Search This Blog (A.K.A. "I Dote On...")

Monday, June 23, 2008

My latest rants: for once, in brief!

#1

Why, why, why, why, why, why, why tear down more of Laclede's Landing? Did the original footprint of our once booming river city harm the City, or the Lumiere Casino, or something? In a better St. Louis, a whole intact row of Switzer buildings would stand in place of Lumiere, gleaming all the more brightly without all of the same annoying to-do.

#2

Please, Built St. Louis, no more! The Daily Dose of Blairmont series on Rob Powers' blog continues well past the century mark, now on day 108. Unfortunately, it's been about 7X that many days since the mayor or McKee himself should have addressed residents with their plans.

#3

Really, SLU, your new law school couldn't have wrapped behind the now gone Lindell manse?

This is not brain surgery, city leaders. Places that speak to a human scale are bound to be reclaimed. Why would we ever think of destroying these things when we cannot, or will not, replicate such scale?

2 comments:

Brian said...

With regards to the house on Lindell, do you have any idea if it would have been feasible to move it to another location on campus? I've seen buildings moved in other cities, but it seems to rarely happen here - the only example I can think of is a house in Parkview that was moved to make way for MetroLink expansion. I can imagine it's quite expensive, but I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often here.

I don't know if you remember it, but SLU tore down another cool mansion, the Scholars House, which used to be just west of the Cupples House - now it's the site of a little meandering river behind the business school. It would have been cool to move both mansions to the western edge of the campus or even to West Pine west of Vandeventer.

Matt M. said...

That would have been excellent. I'm no engineer, and so I couldn't assess whether or not this particular (fairly large) structure could be readily moved. I did watch a show on HGTV about a Victorian farmhouse that weighed 11 tons that was transported 22 miles--in the snow, on hilly roads. So it makes me think it was quite possible.

Still, the original problem exists. SLU owned the building and clearly had no interest in saving it. It would be nice to see SLU defy the typical "campus" mentality and allow other private owners in its realm. I highly doubt that. Still, I am crossing my fingers that this law school will last as long as the now demo'd mansion (and, of course, that it will look good in its design).

Fashion STL Style!

Fashion STL Style!
St. Louis Gives You the Shirt Off of Its Own Back!

Next American City

Next American City
Your Go-To Source for Urban Affairs

Join the StreetsBlog Network!

Join the StreetsBlog Network!
Your Source for Livable Streets

Trust in Rust!

Trust in Rust!
News from the Rustbelt

Dotage St. Louis -- Blogging the St. Louis Built Environment Since 2008

Topics: Historic Preservation, Politics and Government, Development, Architecture, Urban Planning, Urban Design, Local Business, Crime and Safety, Neighborhoods, and Anything Else Relating to Making St. Louis a Better City!