The vacant 4-story warehouse building at 3519 Page Blvd is a favorite of mine, it was built in 1909.
ABOVE: Beautiful detailing on the Page Blvd facade
ABOVE: The simpler rear elevation of 3159 Page faces MLK Dr
The building and it’s 1926 neighbor to the west are owned by NorthSide Regeneration LLC, Paul McKee’s project. Hopefully this building will be renovated into office or residential space.
- Steve Patterson
This is my eighth annual look at St. Louis’ Dr. Martin Luther King Drive on the holiday that celebrates the civil rights leader. Let’s begin at Tucker and head west.
ABOVE: Looking east toward Tucker Blvd that's closed for rebuilding
ABOVE: Just west of 14th a warehouse is getting a large expansion. Hopefully some jobs will be added.
ABOVE: At the end of 2011 a new downtown community garden was built. Click image for more info.
ABOVE: 3047 Dr. ML King was condemned in May 2011. The building was built in 1880. Click for Google Maps
ABOVE: The gas station & convenience store at 1300-1310 N Grand @ Page & @ Dr. ML King built a new building but didn't address pedestrian access
ABOVE: Same property as seen from Page.
ABOVE: Wheelchair user heading eastbound on Dr. ML King sidewalk just east of N Sarah. Click image to view area in Google Maps and see lots of empty land.
ABOVE: This beautiful building at 4635-37 Dr ML King was close to being razed a few years ago and was under rehab last year. It has 3,375sf and was built in 1899.
ABOVE: And just a few doors to the west at Dr. King & Marcus Ave this 1894 building was in sad shape. Both are part of the Dick Gregory Place Apartments project (click for info)
ABOVE: New construction as part of the Arlington Grove project at Dr. ML King Dr & Burd Ave. Click image for project info
ABOVE: More of Arlington Grove at Dr. ML King Dr & Clara Ave. Click image to see Google Maps
ABOVE: The historic Arlington school was the only structure retained on the block. Click for history.
ABOVE: I used this photo of 5955 Dr ML King a year ago, this building was razed in September & October 2011. Click to read last year's post.
ABOVE: In the Wellston Loop area a building is getting some needed maintenance and new streetlights can be seen.
So some progress is being made but so much work remains to be done. The potential exists but I don’t know that we have the ability to realize it.
- Steve Patterson
Construction isn’t complete where the realigned Tucker Blvd intersects with Cass Ave and I already see the sidewalks are not going to be great for pedestrians. Tucker is being realigned with the new Mississippi River Bridge that will open in 2014.
ABOVE: Looking west from 10th St toward construction at the new alignment of Tucker & Cass
Pedestrians walking east & west along Cass Ave get no trees or pedestrian scaled lighting. Nothing to separate them from passing traffic.
ABOVE: Facing south toward downtown on the new Tucker Blvd
The situation along Tucker will be very different, with nice lighting and future street trees. Why so different? The lighting and street trees along Tucker are there for motorists to see and get warm feelings, the benefit to the pedestrian is a secondary concern.
On Cass they don’t care if motorists feel good about the area. The only motorists that count are those coming off the new bridge. It’s a shame too because it wouldn’t have taken much effort to make Cass equally attractive for motorists & pedestrians.
- Steve Patterson
The week between Christmas and New Year’s is always slow so I fill the days with odd little posts.
ABOVE: 1721 Hadley Street on December 22, 2011 (click for map)
Last week driving around I spotted this gem. The detailing on the front porch, the proportions and the cute side entry caused me to stop the car to get this picture. 1721 Hadley Street is a 1,714 sq foot house built in 1890. It’s owned by a couple on 13th Street. The main roof and back roof have both collapsed so this structure won’t be around long.
It faces the south end of the proposed Iron Horse Trestle:
The Trestle is an 1.5 mile abandoned railroad alignment purchased by Great Rivers Greenway. It is the same railroad alignment that connects from the McKinley Bridge to Branch Street and was renovated in 2007 as part of the McKinley Bridge Bikeway.
