PR: City to Restrict Area around 11th and Spruce

The following is a press release from the mayor’s office:

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Contact: Kara Bowlin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 20, 2011

Starting Tuesday, access to the area around 11th and Spruce Downtown will be limited because portions of the historic Cupples 7 building have become structurally unsound. The City will restrict access to the building to make sure no one gets hurt.

City engineers have determined that the building is unstable enough that the City will close 11th Street from Spruce to Poplar and half a block of Spruce east of 11th Street on Tuesday after the morning rush.

Cupples 7 was built in 1907. The City routinely inspects it and has repeatedly cited the owner because of its deteriorating condition. Severe damage to the building’s roof has exposed the interior of the building to the elements. But, representatives from Ballpark Lofts III LLC, the building’s owner, say it does not have enough money to make the needed repairs to shore up the building. So far, no one has stepped forward with enough money and a plan to protect the structure.

“Building inspectors regularly inspect the building,” said Building Commissioner Frank Oswald. “It’s our job to protect our City’s residents and visitors from unsafe buildings. Unfortunately, we no longer feel confident in this building’s structural integrity. To the untrained eye, the building seems stable at the street level – but years of a severely damaged roof have taken a toll on its stability.”

Cupples 7 is one of nine Cupples buildings. It is one of only two Cupples buildings that has not yet been renovated – and is the only Cupples building without a renovation plan in place.

Any proposed repair or demolition of this building, a designated City Landmark and in a National Register Historic District, will be subject to review by the Cultural Resources Office.

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PR: HUD AWARDS $153 MILLION TO REVITALIZE SEVERELY DISTRESSED PUBLIC HOUSING IN EIGHT COMMUNITIES

The following is a press release:

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded $152.7 million to help eight cities across the country transform severely distressed public housing developments into mixed-income communities.

Housing authorities in the following cities developed highly successful revitalization plans to transform the physical condition of a public housing community and make a positive impact on the lives of their residents: Boston, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; Louisville, Kentucky; Patterson, New Jersey; St. Louis, Missouri; Taunton, Massachusetts; Phoenix, Arizona; and Portland, Oregon.

“No one can dispute the exceptional track record of HOPE VI to improve housing conditions for hundreds of communities and most importantly, thousands of families,” said Donovan. “As we move toward the next generation of neighborhood revitalization – one that links housing, education, transportation, healthcare, and other support services – we will always remember it all began with HOPE VI.”

The following housing authorities are being awarded grants through HUD’s HOPE VI Revitalization Program:

• Boston Housing Authority will receive $22 million to revitalize the Old Colony public housing development;
• Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver will receive $22 million to revitalize the South Lincoln public housing development;
• Louisville Metropolitan Housing Authority will receive $22 million to revitalize the Sheppard Square public housing development;
• Housing Authority of the City of Patterson (NJ) will receive $18.4 million to revitalize the Alexander Hamilton public housing development;
• St. Louis Housing Authority will receive $7,829,750 to revitalize the Arthur Blumeyer public housing development;
• Taunton Housing Authority will receive $22 million to revitalize the Fairfax Gardens public housing development;
• City of Phoenix Housing Authority will receive $20 million from FY 2011 funds to revitalize the Frank Luke Addition public housing development; and
• Housing Forward (Portland Housing Authority) will receive $18.5 million from FY 2011 funds to revitalize the Hillsdale Terrace public housing development.

The eight housing authorities announced today were selected among 36 public housing authorities that applied forFY 2010 HOPE VI Revitalization funding.  Six of the grantees will be funded from FY 2010 HOPE VI appropriations; two awards will come from FY 2011 funding. Later this year, HUD will conduct a competition to award $65 million in FY2011 funding to implement the Department’s new Choice Neighborhoods Program.HUD awarded high marks to applicants who plan to extend neighborhood transformation efforts beyond public housing linking housing interventions with early childhood education programs. The Obama Administration is challenging communities to build upon the HOPE VI lessons to employ a comprehensive approach to community transformation.  Choice Neighborhoods aims to transform neighborhoods of poverty into viable mixed-income neighborhoods with access to economic opportunities by revitalizing severely distressed public and assisted housing and then linking these neighborhoods to well-functioning services, effective schools, public transportation and jobs.

