Continued Suburbanization of Delmar Blvd Won’t Revitalize Delmar Blvd

Delmar Blvd., like most St. Louis streets, was once very urban in form. Buildings all were built up to the sidewalk, defining the public vs. private space. This also gave pedestrians a sense of enclosure, they weren’t exposed on all sides.

For decades now we’ve chipped away at the urban form then wondered why we also had population loss, increased pollution and disinvestment. We still would have experienced population loss based on the trend to the suburbs but trying to remake the city to be like th, e suburbs didn’t work to stop the loss and now it’s preventing the rejuvenation of many areas, such as along Delmar Blvd.

Also for decades St. Louis’ “leadership” has thought that anything new — any investment — was better than no investment at all. What they continue to fail to understand is disconnected buildings set back behind parking doesn’t create anyplace special. Furthermore with old storefronts up to the sidewalk and new buildings set back the look and feel isn’t pleasant. It’s not a contiguous wall of buildings or or consistent setback common in suburbia.

St. Louis’ first planner, Harland Bartholomew, wanted to basically raze the city and rebuild in the suburban model — see his 1947 Comprehensive Plan.

So when I saw this building being built in 2006 I was appalled that it was set back from Delmar. This is the offices of 100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis located at 4631 Delmar.

ABOVE: Under construction in May 2006

ABOVE: 100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis on Delmar, April 2012

ABOVE: On the Delmar sidewalk facing the entrance after exiting the bus pedestrians are less important than the cars.

ABOVE: The required ADA access route does exist but you have to go to the side street to reach it

ABOVE: The building to the east is having it's front removed to make it less urban than it's been for decades.

None of this will encourage investment and improvement of the area, it’ll likely accelerate disinvestment and abandonment. I hope to live long enough to see the 100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis building razed and replaced with 2-3 urban buildings.

- Steve Patterson

Update: Tuck-Under Garages On Delmar

In December 2010 I posted about standing water at an unfinished house at 4343 Delmar, the post included the following image.

ABOVE: green standing water halfway up the door reduces the curb appeal. Please excuse the picture quality

Nearly a year later the problem remained.

ABOVE: By November 2011 the garage door was open but the water remained

And earlier this month I drove by on the 18th…the same.

ABOVE: March 18, 2012 nothing had changed

So I was surprised a few days later when I drove by and saw city workers pumping out the water.

ABOVE: St. Louis City Water Dept employees and equipment were pumping the water out on March 21, 2012

The house was started in 2008 but the city condemned the building on March 16th. City records list the owner as Brainchild Holdings LLC, a venture of Third Eye Investment and Development, Corp. and One Vision Homes, Inc. Three other matching buildings were finished, sold and are occupied.

- Steve Patterson

Updated Street Lighting on Taylor

AVOVE: New lighting on Taylor Ave

In July new lighting was turned on along a short stretch of Taylor, a description from June:

The Taylor Pedestrian Lighting project is nearly complete. When finished, Taylor Ave between Forest Park Parkway and Lindell Ave will be illuminated by pedestrian lights rather than cobra-head lights. The pedestrian lights will make that stretch of Taylor Ave more attractive and safer for pedestrians at night, and will better connect Taylor south of Lindell to Taylor north of Lindell, which already has pedestrian lighting installed. Pedestrian lighting is another initiative to make the Central West End and the 17th Ward a more walkable, pedestrian-friendly, and vibrant community.

The $330,000 project was funded by various sources, including $60,000 from Washington University Medical Center, $30,000 from Central West End South Business District, and $100,000 from block grant. The remaining funding came from the 17th Ward Infrastructure Funds allocated by Alderman Joseph Roddy. (Source)

It seemed bright at first but the night I was out taking pictures I noticed it was about the same as some areas north of Lindell. These lights aren’t as tall as the cobra head lights that are common throughout the city. These lights equally light the street and sidewalk.

