Anarchy in Affton, and Other Reflections on St. Louis's Placeblogosphere 4:23 PM

Does anyone know the whereabouts of one J. Patrick O'Brien, the "city" of Affton's onetime mayor? Has there been a coup?

On December 23, 2007, after a somewhat regular posting schedule, the esteemed pseudo-mayor of a pseudo-city (Affton is not incorporated) simply stopped posting. See for yourself here at his now-defunct blog: Mayor of Affton.

The Mayor offered St. Louis placeblog readers something we're all too light on: laughter. O'Brien would refer to his wife as the "First Lady" and his home, more than likely, being in Affton, a Tudor-style gingerbread or a Post-War saltbox, the "Mayoral Mansion".

Whether he reviewed the Affton restaurant scene...:

Last night the First Lady and I tried out the new Trattoria Toscana restaurant on Gravois next to the Ten Mile House. Let me first say that earlier I told a friend that I was going out to Affton's newest Italian eatery and he said "Fazoli's?" Chris, you are a jerk and so are you Fazoli's. I hate Fazoli's food and apparently they hate Affton since they don't have a location here.

...or faux-bombastically trumpeted his mayoral background in real estate development...

The Mayor attended a conference on Sustainable Development this morning hosted by the Urban Land Institute.  Most of the discussion was old hat for the Mayor as I am well aware of the concepts that create such developments.  What was enlightening was to see actual reports and data that proved the return on investment to developers that choose to “go green”.

...the Mayor of Affton was a delight to read.

If this were the end of the story, I'd be kind of depressed. With the passing of the Mayor of Affton blog, there was definitely a visible void, and not just in everyone's favorite South County hamlet. Our region needed more people writing about their neighborhoods, their municipalities, to get us excited and interested. Affton is one of the most stereotyped places in the region--it's all retirees, it's boring, it's not urban, etc.--yet I believe O'Brien opened our eyes to a colorful place. That's St. Louis--an impossibly varied kaleidoscope of villages.

So, it's important to note now, three years after Affton's Mayor disappeared from the blogosphere, that we have plenty of other Mayors running around town (keep in mind--some of these mayors predated the ascendancy of Foursquare!).

One of my favorites is Nicki's Central West End Guide. Neighborhood resident Nicki Dwyer snaps photos of businesses new and old, street life, flora and fauna, and more--all in the Central West End or nearby. By focusing on the life of the neighborhood, as opposed to blogs like mine that settle for our great, if inanimate, built environment, Nicki truly enlivens the neighborhood. I know she doesn't go by "mayor", but I'd vote for her!

We now even have a Near South Side-centric neighborhood newspaper online, called Your Local Messenger, and an online-only (and VERY well done) North County magazine at NoCoSTL.

56 Houses Left dutifully and beautifully cataloged the long destruction of a North County neighborhood near the airport--the Carrollton Subdivision. In happier news, a swanky mid-century modern neighborhood of Crestwood (the Ridgewood subdivision) gets much love on this web site.

Old North St. Louis has a whole band of blogger-rehabbers. Check out 1318 Hebert and the 3 Walls Project (covering the process of a stunning renovation at 3240 N. 19th). Our Little Easy hasn't been updated in a while, but is worth a look.

So, neighborhood mayors out there reading this--urban, suburban, rural, it matters not, of course--please send us your placecentric blogs so that we can all rest assured that the faux-Mayoral blogging doesn't have a term limit.

Building Better Blocks 10:22 PM

The folks in Oak Cliff, Texas--a suburb of Dallas--have much to teach urban St. Louis about how to use its streets. (Digest that for a moment!)

The Better Block project in Oak Cliff did just that--made a forgotten little commercial corridor a much better block, if briefly. A team of artists and community activists set about reclaiming a stretch of one-way, car-friendly road that had a bunch of vacant but pedestrian-oriented commercial buildings.

They painted a bicycle lane, created faux-pedestrian lighting, received donations of plants for some on-the-go streetscaping, and even went so far as to install one-day-only "businesses" in each vacant storefront. A flower gallery, cafe, and children's art studio popped up on the stretch overnight. The point was to show what a narrowed, enlivened street that accommodated all modes of traffic (pedestrians, cyclists, and cars) could look like one day of the year so that residents could demand such an environment 365 days a year. The event organizers' wishes soon came true, as city officials soon expressed a desire to make the installation permanent. Several businesses leased the empty spaces immediately afterward as well!

