Poll: What should St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones do with the site of the former Cupples 7 Warehouse?
The wrecking contractor is finishing up the demolition of the Cupples 7 warehouse at 1014 Spruce St, just west of Busch Stadium so now’s a good time to figure out the next step(s). For those new to this issue here’s a recap:
- The Cupples Warehouse district is very historic, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (see nomination).
- Various past attempts to raze most or all failed. The other remaining warehouses have all been rehabbed for new uses.
- Private owners allowed a small hole in the roof of Cupples 7 to grow into a gigantic hole over the last 10-15 years, causing the wood interior floors to collapse.
- The previous St. Louis Treasurer, Larry Williams, agreed to buy the note from the bank if the city issued a demotion permit.
- A few years ago the city closed off adjacent streets out of fear the building would collapse.
- The city said the building must come down, the risk of collapse was too great.
- New Treasurer Tishaura Jones bought the note and began the demolition required by the city.
The eastern half of the building is basically gone, just rubble. The western half, however, remains. It too has internal issues but not to the degree the eastern half did.
The poll question this week asks “What should St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones do with the site of the former Cupples 7 Warehouse?” You’ll be able to pick up to 3 answers which range from paving the site for parking to stopping demolition on the western half.
I know what I want her to do but I’ll save that for the post presenting the results on Wednesday August 28th. You can vote in the right sidebar and share your thoughts in the comments below.
— Steve Patterson
b
We don’t need another “park” downtown, we need density and economic activity. We’re not Colonial Williamsburg, we don’t need to become a friggin’ museum, frozen in time!
Agreed! I think the western half on the corner could be used in a modern way that wasn’t possible with the others. Historic tax credits aren’t likey with half the building gone. Even if it all goes, we need the massing from a new building.
Buildings are not structured like a birthday cake. You can’t take a slice from one side and expect the balance to remain structurally sound. Undermined footing and foundation walls, possible severed/undermined shear walls, etc. all negatively impact the practicality/possibility of your proposed modification, even further complicated by the use of rubble wall foundation walls and the existence of dead mortar common in the exterior walls and masonry columns/pilasters, which, when compromised and/or reduced in scope, are unpredictable at best. Let’s let the old gal RIP and let’s look forward to creative and exciting ideas for redeveloping the property for the next 100 or so years.
It is worth evaluating at this point. How was the firewall constructed? Can the western half be mothballed? How bad is the interior? How to keep water out in the meantime?
It may be too late for this half, but I think it makes sense to pause briefly just to check.
I really can’t imagine that the original firewall has a significant place in this conversation. Reestablishing the original firewall is the least challenging line item in the salvaging effort. The integrity of the structure is key. Old rubble wall foundations are not easily (cost-effectively) analysed/upgraded in proposed renovations of this type and in areas of similar subsoil conditions. Anything can be designed/developed on-paper. But as-built conditions put everything in to proper perspective, and have a sobering impact on the savy investor’s overall budget. Current (updated) seismic codes would further complicate the issue in this case, especially in that area of the city where soils conditions prove to be a major design obstacle anyway, even if the foundations design is new poured-in-place mildly-reinforced concrete using 5 of 6 K concrete strengths, heavy steel reinforcements, and seismic anchors. Just ask the Treasurer who developed the nearby Justice Center garage. The entire interior and the entire exterior of this Cupples structure is held together with DEAD mortar separating one brick from the next. Essentially, in cases like this, brick walls remain standing out of habit, unable to perform when challenged by even the slightest seismic movement and any wind velocities which step out of the norm. This building has to be rendered PEOPLE READY and PEOPLE SAFE, not something that I would risk my licenses doing without major upgrades, design redundancies, and a big bag of change order money. Sorry, I’m not one who thinks that OLD means “worthy of salvaging”–necessarily. And to disregard the sanctity of even one human life (potential occupant and/or potential construction worker) makes the entire effort border on reckless and criminal, in my opinion.
I agree that just because something is old it doesn’t need to be saved. But I know it is unlikely anyone would build a new building on this site with equal massing and materials. Spruce is a connector between transit and 14th and Busch Stadium at 8th, the corner priece at 11th would be a good start to something new.