ABOVE: A cobrahead light on Taylor just north of Lindell

The cobrahead fixtures are taller, spaced further apart and directed toward the road rather than the sidewalk. I’m glad to see this change, but I’m disturbed these types of changes happen only within a single ward. Corridors involving more than one ward are probably out of luck.

- Steve Patterson

Parking in Bus Stop Locations

Twice now in the last month I’ve departed the #10 bus on Forest Park on the east side of Euclid, in front of the Parkview Hotel (map). Both times a car has been parked in the bus stop.

ABOVE: BMW illegally parked in a bus stop on Forest Park

The first time the car was parked between the intersection and the bus stop sign, the bus had to let me off at the hotel driveway because the driver couldn’t get close enough to the curb. Tuesday the illegally parked car was further east so the bus had room to pull to the curb to let me off and pull back out into traffic.

The first time I jokingly asked the bus driver if it would be fun to push such cars out of the way, he affirmed. This time I thought of a recent news story from Europe:

Drivers who park in cycle lanes would normally worry about receiving a fine or perhaps having their vehicle towed. They probably do not expect to have their car crushed beneath the wheels of an armoured personnel carrier which has the local mayor at the controls.

But car owners in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, may be choosing their parking spaces a little more carefully after the city’s mayor, Arturas Zuokas, drove over – and wrecked – a Mercedes in a stunt to serve as a warning to anyone who thinks about parking illegally. (Source)

Here is the video:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ-8xj8CUZw

Recently I was at another bus stop when a motorist parked in the stop where I was waiting. When she got out I asked her to move because the bus was due in minutes. On South Grabd I had to go into the FedEx store to find  the driver of a FedEx truck parked in the bus stop. He pulled out as the bus arrived.

I like and support on-street parking. When I chose to drive my car on-street parking is often the only choice I have to get me close enough to my destination I can walk there.  The road in Vilnius has zero on-street parking, no wonder they have a problem.

Anyone know where I can get a used tank?

- Steve Patterson

Making A Setback Less Objectionable

In urbanized areas I like buildings to “hug” the public sidewalk, with active facades.  By active I mean numerous doors & windows, like you’d get with storefronts.  But not every area can support that many storefront spaces.  In the past buildings were often set back behind large blank plazas or surface parking.

The Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College is an example of new thinking about how to build in an urban context where storefront spaces just don’t work and where some public outdoor space may be desirable.  Just a block from the busiest MetroLink station in our system, pedestrians are a sure thing.

ABOVE: Aerial image of the Goldfarb School of Nursing. Source: Google Maps (click to view)

The building is open at the corner of Taylor & Duncan but it does extend to both sidewalks away from the corner.  Parking is placed on the back sides, not between the building & sidewalk.

ABOVE: fencing, piers & open gates separates the public sidewalk from the courtyard space and contines the urban building line

ABOVE: Pedestrians on the sidewalk can touch the building as they pass.

ABOVE: The east side as seen from the public sidewalk

Pedestrians approaching this building have several options on where to enter.  None require the pedestrian to walk in a driveway designed for automobiles.

To recap how to make a setback less objectionable:

1. Extend part of the building to each public sidewalk
2. Extend building line with a low fence
3. Do not place parking or driveways between the public sidewalk and building
4. Provide multiple routes for pedestrians to enter the building

- Steve Patterson

Tuck-Under Garages On Delmar

ABOVE: A pair of townhouses on Delmar with a "tuck-under" garage

I’m not a fan of front facing garages, especially on lots served by a rear alley.   The “tuck-under” garage makers the front garage less objectionable.  However, the white garage door stands out in contrast the dark materials of the rest of the facade — drawing attention to the door.  Although I doubt many walking by on the sidewalk will notice the townhouse on the right because of what they will see on the left.

ABOVE: green standing water halfway up the door reduces the curb appeal. Please excuse the picture quality

I’ve said it before and I will say it again.  The only properties that should be permitted to have a curb cut out to the street are those that do not have a rear alley.