Their fruits of their efforts, under a paltry $1,000 budget, were nothing short of spectacular. Here is a shot of a before (bottom) and after (top) of the bettered block:

Source

You can watch the video of the street's metamorphosis below:



The organizers even left admirers with a "How To" guide for creating a better block in your own city...which is exactly what St. Louis should do. One of the best observations made by the Block Betterers is that the owners of the vacant space essentially get the most up close and personal marketing available. What a great way to generate interest in forgotten commercial districts across the city!

Of course, I got to thinking of where in the city would be most appropriate for such a project. The purpose of the project is to take a stretch of road that is highly visible and highly trafficked and return it to its original pedestrian-oriented function. (Cars are still allowed, albeit on a narrower, safer road).

Initially I thought of Olive Street just west of Taylor in the Central West End. It has many empty storefronts and could truly shine with the Oak Cliff treatment:

However, Olive Street has storefronts that have been vacant and sealed for quite some time. Just the task of getting the owners to remove the boards and make the properties safe for staging might be too much of a hassle. Plus, more importantly, the road is probably far too quiet and off the beaten path to make the same impact as shown above in Dallas. (As a plus, though, the south side of Olive appears to have pedestrian lighting already in place. Yes, I said only the south side. The north side of the street falls within another ward. Sigh. Another plus is that nearby Bowood Farms could donate some trees for streetscaping.)

So after giving it a bit more thought, I think I found the perfect spot.

That's a shot of Gravois Avenue at Victor Street. This stretch has a series of mixed use and commercial buildings not unlike the Dallas road. Gravois is a high-speed road, incredibly visible, and yet, in this strip, is still largely intact.

Imagine the above scene with a two-lane road in place of six. A green bike zone clings to each side of the road; historic street lamps adorn an artificially expanded sidewalk; trees and shrubs soften the industrial grayness of the street. The Dallas team included lots of artists, and Good Citizen Art Gallery, already extant on Gravois, could take the opportunity to make this temporary re-do of its host road something of an outdoor art exhibit. The strip already has a bakery, with Bittersweet Bakery, and a recording studio, Shock City Studios, among other businesses, so the pressure to create fake, one-night-only businesses is lessened. Yet, of course, there are still enough unfilled storefronts to change the dynamic of this part of Gravois from expressway to true urban business district.

So what do you think? Who's willing to put a St. Louis Better Block project together? If you agree with me, and think we should take over a block of St. Louis, let's get started!

Preliminary May Preservation Board Agenda Includes Demolitions, New Bike Rack 6:31 PM

On the latest temporary Preservation Board agenda, BJC Healthcare is seeking the demolition of two buildings for a new patient care center. The addresses are 4948 Parkview Place and 329 S. Kingshighway. These are the old Jewish Hospital buildings.

Vanishing St. Louis warned us of these proposed demolitions back in February of 2008. Here is a picture that author Paul Hohmann snapped then:

I am against a proposal that calls for the demolition of fine old buildings just to create new buildings that are blandly deferential to the monochromatic "campus" aesthetic. For Washington University's Medical Campus, this means a beige building with blue glass. No thanks, if that's the plan.

Also on the agenda is a proposal to install a five-foot tall Eiffel Tower sculpture doubling as a bike rack outside of new Lafayette Square cafe Rue Lafayette.

Also in Lafayette Square, there is a proposal to construct a home on the vacant lot at 1117 Dolman. My old block of Dolman appears to being doing well. Just south of here, the Preservation Board has granted approval to single-family home construction on another grassy lot. By a Google Streetview survey, yet another large empty lot on Dolman has a sign with some model homes on it further down the street. Maybe Dolman can soon mirror the success of the rest of the neighborhood with sensitive infill consuming its unfortunate gaps.

A new single-family home will join this row soon, if approved by the Preservation Board in May.

See the temporary agenda here.

As always, I encourage readers to attend Preservation Board meetings and testify for the items for which they are passionate:

The St. Louis Preservation Board will meet on May 24th, 2010 at 4:00 P.M. in the Cultural Resources Office of the Planning and Urban Design Agency, 1015 Locust Street, Suite 1200.

