urbanSTL

Mark Groth wrote:Not sure where else to post this, but the empty lot just north of the Captain D's is being graded and Papin Street between Grand and Edwin Boulevards has been closed. A sidewalk is being installed along Grand as of this morning. Anyone aware of plans for the empty lots? By the way, I'm still angry that SLU has the enormous pile of debris just sitting there on the Pevely site.

Me, too! Why is it homeowners are (rightfully) fined for peeling paint on a windowframe but SLU can get away with this crap? It's infuriating! I'm truly embarrassed/depressed by the look of the whole area. You'd think they would be, too!

Maybe SLU is going to bring back their football program and form a Division 1 or 1AA football team and use some of this land they have collected for a new combination football/soccer stadium - say with seating between 20,000 & 30,000 that could also host the future MLS team in St. Louis?

SLU does have a significant moment in college football history.

http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/358662 ... tball-team

With all the conference shuffling, athletic's and especially football is a key factor in a University's desirability for conference affiliation. Hell, Mo Baptist in West County is forming an NAIA football program from scratch. Why not SLU?


Obviously just a random thought but it could be neat if it happened.

SLU Football. Never Happening.

Couldn't SLU just use the bottom bowl of the dome? It's not like it gets used much...

^ if a place to play football was the only goal sure they could use the dome.

for what very very very very little its worth i was just speculating on a potential use for some of the vast gobs of vacant land SLU has acquired and is sitting on. as some one else said in the thread, its never gonna happen at SLU but for a moment I thought it was interesting to think about.

Sports are the current opiate of the people.

Of the 120 athletic departments in college football's top division in 2011, only 19% reported a profit. (Source: Wall Street Journal)

I've argued for a long time that one of St. Louis' biggest drags on development is its obsession with being "big time" by having professional sports teams.

St. Louis is by no means alone in this obsession. However, when your "leaders" perceive that the best engines for growth are sports, gambling and parking, you get...St. Louis.

bonwich wrote:Sports are the current opiate of the people.

Of the 120 athletic departments in college football's top division in 2011, only 19% reported a profit. (Source: Wall Street Journal)

I've argued for a long time that one of St. Louis' biggest drags on development is its obsession with being "big time" by having professional sports teams.

St. Louis is by no means alone in this obsession. However, when your "leaders" perceive that the best engines for growth are sports, gambling and parking, you get...St. Louis.

That is so true. That said, I think the Rams will eventually stay here because they'll have nowhere else to go. A lot of cities are still financing new homes for existing teams (Chicago's renovation of Wrigley Field, a new home for the Red Wings in Detroit), but I don't even think that LA has the desire to throw a half-billion+ at the Rams to get them back.

Anyway, what's happened to the Pevely site has been an absolute travesty. Apparently TPTB at SLU really do play by a completely different set of rules- in case that wasn't evident enough over the last 20 years or so.

shadrach wrote:Bah, I don't care what bonwich thinks. SLU football would be awesome!

Well, they did invent the forward pass.

Dmmonty
You asked on another thread when the clean up would start--the answer is any day but thought I would also provide you with this additional background in response to some misinformation or lack of information Alex provided you.

dmmonty1 wrote:

Mark Groth wrote:Not sure where else to post this, but the empty lot just north of the Captain D's is being graded and Papin Street between Grand and Edwin Boulevards has been closed. A sidewalk is being installed along Grand as of this morning. Anyone aware of plans for the empty lots? By the way, I'm still angry that SLU has the enormous pile of debris just sitting there on the Pevely site.

Me, too! Why is it homeowners are (rightfully) fined for peeling paint on a windowframe but SLU can get away with this crap? It's infuriating! I'm truly embarrassed/depressed by the look of the whole area. You'd think they would be, too!

by Alex Ihnen » Mon Jul 01, 2013 10:47 am
It's up to 17th Ward Alderman Joe Roddy. I complained about an institution parking on a grass lot (that the neighborhood had refused to approve for a parking lot) and was eventually told that the Alderman had written a letter delaying enforcement. Roddy also allowed the future Whole Foods site to sit as a pond for three years and then there's the partial demo on FP Ave near Grand. That was rushed through as an emergency demo and say half done without a fence or anything until I complained an a chain link fence eventually went up. No more demo has taken place however.

