ( I hate keith olberman..)

And he's the Most Ridiculous Item of the Day (I hate Bill O'Reilly).



Anyway...at least we can all agree that this plan is ridiculous. I'd love to be part of a reorganized STL-UP. December is filling up quickly for me, so I don't know how much free time I'd have to devote to the group in the beginning, but that should change by the time the holidays get here. In the meantime, we should consider writing letters to Archbishop Burke and/or the media to express our displeasure.

I've been a bit preoccupied lately (trying to balance home improvements with an already packed schedule is a royal pain). Is there any news on this proposal? More importantly, is there still time for those of us opposed to try and stop it?

I believe demo was supposed to start sometime in February.

The San Luis Apartment Building would be an ideal boutique hotel.

oh, and developers HAVE tried... The Archdiocese is a COMPLETE joke if you ask me. What a total embarrassment that this is being torn down, NOT for a BETTER replacement, but for a SURFACE LOT!! WAKE THE F UP ST LOUIS..... so many positive things happening in the city, then sh*t like THIS happens.



Carolyn Toft, hello? Will this building now not block your view from Lindell Terrace? w-t.f?

So I called 28th Ward alderman Lyda Krewson yesterday to see what she knew about the impending demise of the San Luis Apartments at Taylor & Lindell. She told me that the Archdiocese is hellbent on making that site a SURFACE PARKING LOT, and there isn't much that can be done to stop them since they own the building and the lot. They do not want to sell the building nor do they want to renovate it. There is much more to this story and I'm really just too pissed off to post it all now, but the long and short of it is that there will be a public meeting about this project on Saturday, March 29 at 9:00am at the Schlafly Library branch. ANYONE AS LIVID ABOUT THIS PLAN AS I AM MUST ATTEND THIS MEETING. The CWE is one of the most "dynamic" neighborhoods in the city, and one of its most visible blocks is in danger of giving way to the WORST possible use imaginable. This proposal is an insult to anything good that is happening in the city. It tells the world that we are a second-rate city with no taste, no class and no common sense. Anyone interested in meeting sometime before the public meeting, please post here and let's organize. UNITE.

I don't suppose Patti Teper will be protesting.