Recently, on my way home from the Schlafly Tap Room, I ran into problem after problem. At 19th there was no curb cut so I couldn’t continue east.
ABOVE: Can’t proceed when encountering a corner without a curb ramp. The opposite corner has a ramp that’s pretty useless without a ramp in this side of 19th St. Click image to view map.
As I had to do at 22nd to get to the Tap Room, I thought I’d go mid-block and cross at the alley. But turning south on 19th I discovered another problem newer than the granite curb. A friend went with me a few days later to get pics of me on what’s left of the sidewalk.
ABOVE: The wide steps/wheelchair ramp for Jim Edmonds 15 Steakhouse makes the sidewalk on 19th Street almost impossible to use, my wheelchair barely fit between the stair and parking meter.ABOVE: The width of the wheelchair ramp (right edge) is fine, it is the stairs that create the problem.ABOVE: Close up you can see just how tight this sidewalk is now.
Based on city records, a $1.3 million renovation project took place in 2007 to create I saw no separate building permit listed for an exterior ramp and stairs. I don’t know who’s at fault for this, but something has to change! The public sidewalk cannot be pinched down this narrow for private use.
Was it designed this way? Perhaps, but my guess is a field change made the steps wider so the open door wouldn’t block the steps (see 2nd pic). However it happened, it should’ve been caught by someone in the city building department.
I see two solutions to be paid for by the responsible party: remove the extra wide part of this construction or take out the adjacent parking lane to widen the sidewalk. Neither will be cheap. Just removing the parking meter might be marginally acceptable.
But wait, there is more!
ABOVE: Just trying to reach the alley so I could cross 19th St. I encountered big blue blocking my way, forcing me to squeeze past the stairs and find another route. .
The 3-story building contains multiple tenants, including Jim Edmonds 15 Steakhouse on the first floor, insideSTL.com on the 2nd floor and a law firm on the 3rd.
I’m emailing this post to Todd Waelternan, Director of Streets, and David Newburger, Office on the Disabled, for action. I’ll be discussing this and other topics tonight with DJ Wilson on KDHX’sCollateral Damage show at 8:30pm.
By now work was to be underway remaking Kiener Plaza, but you may have noticed nothing is happening there. Work on designs and trying to secure funding has been ongoing though.
So far, around $57 million (the bulk of it is federal and state money) has been set aside to construct the lid in time for the Arch’s 50th anniversary in 2015. (KMOV)
We should see this “lid” work begin next year.
ABOVE: This should be the view three years from today with a park over I-70 and the entrance to an expanded underground museum now facing the city. Image: City+Arch+River, click to view website
Three years from today a big party will be held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Arch, but the question in many minds is how much of the ambitious plans will be completed?
The poll question this week is are you optimistic or pessimistic about the project? This might mean are you optimistic it’ll get funded, that most will get built? The poll is in the right sidebar, mobile readers need to switch to the full layout to see the sidebar.
A couple months back I took a look at a mile stretch of South Broadway, from Cherokee to Chippewa (see A Look At South Broadway Through The Marine Villa Neighborhood). At the time I thought about looking at Chippewa, each time I went down Chippewa on the #11 to/from Target I admired the buildings. For years I’ve admired the mile stretch of Chippewa St between Jefferson Ave and Grand Blvd., I’d even walked, biked and scootered parts years ago. I had to travel it again though.
ABOVE: The #11 MetroBus crosses Jefferson Ave. heading west on Chippewa Ave.ABOVE: The formerly urban character of the area has been destroyed by an over abundance of surface parking.ABOVE: Gas stations used to be much smaller in size, now they are commonly used car dealerships.ABOVE: Senior housing, many residents use the #11 bus.ABOVE: The building ages and styles are varied. Wood side porches like this are very rare these days.ABOVE: Many corners have large buildings facing them, no consistent setback to buildings but each block has some up to the sidewalk.ABOVE: Newer infill housing is spaced too far apart, breaking the established rhythm of the street.ABOVE: Red bricks vary from building to building, more warm than the new brick used above. The contrast with the beige brick corner building is striking.ABOVE: Corner buildings mark the corner in various ways, such as this roof.ABOVE: A few buildings are set way back from the sidewalkABOVE: Again the corner building acknowledges its place on the corner. One, two and three story buildings across Chippewa.ABOVE: This gem is around the corner, facing Nebraska AveMost of the storefronts along Chippewa have been remodeled over the yearsABOVE: A former theater is now a churchABOVE: West of the old theater is a large vacant corner, great for an infill structure or twoABOVE: At Minnesota Ave is one my favorite storefront entrances! The storefront is currently vacant.ABOVE: A closed gas station that hasn’t yet become a used car dealershipABOVE: Another storefront altered years ago, love the faded signABOVE: Yet another unwelcoming storefront alterationABOVE: Going west from Jefferson to Grand we’ve been going uphill but in places the building lots are well above the sidewalk.ABOVE: Another bad storefront that possibly looked like an improvement decades ago. Corner buildings are all at the sidewalk whereas residences vary in setback.ABOVE: Another quick detour, this time south on Louisiana Ave one block to Keokuk St. to see Dad’s Cookie Co.ABOVE: Newer houses occupy the former parking lot of the old Sears store that used to be on Grand & Winnebego.ABOVE: The last block before Grand is a depressing area to walk through, and through is all you’d do.ABOVE: Former grocery store on the SE corner of Grand & Chippewa was built in 1976 after St. Anthony hospital moved to south St. Louis County.ABOVE: St. Anthony Hospital faced Chippewa, not Grand. 1900-1975. Image source: St. Louis Postcards Facebook group.
