urbanSTL

ArchMadness wrote:Remove those photos please!



I can barely look.

That was my first reaction after seeing these pictures as well. You know, it may sound silly, but I've been avoiding driving through that area until these buildings are completely demolished. I don't want to witness their destruction in progress first-hand.



Not only were unique and historic structures lost, but so was a grand vista along Magnolia Avenue west of Southwest Avenue. The homes along this stretch of Magnolia (between Cunetto's and the church grounds) are nothing special from an architectural standpoint, but the nearby church gave them dignity and the immediate area a strong sense of place.



I keep wondering when our community will learn to value Saint Louis' distinctive built environment, and elect people to office that are dedicated to preserving it. I'd like to think we learned our lesson after the controversy of the Century, but since then we've lost Saint Al's and the Doering Mansion, and there's no dearth of other endangered structures that should be preserved.

Those pictures totally reminded me of a quote from Michael Allen in an eco-absence essay:

As I said to Larry Giles while looking up through the archway at the Old Post Office as snow fell, this view never existed before and it's beautiful as much as it is gruesome. But I never, ever wanted to even know that such a view existed.

So true.

Now that you've broken the ice, Shannon, I've gotta say, those pictures are really cool.



Now don't everybody gang up on me; I'm sorry to see the church torn down too, but...I've got a sadistic side of me that really appreciates eerily beautiful scenes like that.

Earlier in the week I took a friend from Springfield who is interning in the area through Maplewood, Clifton Heights, and the Hill. We came across this sad beauty while trying to find a route south and wound up in an alley that turns into a road at the northeastern corner of this site. We saw three people outside while the sun was going down talking in front of the remaining steeple. We walked over to see the portion left and listened to the resident explain to a couple about the place.



"I will never vote for these politicians again"

She mentioned the alderman and state representative Talent and also spoke harshly about archbishop Burke. She is a faithful Catholic and said that she grew up at St. Als and that their was a great bunch of church patriarchs who where always there and helping, made the best of cakes, always volunteered for anything, hosted the social events, came to church every Sunday and whatnot, and where the glue that held the congregation together. Sadly, when the place closed and congregants merged with St. Ambrose the patriarches started acting their age from late 70-90s and somehow were not able to make it to church or social events. St. Als kept them active and young, but the loss of their church has been a psychological blow especially since it is the only Catholic church to be destroyed instead of reused from the southside closings.



Unlike what was reported in Urban Review when Steve met the neighborhood organization this lady said that the neighborhood never wanted the place to be destroyed.



This proves the power of an alderperson and autonomy.

They have the cross from the steeple now displayed at the Schnucks on Arsenal! It had a sign on it that said something like 'courtesy of [someone] Schnuck and [wrecking company]'...'will be displayed until September.' Huge paraphrase, I think it was September; I didn't have my camera with me.



Stopped me dead in my tracks, made me feel really weird. I mean, Schnucks??

^And why not Schnuck's? Have you forgotten the Century? Seems the Schnucks have now taken to displaying trophies of the destruction of our city...like some savage invader who lops the heads off of their conquered warriors and displays them on a pole.

From what I could see in the dark on Friday night, there is a wall left from the old church, and the very front of the newer church is still standing. There was already a foundation hole dug on the northwest corner and forms on site.



That the cross is on display is just sickening.

Oh, I remember the Century. I moved into an apartment at 10th & Locust in summer 2004. At least I didn't have to hear St. Al's get destroyed every night for months...



I took some more pictures on my afternoon walk, you can see mine and others' on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/stalo ... >flickr</a>.

MattnSTL wrote:That the cross is on display is just sickening.

I agree. Seems like Saint Ambrose would be a more appropriate place for such a display, especially since other remnants of the church like the time capsule buried at the cornerstone of the old church are displayed there.

Thanks for the images, littlestar. So sad to see. When will this city EVER learn...you just can't keep a few good things and destroy the rest.

new development--Macklind and Magnolia is where Hanneke Hardware is (well, the back of it anyway), a few blocks from St. Al's.

across the street from the rear of the Hanneke building, looks like.

I thought Magnolia Heights was going to be 3 single-family homes. The first one is finished.

^No, that is Sublette Fields, across from the park.

^Right. Got it. Thanks.

Geez, such confusion, when an area starts getting multiple construction projects in close proximity.



"Magnolia Heights" townhomes are to be built just south of the corner storefront on the southeast corner of Macklind and Magnolia, or south of Hanneke's parking lot, replacing vacant land and attached garages.



"Sublette Fields" are two new detached single-family homes, with one already built, at the northeast corner of Reber and Sublette, replacing one small house.



"Magnolia Square" is the single-family subdivision taking up one full city block with new alleys located one block west of Sublette, between Pearl and January along Magnolia, replacing St. Aloysius Gonzaga church, rectory, convent, gym and school.



"Highland Walk" townhomes are being built along Arsenal between January and Dalton, replacing vacant land.



"Parc Ridge Estates" is the completely new subdivision of detached single-families and townhomes replacing the former Truman Restorative Center nursing home across Arsenal from "Highland Walk" on over nine acres of land.



All in all, there is a lot of new construction taking place throughout the Southwest Garden neighborhood.

^Whew!

Have they finished with the demo clean up yet? Any houses being built yet?



Thanks!

demo has been completely done for some time, one house is close to done and they have poured foundation on a second. The big sign showing all the lots shows four of them sold.



I took these yesterday:







This house is on the northwest corner of the square.

The four lots along January, including this big house pictured on the "northwest corner of the square," are the largest lots in the new subdivision. The remaining lots, roughly twenty of them, are narrower, with more urban-looking home models. Although still very suburban looking, the big house pictured above did replace an earlier concept of blatantly suburban split-level models along January. The northwest and southwest corner lots are also the only two lots in the entire subdivision that will have street-fronting garages, all others being located on a new T-shaped alley.

Wow! This is moving fast. I'll have to get by there to check it out soon.