The Evolution of St. Louis’ Martin Luther King Drive
Today we remember a great man – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Every year I do something to note this holiday. Here is a listing of the posts from the last four years — this year marking the 5th King Holiday here at UrbanReviewSTL:
January 17, 2005 – Let Us Turn Our Thoughts Today to Martin Luther King
January 17, 2006 – A Critical Look at St. Louis’ Martin Luther King Drive
January 14, 2007 – a five part detailed post!
- A Look at St. Louis’ MLK Drive, Part 1 of 5
- A Look at St. Louis’ MLK Drive, Part 2 of 5
- A Look at St. Louis’ MLK Drive, Part 3 of 5
- A Look at St. Louis’ MLK Drive, Part 4 of 5
- A Look at St. Louis’ MLK Drive, Part 5 of 5
January 21, 2008 – A Realistic Look at the Question of Progress in the Area of Race Relations
So this year I decided to take a photographic look at the continual evolution of Martin Luther King Drive. Like most streets, MLK Dr is not static, it slowly changes over time. Photos help chronicle that change.
What we now know as Martin Luther King Drive was originally two streets – Franklin Ave. and Easton Ave.
So clearly considerable change was happening to the street decades prior to being renamed to honor Dr. King. Aerial photos are among the best images to understand change that has taken place. Due to the length of MLK Dr. I could not show all of it so I selected the area between Jefferson & Grand where Easton angled over to meet Franklin.
All three images below depict the exact same location:
It was in the early 1970s that Easton/Franklin became MLK Dr. At that time many buildings remained.
By 2006 much of the area has been decimated:
But the best way to look at change is at street level. Let’s start at the convention center which separates the Martin Luther King Bridge from the Drive.
In no way is the above street worthy of being named for anyone liked and respected.
As we start to make our way West we cross Tucker:
I have only shown you a fraction of the 398 photos I have posted in a set and slideshow. MLK Dr. will continue to evolve. The question is into what? A city version of Manchester & 141? Given the current leadership I have little reason to erxpect much.
Hard to disagree. Again, the fundamental problem is that fewer and fewer businesses see this as a good location to be profitable, so they choose to locate elsewhere. Blame it on crime, racism, “greed”, and/or demographics/poverty, but people are choosing to shop elsewhere. Until we change this fundamental reality, only locally-serving businesses will be viable, be they gas stations/mini-marts or Walgreens/mini-marts or dollar stores/mini-marts.
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The old JC Penney is a great structure, much cooler that the one in Hampton Village, and not much older. The only reason this one is closed and the one in Hampton Village remains open is that they continue to make money in southwest city, and apparently didn’t/couldn’t in the Wellston Loop. Business is Darwinian – only the profitable survive!
Apparently, good sense and taste are reverse Darwinian… only pure shit survives.
Hampton Village is “pure shit”? Nice.
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Re. the Dick Gregory/MLK sites, Alderman Moore is working with the city to save those buildings.
Northside… see the larger picture before judging my comments, or make your own comments apart from mine.
I must agree with john w.’s assessment of Hampton Village
What larger picture? Zavist comments that Hampton Village is prosperous. John W makes observation that only shit survives. What am I missing here?
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Then Josh L piles on John W’s post that Hampton Village is shit. HV, for all of its critics posting here, is one of the most succesful shopping centers in the St. Louis region.
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The Target across the street is one of the top performing Target stores in the entire chain.
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The HV parking lot is always full.
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Do you guys feel good knocking successful city establishments? How about offering something constructive?
The larger picture should include more than just a drive on MLK. For instance, the story in the RFT about Ray’s brother and the ideas of a much broader conspiracy (http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2008-04-02/news/the-assassin-s-brother/1) or the sworn statement of Don Mitchell to the Congressional investigation and review (http://www.stlmag.com/media/St-Louis-Magazine/January-2007/The-Plot-to-Kill-a-King/). As reported, Mitchell “was, after all, just another petty criminal from Missouri.” Our country has advanced dramatically and StL continues to fall further behind.
Northside, look at Steve’s entire post- ALL of the content- and you’ll see that it is about the chronic decay of our city as seen from the unfortunate march of destruction of fabric and replacement with S H I T. The post exhibits the morphological [de]evolution of the urban fabric with respect to MLK Boulevard, apropos of today’s national holiday. The point of the post seems to be that a historic figure imbued with the qualities we should all aspire to, and enshrined as the national symbol of social justice, deserves civic gestures such as street dedications to be treated with the respect that the gestures should expect. Instead, as can be seen clealy in the photos Steve has provided, this city (along with many others) have ignored the significance of the contribution made to our society by Dr. King by taking a huge crap all over that which bears his name. That, Northside, is the big picture that you are so amazingly missing by being distracted by the shiny object Jim Zavist cast into the pond on his line.