Quite a stretch! Chippewa Ave was never a commercial street the way Cherokee St was, and still is, but it had many neighborhood corner stores. For decades now people have been driving to bigger and bigger boxes to buy merchandise so these storefronts are no longer critical for daily needs.
However, all over this city we’ve seen cafes, niche retailers and others do well in these spaces. With a cohesive marketing plan Chippewa could become a cool street for new businesses. Attract the gays and hipsters to get those vacant storefronts occupied!
Getting someone to take charge will be a challenge though, the south side of Chippewa is in the Dutchtown neighborhood and the north side is in the Gravois Park neighborhood. This gives the mile road a split personality, although neither focus on it because it is an edge.
On the positive side, all but the last block before Grand are in the 20th Ward. I’ve known Ald. Craig Schmid for years and he’s a very nice guy, but I don’t see him leading an effort to attract hip new businesses — they might want serve alcohol in disproportionate quantities to food.
A few years ago, when I was still a real estate agent, I listed and sold the first house on Virginia Ave just south of Chippewa. Thus, I realize the area has real, and perceived, issues but I also think it is worth fighting for. I’m unwilling to write it off, saying the all mighty market has spoken. The market is always changing! In my 22+ years I’ve seen an enormous amount of positive change because people weren’t willing to just discard entire neighborhoods. With some effort the market could be altered to see this mile Chippewa as an eclectic gem.
Recently, while riding the #97 MetroBus, I passed by the NW corner of Delmar Blvd & Hamilton Ave (map) just east of the Delmar MetroLink station and noticed signs on a vacant corner.
ABOVE: Pre-construction signs for new apartments on Delmar
Turns out the project will include the renovation of the historic Gotham apartment building in the background dating from 1926 as well as new construction facing Delmar:
Gotham and Delmar Apartments will consist of a substantially revitalized building recently certified by the National Park Service as a historic structure, and a newly constructed building on the same site. The transaction enables the property’s developers, Delmar Properties Management and Construction LLC, to obtain a fixed, low-rate, non-recourse loan for the period of construction and for a 40-year term once the buildings are completed. Many of the improvements being made to the existing building are designed to make the apartment units and public spaces more energy efficient and help reduce residents’ monthly expenses. (source)
The renovation of the Gotham building will reduce its unit count to 54 apartment units from 66, while the new Delmar building will consist of 18 residential units and a number of first-floor commercial suites for office or retail use. (source)
Very good news for a part of Delmar that hasn’t seen the level of development as the other side of the MetroLink line.
ABOVE: Rendering of the new construction to face Delmar Blvd
Hopefully we will see many more new mixed-use buildings planned for Delmar as the Loop Trolley construction begins.
In addition to a new Save-a-Lot the former Foodland site, now known as Jefferson Commons, will have a Blast Fitness. Well, assuming it receives conditional use approval from the Board of Public Service today.
ABOVE: Work has started on Jefferson Commons, a public notice of a zoning hearing is postedABOVE: Hearing is this morning regarding zoning.