The Trestle project begins at Branch Street where it will connect with the Riverfront Trail and the existing McKinley Bridge Bikeway. The Trestle is elevated above North Market Street adjacent to Produce Row, the City’s fruit and vegetable wholesale district and continues as it crosses over Interstate 70. Offering views of downtown St. Louis, the Mississippi River and the adjacent neighborhoods. The Trestle touches down near the intersection of Howard and Hadley Avenues just north of the new Mississippi River Bridge.
Status:
Great Rivers Greenway purchased the Trestle in 2005 and in 2007 initiated work to develop a conceptual plan for developing the trestle into a linear public park and greenway. Over the past several years, detailed engineering plans have been prepared in anticipation of construction.
In 2010, Great Rivers Greenway hired a construction management firm to work with the design team to recommend strategies to construct the project in phases as well as identify construction methods for renovating the elevated deck. It was identified that the Trestle could be constructed in two phases and Great Rivers Greenway is determining the best strategy to move towards construction in the next several years.
In mid 2011, Great Rivers Greenway began work to develop plans to paint the portion of the Trestle over Interstate 70. The painting will occur in the 2013 or 2014 as permits are secured from the Missouri Department of Transportation.
1721 Hadley Street is zoned industrial, not residential.
- Steve Patterson
b
April Ford-Griffin
The three women seeking to fill April Ford-Griffin’s unfinished term as 5th Ward Alderman will make their case tonight:
The League of Women Voters of St. Louis is moderating a public forum for candidates running for the St. Louis 5th Ward Alderwoman race on Tuesday, December 13 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Vashon High School Cafeteria, 3035 Cass Ave., 63106.
The public will have the opportunity to learn more about the candidates seeking election in the 5th Ward by hearing them speak and answer questions in a public forum one week before the special election. There are three candidates running for one vacancy: Tammika Hubbard (Democrat), Tonya Finley (Independent), and Rose M. Green (Independent). (St. Louis American)
I’ve never met any of these candidates in person but I will have to decide which one will get my vote on the 20th. My expectations, frankly, are low. I’ve yet to see any evidence any of them are a 21st century candidate with use of social media and a website. They might say the majority of 5th ward voters aren’t on Twitter/online but national research suggests otherwise:
Non-white internet users continue to have higher rates of Twitter use than their white counterparts; indeed, the Twitter adoption gap between African-Americans and whites has increased over the past six months. In November 2010, there was an eight percentage point difference in Twitter use between African-American and white internet users (13% for blacks vs. 5% for whites). By May 2011, that gap was 16 percentage points—25% of online African Americans now use Twitter, compared with 9% of such whites. African-American and Latino internet users are each significantly more likely than whites to be Twitter adopters. Even more notable: One in ten African-American internet users now visit Twitter on a typical day—that is double the rate for Latinos and nearly four times the rate for whites. (Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project)
The tern expires in the Spring of 2013.
- Steve Patterson
Downtown St. Louis can be reached via car from all directions. None is particularly a nice drive, although I do like entering from Illinois via the Eads Bridge. When the New Mississippi River Bridgeopens in 2014 motorists on I-70 from Illinois and west of St. Louis will have a new option, an exit that takes them to Cass Ave and directly onto a new alignment of Tucker Blvd into downtown.
ABOVE: Facing south toward downtown on the new Tucker Blvd
A short stretch of the rebuilt Tucker recently opened to traffic. I’ve had a chance to drive it twice and walk part of the sidewalk. It’s too early to do a review of the design of the road & sidewalks but so far it looks good with only a few problems I’ll note in a later post once more is opened.
ABOVE: Tucker after the old road, a bridge over a railroad tunnel, was removed
The good is the road is only two lanes in each direction. Rather than have three per direction with the outside used for parking or buses, the third lane isn’t a through lane. Space is provided for buses and parking but the road doesn’t feel excessively wide the way say Jefferson does between Olive & Natural Bridge. New new road, median, planted areas at the edges and street trees will make a great first impression. But when motorists look past the new sidewalks they will likely be disappointed by what they see. Great buildings like the one above, instead of housing retail storefronts, has the city’s Mosquito & Rat control division, aka Vector Control. Welcome to St. Louis!