Housing authorities are competitively selected for HOPE VI grants based on many factors including the effectiveness and project readiness of their revitalization plans.  HUD gives recipients the flexibility to develop revitalization plans that meet their local needs.  Among other criteria, grantees are selected based on the capacity of their  housing authority and its development team to administer and manage completion of the revitalization effort; the severity of physical distress of the development; the ability of the housing authority to supplement the HOPE VI grant with funding from other sources, private, state or local government; the ability to provide supportive services to displaced residents; and the proposed green development and energy efficiency strategies.

Since 1993, HUD has awarded 260 HOPE VI Revitalization grants to 133 housing authorities– totaling nearly $ 6.3 billion. HUD began awarding HOPE VI grants following a 1992 report by the National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing that found approximately 86,000 public housing units in the U.S. needed revitalization.  HOPE VI Revitalization grants are used for an array of activities, including: demolition of severely distressed public housing; acquisition of sites for off-site construction; capital costs of major rehabilitation; new construction and other physical improvements; costs for mobility counseling and relocation; and community and supportive service programs for residents, including those relocated as a result of revitalization efforts.

Read a summary of the HOPE VI grants awarded today. #

PR: Volunteers Bring Hope to Homeowners on Lee Avenue

The following text is from a press release:

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Alderman Antonio French, Rebuilding Together-St. Louis, The Acts Partnership, and the Boeing Corporation join forces to rebuild one of the northside’s neediest blocks.

(ST. LOUIS) – Last summer, Lee Avenue experienced a string of shootings and drug-related homicides that left residents stunned and shaken. This Saturday, April 30, Alderman Antonio French (Ward 21) hopes to begin to turn that all around.

This Saturday from 7:00AM to 6:00PM, hundreds of volunteers (many from the Boeing Corporation) will rehab eight homes on the 4100-4300 blocks of Lee Avenue (between Newstead and Fair). These eight homeowners will receive complete home makeovers during year two of Alderman French’s innovative block-by-block “Rebuilding” program—a first-of-its-kind partnership between the 21st Ward and the nonprofit Rebuilding Together-St. Louis. This program works by coordinating a large number of volunteers to target homes on one block, on one Saturday, leaving a lasting impact on the whole block.

Saturday on Lee Avenue is the first of three “Rebuilding Days” that will take place in the 21st Ward this year, with the goal of repairing at least 50 homes over the summer and fall of 2011. Each targeted block will also receive needed city services, such as alley and sidewalk repair, demolition of vacant properties, tree-trimming, and street light replacement, as well as assistance in organizing block units. Saturday, volunteers will be doing everything from emergency plumbing and roof repairs to minor tasks like painting and landscaping.

“The residents of Lee Avenue have lived through violence and tragedy during the last twelve months,” Alderman French said. “We are going to do everything we can with the resources we have to rebuild these blocks and show these homeowners that they are not alone. With the help of the volunteers and donated materials that Rebuilding Together and Boeing bring to the table, we can really stretch each dollar we have as far as it can possibly go.”

“Rebuilding Together is grateful for the substantial financial commitment of Alderman French and the 21st Ward,” said Dave Ervin, Executive Director of Rebuilding Together. “We are thrilled to be helping over 50 families repair their homes in the 21st Ward this year thanks to the support of Alderman French, volunteers from Boeing Corporation, and the valuable support from the skilled trades.”

Work is already underway on Lee Avenue, as several long-vacant buildings are being demolished this week in preparation for Saturday’s event. For more info and to volunteer, please contact the 21st Ward TMAP Office at 769-9000.