A hearing is required? To understand why we have to look at the absurdity known as use-based zoning, in this case our G (Local Commercial and Office) zone in Title 26 of our city ordinances:
Chapter 26.44 – G Local Commercial and Office District
Sections:
26.44.010 District regulations.
26.44.015 Purposes.
26.44.020 Use regulations.
26.44.025 Conditional uses.
26.44.030 Parking and loading regulations.
26.44.040 Specific parking and loading regulations.
26.44.050 Height regulations.
26.44.060 Area dwellings.
26.44.070 Front yard–Nondwellings.
26.44.080 Side yard–Nondwellings.
26.44.010 District regulations.
The regulations set forth in this chapter or set forth elsewhere in the zoning code and referred to in this chapter are the district regulations in the G local commercial and office district.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
26.44.015 Purposes.
The purpose of the G local commercial and office district is to establish and preserve areas that accommodate a wide range of businesses catering to the personal and home needs of the general public and to provide for employment activity and service to the public which does not detract from nearby residential uses.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
26.44.020 Use regulations.
A building or premises shall be used only for the following purposes:
I. Restaurants other than carry-out restaurants that operate as described in Section 26.40.026B provided that carry-out restaurants that meet the site requirements specified in Section 20.40.026B2 shall be permitted;
J. Telephone, outdoor pay, if the proposed telephone is not located on a lot that is located contiguous with or directly across a street, alley, public or private easement from a dwelling district;
K. Tinsmith or sheet metal shops;
L. Wholesale business;
M. Accessory structures and uses customarily incidental to any of the above uses;
N. Temporary buildings for use incident to construction work, which buildings shall be removed upon the completion or abandonment of the construction;
O. Any permitted use exceeding seven thousand (7,000) square feet provided it is not within a commercial structure to be erected, enlarged, structurally altered or moved.
The following conditional uses may be allowed in the G local commercial and office district, subject to the provisions of Section 26.80.010:
A. Any use eligible to be a conditional use in the F neighborhood commercial district;
B. Commercial use similar to those permitted in Section 26.44.020;
C. Any permitted use which exceeds seven thousand (7,000) square feet within a commercial structure to be erected, enlarged, structurally altered or moved;
D. Any permitted or conditional use which utilizes a sales or service window or facility for customers who are in cars except those carry-out restaurants permitted in Section 26.44.020;
E. Carry-out restaurants other than those carry-out restaurants permitted in Section 26.44.020 and that meet the applicable site requirements specified in Section 26.40.026B1;
F. Telephone, outdoor pay, if the proposed telephone is located on a lot that is located contiguous with or directly across a street, alley, public or private easement from a dwelling district.
The parking regulations for uses enumerated in Chapter 26.20 through 26.40 inclusive, except as modified by Section 26.44.040, shall apply.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
26.44.040 Specific parking and loading regulations.
In addition, parking space shall also be provided for the following uses:
A. Wholesale, manufacturing and industrial buildings shall provide parking space within one thousand (1,000) feet of the main building sufficient to accommodate one (1) motor car for each ten (10) employees regularly employed at the site, based on the greatest number employed at any one period of the day or night.
B. All hereinafter erected or enlarged buildings having or to have more than five thousand (5,000) square feet of gross floor area and used for manufacturing, storage, warehouse, goods display, department store, wholesale store, and other uses involving the receipt or distribution by vehicles of materials or merchandise shall provide one (1) loading space, at least ten (10) feet by twenty-five (25) feet and having a fourteen (14) foot clearance, for each twenty-five thousand (25,000) square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof in excess of five thousand (5,000) square feet.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
26.44.050 Height regulations.
The height regulations are the same as those in the F neighborhood commercial district.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
26.44.060 Area dwellings.
For dwellings the area regulations are the same as those in the D multiple-family dwelling district. For other buildings the following area regulations only shall be required.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
26.44.070 Front yard–Nondwellings.
The front yard regulations are the same as those in the F neighborhood commercial district.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
26.44.080 Side yard–Nondwellings.
A. There shall be a side yard having a width of not less than five (5) feet on that side of a lot which adjoins any dwelling district.
B. Where dwelling accommodations are hereafter created above any nondwelling use there shall be two (2) side yards each of eight (8) feet in width unless every room within that portion of the structure used for dwelling purposes shall open directly upon a front yard or a rear yard of dimensions as required in the D multiple-family dwelling district.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
Well it is clear the type of feel desired for G zones. You don’t find it clear? Use-based zoning (Euclidean) is a maddening collection of regulations cobbled together over decades that do nothing to create desirable communities. In the early 20th century it was a way to bring some order to land development but as a tool it has outlived its usefulness.
Form-based zoning, on the other hand, is all about creating what the community determines is the appropriate feel for each part of a city. Thankfully we are seeing this new way of viewing land-use regulation in parts of St. Louis City and St. Louis County. It can’t happen fast enough.
Earlier this year Blast Fitness bought 39 clubs from Bally’s, including two in our region. (source)
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