ABOVE: Aerial image of the new Tucker (lower left) and bridge approach (upper right)
Most of the land is vacant — empty or surface parking lots as you near Washington Ave. Right now the only planning that’s been done is via Paul McKee’s Northside Regenerationplan:
The Missouri and Illinois Departments of Transportation are working together to construct a new bridge that spans the Mississippi River just north of downtown St. Louis. The new bridge has the potential to become both a catalyst for the revitalization of the area in the immediate vicinity of the “landing” and a new entrance into downtown St. Louis. For the catalytic effects of the new bridge to be fully realized, transportation improvements are needed in the area around the bridge ramps beyond what MoDOT has planned for their 2011 construction. McEagle has been working with the City of St. Louis and MoDOT to create a more efficient flow of traffic into the downtown and NorthSide areas from the new bridge. Along with the new N. Tucker Boulevard alignment planned to begin construction in spring 2010, McEagle has proposed two additional off ramps to the MRB interchange and a new Mullanphy Street realignment and bridge over the MRB Landing (MRB Extension). This Extension will provide a direct connection for west-bound traffic to the NorthSide as well as provide an alternative route for eastbound traffic to access the MRB interchange. The development yields for this area have been projected as follows:
- Office/Business space: 860,000 sq ft
- Retail: 173,000 sq ft
- Residential: 2019 units
- Hotel: 120 rooms
Regardless of your views on Paul McKee’s project you have to give him credit for recognizing the opportunity to develop new housing, offices and retail.
ABOVE: The following message popped up when I went to save this image from the source: "Since we are still in the early design phases of the project, we ask that you please not copy our images yet since these designs are not final." For my purposes here it shows that planning is being done.
I’m still concerned the new buildings will lack connections to adjacent sidewalks. St. Louis now has a “Complete Streets” policy, but no requirement for adjacent properties to connect. The ADA requires minimal connection but a building can be built and occupied without it, leaving enforcement up to those who complain. If we take McKee, and his consultants, at their word the area will be pedestrian-friendly. My preference, of course, would be a requirement by ordinance. Former 5th Ward Alderman April Ford-Griffin never would initiate such a requirement and I don’t expect any of the three woman running to fill the vacant seat to do so either. The election is December 20th. Good or bad, McKee has the Tucker & Cass area under control. But what about south of Biddle St? The 1986 McDonald’s was just razed and replaced. The new one does have an ADA access route from one of the four streets bordering the property, but it’s still a prototype best suited for a suburban/rural highway exit.
ABOVE: The east side of Tucker has the Post-dispatch, St. Patrick's Center & the Globe building, but the west side has parking and a gas station and little else. 2009 photo.
The west side of Tucker needs urban buildings up to the sidewalk, like they are on the east side.
ABOVE: Globe-Democrat building at Tucker & Delmar (aka Convention Plaza)
This is one of those opportunities that doesn’t come along often. Will we step up and take the necessary actions to ensure Tucker develops right over the next 20-30 years?
- Steve Patterson
Today, Saturday October 8, 2011, St. Louis will block off a few streets so that pedestrians and cyclists can safely traverse them:
October 8, 2011, from 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM:
This Open Streets route will wind through Old North St. Louis. Connecting to the Old North Farmers’ Market and the Riverfront Trail, this route is excellent for serious cyclists as well as those who simply want to visit Crown Candy Kitchen, stroll through the marketplace, or see the community’s acclaimed revitalization of historic properties. This event will feature Healthy Living activities such as yoga and Zumba, as well as some of St. Louis’ favorite food trucks, live music, and art, active living, and culinary demonstrations. View the Old North St. Louis route at http://bit.ly/nNJOpx
The other 364 days a year just drive.
The Open Streets events are somewhat interesting, gives me a chance to photograph buildings and streets from a position I might get only from within my car. Still it would be nice seeing more people out walking and biking all year.
