1,500th Post: The Death of Central St. Louis

Continuing the tradition of my 1,000th post, I will again address a serious threat to the City of St. Louis

When was the last time you heard some say the following? "Hey guys, let's go take a stroll down Kingshighway in between Highway 40 and Interstate 44!"

Even if you replace "Kingshighway" with "Grand" or "Jefferson," I have a feeling the answer is still a categorical "Never."

Why is that? Why has a whole swath of the city become a no-man's land, devoid of houses, stores and really anything of value other than some rusty industrial buildings, most of which are empty? Was it always like this? Scanning over old property records and Sanborn maps, it's clear that the large Mill Creek railroad tracks have long occupied the area between Highway 40 and Interstate 44, so that could explain some of the malaise that occurs in this wide swath of land from Jefferson to Kingshighway. But the bookends, Dogtown and Lafayette Square, show that there was life in these areas, and indeed life still remains in those two vibrant neighborhoods.

I strongly believe the real culprits are the interstates which have sliced off the central portion of the city from the north and south sides. No one likes walking over an interstate, as planners realized in Washington, DC, luckily before the interstates could be completed in that city. Now, you can walk all the way from the Washington Monument to the District border in most directions and never have to confront the hell of an interstate on-ramp. In St. Louis, however, the central city neighborhoods were left isolated and targeted for "experimentation" on the part of city leaders who could use the different, admittedly suffering Compton Hill and McRee Town areas because they lacked strong advocates and neighboring areas to fight them.

Thankfully, the days of interstate building are over, but there's something just awful about the drive down what should be the major avenues of the city. It almost seems like the city's planners gave up on the area between the interstates, and started redesigning Kingshighway, Grand and Jefferson to get people in cars through the wasteland as fast as possible. We can do better, and the wastelands can hold new buildings again--or for the first time.

Let's work so that some day that Central St. Louis is the actual center of the city, and not the barren border lands between two vibrant halves.

Just One Block in Downtown

Looking out at the forlorn parking lot on the corner of 14th and Lucas Avenue in downtown, my thoughts began to wander to what once occupied the block bounded by Washington, 15th, Lucas and 14th. Looking at the Sanborn maps, it appears that the block once held an abundance of houses, a church and school, and perhaps dozens of businesses.Admittedly, the living conditions might not have been the best, but I have to wonder if an auto repair shop and surface parking is the best use of the land.Surely downtown will not be as vibrant as we wish until parking lots become less desirable for property owners than new houses and businesses. I can vouch as an employee of an institution on this block that most of the parking sits empty most of the week.But for the time being, I'll imagine the clip-clop of horseshoes on the cobblestones and the sounds of children playing in the alleys of what was once a vibrant and bustling block.

San Luis from Thursday and Saturday

New Push to Save the San Luis

The Preservation Board will determine the fate of the San Luis next Monday June the 22nd at:

1015 Locust, Suite 1200
St. Louis, Missouri 63101
314)622-3400 Fax (314)622-3413

Even if you are able to attend please send the below sample letter to Preservation Board Secretary Adonna Buford, Alderwoman Lyda Krewson, and Monsingor Gardin.

Also distribute our newest flier throughout the Central West End and across the City!

Skyhouse Debacle Update

I walked by the site of the Skyhouse development; there's a new sign up on the fence that says "Washington Avenue Parking." I guess all the negative publicity is getting them moving.