The 353 Bill which will allow for the redevelopment of an area just west of DeBaliviere was approved by the Board of Aldermen and the Mayor in early April.
Calvin Stuart, executive director of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council, said the Council hopes by the end of May to have several alternate plans of development for neighborhood scrutiny. These will include prototypes of possible new housing. The plans are being devised with the help of Washington University architecture students.
The area affected by the bill is bounded by DeBaliviere on the east, the alley between Waterman and McPherson on the south, Laurel to Washington on the west, and Delmar on the north. It does not include DeGiverville.
Under the 353 Bill certain property may be declared blighted, making it easier to get it razed. There will also be tax benefits for developers erecting new structures. Stuart emphasized that SDCC has no intention of seeking to blight any owner-occupied dwellings and hopes to offer incentives to owner-occupants to get them to cooperate with the redevelopment to the extent that they see fit.
At present SDCC is gathering data on building ownership, tax assesment, and building conditions. There are no single-family residences in the redevelopment area. Of 260 multiple-family dwellings, Stuart said a preliminary survey has found about 50 to be derelict, ten vacant or abandoned, and 35 nearly vacant and in need of major repairs.
SDCC also intends to assist in relocating tenants who may be forced to move, Stuart said.
SDCC hopes to have a final and acceptable redevelopment plan by the end of the summer. Stuart described Bill 353 as “extremely complicated” and said redevelopers are required to follow its provisions very carefully, step by step.
Originally published in The Paper, May 1971.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1971_05.pdf, printed page 2.
