There's a proposal to demolish the empty Delmar Harvard School in U City and replace it with 230 apartments in two new buildings. This site is just north of the U City Library and City Hall:
I commented on nextStl. This is a situation in which the immediate neighbors to the west would rather have an asphalt blacktop than an apartment building. Density is perceived as a threat.
^ I think you need to put an asterisk to the Nextstl comment thread, interesting but came down to a very intense discussion between one person and the neighborhood rep. I would also comment the discussion on the thread was probably lot more interesting then the actually meeting where I suspect it was neighbor after another neighbor expressing their displeasure with the proposed project use and scope of the school property
Presbyterian wrote:I commented on nextStl. This is a situation in which the immediate neighbors to the west would rather have an asphalt blacktop than an apartment building. Density is perceived as a threat.
How is Density perceived as a threat?
This is one argument in hear in st Louis and I never understand.
dredger wrote:^ I think you need to put an asterisk to the Nextstl comment thread, interesting but came down to a very intense discussion between one person and the neighborhood rep. I would also comment the discussion on the thread was probably lot more interesting then the actually meeting where I suspect it was neighbor after another neighbor expressing their displeasure with the proposed project use and scope of the school property
if the "one person" you're referring to is "Adam" then that's me.
what annoys me most is that they won't just come out and say "we don't want to be inconvenienced" so instead they try to frame the parking lot as a treasured community playground and civic space, or they talk about the absurd unlikelihood of their property values declining (due to increased demand, of course), or they talk about end-of-the-world traffic scenarios, etc. All straight out of the NIMBY playbook. Anyway, it was exhausting and I don't know why I bothered.
^ related to this, anyone know what the present status is of the lot where the proposed apartment building was nimbyed in Dogtown? I think it was used a car dealer storage lot for a time.
^^I, for one, am glad you stuck to your guns and duked it out with them. It's important that the NIMBYs at least be presented with the urbanist perspective and reasoning even if they choose willful deafness and paralysis by fear. The points you made helped reveal how tenuous and unfounded many of their claims and fears are (An asphalt lot making a major contribution to the desirability of the neighborhood? A building with no automobile access to Trinity Ave. adding significant traffic? A five story building on the eastern edge of the neighborhood blocking out the light and sky?). Hopefully, even if they don't want to admit it, your comments generated at least some recognition of their own absurdity.
Seems to me that the only real point of contention is the portion next to Trinity Ave. If the developer is able to reduce the scale and impact of that building (maybe add more to the building on Kingsland), then perhaps the neighbors can be appeased.
^ the portion fronting Trinity also contains the entire parking structure, wrapped in apartments. i suppose they could fit the parking structure on the DH site but they'd either have to add a couple of floors to achieve the same number of units—which would undoubtedly draw hoots and hollers from neighbors claiming that they'd never see the sun again—or else reduce the number of units. a couple of people opposed the size of the development in general, saying that 230 units is just too many and that they want to see townhouses or, at most, a 4-story building.
Presbyterian wrote:I commented on nextStl. This is a situation in which the immediate neighbors to the west would rather have an asphalt blacktop than an apartment building. Density is perceived as a threat.
How is Density perceived as a threat?
This is one argument in hear in st Louis and I never understand.
I don't understand it, either. It seems to be rooted in a suburban belief that single family homes on large lots are valuable commodities that are devalued by proximity to less valuable multi-family units.
Simple fix. Don't buy a house next to the Delmar Loop.
Can we change Mike King drive back to Harvard? I'm not trying to be insensitive about the cop shot by the expendable scum, but the name Harvard ties into the history of University City and is at the doorstep of the city.
Petitions are circling to put a measure on the ballot to make the sale of this and some other buildings contingent upon voter approval, similar to what's in place for parks (Annoying when it effectively prevents fixing a park like Lucier).
quincunx wrote:Petitions are circling to put a measure on the ballot to make the sale of this and some other buildings contingent upon voter approval, similar to what's in place for parks (Annoying when it effectively prevents fixing a park like Lucier).
Seems like a new Co-Working space is popping up everyday and yet strange there isn't one actually on the loop. I know its probably too late but would've been cool if the school building was saved and developed as a co-working space with about 15 residential units.
Here's the ballot proposition to protect city-owned structures with a vote to be required for their sale. I guess the school isn't included?
Shall the City of University City amend Article XI Public Improvement Generally by adding a new section to be designated Section 97 stating that the following land and structures, to the extent now or hereafter owned by the City or any agency or instrumentality of the City, shall not be sold, leased, given away or otherwise
disposed of unless such sale, lease, disposal or gift be approved by a majority of the qualified electors voting on an ordinance to be submitted by the council in the manner prescribed in Article XII, Section 122 of this Charter, (a) the land and buildings on the site described in the general warranty deed of May 15, 1930, deed book 1088, page 113, including City Hall at 6801 Delmar Boulevard, the Annex commonly known as the police station and old firehouse, and the Old Public Library at 630 Trinity Avenue, (b) the University City Public Library at 6701 Delmar Boulevard and the land described in the general warranty deed of June 20, 1968, deed book 6333, page 2313, (c) the Sutter-Meyer house at 6826 Chamberlain Court and the site described in the general warranty deed of October 22, 2003, deed book 15429, page 3043, (d) The Gates of Opportunity, commonly known as the Lion Gates monument on the public right-of-way near Delmar Boulevard and Trinity Avenue?
Have some mixed thoughts. The longer Harvard School Site sits empty the more likely development gravitates towards in and around Delmar Metrolink station such as Clayco's infill. At same time, Harvard School site as well as old Maryland School lot in Clayton should see something happen and great opportunity to add housing/to city tax rolls. While I don't agree specifically with what Richmond Heights approved for redevelopment of old school ground. I have to give credit to RH for at least the seeing the opportunity in the current market to move forward with housing/adding back to tax rolls.
"Please join the University City Historic Preservation Commission Thursday, January 16, at 6:30 pm, at the Heman Park Community Center, 975 Pennsylvania Avenue. The commission will be considering the demolition of the Delmar building of the Delmar-Harvard complex for development of a new hotel."
Neighbors had previously stopped an apartment proposal; I can't believe they'd approve a hotel on the same site.
^ it's the shittier of the two proposals and will result in needless demolition of a lovely old building so the neighbors will probably love it (so long as it also includes a giant surface parking lot, of course).
I don't really see the details of the proposal at all, beyond demolition of a lovely school building. Is that structure a part of the half-finished campus for which the city was named? Its proximity to city hall would suggest such a thing to me.
