What is Next For the Former St. Aloysius Complex?
One thing is known about St. Aloysius, the city’s Preservation Board will not be hearing an appeal from owner Jim Wohlert. I have confirmed with Cultural Resources Director, Kathleen Shea, that no appeal has been received by her office. Ms. Shea had sent letters of denial to Mr. Wohlert on January 24, 2006 following the December 19, 2005 Preservation Board meeting. The ordinance stipulates that any appeal must be filed within 30 days.
So if the developer continues to push his plan for detached housing where the graceful church buildings now stand he’ll have to go a different route. Enter Alderman Vollmer and his deferring accomplices. Look for legislation to exclude the 2+ acre site from preservation review or perhaps to exclude the neighborhood from the preservation review process altogether.
This would be an interesting turn of events now that Alderman Waterhouse is introducing legislation to put the adjacent 24th Ward back into the preservation review process (full story). Vollmer should keep in mind that removing the 24th Ward from preservation review was one of the actions that got Bauer recalled.
– Steve
“Vollmer should keep in mind that removing the 24th Ward from preservation review was one of the actions that got Bauer recalled.”
So you are saying that Vollmer ‘helped’ Bauer get recalled? I thought that Bauer was recalled because he pissed off too many of his constituents by using Eminent Domain for gas stations?
Sorry, but I was not a city resident when this occurred, thus I had no first hand witness to confirm the medias reporting.
[REPLY – No, Vollmer didn’t help. Well, he probably “deferred” to Bauer when he removed the 24th ward from preservation review. The lack of preservation review, some associated development projects and the QT got Bauer recalled. Some in Vollmer’s ward are quite upset about the whole St. Als thing and removing the area from PR might push them enough to take corrective action. – SLP]