Preservation Board Updates 8:44 PM

Quickfire update! (Click here if you have no idea what this post is referring to...).

-6169R Pershing, owned by Washington University Quadrangle Housing, was denied its retroactive demolition permit and will be going to housing court.

-4269 Westminster (AKA 414-18 Boyle); Board upheld staff denial of demolition permit.

-6102 Michigan; Board upheld staff denial of demolition permit.

Great news! But will they be back on the agenda next month?

Information Source: Michael Allen

Full March Preservation Board Agenda Online 12:29 PM

You may access it here.

As reported earlier, the agenda contains three demolition-related items. All photographs used within this post are courtesy of the Cultural Resources Office.

6169R Pershing in Skinker-DeBaliviere is a rear structure that has already been demolished. Applicant Washington University Quadrangle Housing is applying for a retrograde demolition permit to approve work that is already completed. The structure was built in 1910. Cultural Resources staff recommend denial of the permit application and referral of the owner to Housing Court.

6169R Pershing prior to demolition.

4269 Westminster (414-418 Boyle) in the Central West End is a one-story, brick commercial building in a largely residential section of the neighborhood. Core Holdings, LLC is seeking the demolition permit for public safety reasons. However, the building has not been condemned by the Department of Public Safety and is considered sound under the historic district ordinance. The Cultural Resources Office staff recommends   upholding staff denial of the demolition permit.

A front profile of the commercial building facing Boyle.

A detail of the parapet.

6102 Michigan in Carondelet is a two-story residential building. Owner James B. Fritz is seeking a demolition permit to create a garden and planted area. The Cultural Resources Staff notes that this building is a High Merit and structurally sound contributor to the third extension of the Central Carondelet National Register Historic District. Cultural Resources speculates that, due to the pitch of the roof and the rear flounder-style construction, this is likely a mid-19th century building that was later altered to fit its decidedly Arts and Crafts surroundings. The blockface of 61xx Michigan is entirely intact. Cultural Resoures recommends upholding staff denial of the demolition permit, as the building is an important structure and rehabilitation is likely feasible.

Front detail of building proposed for demolition.

Rear detail. Note the historic flounder-style roof pitch.

As always, I encourage readers to show up to Preservation Board meetings and testify!

Without the voice of the public present, the case for demolition is stronger. You really could be the difference in saving some of St. Louis's unique architecture! If you absolutely can't show up in person, at least make sure to email the Board. Contact information and meeting information is below!

Contact: Adonna Buford

BufordA@stlouiscity.com

Monday, March 22, 2010

1015 Locust, Suite 1200

4:00pm

Ferguson Says 'No' to CVS 2:05 AM

As recently reported by NoCoSTL.com, CVS officials have dropped plans for a CVS store at North Florissant and Hereford Avenues in the North County municipality of Ferguson.

CVS wished to demolish seven historic homes in Ferguson to shoehorn one of its generic suburban stores onto a lot conveniently located across the street from arch rival Walgreens.

We've seen this move by CVS before. The pharmacy giant built a store catty-corner to a Walgreens on Gravois in Boulevard Heights, taking several homes down with it. A proposed CVS on Lindell nearly demolished three buildings off of the landscape before being called off, more than likely due to issues with usage of the alley for the drive-through. The Walgreens on Lindell is less than a block from this site.

It's nice to see a citizens' group rise up and defeat one of these proposals to demolish sound and attractive buildings for duplicative services. Bravo, Ferguson!

Here's a Google Streetview shot of two of the homes slated for demolition:


View Larger Map

St. Louis: Let Ferguson be our guide. Historic character is more important than allowing chain pharmacies to steal away some market share from one another!

On a slightly different note: just because a CVS promises to build up to the street and screen parking, it doesn't mean the building is "urban" in format or that gestures toward urbanism justify squandering historic buildings for unneeded services. That Central West End CVS was dangerously close to being approved if it "urbanized" itself a bit more. To me, architectural diversity and pedestrian-friendliness spell urbanism. If CVS can't reuse a building, or find a vacant parcel in the city to build on and to build a new store appropriate to the urban environment, then CVS is simply not welcome.

