The former McMahon Lincoln/Mercury building is undergoing a renovation. I am sad to say that the nice maroon tile work along the roof has been removed. I guess there's a chance it could be added back later, but it doesn't look good.

And the news about the former McMahon Lincoln Mercury showroom only gets worse...



The new tenant is...National Rent-To-Own! Yippee! Just what South Kingshighway needs!

ThreeOneFour wrote:And the news about the former McMahon Lincoln Mercury showroom only gets worse...



The new tenant is...National Rent-To-Own! Yippee! Just what South Kingshighway needs!

It could be worse, er, I suppose...



*thinks*



Maybe if they put a payday loan kiosk in the National Rent-To-Own?



-RBB

^How 'bout a drive-through payday loan store on the parking lot?

ThreeOneFour wrote:And the news about the former McMahon Lincoln Mercury showroom only gets worse...



The new tenant is...National Rent-To-Own! Yippee! Just what South Kingshighway needs!

BOO!

This "renovation" just keeps getting worse. The brick is being covered up on the building facing Khwy and the former service bay building behind that. It wouldn't have been so bad if National Rent to Own would have taken over the Don Brown Dodge or Jeep dealership buildings. Those are already generic buildings. Bummer

stlmark wrote:This "renovation" just keeps getting worse. The brick is being covered up on the building facing Khwy and the former service bay building behind that. It wouldn't have been so bad if National Rent to Own would have taken over the Don Brown Dodge or Jeep dealership buildings. Those are already generic buildings.

I was thinking the same thing. Since McMahon Lincoln Mercury was in an older building I always thought it looked better than other showrooms along Kingshighway, although I do like how Ackerman Toyota Scion actually brought their building closer to the Kingshighway/Tholozan corner when they expanded and renovated their facilities earlier this decade.



Speaking of McMahon, I'm surprised they didn't keep the Lincoln Mercury dealership and move it to their Ford showroom at Gravois and Chippewa. Ford Motor Company is in the process of consolidating all three of its domestic divisions at its larger dealerships (Dave Sinclair in South County and Paul Cerame in North County) have already done this, so I just assumed McMahon would do the same. (There might actually be hope for Mercury if the rumors are true about Ford bringing more cars from the European market to America as Mercurys, so we'll see.) Anyway, one also has to wonder how long the Pontiac/GMC showroom will last at Kingshighway and Fyler given the sorry state of affairs at GM.

Grover wrote:What a great site (sites) for dense, urban buildings. Just imagine if there were a southside Metro line right next door.

Absolutely. If Metrolink was built parallel to the Union Pacific line that crosses over Kingshighway to the south of Connecticut Street, that would really broaden the possibilities for denser development there. I don't mind car showrooms, and I actually wish there were more dealerships (Nissan, Mazda, Honda, etc.) within city limits provided the buildings didn't sprawl all over the place. However, much of Kingshighway is an unfortunate mish-mash dotted by used-car lots, and now, some vacant new car showrooms. It'd be nice to see a new vision for the area, and ultimately, denser and higher quality development along that stretch of South Kingshighway.

I wonder what this area looked like 75 years ago. We all know that the area further South was fairly dense, with two and three-story commercial/residential buildings around the Chippewa intersection (and of course, the much-missed Famous -Barr building). Did this type of building stretch all the way along Kingshighway at one time, or were the auto showrooms the first developments in the area? Can anyone dig up some old photos?

Framer wrote:I wonder what this area looked like 75 years ago. We all know that the area further South was fairly dense, with two and three-story commercial/residential buildings around the Chippewa intersection (and of course, the much-missed Famous -Barr building). Did this type of building stretch all the way along Kingshighway at one time, or were the auto showrooms the first developments in the area? Can anyone dig up some old photos?

I haven't found any photos yet, but I do have some old Post-Dispatch and Globe-Democrat newspapers from the 1950s. Even then that stretch of South Kingshighway was referred to as New Car Row. Obviously at one point there were many more new car showrooms along that stretch. Even Dave Sinclair had a Ford showroom there before moving it (and just last year, his Lincoln-Mercury showroom) to his massive spread just east of South County Center on Lindbergh Boulevard in the mid-1960s.



I'm guessing there weren't a lot of two story commercial buildings on Kingshighway between Beck and Arsenal streets, although the presence of The Royale toward the northern end of the stretch at Juniata Street seems to suggest otherwise. Even if additional car dealers spring up in this area (import car buyers could really use more city-based car shopping choices!), I think there's still potential for denser development in spots, especially around the viaduct south of Connecticut Street if Metrolink is extended alongside the UP/Amtrack railroad tracks.

