Does anybody know about a major development in the works in Affton at Mackenzie and Gravois? Word has it that an Atlanta development company wants to move in and take a huge block of the commercial area as well as buy almost 120 plus houses cited for demolition, putting everyone else that lives in the neighborhood right up against major developement. Letters of a buyout have already been sent to some residents. Do we really need another walmart, lowes, or target? The news story can be found here:
allmylife76 wrote:Does anybody know about a major development in the works in Affton at Mackenzie and Gravois? Word has it that an Atlanta development company wants to move in and take a huge block of the commercial area as well as buy almost 120 plus houses cited for demolition, putting everyone else that lives in the neighborhood right up against major developement. Letters of a buyout have already been sent to some residents. Do we really need another walmart, lowes, or target? The news story can be found here:
I can see using eminent domain if we are building a highway, clearing an area for a hospital or something. But to build big chain stores? Give me a break. Thats just making a business rich. I own a business, hmm, I would like to get rich.. For the good of the community, do what I say...
There are plenty of opportunities to "build up" affton along the gravois corridor without touching the homes. The Ace Hardware plaza is lackluster, the autozone has moved out. There are also tons of other little shop areas that I could see being updated if they agreed. Touching the houses is insane. I moved into the area 10 years ago, and sit just beyond the area that will be affected. Horrible for my property value to say the least.
My sense is that people that don't live in the area behind the proposed development will be for it. It doesn't effect their property value, brings in taxes, traffic, etc. But do we really need our community to be full of more subways, fast food, etc.
The Bread company seems to do well in grasso plaza. Why not utilize current commercial property Mr. Campisi? Oh wait, because its really not about making Affton a nicer place to live. Its about Big dollars from big developers. Not improved quality of live. When did a lowes, home depot, or target or walmart ever make you happy? come on... Affton is about small businesses.... good people, and a nice little community. Improvement is good, neighborhood destruction is bad.
I know someone who lives in one of the affected homes. They're being offered a substantial premium to sell. Many in the neighborhood are considering selling, then using the money to buy a much nicer home in a depressed market.
IIRC, they're talking about demolishing a significant number of homes (maybe as many as 100, but don't quote me on that) in that neighborhood. These are well built homes with a ton of character - it'd be a real shame to lose them for a strip mall.
So they want to take the NE corner of the intersection? That means they would take all of the existing businesses and the houses from Weber to the cemetary?
So I guess Desco no longer owns the plaza with Ace and O'Reilley?
I've got an old coworker that lives in one of the houses that might be taken: I'll email him and ask what's going on.
dweebe wrote:So they want to take the NE corner of the intersection? That means they would take all of the existing businesses and the houses from Weber to the cemetary?
So I guess Desco no longer owns the plaza with Ace and O'Reilley?
I've got an old coworker that lives in one of the houses that might be taken: I'll email him and ask what's going on.
I believe it's the opposite end of Gravois where the bar is thats being in question about shopping center,,,Mackenzie to Niles and Laverne,but i thinks its stupid to tear down the nice houses in that area and run people off.Those people bring in business and they been there probably all there lives,If it were me I would think they would think to tear out the shopping area across there where Auto zone moved out and Build it over there,,,It be cheaper than buying out the homes there and everybody is happy.At least you can make a deal with the business people in the other shopping area like relocating them till new shopping area is complete.And besides I think it be smart to concentrate on the Lemay Ferry and River Deperes area to build as you will have much more traffic coming through to go to Casino off highway 55.
I certainly agree that Affton could use some new development, but as stated before, there is plenty of commercial space already available that could be redeveloped, I hardly see the need to destroy housing for this. My grandparents live just a few blocks to the east off Gravois and have lived there for 46 years and my cousin lives in the area that would be torn down, or just behind it and it is a great, stable area that has been the same ever since I was a kid. It would be a shame to see this type of area have to go for more shopping centers.
I guess ultimately if the market demands it and people get bought out at a fair price I have no issue with any development like this, but the problem is when you start throwing around eminent domain for private developments.
kustramo wrote:I certainly agree that Affton could use some new development, but as stated before, there is plenty of commercial space already available that could be redeveloped, I hardly see the need to destroy housing for this. My grandparents live just a few blocks to the east off Gravois and have lived there for 46 years and my cousin lives in the area that would be torn down, or just behind it and it is a great, stable area that has been the same ever since I was a kid. It would be a shame to see this type of area have to go for more shopping centers.
I guess ultimately if the market demands it and people get bought out at a fair price I have no issue with any development like this, but the problem is when you start throwing around eminent domain for private developments.