Demolition Watch: Preliminary March Preservation Board Agenda is Available 10:23 AM

It may be accessed here.

On the agenda are demolitions in Skinker-DeBaliviere (a brick garage); Central West End (commercial building); and Carondelet (a two-story brick house).

6169R Pershing in Skinker-DeBaliviere is a six-car, brick garage. You can see it (albeit at a nondescript angle) here on Bing Maps. The demolition work was begun without a permit.

414-18 North Boyle in the Central West End is a one-story, brick commercial building. Below is a screen cap from Google Streetview. The owner requesting demolition is listed as "Core Holdings, LLC".

6102 Michigan in Carondelet would be a tragic demolition. With its strangely pitched, almost flounder-like roof, this structure is likely very old. It's also very attractive, adding quite the visual punch to an already architecturally diverse block. Given that there is a residential building immediately to the south, I cannot see this as a parking lot. It's more than likely a pitch for new construction or simply an owner wanting to reduce maintenance costs. Below is the Google Streetview capture. Note that the home is located inside a second extension of the now very large Central Carondelet National Register Historic District. I previously reported that 6102 Michigan fell outside the boundaries, but this was incorrect. That means 6102 Michigan is eligible for the state historic rehabilitation tax credit.

As always, I will report further information as I receive it.

Form-Based Zoning Coming to (Part of) St. Louis 9:44 AM

In the 1920s, the town of Euclid, Ohio set up a rudimentary zoning code that drew the ire of some well-off local landowners. These individuals believed the city's attempt to restrict the use of their land constituted a "taking" and, moreover, was unconstitutional. The resulting landmark Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co. Supreme Court case would, surprisingly, declare zoning not only constitutional, but necessary.

This is where the name "Euclidian" zoning arises. Euclidian zoning entails neat separation of land uses. "Mixed-use" properties, combining residential, office, and retail perhaps, would not be allowed under a strict Euclidian zoning code.

Most planners today realize the utility of zoning but lament the modernist interpretation of zoning represented by the Euclidian manner. Corner stores, live-work units, even clean industry surrounding housing--all have gained acceptance as essential parts of a varied, diverse urban fabric. Recently, urban planners have been looking for a way to regulate land that does not stifle the way cities were meant to work.

Enter Form-Based Zoning.

Rather than merely regulate the uses of structures, form-based zoning looks at the appropriateness of scale, design, height, etc. to the urban environment. It's a relatively new concept, pioneered by New Urbanists like Andres Duany, and has been applied in a few cities now (Petaluma, California was one of the first).

Now, St. Louis may be jumping in on the game.

Central West End Midtown Development is nearly finished with its form-based zoning code for its service area--the southern portion of the Central West End and parts of Midtown. Read more at the Washington University Medical Center Redevelopment Corp.'s blog.

Some nuggets from that blog post:

The proposal will be implemented in three phases:

1. The Building Envelope Standards (to regulate the physical form of the area)

2. General Design Standards (to preserve and create the appropriate urban experience)

3. Sustainable Building Standards (to incentivise various levels of green development)

Here is an excerpt from the Building Envelope plan (click to enlarge):

I think this is a wonderful effort for the Central West End, Midtown, and St. Louis. I will be eager to see more of the details, such as how design is to be regulated, but this seems like a good start.

If I had one major criticism, it would be, of course, the parking. Requiring one off-street parking space per residential unit seems a little high for a truly urban neighborhood like the Central West End. It might make more sense to make one space the maximum allowed parking rather than the minimum. I am also wondering what strategy neighborhood residents chose to pursue: the modified existing envelope or the contextual envelope. The former would have allowed for more high-intensity development, especially on Lindell, Forest Park, and Vandeventer. The latter would be more cautious and preservation-minded, keeping almost all historic structures and preserving the scale of neighborhoods as they are today.

The form-based code should certainly block, say, a CVS from tearing down a group of buildings for a suburban store with a drive-through (which, of course, almost happened). It should also not allow for the rebuilding of McDonalds and Arby's in their usual forms, which already did happen.

This code should be strong and urban, solidifying the Central West End/Midtown as St. Louis's most urban experience. I am definitely eager to see the final product.