I would say parking lot. We need more of these so we can become world known for having the most surface parking. Meanwhile on the other side of town, well not really…but on the other side of the 44/55/64 interchange and across from St. Mary of the Victories church in Soulard another warehouse is caving in. Saw it yesterday.
Parking for Kiel Opera House which Vince Schomehl killed to the wes, and
Barb Geisman killed to the east.
not soulard
Yes it is.
nah i believe WUMPUS is right, that seems to be that the crunden-martin complex to which i believe you are referring (Building #5 which suffered a fire?). that is in either the chouteau’s landing or kosciusko neighborhood, depending on which building and what limits you define for each neighborhood.
chouteau’s landing is not a city neighborhood, it is/was just a development ploy, like “the grove”. koscuisko starts south of chouteau, the area moe is referring to is just plain old downtown, albeit a remote part
no it isn’t, not even close, take a look at a map of city neighborhoods
Except that in the maps of city neighborhoods, Soulard takes in all the way to the Popular Bridge. But WTF???? Sorry if I didn’t post exact GPS coordinates. You know what building I’m talking about. It’s still falling down, it’s still vacant. It’s still a disgrace.
City neighborhoods have official boundries, its not opinion based. That is not Soulard, its downtown, which soulard does not even border.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://rehabbersclub.org/images/map.gif&imgrefurl=http://rehabbersclub.org/hood.html&h=971&w=500&sz=53&tbnid=Q3t55RVOrzOB4M:&tbnh=90&tbnw=46&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dneighborhood%2Bmap%2Bof%2Bst%2Blouis%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=neighborhood+map+of+st+louis&usg=__8PBg2gQLZ0BZmZHE68PC5mO0Q1M=&docid=cV3R5qeGIS8nEM&sa=X&ei=6OwSUrTeEOuu2AXGwICQBQ&ved=0CEIQ9QEwBA&dur=186#imgdii=Q3t55RVOrzOB4M%3A%3BjfpgKl25NeKEiM%3BQ3t55RVOrzOB4M%3A
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://rehabbersclub.org/images/map.gif&imgrefurl=http://rehabbersclub.org/hood.html&h=971&w=500&sz=53&tbnid=Q3t55RVOrzOB4M:&tbnh=90&tbnw=46&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dneighborhood%2Bmap%2Bof%2Bst%2Blouis%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=neighborhood+map+of+st+louis&usg=__8PBg2gQLZ0BZmZHE68PC5mO0Q1M=&docid=cV3R5qeGIS8nEM&sa=X&ei=6OwSUrTeEOuu2AXGwICQBQ&ved=0CEIQ9QEwBA&dur=186#imgdii=_
That maP proves you wrong and confirms what I said, so I guess you can’t read a map. Thanks for confirming what I said, I never would have taken the time to post a map that backed up my statement, frankly I’m shocked you would post a map that proves you are a moron.
The map prove me right wump or whatever your name is this week. You seem to have issues.
No it doesn’t, you clearly can’t read a map. it clearly shows that is downtown, you dont seem to be able to recognize what those lines on the map represent. area 35, the blue, is downtown. that big line crossing the river is called the PSB, the poplar street bridge. well within the defined borders of downtown st louis mo, usa, north america, western hemisphere, earth, the solar system, milkyway, this universe, this dimension.
http://explorestlouis.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Metro-Area-Map-1-26-12.pdf
Issues. SMH. Issues.
that map is nothing, its shows nothing, its has no borders of anything. go back to the county
Why not simply RFP the property for development?
Well there’s the joke of the day! LOL We’re talking the government here, that is way, way too logical.
There is no ‘next step’ as St. Louis continues to destroy itself at an unmatched rate. Next is loss of the historic tax credits with the sports powers and the science powers salivating over $150 million a year, that has been shaven down to under $100 million.Landmarks is doing nothing. Missouri Preservation doing nothing. National Trust doesnt even know there is a St. Louis. So, Im going to have to do it again as I did in 98-99. A huge petition drive to take thousands of signatures to Jeff City end next month and push the thugs away. Or, the rehab business follows the film production business, down the toilet in this city and stage. Steve-you can find me, Im sure as hell not coming to you.