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With our city’s rapidly disappearing history that can simply not be replaced in today’s architectural design and construction economy (as unrelated to the nation’s economy), we cannot be content with suburban sprawl pattern infill development a la Hampton Village because a few modern infill projects are commercially successful, because if that were the simple goal then we could simply bulldoze all of our 19th-century brick architecture and pave the entire place for surface parking to serve the expectedly successful, big box Target retail store. You’re smarter than that, and you know it. Do you feel good skimming over the central thesis in an author’s post and missing the point entirely? I’d say that’s about as constructive an offering I should have to make.
The dismal conditions seen along Dr. MLK were well established by the time the street was named for him.
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Easton and Franklin were commercial corridors running through predominantly African American neighborhoods. Back in the day, local leaders decided to name a boulevard through a black neighborhood for Dr. King (rather than through a white neighborhood). No surprise there.
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However, look at other commercial corridors in black neighborhoods. Lots of them are in run down shape. So it’s not really fair to say that the streets named after Dr. King are run down; the real issue is that many commercial streets in black neighborhoods are in bad shape.
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The modern day effort of the civil rights movement is not to gain equal access to a drinking fountain or lunch counter. Those gains have been made. The focus now is economic empowerment.
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If locals in a black neighborhood believe a strip center or new Walgreens is progress for their community, increasing shopping opportunities and providing local jobs, is it right for a bunch of white urbanists to criticize their choices?
I didn’t say anything about black vs. white neighborhoods- you did. Are those aspects fair to bring up while discussion MLK? Sure. Perhaps you seem to think that one race of St. Louisans owns certains streets and neighborhoods, and those who care very much about the quality and condition of our TOTAL city should just but out if our skin is not the right color. Your second to last sentence was dead on. Your last sentence was nothing but racist garbage.
Racist garbage? How so? I hear lots of northside neighbors give thanks for new shopping centers, Walgreen’s stores, and modern filling stations. Compared to the abandoned buildings they’ve lived with for decades, these are major improvements.
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If a cetain redevelopment is not up to the design standards of some urbanists, who cares? Would you like to join me at a neighborhood meeting and explain to some northside neighbors how misguided they are in their development choices?
Racist garbage:
“If locals in black neighborhood (read: owned by blacks, and no whites should bother with any involvement, because their white opinions and contributions are not wanted) believe a strip center or new Walgreen’s is progress for their community, increasing opportunities and providing local jobs, is it right for a bunch of white urbanists to criticize their choices?”
All those in favor of destructive surburban sprawl pattern infill development, presumably north of Delmar Boulevard and other select areas in the city, are black, or so it seems by your inference.
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All those if favor of the preservation of the irreplaceable history that gives our city not only the character that makes our city what it is, but is most likely one of the strongest persuasions for many to locate in the city, are white, or so it seems by your inference.
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Accepting your offer to be vastly outnumbered in a neighborhood meeting (which, I suspect, is your wish) by denizens seeking immediate relief from degredation and poverty, will do little to further what all urbanists, of all colors, strive for in our and all cities, and you know that. Will my presence at such a neighborhood meeting persuade many, if any of the value of what we’re erasing at an alarming pace? Of course not, and you know that (which, I suspect, is your wish). I’ll readily admit that there are hurdles higher than seem possible to leap standing in front of a resurgence of the city of St. Louis, but I can promise you that removing what gives the city its character to make way for poor quality installations and low wage jobs won’t get us there.
Here’s the deal. It’s not an all or nothing proposition. St. Louis is over 200 years old. It has taken a long time to get where we are now, and there will be years in the remaking of our city.
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Old North is fiercly working for historic preservation. Other areas are much more receptive to demolition of abandoned, derelict buildings. One neighborhoods “tear down” is another neighborhood’s preservation priority.
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Too much painting with a broad brush leads to gross generalizations. St. Louis is a neighborhood city, and policies regarding redevelopment are made at the neighborhood level.
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If someone desires to be “part of the action” when it comes to neighborhood redevelopment, then that someone needs to get engaged at the neighborhood level.
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Only then can one develop the sensitivity, awareness, and relationships required be an effective agent for change at the community level.
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Guess what? In another hundred years, St. Louis will still be known for its historic neighborhoods. Let’s hope it’s also known for its history-making community revitalization.
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For the past ten years, we’ve made history with our progress. Let’s keep it going.
My original comment had little to with race and much to do with economics. There are many businesses doing well in buildings in Soulard that are much older than most of the ones along MLK, so it’s not the age of the buildings that’s the core problem. There are also plenty of businesses in Festus doing equally as well in newer, vinyl-clad or EIFS boxes. 50 years ago, the Wellston Loop was a thriving African-American business neighborhood, so there’s a history of success there, similar to the Delmar Loop (without its recent renaissance), to go back to. Hampton Village was also doing well 50 years ago – three neighborhood business districts, three distinct recent histories.