When Was "X" Building in Shaw, CWE Constructed? 5:49 PM

These great architectural surveys by Landmarks Association of St. Louis have the building construction dates of every building within the Shaw and Central West End historic districts.


What a great historical research resource!


Here they are (PDFS):


Shaw

Central West End - West

Central West End - East


And a screen capture (of a portion of Shaw) to entice those who don't want to download a PDF:

New Orleans Feels Our Pain 1:59 AM

In a matter you'll be hearing about more from me soon, let me just say here that a proposal by CVS to replace the St. Louis Housing Authority building (and two others to the west) in the Central West End with one of their needless stores is a stupid idea. A suburban store with a drive through and all-too-visible parking lot is set to replace a set of buildings that took actual design thought and craftsmanship. Ugh. Did I mention the Central West End CVS would be located a mere block away from a Walgreens, whose own surface parking lot cost the Central West End a gem of a mid-century theater?

Well, here in New Orleans, matters sound surprisingly familiar. CVS is wanting a prime corner on a major boulevard--you guessed it--across the street from Walgreens. To duplicate its services, provide a visual blight, generate more vehicular trips, cause more air pollution, and contribute to flooding, CVS is only asking for the demolition of four buildings. Yes, one is mid-century and too important to be replaced by generic new construction that privileges cars.

Thanks to my friend Karen Gadbois of Squandered Heritage for giving us all the heads up.

On a somewhat related note, New Orleans is also contemplating the demolition of the incomparable Wheatley School, designed by none other than Charles Colbert, New Orleans-based architect who designed the now-demolished San Luis Apartments on Lindell.

May the thought of squandering of our built heritage be grave enough to keep these proposed CVSes from increasing their market share.

The City of Fenced Off Corners 10:40 AM

I knew that the gut-wrenching demolition pictures of the San Luis would affect me deeply. This would be true even if something fabulous were to replace the San Luis--and not a life-sucking parking lot.

Yet I realize that our fragile, broken city still steams on.

It's saying a lot for St. Louis that its urban allure is still irresistible despite all of its puncture wounds.

Eric Sandweiss called St. Louis "The City of Fenced-off Corners" at the turn of the 20th century. Fenced-off corners referred to the tight-knit immigrant-run neighborhoods that were almost entirely autonomous and therefore largely disconnected from City Hall.

I think it's still true today, but it's in a much more literal sense. There are fenced-off corners of vibrancy, activity, and urbanity (the Central West End, Soulard, Lafayette Square). There are fenced-off corners in the sense of their isolation (N. Broadway and the stranded portions of Hyde Park east of I-70; and the example below...). There's not a connected city yet (or ever?).

But these unending pockets make life in the city so incredibly rich for the urban enthusiast!

I often wonder if I would even enjoy a St. Louis that took all the steps to stitch together these fenced-off corners. A part of me, the planner part, screams yes! this is exactly what drove you to remain a long-distance resident and not just another expatriate.

Yet that other part of me (it doesn't have a name) thinks the city is better for its fences.

Take these two examples. Both are in south city. Both are nooks now, but were once stitched into the larger fabric of the city. I-55 is the fence in both situations.

The Post-Dispatch reported on the first one. It was part of the Contemporary's Open Studio event. It's Keith Buchholz's studio at 4615 Oregon. This P-D write-up indicates the studio is a "circa 1810 farmhouse", though I highly doubt anything that old existed in this part of the city. The funny thing is, though, that it's so hidden at this point, who would ever know?

See this Streetview below? It's the building up those stairs, shrouded in all the greenery:

View Larger Map

It's so intriguingly hidden. I should be furious though. The ruinous path of I-55 completely isolated this section of, what is it here, Mount Pleasant? The neighborhood's streets are essentially a series of cul-de-sacs shaped by I-55. Instead, though, it makes me want to explore even more than if the neighborhood were whole.

And take this B&B in "Benton Park"--this definitely related more to Soulard before the onslaught of I-55.

It's the Brewers House on the 1800 block of Lami, just west of I-55. It's a stunning Civil War-era house on a very historic block that is fenced in by the interstate to the east and the brewery complex to the west. Some friends of mine stayed there for New Year's a while back. It backs to the interstate (how many thousands of cars and people pass per day?) yet it might as well be in the country.

