North Broadway, Revisited

As the new Mississippi River Bridge slowly rises north of downtown, it will be interesting to see what happens to the largely desolate stretch of North Broadway that now runs under the approaches to the bridge.Many of the old refrigerated warehouses are vast, allowing for relatively easy refurbishment for new uses.The American Bag Company is one business that has occupied several buildings in a row.I find the peaked roof of this building amusing, as there is no roof behind the triangular facade.

New Mississippi River Bridge Work Continues

New Mississippi Bridge

I was surprised at the rate of construction on the western approaches to the new I-70 bridge north of downtown. you can actually see all the way to the other side, where other preparations are being made for the eastern half.They've already gotten a large number of the piers poured, and are starting on the deck of the bridge.This interesting Art-Deco warehouse will sit right in the shadow of the bridge, which will pass right by it.The bridge seems awfully low, considering that it is going over Broadway. It seems like it will be pretty dead underneath the overpass, but then again, the McKinley Bridge has crossed over Broadway for a hundred years, so I guess it will survive.

Paul McKee Releases Computer Generated Images of North St. Louis Planned Development

McEagle Developments announces the new development, Heritage Place, in North St. Louis.Computer image of intersection of N. Florissant and Montgomery Streets.Commercial development proposal for corner of St. Louis Avenue and Jefferson Ave.2900 Block of Hebert.JeffVanderLou new development, as proposed by McEagle.

Post Dispatch Reports I-70 Mississippi River Bridge Moving Ahead

Better get out and photograph anything in the path of the new I-70 bridge before it's gone forever.

Near North Riverfront Odds and Ends

Kat Klub

What I can't figure out about this sign for the old Kat Klub is that, after a fire that gutted the building, the sign is still illuminated. Who's paying the electric bill?

On the Feasiliblity of Adaptive Reuse

The McPheeters Warehouse on the Near North Riverfront was torn down recently, despite being in relatively stable condition. I can understand, I mean really, what possible use could there be in the year 2008 for an old 19th Century warehouse?


It turns out that there's all sorts of uses for 19th Century warehouses, even in the supposed "scary" and "dangerous" Near North Riverfront/Broadway corridor. I had the pleasure of joining my friend who trains at the North Broadway Gym in seeing various individuals fight out in the middle of North Broadway. Shady Jack's, a bar that reused an abandoned warehouse, cosponsored the event. A good time was had by all, and no one had to go to the hospital.

The owner of Shady Jack's renovated his building, even though (gasp) the building next door had been gutted by fire one time long ago.This beautiful row of buildings is only a five minute walk from Laclede's Landing.So abandoned warehouses aren't completely worthless after all.

Anachronistic Sign

Golly Geez, Wally, a whole $10!?

United Bags Company

This great ensemble of buildings anchors North Broadway in front of the St. Louis Market--the real market in the city where produce is delivered and sold to grocery stores and the like.The current occupant of the three buildings is a bag company of some sort.The street wall is well preserved along this stretch, giving a sense, at least to the east, of a thriving city.While I don't necessarily approve of the red aluminum in the windows, I am glad to see that the buildings are occupied. The bronze cornice brackets are particularly wonderful features. These buildings may have originally been early refrigerated warehouses for the city.See an aerial view here.