If I had a dollar for every Business Journal hit piece on downtown with absolutely no substantive solution or criticism of the lack of broader regional and state support for downtown, I probably would be able to redevelop one of these buildings myself.
I do feel for these developers, I’m sure I would be upset if I invested millions to build a beautiful hotel, only to see no action for any of the derelict buildings surrounding it for years and years. This last section was pretty eye opening:
“Since 2014, 52 service requests have been made to the city's Citizens' Service Bureau for addresses associated with the Chemical Building, including calls for graffiti, the property needing to be boarded up and rats seen outside the building.
A spokesman for St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer didn't respond to a request for comment.
Gill said he took Kurt Weigle, Greater St. Louis Inc.'s senior vice president and chief downtown officer, on a tour to see the trash on the Chemical Building's roof. Gill, who sits on Greater St. Louis Inc.'s board of directors, said Weigle only told him he was unable to contact the Chemical Building's owner.
"After being contacted about this issue, we did contact the building’s development team, which promised to resolve the matter. It is unfortunate and unacceptable that they have not yet done so," Greater St. Louis Inc. said in a statement.
Greater St. Louis Inc.'s chief communications officer, Tony Wyche, said the organization has made addressing vacant downtown properties a priority, and is working with its partners to coordinate financing for similar downtown projects like The Victor, a formerly vacant building converted into apartments; the acquisition of the Wainwright Building, a former state government office slated for redevelopment; and redevelopment of the Mansion House apartments.
For now, crime on the premises remains a concern.
Groups of teenagers and children, one as young as 11, have been found breaking into the Chemical Building, Amy Gill said.
Gill said a prostitution ring was operating out of the building, and break-ins are frequent. Gill said a woman got lost in the building and ended up in a tunnel between the Chemical Building and Hotel Saint Louis yelling for help. After unsealing a door separating the properties, hotel staff found the woman in the tunnel.
Gill estimates the building has five years or less left before it's too broken down to be redeveloped.
"It's demolition by neglect," he said.
Despite the challenges, Gill said he doesn't regret opening Hotel Saint Louis seven years ago. He said the city deserves an Autograph Collection hotel, and if he hadn't invested in the project when he did, it would be "impossible" due to current economic conditions. Gill said his mission, stemming the deterioration of downtown and one of its unique historic properties, has been successful.
And in the mean time, they've considered replacing hotel windows facing the Chemical Building with frosted glass as a last resort.
"People who are redeveloping buildings like this in the city are doing it because it's a passion of theirs or it's a mission. But no, you don't come into the city to make money. Most deals don't pencil out," Gill said.”
If I had a dollar for every Business Journal hit piece on downtown with absolutely no substantive solution or criticism of the lack of broader regional and state support for downtown, I probably would be able to redevelop one of these buildings myself.
I generally agree with this line re: SLBJ, but this feels like a legitimate gripe. I imagine most members of this forum would've agreed with Amrit Gill's expectation (hope?) that at least one of the Chemical or Railway would be redeveloped by now. Is the tone typical BJ, though? no doubt
I was just griping about the chemical building & the conditions that it’s in the graffiti the broken glass is just hard to stomach how this building has been let to deteriorate the way it has…. Looking at it is very sad I remember as a kid this building was so beautiful & unique to look at. I truly hope it can be saved & redeveloped into something beautiful before it’s too late.
My issue is less the hit piece, though we know the BJ has never passed an opportunity to report bad news about the city- especially downtown, but more that all of their articles like this totall lacks context or legitimate journalism. Zero critical thought or criticism goes into any of these articles, it just becomes a "pile on the city" party- meanwhile all three of the county, broder MSA, and state actively work against the betterment of downtown.
The county refuses to even spend more money on the convention center that they too directly benefit from. The state can't even bring itself to pass a $50M tax credit bill for large vacant buildings that had 0 push back.
It would be way easier for the city to push along redevelopments of large buildings like this with support, but it is wholly unrealistic to think the city can go at it alone. But all the Business Journal ever does is blame the city and act like the city has some infinite sack of cash to play around with when it doesn't.
Let's not forget that all of our local media, except the Post-Dispatch and ABC of all companies, have actively contributed to the neglect of downtown and contributed to the state it is in right now, Business Journal included. The city can only do so much when the state and county are ambivalent at best and actively oppositional at worst and the local business community is unserious about any real efforts to rejuvenate downtown.
The county refuses to even spend more money on the convention center that they too directly benefit from. The state can't even bring itself to pass a $50M tax credit bill for large vacant buildings that had 0 push back.
Auggie, believe your are referring to 909 Chestnut Ave when it comes to state tax credit, Correct? I couldn't agree more with you comments as it relates to County position on convention center and state lack to do something about the state's tallest empty building. City is literally on its own from business and economic development in a lot of respects.
Not ideal by any stretch of the imagination and sure a lot of pushback but I do think their would be a return on investment for the city if Ram's funds, even if they are only from the city portion, were used to complete Convention Center Phase II and direct support for either 909 Chestnut or Railway or maybe a combo 909/chemical or Railway/chemical. Yes, we can all gripe that the city shouldn't have to do it but coming up short for on Convention Center expansion only to lose out to hotel bookings & downtown foot traffic is not ideal and having 909 Chestnut sit empty for years like Railway and now the Chemical building is a really bad situation for city down the road. But that is my opinion for a resident or two on this forum to ponder.
Also, can't help reading today about Dallas plan for the Bank of America Downtown Plaza redevelopment. Tall large and mostly empty building believe but has developer pushing plans to add new lobby, convert floors to hotel/resident, and connect w new parking garage across the street on an empty lot. Reminded in part some of 909 Chestnut.
These two city parks are underutilized & are maintenance sinkholes. If someone were to propose transforming them into more family-friendly spaces w/ low-rise retail development, City should move quickly to entertain that idea. I may know someone who is interested in doing that.
^ I think there are ways around that, like a 99 year lease
Park Pacific as a new owner who is very interested in taking on these 2 parks
Would have to be more than low rise retail I think. Can you give an example of what a development might look like? Maybe find some other development in the city that would be similar.
Section 1 - Real estate for use as a public park.
Any real estate, now or hereafter owned by the City or any agency or instrumentality of the City, which is principally used or held out for use as a public park, shall not be sold, leased, given away or otherwise disposed of, and shall be used only as a public park, nor shall any structure be built in any such park to accommodate activities not customarily associated with park use or outdoor recreation, unless such sale, lease, disposal, gift or structure is approved by a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon.
Whatever happened to the Gateway Mall study GSL commissioned? It would be great to see a vision for these parks. IMO, they should either be developed, or we should double down on them by closing 13th, 14th, 15th, and Chestnut St to create a contiguous park with great amenities surrounding the Soldiers Memorial
Big downtown residential build recently sold. I’ll let the stl mag or biz journal or Steph at post dispatch figure it out first. But it’s good news, the new owner is going to refresh it, wants to also tackle other downtown buildings like muni courts. Had a chat with him Friday and he said he was very surprised at income levels in downtown