Have you ever seen it?

No?

Well, you've got some exploring to do, some fences to climb.

Cultural Resources Office continues to hand the historic buildings of the Central West End over to institutions with bad plans 8:59 PM

On Monday, the Preservation Board will review demolition of several buildings in the Central West End: the Ettrick Building, Schoenberg Residence Hall, and another on Euclid.

Read the Cultural Resources Office recommendation here. They recommend approval of the demolition of most of this block for a mid-rise medical building. The design, you'll notice, is remarkably similar to the Siteman Cancer Research Center across the street and appears bound to create an urban design monoculture that is stuffy and uninviting. I would also list the Majestic's building's days as numbered as well. It will soon be bordered by a huge parking garage to the west, a huge medical building to the south, and a huge residential tower to the north (if the Preservation Board approves the demolition on Monday, that is).

But the most ludicrous feature of the plan is the proposal to demolish the Schoenberg Residence for a park. Yes, a park to be located on Forest Park Avenue, which of course is named for the 1,200 acre park a half block away.

I will let you review the plan and let me know what your take on it is. Do you appreciate the institutional expansion?

I tend to think that the Cultural Resources Office/Preservation Board has no sense of what made the Central West End so vibrant. It was not merely the presence of great institutions (the BJC complex, the Archdiocese) but also the building stock of the area that helped to reinvigorate the CWE in the 1970s. Yet the CRO and Preservation Board have been complicit in demolition after demolition by BJC and, recently, the Archdiocese with the San Luis Apartments.

At some point, a balance is needed. Washington University's intended future demolition of the Ittner-designed Central Institute for the Deaf should be the last straw. And any new construction should do more than simply make a gesture. It should be exemplary, something new and exciting. This proposed new construction at Forest Park and Euclid will look very tired by 2029.

What are your thoughts?

4608 Washington: Almost Gone 4:36 PM

Bowood Farms has nearly completed the wrecking of 4608 Washington.

Their senseless act (they owned lots across the street to place their proposed storage lot) saddens me. I once referred many friends and family members to eat at Cafe Osage and to avoid the temptation of the chain store for gardening supplies by shopping at Bowood. In what could only be seen as an idle threat, with me sitting here in New Orleans, I will no longer refer anyone to dine at Cafe Osage or shop at Bowood Farms.

There was no good reason to tear down the nearly 110-year old structure.

See the "Before" and "After" shots below.

(Again, thanks go to my sister, Kelsey, for these photographs! The post-demo photos are from today!)

BEFORE

From Miscellaneous Items

AFTER

From 4608 Washington

Streetscape - BEFORE

From Miscellaneous Items

Streetscape - AFTER

From 4608 Washington

The next step? A sit-down with Alderman Kennedy to get the Central West End Certified Local Historic District extended so that these losses do not continue and accelerate.

Preservation Board Determines No Jurisdiction Over 4608 Washington; Building Division Will Likely Allow Demolition 11:02 AM

At yesterday's Preservation Board meeting, it was determined that the Board had no jurisdiction over 4608 Washington, which is neither in a local nor a National Register historic district.

Therefore, like any other demolition permit, it will likely be processed through the Building Division and demolished as soon as the owner, Bowood Farms, wishes.

Now is the time to act to save this building! Central West End's northern fringes must not succumb to the same empty, piecemeal-demolished fate of portions of Delmar, a block north.

First, contact Bowood Farms to let them know you oppose this demolition. Call them at 314-454-6868.

Second, contact Alderman Terry Kennedy by email or by phone to let him know that this demolition is nonsensical; several vacant lots that Bowood Farms already owns could fit an open storage lot. Their success as a business is clearly not dependent on establishing a storage lot contiguous to their property.

Third, contact me at matthewmourning@gmail.com to start a group to oppose this demolition! We need to be quick, of course, because this building, built in 1900, will not live to see its 110th birthday!

More details to come.

From Miscellaneous Items

Cultural Resources Offices Recommends Approval of Demolition of 4608 Washington 1:56 PM

...subject to two conditions (do they both need to be met, or either one?)

The staff recommends that the Board approve the proposed demolition, pending:
1. a favorable recommendation by the MO SHPO [State Historic Preservation Office] for the Certification of the smaller Central West End District Extension, which excludes Washington Avenue.