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What’s changed? Overt segregation has gone away, but so have the streetcars. And because most businesses are owned/run by capitalists, most businesses only care about one color, green! If there were money to be made along MLK, trust me, businesses would be fighting to locate there. What has changed, obviously, is that profits have gone down or gone away. Why? Has the neighborhood gotten relatively poorer? Have neighborhood residents found “better” places to shop? Have traffic patterns changed (even poor people now have access to options other than public transit)? Have crimes against businesses (robberies, shoplifting, vandalism, etc.) simply became too much of a hassle? Bottom line, it’s the bottom line. If the neighbors want a thriving business corridor, they need to shop locally and support their local businesses, be it MLK, Hampton Village, Michigan Avenue or Rodeo Drive!
While St. Louis is over 200 years old, it’s undeniably proudest and most industrious period, which also produced the vast history of irreplaceable fixtures that we all know well, is what has endured and gives the city its character. The Arch may be the shiny badge or brooch, but the irreplaceable crafted history is the full outfit. Remaking the city is not debatable, however HOW we remake the city certainly is. What has plainly been shown in the photos offered by Steve in this post is a matter for fair discussion, and I’d hope that most urbanists that value the survival of this richly historic city would agree that what followed doesn’t honor what preceded. Cosmetic beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but thorough quality can be objectively judged.
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A great many of us are involved with the betterment of this city in our own way, and that includes me. I’ll decide for me what is part of the action, and what is not, and you will do the same for yourself. I have the sensitivity and awareness required to be an effective agent for change at the level I choose, as others can attest.
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Guess what? In another hundred years, at the rate we’re wiping out our irreplaceable (and largely salvageable) history, there won’t be much left to identify with. I’d hope that some suburban strip mall pasted with lifeless EIFS, superflous masonry applique, cheap storefront glazing, and endless acres of paint-striped asphalt will not be the ‘history’ that is identified with the gateway city. Let’s hope the progress that can get going is one that is worth celebrating.
I want to point out that Alderman Sam Moore actually has gone to great lengths to save the corner building that you show, and has been a supporter of the Dick Gregory Place project that RHCDA is developing. I don’t always see eye to eye with Moore, but he deserves some credit for keeping these buildings standing.
Wow. Last year’s post (linked above) on this MLK holiday theme sparked a good debate as well! This is a great blog.
Thanks for the pictures, Steve. I decided to drive MLK/Rock Rd from Kingshighway to 170 today, because of your post. I can’t believe it’s been nearly 20 years since I traveled that particular section of road, and was surprised to see as many beautiful structures as I did still standing, although many in the later stages of decay.
I’d love to hear or read more regarding this avenue from the folks who are more familiar with it than me. In particular, I would be interested in learning more about the streetcar loop building, and the former bank at the corner of Skinker and MLK.
How is it possible for someone in STL to avoid a middle section of town for 20 years? What are they thinking? Please explain their thought process, for I am dumb. Dumb me.
^ If there are 10 other “middle sections of town” routes to take… it is pretty easy.
The other day I drove north on 9th street heading to the 170.
1. It looks scary
2. curbs have decayed
3. who owns this land?
Now, why cant an organization/city just go one day and PAINT these buildings exterior. Just like before you sell your house, you clean it up, paint it, etc. I wish we could do something like that to these old warehouses. I mean colorful painting, not some dull white paint.
If others disagree, what can we do instead besides leaving them as eye soars or tearing them down. Just give them some TLC on the outside!
“How is it possible for someone in STL to avoid a middle section of town for 20 years? What are they thinking? Please explain their thought process, for I am dumb. Dumb me.”
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I live in Des Peres. My jobs have been in Clayton, and Des Peres. Why would I need to use MLK between 170 and Kingshighway?
Yes, you are most certainly a wee Todd.
You wouldn’t need to “use it”. But how about explore it? There is a strange thing here in St. Louis. Many people seldom venture out of their routines or comfort zones. A good example is the way so many people avoid north city. They just don’t visit there. There’s a lot to see if you get out of your routine.
To allude that someone avoids North city just because he or she hasn’t explored one particular stretch of road is mighty presumptuous on your part.
Dumb Me; why is this unique to STL? Having lived in several other large metro areas in the USA, lots of people basically don’t do much ‘exploring’ beyong their own neighborhood. In Boston where I spent two years, people commonly didn’t know much about what was happening two miles down the road.
St. Louis is a whole lot smaller than Boston. It is very easy to drive through all the major sections of town with little effort. With our grid street system, it’s even easier. Heading from downtown to Clayton? Try Page or MLK instead of 40.
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Want to avoid the interstates entirely? You can do that. Never been on Kingshighway? Jefferson? Hampton?….MLK? West Florissant? Natural Bridge? These are all major thoroughfares connecting neighborhoods, or simply points A and B.
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Get to know your city. Your neighborhoods. St. Louis!
Speaking of exploration, how many people here have raised a glass at the Harlem Tap Room?
Great bar on MLK!
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When ever something is named MLK it translate to 'go somewhere else'. Schools, roads, parks, hospitals, etc. all have this warning name.
Were are the niggers at, when they all sleeping one off or something?
Look at the lovely place niggers made