A Look at St. Louis’ MLK Drive, Part 5 of 5

This post is part five of a five part series. Part five looks at MLK Drive from Kingshighway to just past the city limits.

• Part One — Introduction.
• Part Two — MLK from Tucker to Jefferson Ave.
• Part Three — MLK from Jefferson Ave. to Grand Ave.
• Part Four — MLK from Grand Ave to Kingshighway.

This section of MLK Drive takes on a different flavor from what we’ve seen to the east. Although partially lined with commercial most is smaller and slightly newer than what we saw before. Many churches are concentrated in this section. As we approach the city limits, just past Goodfellow, we see the remains of a once very happening commercial district at the end of the old streetcar line. I will continue out past the city limits to the current MetroLink light rail stop where I’d like to see a new MLK streetcar line terminate.

Finally, a park along MLK. This is Sherman park which is located at the NW corner of Kingshighway and MLK, diagonally across from the Roberts’ suburban complex which contains the formerly urban Sears store.

These buildings are representative of this section of MLK. Gaps now exist where buildings have been razed, we are after all still in Terry Kennedy’s 18th Ward where most areas are not protected by Preservation Review. Demolition permits can be handed out as routinely as valet permits downtown.

Here we see where a building had recently been razed.

On a positive note we can see here where a new foundation was recently placed for some new construction. And thankfully it is not behind parking as we are seeing all too often. I’ve seen anything as to what the new building will look like but I’m not holding out any hopes of something really good.

Former gas stations like this one on the SE corner of MLK and Union litter our city. Some are vacant while others, like this one, hosts a variety of businesses.

Looks like someone started to do something a number of years back, creating a gated parking lot. Today the fencing has fallen down and this block is pretty much abandoned. This section and west is all in the 22nd Ward of Jeffrey Boyd.

On Sundays the area has plenty of vistors if all the cars are any indication. A number of churches in this stretch help fill numerous parking lots with cars. From the looks of the cars, I’d say most of these people don’t live in the immediate area. I’m not convinced the area is better off with these churches as their buildings and parking lots are pretty dead 6 days a week.

Another of my favorite buildings along MLK, this one just east of Goodfellow. I want the upstairs apartment on the far corner as soon as a streetcar line is build. Once renovated this could be a wonderful asset to the area. This building is very similar to one located on Delmar near Hamilton.

Here at the SW corner of MLK and Goodfellow we begin to return to greater density as we approach the end of the old #32 Wellston streetcar line.

This fine specimen is a former JC Penny department store. It has been acquired by an individual working with a local CDC (Community Developement Corporation) although I am not sure of their intentions. Once renovated and with a streetcar line installed I want to live upstairs in a building across the street — I would love to have this building as my view! [Updated 1/15/07 – 8:45am –added that JC Pennty building is owned by an indiviual associated with the CDC, not the CDC itself.]

The gray granite marker shows the exact point of the city limits, as does the old cafe in adjacent Wellston.

Across the street is the old Wellston Loop buildings where a couple of streetcar lines met up and passengers could connect up with bus service out to the county. This fine structure is owned by the City of St. Louis.   same CDC that owns the JC Penny building. The lot visible to the right of this structure had a really nice 6-story or so building until a few years ago when it was razed. This was a very dense and active area at one time.

In better times the shopping district simply crossed the city limits without a care. This gem is located in the neighboring municipality of Wellston.

A mile west of the city limits on St. Charles Rock Road (MLK changes to St. Charles once past Lucas-Hunt) is a station for our light rail system, MetroLink. The vast parking lot is ideal for a transit oriented development as well as a new loop for a modern streetcar.

One of my concerns for MLK Drive is that federal funds have been set aside for new sidewalks and streetlights from Grand out to the city limits. We saw how well our money was spent between Jefferson & Grand, will we simply get more of the same bad planning? Either our Planning & Urban Design Agency headed by Rollin Stanley is completely incompetent or not included in the decision making process.

Click here to see all 97 images from this section of MLK Drive.

Dr. Martin Luther King, one of the great leaders of the 20th Century, deserves so much more from a street named in his honor. Peace.

A Look at St. Louis’ MLK Drive, Part 4 of 5

This post is part four of a five part series. Part four looks at MLK Drive from Grand Ave. to Kingshighway.