ABOVE: Aerial of property (upper left) showing alley, click image to view in Google Maps

- Steve Patterson

It Does Get Better

Today is National Coming Out Day and, yes, I’m gay.  I was harassed for being gay, before I even knew I was gay, during the 5th-8th grade (1977-1981). I came out in 1983, at age 16 — a year after the term “AIDS” was first used.  Although scary times for me, it got better.

Last week I joined hundreds of others in the Central West End for an important event to show youth it gets better:

“They marched as one. Unified by candlelight, reflecting on some of their darkest days of bullying and harassment.” (Vigil Condemns Anti-Gay Bullying)

Here is a short video clip I shot:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piM5o3uth3Y

The vigil was organized by Growing American Youth:

“Growing American Youth is a social support organization for youth who live near St. Louis and who are 21 and under and may identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, asexual or questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity. Growing American Youth has been serving St. Louis area youth for 30 years.”

In addition to the string of gay teen suicides we now have the story of violence against young gay men in New York:

“Outraged city leaders said Saturday that the city wouldn’t tolerate the “vicious” hatred that had apparently caused a street gang to allegedly beat and torture two teenage boys and a man inside an abandoned home over the course of several hours because they were gay.” (NYC officials outraged over anti-gay gang torture)

Cities are still the most accepting place to be.

- Steve Patterson

Weekend Events For The St. Louis Urbanist

ABOVE: Open Streets #1 on May 1, 2010

This weekend brings some interesting events, good excuses to explore areas you may not know as well as others.

Great Forest Park Balloon Race

“The 2010 Great Forest Park Balloon Race is scheduled for Saturday, September 18, 2010 and will take place on Central Field in Forest Park, near the Jewel Box. The Balloon Glow will take place on Friday, September 17, 2010 also on Central Field. A detailed event schedule for the 2010 race is available here.”

Open Streets #3

Open Streets combines elements of your neighborhood block party, a day at the gym, and a relaxing weekend morning. It’s a chance to exercise, an opportunity to people watch, and a great time to enjoy our region’s wonderful spring and fall weather.

Sunday September 19 2010 8am-1pm, map

Have a great weekend!

- Steve Patterson

The building I most want to see renovated

The City of St. Louis has hundreds, if not thousands, of beautiful urban buildings I’d like to see renovated.  Significant buildings like the Arcade/Wright downtown, among them.  But the one building I think I’d put at or near the top of my list is a 2-story building at the East end of Fountain Park (map):

November 2009

In researching this story I found a few posts from friends.  Matt Mourning observed on July 6, 2008, “The pleasant building seems to literally embrace the oblong Fountain Park that is its neighbor.” So true, the building was built before zoning existed yet it manages to do a spectacular job.  As cities write form-based codes they look at buildings like the above to see if it could be built under a new zoning code.  Our 1947-era zoning would not allow this fine building to be built today.  We need to do two things about that.  1) save this example of how to have a building relate to the sidewalk and adjacent area and 2) change our zoning to allow/encourage modern versions.

Matt’s post led me to Toby Weiss’ post from February 4, 2007 where she wrote:

It was built in 1897, with store fronts at ground level and apartments above. The building curves to match the geometry of the neighborhood, and the cylindrical turrets are like lyrical bookends. I immediately imagined decades of people lounging in these spaces, gazing out over the park, and it felt magical.

Magical indeed.  Whenever I’m in the vicinity of Fountain Park I take a spin past this building.  Toby linked to Robert Powers’ photo site, Built St. Louis. I scrolled down to the comments on Toby’s post and the first one was from me.  I had posted a link to a post I had done on this building in February 2005.  At the time I wrote:

The building curves to follow the street pattern. This is a lost art — most people just build square buildings these days. The composition of this building is one of the finest I’ve ever seen — anywhere. Seattle has nothing like it. Vancouver has great buildings downtown but their residential neighborhoods are a bit dull architecturally. Same for San Francisco, D.C., and most others. Scale, proportion, materials. All come together in a way that most newer buildings just don’t. This building just belongs – feeling perfectly at home with the adjacent houses. Rarely is a commercial building such a fit in a residential area.

