Fire Station 5 at 81

I’m a sucker for buff brick buildings and Fire Station 5 is among the finest in the city, in this blogger’s opinion.

Located  in the St. Louis Place neighborhood, address is  2410 N. 22nd St.

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.

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

Who Will be the Next 5th Ward Alderman?

Friday the 16th we got word that alderman April Ford-Griffin is resigning and taking a city job:

Mayor Slay has appointed April Ford-Griffin as director of the Civil Rights Enforcement Agency (CREA). The position has been open since Ruby L. Bonner retired on July 1, 2011.

[snip]

Alderwoman Ford-Griffin was first elected in 1997 to represent the 5th Ward. During her time as alderwoman, she served as chairman of the Ways and Means and the Neighborhood Development Committees. She also served on the Housing and Urban Development, Streets, Transportation and Personnel Committees. The 5th Ward experienced more than $850,000,000 of new residential, commercial, institutional and infrastructure development during her time in office.

[snip]

Ford-Griffin will leave her seat on the Board of Alderman on September 30, 2011 and begin as director of CREA on October 3, 2011. (source)

I’ve long opposed career politicians so after being in office for 14 years I’m glad to see Griffin finally moving on, even if just to a building across Tucker from City Hall. The new salary is more than double the old one.

In this move, Slay also shows – very importantly, in power politics – that if you stand with him, it will pay off for you. April stood with Slay as alderman of the 5th Ward throughout the grueling negotiations between the city and Paul McKee Jr. over the controversial Northside Regeneration redevelopment agreement. April and 19th Ward Alderman Marlene Davis both supported the redevelopment agreement (with various ups, downs, retrenchments and stalemates), despite the persistent attempts to demonize McKee. April, it seems, has been rewarded. That sound you hear could be Marlene Davis making it clear that she is next in line. (Source)

As I posted back in June, I’m back in the 5th ward due to redistricting.  I won’t be running though, I don’t have the physical ability to campaign and I couldn’t stomach the politics if I were to win. So what happens next?

Once the St. Louis Board of Election Commissions receives notice of a vacancy from the Board of Aldermen they will set the date of a special election 75-90 days later. All political parties recognized by the city can nominate a candidate for the ballot. Republican, Green, Constitution and Democrats can all name a nominee.  A Democrat will be nominated but a candidate from the others is uncertain.

The 5th ward Democratic Committeeman and Committeewoman will submit a name to the city party to determine the nominee. The committeeman is Rodney R. Hubbard Sr., husband of state rep Penny Hubbard, father of former state rep Rodney R. Hubbard Jr., and father (or father-in-law?) of committeewoman Tammika Hubbard.

Independent candidates can also run. These candidates need to submit a petition with at least 10% of the number of voters that voted in the last election for mayor. In 2009 in the 5th ward that was 854 people.  Ten percent is 85.4 which gets rounded up to 86 valid signatures — so more should be submitted.  These need to be submitted up to 30 days before the date of the special election. That date will be 75-90 days from the date of the vacancy.

– Steve Patterson

Thanks Bob!

One of my favorite views downtown is seeing,  from Washington Ave,  the bus on City Museum’s rooftop.  The sad news from yesterday:

“City Museum founder Bob Cassilly was found dead in a bulldozer Monday morning at a property in far north St. Louis that he was transforming into his latest attraction.” (STLtoday)

Bob Cassilly was 61.

I also like the view of the City Museum’s wild roof from the rooftop deck at Printer’s Lofts. I was unable to find my interior photos but I see the exterior almost daily and hopefully you’ve seen the interior. Recently City Museum posted some amazing rooftop photos from the foggy morning we had recently, they are in a  Facebook album.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmcxGEm7Qx4

Those of you reading who haven’t been to City Museum cannot begin to grasp the magnitude of the loss.  We have some mighty big shoes to fill in St. Louis, thanks for the inspiration Bob!

– Steve Patterson

The Average St. Louis Street is an Unfriendly Environment for Pedestrians

Just going about my life I encounter so many obstacles to making St. Louis a great city for pedestrians, and by extension, transit users and cyclists. Basically anyone other than motorists.

Yes, I own a car so I am, at times, also a motorist.  But I cover far more area as a transit using pedestrian and the design of our city makes being a pedestrian a challenge. Sure, we have a select few areas where being a pedestrian is a pleasant experience, but the other 98% is downright hostile. Place matters and the design of our place discourages walking and encourages driving. We need a balance.

Yes, I use a power chair but these issues affect all potential pedestrians. We want middle-class families right? But they walk too, including with baby strollers. We must examine all our streets and improve the walkability.

I’ve not yet examined the Great Streets legislation adopted by the city but I doubt it will ever reach this two block stretch of 39th between Shaw & McRee. It will improve a few sections getting major reconstruction but the bulk of the city will remain unfriendly to most pedestrians.

– Steve Patterson

Poll: Should Imagine’s Charter Schools in St. Louis Close?

Controversy about poor performing schools was recently focused on charter schools, specifically six operated by Imagine Schools, Inc:

Mayor Francis Slay called for the closure of Imagine charter schools in St. Louis on Thursday, for the first time singling out the poorest-performing charters in the city.

[snip]

Charter schools are public schools that operate independently of traditional school systems. In Missouri, they’re allowed only in St. Louis and Kansas City as alternatives to struggling school districts.

The Virginia-based Imagine Schools Inc., the largest charter school operator in the country, has six school in St. Louis. They ranked at the bottom among charter schools and most St. Louis Public Schools on the 2011 Missouri Assessment Program. (STLtoday)

Seems unusual to have a mayor calling for school closures. The Missouri Charter Public School Association is also calling for their closure:

MCPSA believes the Imagine Schools’ performance trends reflect most poorly on the management company, Imagine Schools Inc. and is not a condemnation of the teachers and staff within the schools. Often a significant issue leading to such poor academic performance is a lack of resources and supports available to the teachers and staff by their employer. Another issue, often, is charter public school governing boards not being able to execute the oversight authority they are statutorily entitled as the management company has contractually assumed that authority. (Beacon)

So what do you think? The poll is in the right sidebar.

– Steve Patterson