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PR: Mayor Slay, City Officials to Participate in St. Louis Serves Day Saturday, April 16th

ABOVE: Opening of phase 1 of Stray Rescue, July 2010

The following text is from a press release:

Mayor Francis G. Slay and other City officials will join hundreds of St. Louisans to participate in St. Louis Serves Day on Saturday, April 16th. AmeriCorps St. Louis, in partnership with the Office of Mayor Francis Slay and the United Way of Greater St. Louis, will organize volunteers to complete “done-in-a-day” projects that range from school and neighborhood beautification projects to exercising adoptable animals. St. Louis Serves Day is part of the Gateway to Service Initiative, which promotes St. Louis as a “City that serves.”

“St. Louis Serves Day is a great way to get involved and give back to your community,” said Mayor Francis Slay. “I encourage all City residents to participate in this event. It doesn’t take a certain education level or specific skills to serve – anyone and everyone can get involved to improve their community.”

Volunteers may sign up for projects at: http://www.stl.unitedway.org/getinvolved/volunteercenter/volunteer/stlserves.aspx.

St. Louis Serves Day projects in the City include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Exercise adoptable animals at Stray Rescue of St. Louis (2320 Pine St.) – 8 a.m. to noon
• Incubator farm field work at International Institute to prepare an incubator farm (4030 Folsom Ave), which will offer agriculture-based career training programs for refugees – 9 a.m. to noon
• Spring cleaning with St. Vincent de Paul at St. Vincent’s Church Projects (1408 S. 10th St.) – 9 a.m. to noon
• Set up for the Earth Day Celebration in Forest Park’s Muny Grounds – 9 a.m. to noon
• Play with children at Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club (2901 N. Grand Blvd.) and help with registration and food service at an educational reunion event for current and past Haven of Grace clients – 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Assist Gateway Greening perform general spring cleaning in the Bell Garden (3871 Bell Ave) – 9 a.m. to noon

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PR: ‘Let Freedom Ring’ on Monday

The following is a press release:

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In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Christ Church Cathedral is hosting “Let Freedom Ring” — a daylong reading of his writings and speeches on Monday, January 17, 2010.
For the second consecutive year, the Nave of the Cathedral (13th and Locust, across from the Central Library) will be open from 9 am through 5 pm for the reading, which will be accompanied by a visual display of pictures of the civil rights leader. The public is invited both to come and listen and also to take part in the reading. There is no admission charge.
Leaders have been assigned for half-hour reading shifts, but anyone in attendance is invited to be part of the reading as well by coming to the lectern and indicating they wish to take over for a time. Whenever they wish to stop, someone will be ready to take their place.
“Like scripture, Dr. King’s words don’t just have meaning for the generation in which they were written, but new meaning for every generation,” says the Very Rev. Mike Kinman, provost of Christ Church Cathedral. “We’re hoping people will come and let these words just wash over them and also participate in reading them. Whether people come for 10 minutes, an hour or all day we want to provide chance for everyone to hear these words, let them re-enter our consciousness and continue to form us today.”
“Dr. King embodied the deepest tradition of our faith being a balance of reflection and action. There are many wonderful opportunities for action in our communities. We are providing an opportunity for reflection to inform our actions not just on this one day but every day.”
“We had a steady stream of people who came last year. A few stayed most of the day. Some came for an hour or two. Some just for a few minutes. Many of them talked about how moving it was not just to hear Dr. King’s words but to have the chance to speak them as well.”
This is the second year Christ Church Cathedral has offered this observance. You can hear the story local NPR affiliate KWMU did on it last year at http://tindeck.com/listen/xjtv.
Please address all questions and requests to the Very Rev. Mike Kinman at mkinman@gmail.com or 314.348.6453.
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PR: Christmas Tree Recycling Available at Three City Parks

The following is a press release from the mayor’s office:

Dec. 22, 2010 — After the glow of Christmas is gone and the decorations have been taken off the tree, City residents can take the bare tree to one of three City parks to be recycled.