2. Bowood Farms, Inc. should commit to the development of a Land Use Plan for its
land holdings and proposed site development with the City of St. Louis Planning and Urban Design Agency. In this way, the City and its Agencies could assist with potential Zoning, design review, and proposed demolition, among other considerations, so that the entire development can be managed appropriately from a land use aspect.

Check out the PDF of the CRO Agenda Item here. It includes a fuller comment by the CRO Staff as to why they made these recommendations. Click here to see my pictures of the property located at 4608 Washington.

I honestly don't understand these provisos. The first sends the message that the CRO agrees Washington Boulevard (4500 and 4600 blocks) is not worthy enough to join the Central West End Certified Local Historic District. Why didn't the CRO state it thus: "approval only if the Missouri SHPO rejects staff recommendation that Washington Boulevard be added to the CWE Local Historic District..." Does that sound too punitive towards the applicant? Maybe.

The second one is much less sensible to me. Who cares if Bowood develops a land use plan for their holdings if they set this terrible precedent to begin with? You can't recommend a good plan after approving a bad planning course, in my opinion. Demolishing a sound, attractive structure a stone's throw from new investment (a couple new homes have gone up nearby, which you'll see when you read the PDF) is a bad plan, especially when the replacement is an open storage lot. Opportunities for this open storage lot exist all around the site. The PDF includes a map of Bowood Farms' land holdings all around its business. The CRO acknowledges that other lots exist for this development.

While both conditions would be hard to meet, and their imposition almost seems like a roundabout way of saying "no" to the demolition, it still appears to me to set the stage for the Preservation Board to simply approve the demo minus the recommendations set forth by the CRO staff during the meeting tomorrow afternoon.

I hope I am wrong. Thanks to Bowood Farms, in large part, this block could be a real catalyst to connecting the disparate and disconnected revitalized "zones" of St. Louis's central corridor: Downtown, Midtown, and the Central West End (including Gaslight Square). A demolition will not serve this purpose.

Pictures of 4608 Washington 2:49 AM

Thanks go to my sister, Kelsey, who works at Cafe Eau in the Chase Park Plaza for running up to 4608 Washington to snap a couple pictures yesterday. This is the structure to be demolished by Bowood Farms if their request is approved by the Preservation Board on Monday.

From Miscellaneous Items

From Miscellaneous Items

From Miscellaneous Items

The bones look solid. The blockface would surely suffer from this loss.

Bowood Beware? 2:24 AM

I received this comment by email re: Bowood Farms' proposed demolition of 4608 Washington (which I'm keeping anonymous, by the way).

Quick note: If Bowood tears down the building at 4608 Washington, I will no longer shop there, nor will I return to eat at Cafe Osage. Perhaps there are more than a few like-minded people. I suggest an on-line petition or an email chain letter as a first step.

More and more St. Louisans are feeling connected to the city as a whole; we want and deserve that holistic city.

Correction: Bowood to Demolish 4608 Washington for Open Storage, Not a Parking Lot 5:48 PM

It turns out that Bowood is not actually seeking to develop a parking lot on the site of 4608 Washington as previously reported.

It's to be an open storage lot.

Much better, huh?

Most of the earlier points therefore still stand. This structure could be and should be reused. Why doesn't Bowood use the adjacent lots that are already cleared? What are the plans for those?

Sorry for the confusion.

Bowood Farms to Press for Demolition of 4608 Washington...for a Parking Lot 5:29 PM

(Please note that, as of March 18, 2009, it has been reported that Bowood Farms intends to use this site as open storage, not a parking lot. Read the relevant update here.)

As reported on Sunday, Bowood Farms intends to demolish 4608 Washington Boulevard, a two and a half story home.

What is the intended replacement: a parking lot.

The Cultural Resources Office will apparently recommend denial of a demolition permit for such a use.

Bowood Farms' website challenges its visitors with this when they first enter the site:

Enter our plant filled garden oasis and you will forget that you are in the urban Central West End of St. Louis, Missouri.