Obviously I can see past the current condition. Hopefully you can too. The surrounding residences are being rehabbed and if someone is smart they’ll snap up this building and do a coffee house/deli/cafe/market on the ground floor. The sidewalk facing Fountain Park is just begging for outdoor dining. The old upstairs apartments would make great condos.

Only after we see past old racial lines and boards on windows will we fully realize the potential of our city. Good urbanity is colorblind.

I had a wide angle lens back then:

February 2005

Two comments after mine on Toby’s blog was from yet another friend, Lisa Selligman. She wrote in February 2007:

The mixed-use castle on the corner, embracing the square with its turrets and archways, remained derelict, and I dreamed of buying it, restoring it, opening a coffee shop on the ground floor, with tables on the sidewalk filled with chattering customers. My studio on the second floor overlooked a renewed park with the fountain splashing in the distance.

As has been noted by others the building is actually two buildings joined by a brick wall.

The north structure is fine in its own right but the combination of the two it was make this corner of the city such a gem.

I am positively captivated by this building.

With several storefronts the options are many.  A coffee shop on the ground floor at the corner seems ideal.  Cafe tables and umbrellas out front.  Something modeled on Hartford Coffee or the original Kaldi’s.The reasons for this building to never be renovated are numerous: low adjacent values, perception of neighborhood by outsiders, current economy, etc.  I want the harder list — the ways in which this project can once again be occupied and be a part of a vibrant Fountain Park neighborhood.

– Steve Patterson

Giving Forest Park Forever’s New Director a Chance to Prove Herself

On September 21st Forest Park Forever’s new Executive Director was announced:

Forest Park Forever, the nonprofit that maintains Forest Park, named Lesley Hoffarth its president and executive director on Monday following a nationwide search.

Hoffarth, currently the I-64 reconstruction project director, will join Forest Park Forever in January.  (Source: St. Louis Business Journals)

It didn’t take long for some to question the wisdom of hiring an engineer with 20 years at the Missouri Department of Transportation to head the non-profit .  The day after the announcement:

Now, I don’t know Lesley Hoffarth, and she may be more urban-minded than I’m aware. But any head of Forest Park Forever, a group that has done great work strengthening and improving the innards of the park, should know that its edges are important too. (Source: STL Dotage)

And the day after that:

I’m keeping an open mind regarding the new President of Forest Park Forever. By all accounts the I-64 project has been managed well. I think it’s unfair to say that Lesley Hoffarth personally will favor roads and car-centric changes. However, the Forest Park Forever mission statement doesn’t emphasize the experience of the non-destination visitor or pedestrians. With all the attractions in the park you can bet that open roads and parking will play a big part in future park development. My fear is that the new Forest Park Forever President is a perfect fit. (Source: STL Urban Workshop)

Mayor Slay chimed in on Twitter with a general welcome; “Looking forward to working with Lesley Hoffarth at Forest Park Forever.”

And on Arch City Chronicle, Competence is Transferable:

FPF is a private organization which partners with the City of St. Louis to maintain St. Louis’ largest, most adored park. The organization, led by Todd Epsten, CEO of Major Brands and heavy Democratic donor, hired Hoffarth away from MODoT.

Forest Park has a lot of trails and sidewalks. But one assumes that Hoffarth’s ability to manage the reconstruction of the main highway in St. Louis, and do so ahead of schedule and with minimal disruptions, was the main selling point. She should be able to manage the Forest Park which operates as the city’s premier melting pot.

I suppose I’d join the other bloggers in their suspicion if not for one fact: I know Lesley Hoffarth.  I’m not talking about having briefly met her at a public meeting.  I’ve known her and her family for years now, spending time in their home.  I’ve seen her spend hours volunteering to help the Kirkwood Farmers’ Market.  So I’m willing to give her a chance to prove she can lead Forest Park Forever.

– Steve Patterson