• Part One — Introduction.
• Part Two — MLK from Tucker to Jefferson Ave.
• Part Three — MLK from Jefferson Ave. to Grand Ave.

Continuing on our journey west along MLK we resume from Grand Ave. You’ll recall in the prior post we saw the site of the new suburban Walgreen’s. Well, that is only the most recent sprawl-based development in this area.

A new suburban strip center is just completed on the NW corner of MLK (left) and Grand (right). The suburban features are numerous. First we have a single story building, second it is set back as far as possible from the street making it more of a challenge for pedestrians, it lacks a proper ADA required accessible route from the public sidewalk to the building entrances (tisk tisk) and finally it has plenty-o-parking right out front so that everyone can completely ignore the ample on-street parking.

Seen here from the west, the building is completely uninspired and does not relate at all to the sidewalk. I was happy to see the line of street trees along MLK. That is my car parked on MLK, four traffic lanes plus two parking lanes with parking lot focused development is about as suburban as you can get. If I were to crop out the old building in the background you might think we were out in a new suburb. Once the Walgreen’s goes up across Grand, the theme will continue. The above project is located in the 5th Ward of April Ford-Griffin.

Across MLK to the south we see the back of a building at the 5+ year old MLK Plaza. Once again, the entire intersection that was once quite urban has become this low-rise low density sprawl centric area. This is contrasted with the excellent pedestrian-oriented Hope VI housing being built just across Grand. Those residents will find their walk to the store unfulfilling at best and dangerous due to traffic at worst. This project, like those east of Grand, are in the 19th Ward formerlly represented by Mike McMillan.
All this and we are still at our starting point along Grand!

Just a block to the west another triangular shaped lot is being cleared. As I recall it was a mess before with perhaps a junk lot so I welcome the clean up. Survey crews were out working on a Sunday. I’m not sure what is planned for the site but I’m guessing more surburban-style development. You’d think when starting from scratch we’d get better development but then again that would require some true leadership at city hall. This is back in the 5th Ward.

The large lot above is on the SE corner of MLK and Sarah. Saint Louis University’s John Cook School of Business is working [assisting the non-profit  Habitat for Neighborhoood Business] on the construction of a new building at this site for the purposes of creating incubation space for startup businesses, a worthy goal no doubt. Unfortunately, I’m hearing the building may be suburban in form with parking in front. The architecture firm is said to be that of Glantz & Associates which primarily seems to do very surburban residential work. I may well be trying to put a kabash on this one until it can be redesigned, especially given the urban forms on the same block shown below.  [UPDATE 1/28/07 – I’ve met with a couple of board members of Habitat for Neighborhood Business to discuss the project, both indicate they are seeking an urban prototype with parking at the side or rear.]

These buildings (mostly the ones on the right), along the south side of MLK just west of Whittier are among the most interesting we have left in the city. The massing, varied hights and detailing are spectacular. The old cast iron storefronts are still in tact. The neon sign for the cleaners is a reminder of the many such signs that lined this street. Get me a streetcar running down this street and I will gladly live in a condo above one of these storefronts!

The above buildings are located in the 4th Ward (Ald. O.L. Shelton) in the Vandeventer Neighborhood. At one time, MLK (then Easton Ave) was the focal point of the neighborhood. Today is serves not as a uniter but as a dividing line between many neighborhoods. The north side of the street is The Ville.

A once beautiful home sits in ruins after years of decay and a recent fire. The vacant lot to the right is the site of a planned farmer’s market for the area. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) are nationally celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. Chapters all over the country are doing projects to give back to their respective communities. The St. Louis chapter of the AIA have, after working with residents in the Ville last year, decided to help them get the farmer’s market they seek.

The project is being designed this semester through a studio at Washington University. African-American architect Karl Grice will be the architect of record on the project which is expected to cost nearly $500K. I have some reservations about the site that was selected — namely if that is the best location — and if such a costly structure should be built before giving the market a trial run for a season at a nearby school, park or church. But, that will be something I can debate in a separate post.

