There are also three examples of "before and after" shots that are meant to display the efficacy of the program.
Two seem just fine.
4601 Pope
Before:
After:
and 813 Skinker:
Before:
After:
Both are those are fine, restrained examples. You don't need to slap foundation and eyeliner on a natural beauty.
But what about this example?
5001 Gravois @ Morganford
Before:
After:
I grew up about three blocks from this site. Even though I was fairly young, I remember talk in the neighborhood about how transformative this facade improvement was. To be sure, it was very exciting to have a florist in the neighborhood, and especially one as classy as Russell Florist. But my concern is with the buildings themselves, especially the one angled towards Gravois (the one on the left in the pictures). This looks to me like a more restrained 1960s remuddling of an early 20th Century storefront.
Facade improvements are much needed in Bevo, along both Morganford and Gravois. The old storefronts need greater window space to create an active business district. Beyond facades, the sidewalks need to be replaced. New lighting would certainly help. New neighborhood banners--with recognition of the Bosnian presence--would go a long way as well. There need to be more frequent trash cans and benches--you know, the basics. And, if at all possible, there needs to be a way to slow down traffic on both streets.
Perhaps a traffic circle at Delor/Morganford/Gravois and my now-stale suggestion of a median along Gravois?
These improvements would be transformative.
I'm just not sure this facade improvement at 5001 Gravois was truly that. We should be emphasizing the historic details of these buildings, not covering them up.
I wonder if there was some better reason they tackled the buildings in this light than simple corner-cutting.
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