ABOVE: Lower Muny parking lot one of three tree drop off locations. Image: Google Maps, click to view

Trees can be dropped off at:

Trees will be accepted at these park sites from Mon, Dec 27, 2010 through Fri, Jan. 14, 2011. The trees will be ground into mulch that will be free and made available at the same sites. Fake or plastic trees will not be accepted.

Trees must be free of ALL decorations. Please remove the ornaments, tinsel, lights and tree stand. Do NOT put the tree in a plastic bag or cover it. Wreaths and pine roping are not accepted at the sites.

“We want to encourage residents to recycle their Christmas trees. Locations in the north, south and central areas of the City were chosen to ensure that our recycling sites are as convenient as possible,” said Greg Hayes, Forestry Commissioner.

City residents should not place Christmas trees in alley dumpsters or recycling containers. The Refuse Division will collect them as part of its regular monthly bulk pickup program.

PR: City Makes Proposal To Avert Deep Cuts In Fire Department

The following press release just in from the mayor’s office:

ST. LOUIS-The City of St. Louis today put forward a proposal to avert deep cuts in the St. Louis Fire Department by stopping the spiraling cost increases of the Firemen’s Retirement System (FRS).

“These common sense changes are fair to both firefighters and taxpayers. They will ensure that firefighters get the pension they deserve when they need it,” said Jeff Rainford, Chief of Staff to Mayor Francis Slay. “But the changes will also ease the cost increases that threaten public safety.”

In 2001 and 2002, the state-created Fireman’s Retirement System lost $147 million on its investments. In 2008 and 2009, it lost $170 million. Under state law, the taxpayers of St. Louis must pay for those pension losses even though they did not control them. As a result, between 2001 and 2009 the cost to the taxpayer doubled. Between 2009 and 2011, it will double again. If FRS continues to miss its assumed investment gains, the costs will keep going up.

The City has already made cuts – millions of dollars of them – and the taxpayers have made sacrifices because of employee pension fund losses. The City has eliminated 600 civilian jobs. It has put off fixing broken infrastructure. It is not adequately maintaining parks. It has been forced to charge a fee for trash pickup. It raised the sales tax. It has dropped or cut back on some services. The mayor cut his own office budget by 7%; other offices have cut more or less.

By comparison, the fire department has been largely untouched.

The fire department budget has gone up by more than 40% in the last decade. Firefighter pay, health care, and pension costs have gone up by 73%. For every dollar taxpayers spend for a firefighter’s salary, taxpayers pay another 82 cents for firefighter fringe benefits, far more than private sector benefits.

These benefits costs fund one of the best public safety pensions in the country. St. Louis firefighters can retire with partial pensions as young as 38 years old. They can retire with full pensions as young as 48 years old. Injured firefighters get full disability pensions even if they are capable of doing other work. Firefighters get two weeks of sick pay each per year. When they don’t use it, they can save it up and get big checks and bigger pensions when they retire. (The City is trying to end sick leave buy-back, which is the subject of a lawsuit filed by FRS.)

“We want firefighters to be paid well and treated fairly because they do a dangerous job,” Rainford said. “But, taxpayers should not be treated like ATMs.”

The proposal, in essence, would result in some firefighters working a few additional years to get the same pension. It includes:

Increasing the minimum number of years before a firefighter can retire from 20 to 25.

For each year a firefighter works after 25 years, the value of their pension goes up. The City is proposing to reduce the annual increase slightly. It would have the effect of requiring firefighters to work a few years more to get the same pension.

Set the minimum age at which a retired firefighter can begin to collect a pension at 55 years old.

· Accepting a proposal from the International Association of Fire Fighters Local #73 that would require firefighters who are no longer able to physically do the job as a firefighter to do other work if they are able, rather than collect disability pensions.