I’m flattered but this is wrong—many people are involved in a project this visible. The Building Division and the Mayor’s office has been involved for months in trying to resolve this. dmmonty1—the Mayor met with Father Biondi on Friday 8/9. I was out of town but was advised the removal would begin within two weeks of that meeting.

Alex Ihnen wrote:I complained about an institution parking on a grass lot (that the neighborhood had refused to approve for a parking lot) and was eventually told that the Alderman had written a letter delaying enforcement.

This is mostly right—After neighborhood residents complained about lack of parking because of that business and the medical center, I passed an ordinance that created a parking district. As a result the business lost street parking and acquired a 2 family adjacent to their parking lot and asked to demolish it. I referred them this to a FPSE resident committee to review. Some on the committee felt that since it was the only residential building on the north/south street it lacked context, but to accommodate Alex’s concern (he served on the committee) and another member, the committee asked that the business review other alternatives before it would approve the house for demolition. The business sought to buy the lot that Aventura now occupies, for their parking but I discouraged that. They then leased spots from one of the institutions at the medical center but were still short. The strategy they settled on was to work with Modot to acquire the right of way (west of Taylor adjacent to their existing parking lot) that will be available after new interchange work is complete. I authorized parking on the grass as an interim solution hoping that there will be enough land to meet their parking needs and avoid their need to re petition the committee for permission to demolish the building that Alex wanted to save. Alex moved to the county and no longer serves on the committee.

Alex Ihnen wrote:Roddy also allowed the future Whole Foods site to sit as a pond for three years

This is absolutely right. Bruce Mills bought into my vision for the CWE that is codified in the form based plan and he was willing to risk his money to construct a dense building, with first floor retail and parking concealed from the street. He is just one of a handful of people willing and able to do that kind of project in our region. He was trying to make it work In the midst of the most significant financial disintermediation to occur in my lifetime. Banks were calling loans with D/E ratios of 50 percent. Among the developers that went under or lost properties were Bob Sauer—developer of Metro Lofts, Opus—developer of Park East Tower, and Bruce/ Yackey developers of West End Lofts and University Village. Despite whatever other financial pressure Mills was under he not only kept the property, but had an active D4 loan application with Hud throughout almost the entire period that there was a hole, and I and/or Park Central staff monitored its progress monthly . Hud does not consider money spent on site prep work as equity, therefore by making Mills fill the hole it increased his equity contribution by a factor of 2 for each dollar spent on fill. I was more than willing to take the heat for the hole in the short term if the project got built. As it turns out, the Hud loan didn’t come through, Mills filled the hole and the Whole Foods opportunity came along afterword. My stalling was moot, but given the facts at the time I feel it was the right decision and would do it again. If the Mills project gets built, I expect that it will trigger a new initiative-yet to be announced- that will make any short term hardships (including living with a hole for several years) worth it.

Regarding the demo on FP near Grand—I don't recall all the details that led to the eventual demolition,but I assure you I don’t get involved in determining who puts up fences at demo sites as implied by Alex's post.

I presume Alex knew these back stories but chose not to share them as his complaints wouldn’t have been as inflammatory.

For the record I've done similar things many times over the years but not this time in the case of SLU.

^Is it just me, or are these Roddy diatribes just getting weird? I welcome the engagement and information provided, but perhaps the tone could be a little less antagonistic...

It's time to let go of the passive aggressive behavior and attacks on one another. This forum was built and maintained to promote understanding and dialogue that can make our city a better place. It's a credit to the civility of the forum for urbanists, those in the know, and power brokers to participate in the same forum as they have of late. However, the last few posts are not indicative of this and it will not stand.

There's simply no room for personal attacks and non-productive comments. Stick to the point and keep it civil. Consider this a warning to all.