On this month's Preservation Board agenda:

The chopping block (translation: requested demo's):

5412-14 Kensington, in the Academy Neighborhood

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Sigh. Academy is one of the North Side's shining stars for preservation. There are troubled blocks, however, and this demo certainly looks unnecessary from this circa 2007 Google Streetview. Has anything changed since then?

7001 S. Broadway, in Carondelet

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I can't get a good view of this one, but the city says it was constructed in 1856. Really...? I don't care how unattractive it is. It should not be touched.

The last demolition proposed, at 1108-10 Mallinckrodt, is perhaps the most egregious. It's that two-story, four family building so typical of the Near North Side. It could provide affordable housing or expensive condo units, depending on the pace of improvement of the surrounding Hyde Park neighborhood. One thing is for certain though--with demolition, this block, and this very historic neighborhood will suffer greatly with this incremental, yet tremendous loss.

When will the residents of St. Louis recognize the value of historic structures--their embedded energy and future value? Why does St. Louis--almost barring any others--have some of the most vacant lots in the entire country? Surely, other cities have experienced struggles to maintain a built environment nearly sacked by depopulation and disinvestment. Why does St. Louis always offer the same solution? Has it ever worked?

I certainly hope the Board will deny these unnecessary demolitions. After the tremendously wasteful demo of the castle-like multi-family on Shenandoah mentioned in the previous post, the City of St. Louis simply cannot afford even one more vacant lot. They add up, and they chip away at the image of St. Louis so many need to see more clearly--the urban one, with a scarcity of gaping vacant holes and a density of buildings and people.

Please, if you're like me and are out of town and cannot make it to the meeting, be sure to email the Preservation Board and express your concerns: BufordA@stlouiscity.com.

If you're in town and available, please attend the meeting on Monday, January 26, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. The location of the meeting is 1015 Locust, Suite 1200.