This area of Kingshighway was widened for the Kingshighway Parkway which was conceived during the administration of Rolla Welles in 1902, designed by George Kessler simultaneously with the World's Fair grounds, tabled in the ensuing years, revived by the Civic League in 1907, and implemented in 1912 with the purchase of Bellerive Park and the creation of Bellerive Boulevard (formerly Kingshighway SE) between Bellerive Park and Grand in Carondelet. The idea was to have a recreational driving parkway in a park-like setting that connected the south riverfront with Carondelet Park, Tower Grove Park, Forest Park, O'fallon Park, and Waterworks Park on the north riverfront. The plan was implemented in phases as money and political will were available into the thirties. Throughout this time South Kingshighway was widened and landscaped with the removal of some buildings, and the discouragement of other new construction. Also, the building density along the southern stretch was never that great due to the fact that the parkway was conceived and implemented right at the time when the area was developing AND the location of some land-intensive industries like the Christy Fire Clay works and a deep creek/ravine around Christy Park along the route. In the end, the parkway took so long to build that in the interim, the automobile went from being a novelty and a hobby to a primary mode of transportation. As a result, the parkway quickly became just another heavily traveled commuter route and never really attained Kessler's full vision as a park-like pleasure drive. Does that help?

Lots of sources, but I would start with Lion of the Valley for a quick overview of the Kingshighway Parkway plan and then move on to primary sources such as the 1902 report of the Kingshighway Commission, the 1907 Civic League Plan for St. Louis (has detailed foldout maps of the whole system), and the 1927 Rapid Transit Study for St. Louis. All of these are available at the Missouri Historical Society Library on Skinker. If you need more information Grover, send me a message.

Grover wrote:Here's an aerial from 1958 - looks like a good amount of industrial frontage . . .

The area doesn't look too much different now- a couple of car showrooms and lots are visible closest to Kingshighway with industrial uses in the background. As much as I would love to see a Metrolink following Jefferson Avenue and Broadway, now I'm thinking that if it followed the Union Pacific tracks, it would be a golden opportunity to remake a good portion of Kingshighway someday with more attractive urban-scale development.



TGE-ATW, I'm sure most people would agree with this, your post really made me wish Kessler's vision for Kingshighway had been realized. I live a couple of blocks away from Bellerive Boulevard, and not far away there are other streets with boulevard sections like Leona, Christy, and Holly Hills that really make this part of town distinctive. It would've been nice if Kingshighway looked more like these streets (our boulevards are cool, but I've always wished we had a longer one like some of those in Kansas City).



You said Bellerive Boulevard was supposed to be Kingshighway SE- I guess that finally explains why the Methodist church at Bellerive Boulevard and Colorado Avenue has Kingshighway as part of its name.

Bellerive actually WAS called Kingshighway Southeast well into the 20th century. Not exactly sure when it was switched to Bellerive, probably when the park was renamed. Bellerive Park was originally called Riverside Park and Bellerive Boulevard, where it connected to the park, was Caldwell Street. Then they built the Broadway overpass around 1912 and extended Caldwell into the farms and orchards that stretched west toward Grand and renamed it Kingshighway SE. You are right about the church, that is the source of its name.

^ Thanks for the additional information.



I've always wondered why Bellerive Boulevard comes to an end just one block west of Grand Boulevard. It's a shame that it wasn't extended further to the west to connect with Kingshighway, and it's also a shame that Interstate 55 severed that thoroughfare just as it did with much of the Carondelet neighborhood.



I suppose our powers-that-be are resigned to Kingshighway remaining in its present state- lined with gas stations, fast food restaurants, and car dealerships. While I realize a full makeover is unlikely and would prove to be difficult, I think there could be opportunities to reclaim some of the original vision over time, especially if Metrolink is extended through that area.

The parkway route went west on Bellerive to Grand and then south to Holly Hills, then west along the park to Christy and then Kingshighway narth. The city purchased Christy Park as part of the plan and wanted to purchase a lake that was once located at the NW corner of Carondelet Park (north of Holly Hills), but that never happened for some reason.

Thanks for all of the historical info.

Yeah, while the former King Chrysler/Plymouth showroom at Kingshighway and Southwest Avenue is now a law office, it looks like the old King Dodge showroom at Kingshighway and Fyler Street is going to be yet another "buy here/pay here" car lot. Yippee.

I realize the odds are slim in an economy that's still far from fully recovered, but I would have liked for one of the car dealerships to actually become a car dealership again. Right now the only new car makes being sold in the city are Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, and Scion. King's Chrysler division dealerships are history. McMahon closed its Lincoln-Mercury and Pontiac-GMC showrooms and moved its Ford dealership into the latter of the two closed showrooms (which was originally Vincel Pontiac many years ago).

I know I get tired of driving to South County or Ellisville to get my Mazda serviced. Additional import dealerships in the city would be great. Although they already have dealerships in South County, Hyundai and Kia would be naturals since both makes are experiencing a significant growth spurt. I'm also surprised Don Brown hasn't added the remaining GM makes (Buick, GMC, and Cadillac) to that massive showroom.

Although the city gets my sales tax money no matter where I buy a car- sales, service, and management workers would still contribute to the city's coffers. And while I'd like to see more urban development along Kingshighway, it could still be a New Car Row again, and we could insist on urban-friendly designs from the showrooms that choose to locate along the street. Silly car companies...don't they realize there are still people in the city that buy new cars and don't want to drive to West Nowhere to get them serviced?

^Wow, just saw this for the first time.

So. Much. Asphalt.

Not only is there a sea of parking in the front/sides, there appears to be a huge boulevard wrapping around the place, presumably for the drive thru.