St. Louis now has dockless bike share. Follow along on our maiden voyage and read what we think after our first impression.
Robert Quine and His St. Louis Connection
I stumbled into another fascinating mystery relating to my two favorite topics in life: Rock and Roll and St. Louis. What started with a Valentine's Day present turned into a long research phase relating to guitartist Robert Quine and his connection to St. Louis and some of the best rock records ever made. This story culminates with an interview with one of Quine's lifelong friends who met in St. Louis while attending Washington University. Kind readers, I was giddy doing the research for this blog. I realize only a small handful of people know this music, but it means everything to me and having a St. Louis connection is a lovely bonus.
Spring Fever Baseball Edition - Stan Musial and Biggie's Restaurants
Stltoday.com now charging a monthly fee - what next?
Thoughts On The Clifton Heights Park Master Plan
Citizen Defense of Historic Codes at Prominent Corner in McKinley Heights
It can be an uphill battle to defend neighborhood historic codes and standards when the city doesn't enforce them and the local government doesn't advocate for an equitable solution for all parties. So, I sat down and talked to a couple neighbors who both happen to be talented architects to get the latest on a non-compliant site plan at the corner of Jefferson an Allen and talk alternatives that would work for all parties.
The Loss Of An Urban Intersection At Skinker and Delmar - A Look at St. Louis in 1970
The city has been unsuccessful in developing and enforcing rules on new construction. This lack of vision has led to scads of suburban sites that have chipped away at the fabric of our city. This has been taking place for years, here's an example of the people fighting back against one such plan back in 1970's Skinker-DeBaliviere.
Forest Park's Muny Tributary and Liberal Arts Bridge Taking Shape
St. Louis University Naming Mixed-Use District Near Campus
A massive 400+ acre swath of the city is targeted for redevelopment. You can weigh in on what a section of the area is named. We hope that the St. Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corporation, the group in charge of steering development and investment in the area can put the city first and share some of the success that we've seen in Forest Park Southeast to this important part of the city.
Ritz Beverage - A Casualty of the Interstate Highway System
A mystery that started in an antique shop on Manchester Avenue led me to the library and then to the LaSalle Neighborhood to finally find what is becoming more and more clear, the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 that brought an Interstate highways instead of the old Route 66 was devastating for the city of St. Louis. It removed so much urban fabric and divided so many part of the city. Ritz Bottling Company is just one of the hundreds displaced by mid-Century progress.
A historic renovation win for the Shaw Neighborhood
Remember the painted red brick, cheesy signs and junk food adverts at the corner of Shaw and 39th Street? That building used to be the Shaw Theater, and boy is it looking good these days. This is a big historic renovation save for the Shaw Neighborhood and St. Louis in general. This one is an eye catcher.
Forest Park Southeast Activity - Vista Place and Columbia Iron Works
Formerly Dead Parts of the City Starting to Feel Alive Again
A recent night out in the Central West End made us realize just how far the southeast section of the neighborhood has come. This post includes a photo tour of Laclede Avenue and West Pine Boulevard between Vandeventer and Sarah Street, with the goal of gaining a better understanding of whether this part of the city is become a neighborhood again after years as a light industrial stronghold.
Follow Up Post - Owner Abandonment and Neglect
Abandonment, Neglect and the Cost on our neighborhoods
The loss of another corner building to trespassers and firebugs is a punch to the gut. We have to demand better from property owners in this city. This post is an exploration of my neighborhood of the last seven years. I drove around and took photos of every board-up and researched the ownership profile and recent history. It's easy to surmise that suburbanites and out of state "investors" do not have neighborhood/St. Louis pride on their resumes. We...WE...residents of St. Louis need to take our city back.
Fox Park Neighborhood Development
The last "Favorite Development of 2017" lands right in my stomping grounds. Sure, not as splashy or eye-catching as some of the higher profile projects, but real, private investment in our neighborhoods is what we REALLY need to become a whole city again. Here's to a 2018 filled with as many good projects and investment as 2017. Cheers!
Westin Hotel/Retail Mixed-use Building in Midtown Neighborhood
While news of a new mixed-use proposal for Forest Park Avenue might sound great, this one has some trade offs worth contemplating, including up to 25 years of tax abatement, demolition of historic buildings and a still non-pedestrian friendly speedway. The design and investment is still exciting and for that it makes the list.
Delmar DivINe - 2017 Development Proposal Favorite
A shuttered hospital since 2014, this massive property at 5535 Delmar Boulevard in the West End Neighborhood could bring $90M of investment to reconfigure the space into 180K sq. ft. of retail/office, 160 apartments and other shared work spaces to help bridge the gaps in this part of our city. Another 2017 development proposal that makes our top twenty list.
The Armory - Another 2017 Development Favorite
The Railway Exchange Building - 2017 Favorite Development Announcement
The full block, ~1.2M square foot Railway Exchange building at 601 Olive in the heart of Downtown had a change in ownership and some news of courting some exciting tenants. This massive, ~$300M development would be a massive shot in the arm for Downtown and architecture lovers alike. Here's to this one gaining tracking in 2018.
