urbanSTL

^ was there about 9:45! 

Here's an interesting hopeful rehab at 916 Allen.  The previous owner of this long vacant four-fam had a permit application in 2021 for conversion to single family but then sold it to the current owner who submitted a permit application for conversion to two-family. But then it had a major collapse last year and the owner put in a permit for demolition. I'm not sure what changed, but now there's a permit application for conversion to 6 family.  Goes before the Board of Adjustment in a couple weeks.

STLrainbow wrote: ↑

Jan 24, 2023

^ was there about 9:45! 

Here's an interesting hopeful rehab at 916 Allen.  The previous owner of this long vacant four-fam had a permit application in 2021 for conversion to single family but then sold it to the current owner who submitted a permit application for conversion to two-family. But then it had a major collapse last year and the owner put in a permit for demolition. I'm not sure what changed, but now there's a permit application for conversion to 6 family.  Goes before the Board of Adjustment in a couple weeks.

The building division put in that demolition permit. They were going to do an emergency demolition after the rear collapse. The demolition company started in on the side walls, but then, between the current alder, the community, and the willing developer, the Building Commissioner was convinced to let the developer have a go at stabilization and a new plan for this property.

^ thanks so much for that additional background!  As the owner has done some perhaps miraculous successful rehabs of some of these oldies in severe condition in the past, I was really thinking the end was near when I saw the demo permit. Good to see it was from the city but that they ultimately agreed to give it a chance.   

^Can we bribe him to take on the strip on South Broadway that's under the gun?

symphonicpoet wrote: ↑

Jan 30, 2023

^Can we bribe him to take on the strip on South Broadway that's under the gun?

Definitely.

^Actually, as I think about it, I wonder if it might be setting up a seed fund into which we could all pitch in and periodically award grant money or low/no interest loans to worthy developments we agree on.

Years ago, Landmarks was establishing a pilot program to give low-interest lows for small-scale stabilization projects: Landmarks Association to create loan program for historic preservation

I have not heard anything about it for a while, though, and don't know what came of it.

symphonicpoet wrote: ↑

Feb 01, 2023

^Actually, as I think about it, I wonder if it might be setting up a seed fund into which we could all pitch in and periodically award grant money or low/no interest loans to worthy developments we agree on.

Love IT!

$650k building permit application submitted for rehab of 1300 Sidney

Saw the streets blocked off when walking home from HiHat late last night and walked the dog by the church this AM. 

From what I could see inside the church looks like it will need to be gutted but structurally looks salvageable. 

^I was driving home from a friend's in Fairview Heights and saw the thing. My heart sank, as that was at one time, a few generations back, the old family church. Between being a German Lutheran church and Bethlehem Mission it was the old Slovak Lutheran St. Lucas, before they built their current building on Morganford. My great grandparents on that side were married there. Bunches of great aunts and uncles, I think. The grandparents of my late sister's in laws were the ministers there. That one . . . hurts. I drove by today. It's pretty bad, but I'm holding out hope it's not a total loss. Looked like there were a bunch of engineers on site evaluating the damage. It looks to have spread through more or less the whole building. The roof is shot. All the windows are broken and the interior damage is obviously quite extensive. But maybe if the walls are still sound there's hope.

I don’t think many of the Catholic Churches are actually being sold off. At least in the short term.

I do agree the property seems attractive for redevelopment.

STLEnginerd wrote:Maybe i am being insensitive but with so many catholic parishes being closed and many of the churches themselves being offered for sale, maybe the ideal situation for this is for the congregation to relocate to one of those and the building be repurposed.  Without a steeple tower this building doesn't look that much like a church.  I could see it serving a number of secular uses.

Being that its in Soulard I would think it would be attractive for redevelopment.

The church in question was already in private hands. It was underutilized as an art studio of some type.

^Exactly. Was going to say, it'd been sold off long ago. Was originally German Evangelical (Lutheran) later Slovak (Lutheran) and . . . non denominational? Not sure what denomination the final church was. But they sold it several years ago. Also, when I drove by yesterday the steeple was still standing. Probably compromised, but not collapsed. The roof burned. There was a congregation of helmeted professionals looking the place over. (I assume engineers and insurance adjustors.) I hold a small hope it can be saved.

This one really stings. I just toured these 2 buildings very, very recently. I met with Abraham, the artist that is renting the spaces. He took an hour and a half away from his work to give me a super in-depth tour of both buildings and give me an over view of his vision for the spaces. 

The schoolhouse is being used as an art gallery and event space on the main level, and a ~200 person music venue on the second. The church was being used by multiple artists using multiple media. Unbelievably talented artists and so many works completed and works in progress. I can't imagine the total value of the loss, as some of these stone carving projects take years. 

Abraham had the vision to turn it into a 3rd Degree Glass but for stone and wood carving, offering traveling or up and coming artists a space to work and a place for people who are interested in stone/wood carving to come and learn/take workshops/have all tools necessary. He obviously has an extreme attention to detail, and wanted to fully renovate the church, murals and all. I really hope this one can be saved, and that Abraham can weather the storm. 

http://abrahammohler.com/
https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-the-lucas-schoolhouse
https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/its-l ... d-in-fire/

Thanks for posting the link. I'm a Solovic on my mom's side, and go figure, those Slovak forbears were married there. I still have still Solvic cousins at the current St. Lucas. My sister married a Kovac at the new one. The old one always held a special place in everyone's heart. And I love the arts, go figure, and I hope they can save something and keep going. Glad to help. Hope others can too.

quincunx wrote: ↑

Jun 03, 2023

$650k building permit application submitted for rehab of 1300 Sidney

Issued

Hello my name is sheila pIverson my Grandparents, on the early 80s, her name was Phyllis Carroll. My Grandpa's name was James Carroll.
There's a lot of history in that bar. My grandparents were good people and they helped a lot of people.In that area,they also lived on 9 street, for many years all of her grandkids pretty much grew up in the neighborhood. I wish I could walk through that bar again it would be a time capsule for me.