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St. Joseph

St. Joseph

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PostOct 24, 2016#1

What a shame


KMBC - Big fire causes 2 buildings to collapse in downtown St. Joseph

http://www.kmbc.com/article/big-fire-ca ... ph/7102944

Large Fire Breaks Out in Downtown Building

http://www.stjoechannel.com/news/local- ... n-building


Cleanup continues after night of fires

http://www.newspressnow.com/news/local_ ... 2d3ce.html
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PostFeb 22, 2017#2

High speed commuter rail from St. Joseph to KC Union Station would sure be a shot in the arm to the city. Right now I'm pretty sure it isn't even connected via Amtrak
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PostSep 15, 2023#3

Some friends and I are getting ready to close on a property here and set sail on a renovation. It'll be my first project separate from working with other people. Original architect has a significant connection to STL as well. Should be a fun project.

Note: My profile picture is one of the hundreds of buildings cleared in, and around, downtown St. Joe, in the 1970s. Going back and looking at the old pictures of St. Joe, it's clear that it was a powerhouse. Like St. Louis, the fabric is there to go dense again. Property is affordable too, so it appeals to someone like me who wants to actually buy a house (preferably older) and fix it up. 50 minutes or so north of KC, roughly 2 hours away from Lincoln and Omaha. Pretty solid location. 

PostSep 15, 2023#4

Relevant: Here are photos from the 1930s (or around that time frame) and drone photos from a week or so ago that I took during my last visit. In the third picture, you can see the flatiron building that's in my profile photo. The 70s decimated St. Joe. It went from being a proper city to almost forgettable. But the possibilities here are plentiful. It can be rebuilt and I think it's time St. Joe starts getting some investments. If St. Louis and KC led the way over the past few decades, and Columbia and Springfield continue to grow, it's logical to expect St. Joe and maybe even Joplin to start chugging along. 




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PostSep 18, 2023#5

Those pictures are depressing considering the current state of affairs there. Best of luck to you. These forgotten midsize river cities like St. Joe, Quincy and Dubuque have some very nice urban fabric. Getting these towns relevant and growing again would be huge. 

Also, to speak of Joplin, that city is actually growing at a pretty consistent clip
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PostSep 18, 2023#6

Are there old pictures of Alton? St. Joe feels to Kansas City what Alton is to St. Louis. 

The pictures of St. Joseph are certainly depressing. I'm thinking old pictures of Alton might create the same feelings. 
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PostSep 18, 2023#7

Perhaps a mini version. Alton topped of at 43k and currently has 25k, St. Joe topped out at 103k (although that figure is suspected to be inflated) and currently has around 70k.
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PostSep 18, 2023#8

It feels like the best comp. 

I don't know what would be a better option for that. Based off of population, I don't think anyone would say Washington or Farmington. 

Springfield, IL doesn't feel as connected to the St. Louis metro as St. Joseph is to Kansas City; it's its own thing.

Edit: I suppose Quincy-Hannibal, with a micropolitan population of around 75,000, could be a contender for this as well. But it's a bit further from St. Louis than St. Joseph is from Kansas City. 
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PostSep 18, 2023#9

GoHarvOrGoHome wrote: ↑
Sep 18, 2023
Those pictures are depressing considering the current state of affairs there. Best of luck to you. These forgotten midsize river cities like St. Joe, Quincy and Dubuque have some very nice urban fabric. Getting these towns relevant and growing again would be huge. 
It's going to be a big undertaking, but if this project does well, we intend to do others up there. The ability to market St. Joe as a "work from home" city is there and it's not like you're far away from anything. KC, Omaha and Lincoln are all close enough by. And with the planned Amtrak connection to St. Joe from KC, the door opens to more day trips between the two. It's looking up, but needs a lot of work. It just needs a breakthrough moment.
Also, to speak of Joplin, that city is actually growing at a pretty consistent clip
Didn't realize that it's growing. I guess that makes sense, but it's never really been on my radar.
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PostSep 19, 2023#10

Why on earth would anyone chose to "work from home" in St. Joseph vs literally anywhere else?
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PostSep 19, 2023#11

Ebsy wrote:Why on earth would anyone chose to "work from home" in St. Joseph vs literally anywhere else?
The quiet, cheap lifestyle appeals to me and quite a few people my age group, making St. Joe ideal for this. A majority of people in my age range struggle to afford rent in the hot cities and even less hot ones. St. Joe offers us an ability to rent, or own, without breaking the bank. Pay attention! It'll become a young person's preferred choice in the coming years, especially if we can get things rolling! All it takes is some optimism and some hard work to change the narrative. 
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PostSep 19, 2023#12

The ideal of a small, yet thriving city has always appealed to me. Think Mayberry, but perhaps just a bit larger. Who knows; maybe those days are due for a revival? 
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PostSep 28, 2023#13

