urbanSTL

Regarding the demo status, they are still erecting scaffolding, but it looks like they are getting ready to remove the skywalk. At least there were workers on the skywalk roof, and climbing in and out of it the other day...

BJC has been selling bonds for this and other projects recently.

If the crane arm extends out long enough to swing over their helipad, they’ll just default to the Children’s helipad full time during the duration the crane is up.

^Bonus points for the locally built jet.

Found this pic on STL Memories & Vintage Photos Facebook page, and thought I'd share here (circa 1939):

^It's amazing just how many of those buildings are still there buried in the middle of the complex where you can't see them.

urbanitas wrote: ↑

Feb 26, 2021

Queeny demo porn cams, streamed live, from three angles!

BJC: Watch live as Queeny Tower at Barnes-Jewish Hospital is demolished

The glass and roof of the skywalk are mostly gone. The steel frame will probably be removed next week.

It'll be interesting to see how they take the tower down, but too bad their webcam site doesn't have a history feature.

I've got this cool old glass-plate negative of the early Wash U Med School (sorry, it doesn't scan well)

^That was the building just north of where Queeny Tower is now, right? 

^Not really sure. 

I've also got an old photo-engraved copper printing plate of the McMillan building (which is even more difficult to scan, as it's mounted on a 3/4" thick piece of wood). 

The skywalk is down. It looks like they just need to finish the scaffolding up to the roof where the skywalk was, so they can get serious about the demo.

I knew this was coming, but it's still somewhat sad-making.

Still a long way to go if they wish to have the building down by September. We're at the end of May now, so that gives them 3-4 months of demo time. I'm sure they'll get it done during this time frame, but it seems like the demolition has been pretty slow up to this point.

^I expect remediation and interior demo slowed things down. Kind of like foundation work always seems to crawl along forever on a large development. Once they start cutting steel I bet it goes quickly.

There was a 52-story skyscraper recently dismantled in New York. I thought it would take years, but it actually went pretty quickly. Amazing stuff. 

https://gothamist.com/news/270-park-ave ... chase-bank

The Union Carbide Building is still standing strong in my mind. Will be crushing when I see the site in person for the first time though. 

For some odd reason, I'm not as sad about Queeney Tower. Maybe because I'm used to medical centers always evolving? Or maybe because we've been talking about this news for so long. It probably comes down to the fact that I'm so excited about the potential of the replacement. I often say that I support historic preservation so strongly in STL because the replacement is so much often worse than what we lost. This is a rare example of when a downgrade is very unlikely. Once again, I'm glad HOK is no longer involved. 

aprice wrote: ↑

May 22, 2021

The Union Carbide Building is still standing strong in my mind. Will be crushing when I see the site in person for the first time though. 

For some odd reason, I'm not as sad about Queeney Tower. Maybe because I'm used to medical centers always evolving? Or maybe because we've been talking about this news for so long. It probably comes down to the fact that I'm so excited about the potential of the replacement. I often say that I support historic preservation so strongly in STL because the replacement is so much often worse than what we lost. This is a rare example of when a downgrade is very unlikely. Once again, I'm glad HOK is no longer involved. 

I get that the north tower has the sagging floor issue, but I've never been clear on why that's been placed at the architects feet and not the engineers or contractors. As for me, I have always been glad of HOK's success and I'm skeptical that what we get will be better than what's going down. I honestly wish HOK were still involved. This will be the first major building at Barnes in forever that wasn't HOK. I suppose I worry that it will be the beginning of the end for an iconic St. Louis institution.

All that said, I hope the new building is grand. We shall see.

imran wrote: ↑

May 22, 2021

Allowing demolition of this size without a building permit with a clear idea of what we will get in return gives away any bargaining leverage. Once we have a vacant lot, people could argue that even a gas station is better. Not a smart move for the City.

When BJC or Washington University are involved, the city has zero leverage no matter what it does. 

The only exception I can recall was the development of Hudlin Park, and that was only because it would have required a city-wide vote.

You got it backwards. The effort (and big opposition) to build on Hudlin Park lead to the charter amendment that requires a vote.

Another example is WUSTL wanted to widen the walkway to the Loop in U City and neighbors were able to stop it. They didn't want trees cut down. I usually don't want trees cut down either, but a wider path to better accommodate cyclists and peds and getting rid of some horrible gum ball trees sounded pretty good to me.