Another recent tragedy along MLK is this newly opened Family Dollar store. The low end building is pushed back from the street behind lots of parking. As we saw with the strip center at MLK & Grand, no pedestrian access is provided — those walking must cut through the landscaping or walk in via the automobile drive. Later in this post I’ll show you an older Family Dollar store just down the street that is built up to the street with its parking on the side of the building rather than the front. This lovely “investment” was made possible by Ald. O.L.
Shelton.

Another view of the Family Dollar store. Would a break in the shrubs and striping through the parking lot to the front door have been too much to ask?

At this corner stood a wonderful looking building that during the AIA’s charrette last April was considered to be a fine model for new construction by combining a corner storefront with attached townhouses. Below is what the buildings looked like in April 2006.

See my prior post for more on the demolition of this once fine structure. We have 18th Ward Ald. Kennedy to thank for not including this or much of his ward in a Preservation Review District so that the city’s Preservation Board does not have the right to review demolition permits. This was an unnecessary loss.

I promised you a more urban form Family Dollar, this is located a block east of Kingshighway on the north side of MLK. It is an older structure that has been remodeled a number of times. It is not much to look at but at least it is an urban form and pedestrians can easily enter from the sidewalk.

Above is a new retail building at the corner of Kingshighway & MLK, built within the last 10 years or so by the Roberts Brothers. I was working on Union just north of Natural Bridge at the time so I passed by here daily either in my car or on my bike (yes, I was really good about bike commuting for a couple of years). The Blockbuster video that opened in the building has since closed.

The former Sears store which serves as the headquarters for the Roberts’ empire is visible in the far right of the above image (see below). The Sears provided a good model being built up to the street with on-street parking. Had they continued this pattern for this building they might have had something more sustainable.

The former Sears is now named the Victor Roberts Building.

An excessively wide driveway off Kingshighway leads to the parking for the former Sears building as well as the Roberts’ suburban strip center building located to the east. As you might expect, no pedestrian sidewalks are provided — you are expected to be in a car.

The Roberts’ suburban strip center is seen on our left behind a massive amount of parking. The street, Aubert Ave, is devoid of street trees and is excessively wide. To the right is the back side of the former Sears. Down the street and to the right is an Aldi store. At the end of the block is Page, behind us is MLK. And though you might be walking along Aubert to get to one of the few remaining stores in this strip center, you’ll have to cross the bright red mulch planting area or walk in via the auto driveway, pedestrian sidewalks are not provided.

Here, at the corner of Page & Euclid, we get treated to the backside of the Roberts’ suburban strip center. Lovely huh? Page & Euclid was once a prominent corner but no more. Beautifully detailed homes still line the eastern side of Euclid. This whole Roberts mess is located in Terry Kennedy’s 18th Ward (I’m not sure of whose ward it was when the newer suburban stuff was constructed).

I took a total of 111 pictures in this section of MLK, they can all be viewed on Flickr. Click here for part five of this series.

A Look at St. Louis’ MLK Drive, Part 3 of 5

This post is part three of a five part series. Part three looks at MLK Drive from Jefferson Ave to Grand Ave.

• Part One — Introduction.
• Part Two — MLK from Tucker to Jefferson Ave.

“Melvin’s Permanent Village” isn’t so permanent afterall. Debris from the roof collapse is pushing at the front gates that used to cover the store windows. This is just west of Jefferson.

This stretch of MLK from Jefferson to Grand has few buildings left. Many that remain are in poor condition but a few are quite outstanding. The main thing you notice in this section of MLK is the new sidewalks, curb bulb outs and street lighting as shown above. Last year I said it was good to have the improvements, adding:

I think it is important to send a message of hope to current residents & business owners as well as those that are prospective residents and/or business owners. My fear is that sidewalks and street lamps is a little too late.

I then went on to advocate a streetcar line as the needed push on MLK. I still believe it will take a major force such as that to fully revitalize this street but we will save that discussion for another day. In the last year I have spent more time on MLK than I have in my prior 15 years living in St. Louis. I’ve also spent a lot of the last year learning about and reporting on poorly planned pedestrian access.

Sadly, in this one mile stretch of MLK where we’ve spend a good sum of money (I don’t have exact figures so I am not going to speculate), only at one point are the sidewalks and ramps designed for actually crossing MLK. This is worth repeating — in an entire mile only one place exists where it is suggested via the sidewalks that you can cross MLK.