St. Joseph could very well become the first city in Missouri to see the removal of an interstate through its downtown. I-229, the double-decker highway that divides their downtown from the river, is nearing the end of its lifespan. With 229 being the least used interstate in Missouri, all options MODOT is reviewing call for the elimination of the highway. While most of 229 will remain in highway style, the downtown portion will change to either be funneled into city streets or turned into a 4-lane boulevard.
https://x.com/chris_stritzel/status/170 ... qhwUCQR_zw

PostOct 01, 2023#14

A sibling to St. Louis City Hall? Edmond Eckel, the architect of the City Halls of  St. Louis and St. Joe, was extremely active in St. Joe, so it wouldn't surprise me if this design was his.
IMG_5617.JPG (2.89MiB)
IMG_5616.JPG (2.74MiB)
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PostOct 02, 2023#15

Great set for a horror flick, anyway. 
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PostNov 20, 2023#16

Chris Stritzel wrote: ↑
Sep 15, 2023
Some friends and I are getting ready to close on a property here and set sail on a renovation. It'll be my first project separate from working with other people. Original architect has a significant connection to STL as well. Should be a fun project.
Time to talk about this.

My friend and I are buying the old Boteler Flats building, which was designed by Edmond Eckel. Eckel also designed the City Halls of St. Joe and St. Louis, the mansion I posted two posts up, and a series of large buildings in St. Joe (some of which have been demolished, others still exist). The building was built in 1910 by William C. Boteler, an optometrist, and includes 12 apartments. The buildings 4th floor was originally going to be constructed all the way to the rear (yielding 14 total apartments), but costs saw that floor stop at the front.

We intend to merge the two 4th floor apartments into one (since they're so small) and renovate the other 10 for a total of 11 apartments. All apartments will feature restored hardwood floors, doors, doorknobs, and cabinets. Original stained glass is currently in storage and will be reinstalled once work is complete. Additionally, a ton of exposed brick will make the apartments feel cozy. Light fixtures will be appropriate to the building, but not replications of the past. 

These apartments will be some of the finest in St. Joe and will appeal to young people, those who attend college at Missouri Western, and those who work for Mosaic Life Care. Anyone who's able-bodied will be able to walk to the restaurants and bars in Downtown and on Frederick Avenue. Compared to Missouri's other larger cities, rent here will be pretty low for a studio and 1-bedroom. Compared to the nearby American Electric Lofts, we'll be cheaper but will lean on the higher end of rent for Museum Hill.

The neighborhood, Museum Hill, is full of beautiful old homes and churches, many of which need some love or are vacant. Real estate is cheap here and the City is willing to work with anyone to give St. Joe the shot it needs at a rebirth. While the Boteler is small, we think it'll be the start of many more investments of ours in St. Joe and hopefully inspire younger people to get involved. 
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PostNov 21, 2023#17

Best of luck, Chris. 
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PostNov 21, 2023#18

Sounds like a great project.  Look forward to your progress posts. 
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PostFeb 19, 2024#19

MoDOT hopes to advance I-229 plan, hear public feedback by spring 2024
The Missouri Department of Transportation is wrapping up an environmental assessment of the Interstate 229 corridor, which is the next step needed to move the project forward.
The environmental assessment evaluates the potential impacts or consequences of a plan before it happens. Marty Liles, Northwest district engineer for MoDOT, said the study has taken some time, but the proper research needs to be done to complete a project of this caliber.
Multiple bridge alternatives were presented in 2022, but MoDOT favors the “Existing Corridor” route, which would remove the bridge and replace it. “The alternative that we’re taking forward (and writing in our environmental assessment document) was basically to remove the bridge, build a new roadway in the same alignment as where the bridge is, but actually put it on the ground,” Liles said.
Liles said the alternative would allow traffic to flow two lanes in each direction, similar to the current situation and in the same location. An exact blueprint is not in place for the build just yet.
Right now, Interstate 229 is over 40 years old, and it received a C- rating at its April 2021 inspection. Troubles have popped up over time, including when a portion of the pavement buckled due to the summer heat.

While many in the community supported the option to keep I-229 and repair it in its current form, the risk of having to completely replace the bridge in 20 years, and the near $200 million price tag, the alternatives rose above for MoDOT leaders.
As the department readies to present the findings of the environmental assessment to the Federal Highway Administration by the end of 2023, Liles pointed out that one of the biggest concerns the study highlighted is with stoplights and traffic.
“We’re minimizing the stoplights, trying to figure out ways how agricultural equipment, truck traffic can actually get from the fields down to the stockyards, to the grain elevators without actually going through a lot of stoplights,” Liles said.
After the Federal Highway Administration approves the assessment, MoDOT will turn back to the community for input on the project. He expects this to happen in St. Joseph sometime during the spring of 2024.
https://www.newspressnow.com/news/local_news/modot-hopes-to-advance-i-229-plan-hear-public-feedback-by-spring-2024/article_ffac0404-9ea3-11ee-8e96-63fb581a72af.html