The two I did last year had starting points in downtown — one right outside my front door. Today I must travel to reach the route. Naturally the MetroBus I take to get to Old North has a reroute because of the event:
#30 Open Street- 14th closed at St. Louis Ave and 13th closed at N Market
DETAILS
Due to Open Street, 14th street will be closed at St. Louis Ave. and 13th street will be closed at N. Market. The following reroutes will be in effect Saturday, October 8 from 9 a.m. unil 1:30 p.m.
REROUTE DETAILS
#30 Soulard NORTHBOUND
Regular route to 13th and Monroe, left on Monroe, right on N. Florissant, left on St. Louis Ave to regular route.
SOUTHBOUND
Regular route to St. Louis Ave and N. Florissant, right on N. Florissant, left on Monroe, right on 13th to regular route.
I’m a visual person to I had to look at a map to figure out the reroute. OK, I can get within a couple of blocks of the Jackson Circle, one of the endpoints of the event.
It would be nice if they showed the bus routes on the map. From the “getting there” page:
Since Open Streets closes streets off to cars, we recommend alternative methods of transportation:
Mass Transit: Open Streets is conveniently accessible by MetroLink and MetroBus.
They provide a link to “Get to the Oct 9th Open Streets via public transportation” which targets 14th & St. Louis Ave — Crown Candy Kitchen. The #74 isn’t affected by the event but the reroute isn’t shown on Google Maps. This intersection is over 2 niles from the nearest MetroLink station! That means anyone wanting to participate using mass transit will ride the #30 or the #74, both of which can be boarded at the Civic Center station. But for novice bus riders it would have been nice of them to spell it out clearly.
I’m not yet sure if I will go but I am interested in photographing along the route.
- Steve Patterson
I’m a sucker for buff brick buildings and Fire Station 5 is among the finest in the city, in this blogger’s opinion.
ABOVE: South-facing facade of Fire Station 5 at N. Market and Rauschenbsach Ave was built in 1930
Located in the St. Louis Place neighborhood, address is 2410 N. 22nd St.
ABOVE: Facade facing St. Louis Place Park
According to city records (GEO St. Louis) the building was built in 1930. The surrounding buildings are all from the 19th century so I wondered what was on the site prior to 1930.
ABOVE: Oct 1909 Sanborn map of Engine Co No 5 at the same location. Click image to view source of Sanborn map.
In 1909 the site had a city horse hospital, hook & ladder co. no. 2 and engine co. no. 5. These faced west toward N. 22nd Street, the 1930 building has most doors facing south with one facing east.
I recently heard a rumor that #5 was going to close. Charles Bryson, Director of Public Safety, says no decisions have been made to close any fire stations.
- Steve Patterson
Sixty-two years ago the city lit up the old white water tower on Grand.
ABOVE: The Old White Water Tower, looking south on 20th Street
From St. Louis Day By Day by Frances Hurd Stadler:
September 22, 1949
The lights went on again at the old water tower on North Grand Boulevard as thousands watched and a band played the national anthem. The tall, white Corinthian column, which had been dark through all World War II, was illuminated when Mayor Joseph M. Darst threw a switch. Designed by architect George I. Barnett and completed in 1871, the tower furnished water for the north St. Louis area until 1912, when it was abandoned for newer technology.
I need to visit some evening to get night photos — assuming the lights at the base are in working order. If only I could sit at a sidewalk cafe to wait for just the right moment to take the pictures.
- Steve Patterson
ABOVE: Orange billboard on N. Florissant advertises a gun show in St. Charles
Billboards for a gun show in St. Charles appeared all over North St. Louis, but some objected:
“We have a lot of momentum going, so to see an advertisement for a gun show really struck a major nerve,” James Clark of Better Family Life said.
After all, Clark’s mission is to encourage teens to put down the pistol and settle beefs by talking instead of shooting.
“This urban core where citizens go to sleep hearing gunshots — we do not need to have that image in these neighborhoods,” Clark said. (KMOV)
Residents got CBS Advertising to removed the billboards in one neighborhood but they remained in many others.
ABOVE: Hard to miss these billboards with images of guns.
Should the community be able to set standards for such advertising or does that violate the free speech of the show’s organizers?
- Steve Patterson
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