How true that statement is when a neighborhood business proves itself a decidedly anti-urban neighbor with such an action! Don't get me wrong. Bowood deserves much credit for rehabilitating their old auto repair warehouse into a gem of a business in an overlooked portion of the Central West End. But this proposed demolition is absurd.

Bowood likely has a full parking supply from on-street parking alone. The case for a parking lot is weak, in my opinion (zoning may have something else to say...). Even if a parking lot is strongly desired, it should not go atop a lovely home that could be put to better use.

I wrote the following on the Bowood Farms community bulletin board, only to see it removed within hours:

Even as a new member of the Central West End community, Bowood Farms has already established itself as a fixture of the neighborhood. The once neglected northern portion of the Central West End is now being seen as an area laden with potential for redevelopment.

I was shocked, therefore, to hear that Bowood intends to wreck the gorgeous 2 1/2 story home at 4608 Washington. Nothing could be more destructive and damaging to that historic block (which has suffered too much already over the years). Further, this is a waste of that inimitable structure's embedded energy; its innards will end up in a landfill. Somehow, a business that encourages ecology of any kind demolishing a perfectly fine building seems contradictory.

Bowood: I ask you to withdraw your demolition permit if you wish to be a better community steward. Too many vacant lots exist already, and the loss of this home for that block might just be a death knell to its realization as a connected and vital piece of the Central West End.

This demolition must not be allowed. The folks who are against the demolition of the San Luis Apartments on Lindell for a surface lot should take note. Even though 4608 Washington is just one, somewhat small building in comparison, the horribly anti-urban sentiments of the plan are very similar.

1. A perfectly re-usable building will be felled;

2. The site of the demolished building will become a (presumably) unsightly parking lot;

3. Central West End's urbanity and architectural heritage will suffer.

Please do what you can to protest this demolition. The first step would be to call/email 18th Ward Alderman Terry Kennedy. Let him know this plan is unacceptable for an urban, diverse, vibrant neighborhood. Washington Boulevard has been neglected for far too long, and this plan only further erodes its potential. You could also call Bowood Farms itself and gently let them know you think they are making a mistake. Being confrontational would help no one, though, so keep that in mind.

The next step, and the most important one, would be to show up at the Preservation Board meeting to testify against the demolition. The next meeting is on Monday, March 23, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. The location is 1015 Locust, Suite 1200.

It is important to protect landmarks both big and small in neighborhoods that wish to remain urban, livable environments.

Preservation Board will review demolition of Central West End mansion 4:39 PM

This month's agenda includes a proposed demolition of a two and half story structure at 4608 Washington Boulevard in the northern portion of the Central West End.

With no Google StreetView on this block, the best I can offer is this Microsoft Live view:

From Preservation Board

The applicant is Bowood Farms, a neighboring business on Olive who is also constructing a greenhouse (at 4610 Olive) that appears on the Board agenda as well. Bowood Farms seems a natural neighborhood anchor and a potential catalyst for redevelopment of a long overlooked area of the Central West End. It is upsetting to think that they'd tear down an attractive mansion. I admit I do not know why they are pressing for demolition of the structure yet since the Cultural Resources Office has not yet put the individual agenda items online as of this time. Still, this important structure on a sensitive block is one to watch as the March 23 meeting draws nearer.

Is it significantly deteriorated? Is it the unhappy victim of parking pressures? Is it the unlikely site of an urban farm?

Whatever the answer, something is not right. Bowood Farms already owns two vacant lots on Washington Boulevard on the opposite side of the street--directly across from the proposed demolition (at 4605 and 4611 Washington Blvd.). In addition, Washington Boulevard, starting from Jefferson all the way down to Euclid, has seen far too much demolition for such a grandly constructed and well located street. This means there already exists a presence of vacant lots that might better serve whatever is the purpose of Bowood Farm's proposed demo at 4608 Washington.

It's also worth noting that the 4600 block of Washington Boulevard is conspicuously absent from the local historic district of the Central West End, falling short by one block.

I will follow up on this proposed demolition (including, with any luck, a better and more current photo of the site). I have already called Bowood Farms and did not receive an answer as to what the plans for the site were. For now, I am upset and dismayed that a welcome neighborhood newcomer like Bowood might demolish yet another wholly fine and reusable mansion in the Central West End. Washington Boulevard has lost too many already (see here and here).