This is it, the one spot where the sidewalks and accessible ramps are actually pointed across MLK and aligned with each other. Of course, an able bodied person can easily cross the street anywhere along this mile stretch but we don’t spend this kind of money only for those that are able bodied. Others using wheelchairs and mobility scooters need to be able to get around as well. Maybe they are trying to get to church?

Above is looking from Glasgow Ave across MLK at a popular church (it got much busier on my return trip past this location about an hour later). As you can see, coming from the North the sidewalk continues along MLK both east (and west). However, someone wanting to cross MLK to reach this church is not afforded the basics of a sidewalk. Again, someone who is able bodied can easily walk across but someone using the assistance of a wheelchair must get through the standing water and then attempt to locate a break in the curb on the opposite side or have someone assist them in getting over the curb and through the grass.

Such lack of consideration for how people might actually get from place to place on a sidewalk shows the lack of common sense with respect to planning as as well as oversight and review prior to construction. Former Ald. Mike McMillan, now the city’s license collector, has touted this streetscape among his accomplishments. I presume he has never actually walked it himself.

A little further west, at N. Garrison we see a similar situation. Here we are looking east along MLK (the street to the right) with Gamble St off to the left (although not through at this point). The sidewalk for MLK heads over toward Gamble but the actual ramp is pointing out to the still too wide crossing. Again, despite this being a significant crossing point, no walks are provided across MLK.

The senior housing that was being built last year near Compton & MLK is now complete and open. It does a nice job of respecting the street pattern in the area as well as giving a nice massing to a largely vacant area. The building has good sidewalk connections to the entrances.

Across MLK from the senior housing, rubble is all that remains of the former Blumeyer housing projects at the intersection of MLK and Page. Ironically, the new housing that is being built in the area is quite pedestrian friendly but as we’ve seen, the sidewalks to the east are not so friendly. The development happening to the west is not pedestrian friendly either.

In the triangle formed by MLK, Page and Grand are these fine old warehouses and a gas station (behind these buildings). It would be nice to see these renovated into retail & housing but I’m afraid a lack of vision and leadership in this area will lead to their demolition for something suburban.

And finally we arrive at North Grand where work is underway for a brand new suburban Walgreen’s store. A very urban (and stunning) building facing Grand was razed for what will be a generic and short term building that only drains money from the neighborhood. See my prior post on this subject.

My Flickr photoset on this section of MLK contains a total of 41 images, click here to see them all.  Click here to continue to part four of this series.

A Look at St. Louis’ MLK Drive, Part 2 of 5

This post is part two of a five part series. Part two looks at MLK Drive from Tucker to Jefferson Ave. Click here to read part one.

Along Tucker (12th) we see ugly bright yellow “Jersey” barriers placed along the outside lane. I’m standing at the start of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive which is to the left, heading westbound. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is located on the right with literal acres of surface parking on the left.

Above is 16th Street as seen from Delmar, the next block up is MLK. Two years ago this was gated off forcing pedestrians traversing the area to seek alternate routes or as they had done when I posted on it back on November 18, 2004 pry the bars enough to allow a person to squeeze through. I’m glad to see it opened once again to traffic.

Former Franklin School, above, bounded by MLK on the north, 18th on the east, Delmar on the south and 19th on the west is getting rebuilt into affordable housing units for the active adult (55+). Thankfully I am still too young to qualify although I’m just a short 15 years away.

Near 22nd Street along MLK is a vacant city block, at least partially owned by Butler Re-Development. Part of an earlier city-backed development scheme for the area, many current owners have been sitting on these vacant parcels for years with little to no pressure from City Hall to bring the land back into productive use. Substantial amounts of land in this area are vacant. The city helped many of these owners acquire the land, maybe it is time to step in and demand they finally do something? Mayor Slay is a proponent of selective use of eminent domain, if this doesn’t qualify I don’t know what does.

A few additional photos from MLK between Tucker & Jefferson can be seen on Flickr. To continue to part three of this series click here.

A Look at St. Louis’ MLK Drive, Part 1 of 5

Tomorrow is our national holiday to honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was assisinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis Tennessee. I took the photo, at right, of the Lorainne Motel where he was killed when I visited Memphis in March last year.

