Since 2005 I’ve looked at Dr. Martin Luther King Drive every year on the national holiday to honor the civil rights leader killed in 1968. This is my 17th such post.
In St. Louis two streets were renamed in 1972 — Franklin Ave east of Leffingwell Ave and Easton Ave west of Leffingwell Ave became Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. This travels through north St. Louis from the Mississippi River to city limits.
Though not bustling like new suburban malls, it still had lots of commercial activity. In the nearly half century since the streets were renamed the black middle class largely abandoned north St. Louis — moving to either other parts of the city, north county & beyond, even out of state. With some exceptions, retail activity on Dr. Martin Luther King Drive has collapsed — as have many buildings.
Today we’ll start at MLK & Tucker then head west. Why not start further east? Well, only one block of MLK remains east of Tucker (12th) — between 9th & 10th. On the south side of the street is the side of an anti-urban hotel and on the north side a surface parking lot enclosed by chain link fencing. The blocks between Broadway (5th) and 9th are part of the convention center and dome.
At Tucker & MLK you have the former Post-Dispatch building being renovated into office space for Square and others. All photos, except where noted otherwise, were taken on Saturday January 9, 2021.
The first block of MLK east of Tucker is closed during building renovations, left. The main entrances used to face Tucker & MLK, but that will change when it reopens.The new main entrance will be on the opposite end, a previously windowless addition has been transformed into the new main entrance at Tucker & Cole.In 2020 the few remaining old buildings on MLK between 13th & 14th were razed. This view from the NW corner of MLK & 14th we can see all the way to Tucker & Convention Plaza (aka Delmar).In 2020 the city leased a former RV park that occupied an entire city block bounded by MLK, Jefferson, Cole, and 23rd.Tiny houses began being set into place so unhoused individuals could have a safe place to live.The storefront at 2706 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive was boarded up.I’ve been watching the house at 3047 MLK slowly deteriorate. It has stood here since 1880.In 2012 the rear wing was still intact.The McKee-owned warehouse in the triangle where Page & MLK meet is another that has been slowly crumbling.The MLK side is actually the back. At the top you can see a wall on the mechanical penthouse has collapsed.Here’s a cropped view to show the wall collapse. This will allow more water & animals into the structure.On the block west of Whittier Street stood large 3-story building. In the foreground the sign for the late Ald Sam Moore is still in place at the Ville Mall business incubator he helped build. It’s suburban-style front parking lot is in stark contrast to businesses in older buildings across MLKA better view of the site where a large 3-story warehouse stood for decades.From my 2019 post: Bricks are starting to fall from this building. It should be stabilized, but it’ll likely be allowed to crumble until neighbors demand it be razed.The well-proportioned, but vacant, building at 4277 MLK has lost brick from the exterior row.The closed Marshall School building that faces Aldine Ave is still awaiting a buyer.A positive sign just west of Newstead, very glad to see this building getting some attention.
This handsome building at 4524 MLK needs attention to keep it from getting beyond the ability to save it.The building at 4534 MLK is getting some tuck pointing to help it keep standing.Something is happening at 4668 MLK.
In the last 16 years the building has been a dollar type store at least twice, it’s closed again. 4949 MLKFor a few years now a new building has been under construction at 4973 MLK, set back suburban-style. It looks finished, but has yet to be occupied.The former Sears on Kingshighway near MLK is now the Urban League, the building is still named after Victor Roberts.The auto & tire business at 5018 MLK is burnt out.The facade at 5153 MLK has collapsed.Last year I knew the facade wouldn’t last long so I included it for documentation purposes.And sadly one of my favorite buildings in the entire city was finally razed.5716 MLK in 2019.The former National market at 5870 MLK has had other uses over the years, last as Ali Market. A medical marijuana dispensary license has been awarded to Growing Jobs Missouri. Hopefully this will still happen.In late August 2020 the upper floor collapsed while the business at 5917 MLK was open. I doubt the building will be here next year. Click image to see Post-Dispatch story in a new tab.Here is what it looked like in 2019.
As in prior years there are a few bright spots along an otherwise bleak street.
As long as there is extreme poverty in this world, no man can be totally rich even if he has a billion dollars.
— Dr. King, “The American Dream” speech, June 6, 1961 at Lincoln University. Listen here, quote at 14:23.
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