100 Years Ago Today: The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

Architecture students learn many things in college, including about notable fires.  The 1980 MGM Grand Fire is one, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of March 25, 1911 is another.

The Triangle fire in New York City on March 25, 1911, killed 146 people, mainly women, mainly young immigrant women. Some were girls of 14 and 15. The fire broke out on the upper floors of the factory, too high for fire department ladders of those days to reach. People gathered on the street below watched in horror as women and men jumped to their deaths to avoid the enveloping flames. Observers talked of the sky raining flaming bodies. Many of the workers trapped inside were burned beyond recognition. (CNN)

I’m sure you are wondering why I’m writing about a New York City fire on a St. Louis blog, let me explain.  The fire lasted only thirty minutes, but the tragedy sparked changes to building codes and labor laws that endure today.  Regulations requiring emergency exits to be unlocked when a space was occupied came as a result of this fire. Some exits were locked, trapping victims. According to Wikipedia, a factory owner was “arrested for locking the door in his factory during working hours. He was fined $20.”

This fire strengthened the labor movement as workers increasingly demanded safer working conditions. In St. Louis garment factories had to change their ways to prevent a similar tragedy here.

– Steve Patterson

Curb Ramps Still Missing in Key Locations 20 Years After the ADA

Last week I was at Tower Grove Ave & McRee Ave for a ground breaking when I left in my power chair I had to head south a few blocks to Tower Grove Ave & Shaw to catch the bus.  At Tower Grove Ave & Lafayette Ave I encountered the above situation, no curb ramp into the sidewalk.

All the rest of the intersections had curb ramps, but all it takes is one missing to make an entire stretch impassible.  Thankfully a section of curb was missing, allowing me to pass by.  At Thurman Ave pieces of curb were also missing, allowing me to pass through there as well.

– Steve Patterson

Botanical Grove: Green City Living in the Heart of Saint Louis

A ground breaking was held last Friday afternoon for the Botanical Grove project in the Botanical Heights neighborhood.

The Botanical Heights Neighborhood is a centrally located neighborhood with close proximity to many Saint Louis amenities and destinations. The neighborhood is in the midst of a series of planned redevelopment projects that aim to improve the area, creating a vibrant walkable urban community. The first portion of redevelopment was completed between 2004 and 2007 and included the construction of 150 new homes on the six blocks bounded by 39th Street and Thurman Avenue, completed by St. Louis based homebuilder McBride and Sons. Botanical Grove represents the next phase of development, with a focus on green building within and the historic context of the western half of the neighborhood.

The neighborhood was formerly called McRee Town, so-named after McRee Ave that runs east-west through the neighborhood. Here is info on the project:

Botanical Grove includes thirty new homes on the 4200 Block of McRee in the Botanical Heights Neighborhood of St. Louis. These homes include all new homes as well as complete renovations of historic homes, with a range of unit types and sizes. All homes are built to LEED for Homes standards, to your custom specifications. Green construction on all homes, including standard geothermal heating and cooling, means a healthy lifestyle at a low operating cost. Combining these green features, with quality construction, and ten year property tax abatement allows Botanical Heights Homes to offer exceptional homes at a an exceptional value.

The firm UIC + CDO, located at McRee Ave & Tower Grove Ave , is the developer.  The project has been in the planning stages for the last five years.  In August 2010 I attended a neighborhood meeting where the project was presented to the neighbors, Ald Joseph Roddy (17th Ward) and Stephen Conway (8th Ward) both spoke at the gathering.

I like many things about this project, among them:

• Existing privately owned homes within the defined area will remain in the hands of the current owners. Existing residents I spoke with will be glad to see  neighboring properties renovated and vacant lots infilled.
• Vacant structures will be renovated, not razed.
• New construction offers a contemporary, but compatible aesthetic.  The Model 1 has a great floor plan with central kitchen and rear living room.
• LEED construction for the buildings as well as green elements for the street, such as rain gardens, are important to reducing waste.
• Commercial buildings along Tower Grove Ave will also be renovated.
• The homes include single-family detached and townhouses. The sizes are reasonable, not McMansions.

I’d be concerned about starting such a project in this economy but the bankers present on Friday are behind the effort.  I think they will phase the project over the next few years as buyers sign on the dotted line for each renovated building or new construction.

This firm has already demonstrated with both of their buildings at Tower Grove Ave & McRee Ave that good design and a slow approach can make a huge difference over time. Over the next 10 years we will hopefully see the rest of the vacant structures in Botanical Heights renovated and the vacant lots infilled with new housing units.

– Steve Patterson

Thurman Ave Needs To Be Reopened

Exciting things are happening in neighborhoods like Shaw.  For example, Shasha’s on Shaw at Shaw Blvd & Thurman Ave is a great wine bar.  Suppose you live just to the north a couple of blocks  among the recently built homes in Botanical Heights (formerly McRee Town) and you wanted dinner and a glass of wine, walking to Sasha’s would be ideal. Except…

Walking the short distance via the most direct route takes you along Thurman Ave, long closed to vehicles and looking rather abandoned and unsafe.

Neither end is accessible so pushing that baby stroller will require effort to get over the high curb.  Not sure exactly when or why Thurman Ave was closed to traffic, it has been closed for at least 20 years.  My guess is it was done to contain crime in the area to the north of I-44.

More important than walking to a wine bar is access to transit.  Two bus lines run on Shaw Blvd (08 & 80). The 80 bus also runs on 39th so residents living near that street can catch that line there.

Now that investment is happening on both sides of the highway keeping Thurman Ave closed just doesn’t make sense. Tower Grove Ave to the west and 39th to the east are both open but the distance between them is more than a half mile. This stretch of Thurman Ave between DeTonty St and Lafayette Ave is entirely within the 17th Ward, which ends at Shaw Blvd.  I saw Ald Joe Roddy last Friday but I didn’t get a chance to discuss this issue with him, he might support opening the street for all I know.

Tomorrow’s post will be about more investment just north of I-44.

– Steve Patterson

Railings on ADA Ramps Aren’t Bike Racks

I’m not upset with the owner of this bike, they had nowhere else to safely secure their vehicle.  It is the lack of bike parking at the Chase Park Plaza that upsets me.

Most likely a “dish drainer” bike rack is stuffed in a dark corner of the parking garage, completely out of sight to the transportation cyclist. I was able to get past this bike in my power chair, but I’ve encountered times where I had less room.  But the continuous railings are there for a reason, so someone can make their way along the ramp while always holding the railing.  Break the railing with a bike and suddenly you can present a major problem for someone that needs to hold the railing.

– Steve Patterson