New Hyde Park Homes Never Occupied
I shouldn’t have been surprised when I made the connection: tacky faux-historic new house in ruins with numerous ties to realtor & developer Mary “One” Johnson.
St. Louis is littered with half-finished developments started by one of Johnson’s numerous companies. Â Johnson is also the vice chair of St. Louis’Â Preservation Board.
Hopefully the economy has stopped the proliferation of these sad little boxes. We have enough nice buildings that are vacant & boarded, we don’t need these adding to the problem.
– Steve Patterson
1 side of the block seems to have done alright (facing the highway) but this side not so much. I’ve wondered what the difference was/is several times.
1 side of the block seems to have done alright (facing the highway) but this side not so much. I’ve wondered what the difference was/is several times.
 If the housing has vinyl siding it should not be that far apart. Actually no houses in the city should be that far apart.
 If the housing has vinyl siding it should not be that far apart. Actually no houses in the city should be that far apart.
If the housing has vinyl siding it should not be that far apart. Actually no houses in the city should be that far apart.
Agreed, unless the houses are 6,000sf.
Agreed, unless the houses are 6,000sf.
Agreed, unless the houses are 6,000sf.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, this is a supply (too much) and demand (too little) issue. In a city that continues to lose population, you can plan until you’re blue in the face, but if nobody’s moving in, you’re going to continue a downward spiral. The “problem” here isn’t that these are tacky boxes, the problem is that potential buyers don’t want to deal with the crime and our public schools, especially if they have school-age kids, for which these would likely be ideal!
At least this new stuff has the parking in back, off the alley; in my ‘hood and others (like the Hill and Dogtown), the garages on new stuff tends to face the street. I don’t like that these remain vacant, but on the continuum of respecting traditional urban forms, they’re definitely not the worst!
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, this is a supply (too much) and demand (too little) issue. In a city that continues to lose population, you can plan until you’re blue in the face, but if nobody’s moving in, you’re going to continue a downward spiral. The “problem” here isn’t that these are tacky boxes, the problem is that potential buyers don’t want to deal with the crime and our public schools, especially if they have school-age kids, for which these would likely be ideal!
At least this new stuff has the parking in back, off the alley; in my ‘hood and others (like the Hill and Dogtown), the garages on new stuff tends to face the street. I don’t like that these remain vacant, but on the continuum of respecting traditional urban forms, they’re definitely not the worst!
It’s not the economy. It’s fundamental real estate standards, which aren’t being met.
I cannot reasonably see a single or couple occupying a 6000 sq. foot home, thus leaving the only realistic occupants to be families.
And no parents are going to fork out the mulah for a home in a terrible school district, high crime area, and otherwise decaying building stock. I just can’t see who the targeted occupants are here. When St. Louis actually puts some aggression into fighting crime and clamping down on schools, it might actually begin to recover. Everything else is secondary.
It’s not the economy. It’s fundamental real estate standards, which aren’t being met.
I cannot reasonably see a single or couple occupying a 6000 sq. foot home, thus leaving the only realistic occupants to be families.
And no parents are going to fork out the mulah for a home in a terrible school district, high crime area, and otherwise decaying building stock. I just can’t see who the targeted occupants are here. When St. Louis actually puts some aggression into fighting crime and clamping down on schools, it might actually begin to recover. Everything else is secondary.
Everytime I drive by these homes it sickens me, first and foremost the waste of limited public resources and secondly, there are so many families in North St. Louis in need of decent and affordable housing. We have people literally living in vacant properties.  The physical design is far less of a concern for me as an affordable housing advocate, but this waste is an abomination!!!  These properties should have been rented years ago.
Everytime I drive by these homes it sickens me, first and foremost the waste of limited public resources and secondly, there are so many families in North St. Louis in need of decent and affordable housing. We have people literally living in vacant properties. The physical design is far less of a concern for me as an affordable housing advocate, but this waste is an abomination!!! These properties should have been rented years ago.