For the past two years I have done posts looking at the St. Louis street which bears his name, this year will be no different. However, I have broken the street into four sections and each will receive a full post with numerous pictures and commentary (these will be posted indiviually as done).

Although I’ve never read any of Dr. King’s books I, like most Americans, have heard bits and pieces from his various speeches including the famous “I have a Dream” speech given the day before he was killed. I reviewed a number of quotes from Dr. King, all brilliant and insightful, and pulled these as having particular meaning to me personally and what I strive for in my life and work:

Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.

I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative.

The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.

All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

I submit to you that if a man hasn’t discovered something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.

Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Each quote gives me reason to pause and think about my own life and why I continue to fight the fights that I do. As I am labeled a radical or zealot I know I am on the right path. Dr. King’s words give me strength to keep up the battle for a better St. Louis.

If Dr. King were with us today no doubt our cities would be different — better — places to live. Without question, white flight to the suburbs would have continued but the black flight that followed may not have happened, or not to the same degree as it did. I do not believe we’d see the black on black violence that we have in many cities, including St. Louis. This is, of course, pure speculation on my part. We will never know what the world would have been like had Dr. King not been killed that April day nearly 40 years ago. The best we can do is think how he would have guided society toward peace and brotherhood and work toward such a vision.

The posts that follow this one will examine the current state of St. Louis’ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. First, some background:

• Most of the street we now call MLK Drive was known as Easton Ave and a small part of Franklin Ave. (East of Jefferson).
• Easton Ave & Franklin Ave were named for Dr. King in 1972, four years after his assasination in 1968.
• In 1948 the US Supreme Court ruled on a St. Louis case, Shelley vs. Kramer, that racially restrictive covenants prohibiting non-whites from owning property in certain areas could not be enforced by the government. That case involved a house on Labadie Ave just 10 blocks north of then Easton Ave near Kingshighway. And yes, it was the “Kramer’s” that were seeking to keep the Shelley’s off their street, long before Michael Richards portrayed character Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld.
• The historically black neighborhood, The Ville, borders MLK and is just blocks to the east of the area where the Shelley vs. Kramer case was attempting to keep out blacks. Following the 1948 ruling, black families could search for housing throughout the city. And leave they did, the Ville’s population dropped by nearly 40% between 1950 and 1970. For perspective, the city’s overall population drop in the same period was roughly 28% so we can see the Ville experienced a much higher rate of outflux. To be fair, restrictive actions meant to contain blacks in the Ville and a few other small areas meant the Ville was likely far more overcrowded than many other parts of the city. Still, the city lost 237,527 residents during this two decade period so the writing was on the wall for urban commercial streets like MLK Drive.
• Partly in response to the loss of population, the streetcar line that once traversed the length of then Easton ran its final time on July 28, 1963 — nearly 44 years ago! It was replaced the following day with bus service.

It is my personal belief that our current political establishment is not well prepared to deal with the magnitude of rebuilding that St. Louis needs to take on over the next 40 years. As our black population has become an increasing percentage of the shrinking population we’ve seen a rise in black leadership, a good thing. However, I believe many of these to have simply accepted the factional ward-based political machine politics that St. Louis has had for over 100 years. I do not believe that black representatives are looking our for their constituents any better than a white politician. Their retention of power has trumped the interests of rebuilding strong and vibrant neighborhoods out of fear they will be replaced. For St. Louis to once again prosper we must get beyond this type of political system to one where we all focus on repopulating our neighborhoods.

As you will see in the following four posts, St. Louis’ MLK Drive is not worthy of the man it is intended to honor. We should be ashamed of the condition we’ve let this once vibrant street get to. We must also hold up higher standards for how we invest in the future of the street. Dr. King deserves better.

Selected prior posts relating to MLK Drive:

• January 17, 2005 (Let Us Turn Our Thoughts Today to Martin Luther King)
• January 17, 2006 (A critical look at MLK Drive)
• February 2, 2006 (Metropolis Walk in the Ville)
• April 24, 2006 (AIA Holds Charrette in the Ville)
• September 26, 2006 (St. Louis’ Neighborhood Boundaries need to be Examined)
• September 27, 2006 (A fine building on MLK Razed)
• October 13, 2006 (McMillan rezoning for Walgreens)

Click here to continue to part two of five.