PostApr 13, 2024#20

Demand for hotel space grows as Downtown develops
As the banners and billboards come down one by one across St. Joseph following the Women’s Division II National Championship, local leaders are stressing the importance of addressing a growing need for hotel space.
By 2026, a new $22 million Marriott by Courtyard Hotel is expected to sit across from the Civic Arena with 125 new rooms to accommodate visitors. The initial vision was to have the hotel constructed for this year’s tournament and the 1,000-plus hotel nights needed to accommodate all the athletes, families and school officials over the week.
It was revealed earlier this year that rising interest rates and construction costs had forced Marriott developer HDDA’s primary lender to back out due to market concerns, leaving HDDA with an $8 million financing gap it struggled to fill in time. The developer was forced to rework an agreement with the city for a new construction timeline. But there is a need for hotel rooms now, officials said.
“We’ve got the highest ADR in the state right now, average daily rate. And so that just goes back to the demand,” said Christian Mengel, director of marketing and communications with the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau. “And that’s basically where we’re at now. We don’t have enough hotel rooms for, you know, what our real demand is.”
The city has received revised plans for the proposed Downtown hotel but has not issued a permit or confirmed a start date for construction.
The delay in hotel construction is an unfortunate turn in what’s otherwise been a long line of positive development for events and business activity in St. Joseph and Downtown over the last decade.
Looking at the glass half full, Mengel said the need for more hotels is a sign of Downtown growth and community development that necessitates boosting hotel infrastructure.
“Downtown is continuing to need a hotel more every day because of the activity that’s going on, because of the business that’s coming in, because of new start-ups, because of more events in the Civic Arena,” Mengel said. “It’s all good, positive energy moving for Downtown that calls for a hotel.”
The need for rooms is so great that Mengel has heard from other hotel officials about a desire to see additional spaces for visitors in situations when they are booked up for events.
“That’s them thinking from a competitive standpoint because eventually, they don’t like to get to the point of having to turn business away and turn people down,” Mengel said.
https://www.newspressnow.com/news/local_news/business/demand-for-hotel-space-grows-as-downtown-develops/article_8ac10934-e6c7-11ee-ae75-9b8609a2b307.html
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PostAug 07, 2024#21

The property I was pursuing there was purchased by someone else after we had our contract canceled at the last moment. The new owner intends to restore the Boteler Flats Building, which will be great to see. Wishing them the best of luck. Presently, I’m looking into buying some of the city-owned homes and fixing them up and selling them or leasing them (especially those that can be converted to 2+ family buildings).

A few new businesses are on the way, or have opened. Parkway Distillery just opened off of Frederick Avenue and includes a Pickleball Yard. Existing businesses are doing well. Alchemy Tea, on Felix, just got a new owner and rearranged their store. Jake’s restaurant got a new head “chef” and, after a shaky start, found their footing again and continue to do well. A few retail spaces are being fixed up in their downtown area ahead of new tenants. The Children’s Discovery Center is set to open late this year.

MODOT is not moving ahead with a 4-lane boulevard in place of I-229. The double-decker highway will be demolished and 229 will be decommissioned as an interstate. The 4-lane boulevard doesn’t do much to reconnect Downtown to the River, but it does remove the eyesore highway bridge. There will be a new intersection at 4th Street and the interchange at St. Joseph Avenue will be redesigned and rebuilt. Those will be the only two access points into the downtown area on this new “highway” (I wouldn’t be surprised if it were designated Missouri 229).

The new Rosecrans Airport Terminal Building is nearing completion. They don’t get commercial service, so this is likely just for smaller general aviation purposes.

The new Courtyard Hotel in Downtown should start construction by the end of the year. Downtown business owners are looking forward to it since it’s the only hotel west of Belt Highway and will bring visitors within walking distance of their businesses.

City officials are expecting a series of job announcements over the next year. They’re also eager to work with KCMO on trying to establish Amtrak service between KCMO and St. Joe with a stop in Weston.

Things are looking up there, but challenges remain. Biggest challenge is the number of vacant homes and buildings in the oldest parts of the city. I imagine these will start being dealt with over the next few years.
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PostAug 08, 2024#22

Good luck. Visited in the spring and downtown feels bleak. It was nice to see a couple key buildings being renovated. An actual downtown hotel or two would be a nice boon for the businesses left. Felix Street could be great but needs a lot of help.

One of St. Joe's biggest mistakes was allowing Missouri Western to relocate out of downtown to it's current isolated spot on the edge of town. It's not the biggest school but downtown would be notably more vibrant. Plus their enrollment trends probably wouldn't look so bad if campus was in a desirable area. Even their alternate considered location (just west of Bishop LeBlond high school) would have had more economic impact on the city.
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PostAug 08, 2024#23

No denying that there are challenges, but the opportunity presents itself. It’s practically a clean slate to do some cool stuff. That Courtyard Hotel can’t come soon enough. A few other building renovations are in order to turn the page.

Forgot to include this yesterday, but the newer parking garage at 8th and Felix will soon get a “public market”.
https://www.kq2.com/news/local-business ... 9e037.html
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