· Requiring firefighter pension contributions to remain in the system when firefighters retire. Like many Americans who have pensions, the firefighters pay into their system. But, unlike most pensioners, they get the full contributions back when they leave the department.

· Changing the basis of pension calculations from the last two years of salary to the last three years of salary. That would put firefighter pensions more in line with public pensions across the country.

These proposed changes would be from now on only. No accumulated benefits would be cut.

Because FRS is created by state law, it will take action by the Missouri General Assembly to make all of the needed changes. Legislators have indicated they will not even consider the changes if firefighters oppose them.

“If we fail to agree and don’t change FRS, we will go down one path,” Rainford said. “There will be fewer working firefighters. There will be far less money for pay and health care for the firefighters who remain. Residents and businesses will be served by a diminished department. On the other hand, if we agree and successfully change FRS, the crisis is averted.”

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PR: City Residents Offered Free Firewood

The following is a press release:

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The City of St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry will offer free firewood to City residents starting Monday, November 8, 2010 on the Lower Muny Opera parking lot in Forest Park.

The wood is available most days after 3 p.m. Monday-Friday.

All wood comes from the removal of dead or damaged trees from City streets and parks. Daily wood supply is not guaranteed and the wood will vary with size and species when left on parking lot for citizens. It is offered on a first come, first served basis. This process ends during the first week in March.

Due to park restrictions, no commercial vehicles or trailers are permitted.

“This is an excellent cost-saving opportunity for both the City and City residents,” said Commissioner of Forestry Greg Hayes. “The City avoids having to dispose of the wood and City residents have a chance to pick up free firewood.”

For more information or questions, please call the Forestry Division at 613-7200.

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PR: City, Police Department, Partnership for Downtown St. Louis, and Downtown Community Improvement District Announce New Safety Measures on Washington Avenue

The following is a press release:
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 The City of St. Louis, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis, and the Downtown Community Improvement District today announced new measures to ensure everyone enjoying themselves on Washington Avenue is safe.
 
After an almost two-hour meeting this morning in the Mayor’s office, Lieutenant Colonel Antionette Filla announced the following changes:
 
•     Additional foot patrol officers will be added to Washington Avenue on Thursdays through Sundays from 11pm to 4am for visibility and enforcement.
•     Additional traffic officers will help control the flow of traffic on Thursdays through Sundays from 11pm to 4am.
•       The St. Louis Police Department officers will be conducting random safety checkpoints. These checkpoints will be at varied locations in the Washington Avenue entertainment district and police will be checking for drivers’ licenses, vehicle registrations, seatbelt violations, etc.
 
Maggie Campbell, president of the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis, announced the following changes:
 
•     Four Downtown CID Guides will be dedicated to Washington Avenue until 11pm.
•     The Downtown Partnership will add security cameras and monitor them.
•     A group of Washington Avenue stakeholders has formed an advisory group to make recommendations.
 
Jeff Rainford, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, announced the following:
 
•     There is no evidence that Sugar was responsible for the shooting Sunday night. In fact, calls for service at Sugar have dropped since restrictions were put in place last summer. Police say Sugar did have security in place Sunday night.
•     Sugar has voluntarily agreed to stop their under-21 nights in the interest of the neighborhood.  The Excise Commissioner will ask Sugar and 15 to restrict their customers to 21 and above late at night.
•     The City Counselor will draft legislation to create a curfew for people who are under 21 for Downtown.
•     The City Counselor will draft legislation to restrict underage people from being in liquor establishments late at night.
•     The City is considering legislation to require lighting and an attendant at parking lots and garages.
 
 
Jeff Rainford, Chief of Staff to Mayor Slay, Lieutenant Colonel Antionette Filla of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and Maggie Campbell, President of the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis will be available for individual interviews.
 
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PR: French Hosts 3rd Annual Halloween “Safe Zones” for Kids in North St. Louis