I agree with you. I suppose we'll have to wait and see the developer's plans to get a better idea of their vision for the area.
Of course I will be leery of anything involving eminent domain. And I'd like to see something that would actually benefit Affton and make it a destination in its own right. I'm really tired of developments like those in Brentwood and Richmond Heights that displace longtime residents for insipid big-box centers and "upscale housing" that isn't. Hopefully the developers have something better in store, along with a plan that includes fair offers to homeowners. Guess we'll have to wait and see...
Excuse me for the following tangent: Is Campisi unopposed? If he has an opponent in this election cycle, I haven't heard anything about it. I live in the city, but I work in South County and know many others that live and/or work there, so I keep up with news in the area. I cannot believe a credible opponent hasn't stepped up to the plate by now. Other than Hydrantgate, what has he really done for the area?
I FOUND THIS ARTICAL IN THE SUBURBAN JOURNAL. I hate to post the entire thing, but their website keeps crashing on this page, so I was able to copy and paste it quickly.
Affton redevelopment project building steam
Atlanta developer planning project along Gravois Road
by Steve Birmingham
Monday, August 25, 2008 5:07 PM CDT
Erica Burrus photo -- These buildings along Gravois Road in Affton could be included in a buyout plan for a future retail redevelopment.
A redevelopment project near Gravois and Mackenzie roads in Affton is in the early development stage.
St. Louis County Councilman John Campisi, R-6th Dist., said last week he has seen a preliminary concept plan from Atlanta-based redevelopment company Tricorps Partners for a retail only redevelopment at the location.
The boundaries for the area generally include a small section of homes and retail buildings retail in the 9100 and 9200 blocks of Gravois Road, between Mackenzie Road and the Affton Fire Protection District's Firehouse No. 1 Headquarters at 9282 Gravois Road.The area includes roughly 95 residential properties and about 30 commercial and retail properties.
Campisi said Tricorps obtained a copy of the St. Louis County Planning Department's Affton Area Study and has devised a retail redevelopment plan.
Campisi said the study mentions the area is a candidate for the common redevelopment assistance used by redevelopers, such as tax increment financing (TIF) and community improvement district (CID) incentives.
However, no official plan has been submitted to, or approved by, the Planning Commission, Campisi said.
"I don't know who the (retail) anchors are going to be, but it does seem they want to go forward," Campisi said. "The reason why is they have some homes under contract already with many more that are interested and have been sent (sale) contracts."
The use of eminent domain is not likely to become an issue, he said, because Tricorps said it planned to offer one and one-half times a property's 2007 appraised valuation.
"Having said that, my feeling is they already have a lot of interest in it, so I don't think eminent domain would ever come into play," Campisi said. "And as long as everybody gets what they're asking for I'm sure that things will be worked out."
Theron Enright, of the 9300 block of Laverne, isn't too worried because he's not leaving.
"We still don't know anything about it," Enright said. "We received a letter, maybe in April, telling us that some big company wanted to buy our house. We don't know who it is. It's all hearsay and rumors and nobody has ever come up and knocked on my door and said we'd like to buy your house. It was just one letter way back in April."
Enright said he and his wife thought the offer was just the usual inquiry from a real estate speculator and paid it no attention.
"We found out later it (a redevelopment plan) is in the making," Enright said. "The reason we're not considering it is we don't want to move because I've been here almost 25 years."
"Oh, if they offered me a half million dollars I'd move, Enright said jokingly. "But their offer was equal to what the assessed value last year and nothing extra. Everyone around here is asking each other 'did you hear anything?' It's just going around the area but it's just more rumors and hearsay."
Roger Lahr, an attorney consulting with Tricorps, said the redeveloper does plan a public meeting in the near future to show their conceptual plan to area residents, although a date and location has not been set.
Lahr described the redevelopment as "a destination project" featuring trees, grassy areas, fountains and restaurants" and "not just concrete and asphalt."
The buyout figures mentioned by Campisi are consistent with the information he has, Lahr said.
"For instance, if we buy someone out for a $100,000 home, we would pay $150,000."
"It's not going to be like Sunset Hills," Lahr said. "As far as we are concerned, they will be paid totally every cent of the $150,000 and we will then give additional time for them to move. We're not rushing them out the door and we want to make sure the money is in their hands if anybody moves.
"Initially a lot of people threw the offer in the waste can because they didn't think it was correct, 'who would be offering me this much money for this home,'" Lahr said. "A lot of them just threw it away and then when they got a follow up letter they started responding."
Lahr said he could not say how many signed sale contracts were already in place.
