Historical November 1979 report or notice. Original dates, prices, contacts and program details describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
RAC
On October 8 the SDCC (Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council) Board met at Grace and Peace. Executive Director Skip Coburn reported on the activities of the RAC Committee (Redevelopment Advisory Committee).
RAC was established in 1976 to advise commercial redevelopers (i.e., Pantheon) of the concerns of residents and to provide a channel for information to travel back to residents.
In April of 1979 RAC (under the direction of Cal Stuart) developed a proposal seeking funding from CDA (Community Development Agency) to provide financial rebates on home improvement loans for residents in the Pantheon redevelopment area. CDA rejected the proposal.
RAC is formulating a new proposal to establish a rehabilitation assistance program in which eligible families would receive low interest loans so residences could be brought into compliance with the city’s building code. CDA has indicated that more information on the plans and financial capability of residents should be included in the new submission. Coburn sent a letter to the residents of the 5700 McPherson and 5800 Washington blocks (in the redevelopment area), and also to the 400 Laurel and 5800 Westminster blocks (not in the redevelopment area) because of demographic and structural similarities, asking them to indicate their interest in participating in such a program.
To date there has been little response. Interested residents of those four blocks should call Skip Coburn at 862-5122 from 9 am to 5 pm.
RAC is also attempting to ease the traffic problem caused by the closing of the 5700 block of McPherson at DeBaliviere. The installation of a permanent cul de sac by the city is at least a year away. RAC is urging Pantheon to construct its planned temporary turnaround before the winter months.
Historic District Review Committee
Brad Weir reported that anyone seeking a permit for repairs or minor alterations to the rear of buildings in our Historic District should no longer have difficulty in gaining rapid approval. CDA has agreed to grant such routine requests without forwarding them to the Landmarks Committee.
Nina Place
Roy Bell, chairman of the Nina Place Task Force presented to the SDCC Board its thirty day report which was substantially supportive of the Nina Place Study Committee resolution.
It was their recommendation that the non profit redevelopment corporation board consist of 11 members; 4 directors to be selected by SDCC, 4 to be elected by Nina Place owners and tenants, the remaining 3 selected by the 8 SDCC and Nina Place directors. The board is to include among its 11 members one attorney and representatives from the banking community, construction industry and real estate.
The Task Force would act as supervisors of the incorporation of the redevelopment Corporation and the selection of the board of directors and then will be abolished.
The corporation will provide an annual report to SDCC. All requests for funding must be submitted to SDCC for review and approval.
Any decision of the corporation to employ Chapter 353 (blighting) in the area must be approved by 8 of the 11 directors. All other decisions will require a simple majority.
The Task Force recommends beginning with rehabilitation of the five existing vacant buildings in Nina Place to provide 25 Section 8 rental units for those residents who are displaced by further rehabilitation. Negotiating options on those buildings, securing funds from CDA and financing from private lending institutions, submitting a Section 8 proposal and contracting for the actual construction are steps that would be allotted 12 months before construction begins.
Following this initial phase further redevelopment would be largely dependent on the ability of individual owners to secure financing. It is the hope of the Task Force that rehabilitation of the five apartment buildings will influence private lenders positively toward the Nina Place area.
The SDCC Board approved the general intent of the Task Force recommendations while requiring further clarifications.
The Task Force was given 30 days in which to further define the selection process for the redevelopment corporation board of directors, to clarify the relationship between the corporation and SDCC and to reconsider the recommendation that all apartments in the vacant buildings be Section 8 housing.
Senior Citizens
Coburn announced a program in the planning stages for senior citizens. With Michael Herrmann of Hamilton Community School and Arlene Sandler of Des Peres Library Branch, SDCC is attempting to coordinate a program to provide a variety of services.
Truck Route
Coburn informed the Board that the City has proposed a truck routing plan that designates Skinker as a major North-South truck throughway.
The next SDCC Board meeting will be held Monday, November 12 at the Council Office at 7:30 pm. The public is invited to attend all Board meetings.
Original photograph caption
Original line drawing accompanying SDCC Currents. The Paper, November 1979, page 5. The page bears the artist initials B.K.; no full identity inferred.
Originally published in The Paper, November 1979.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1979_11.pdf, printed page(s) 5; PDF page(s) 5.
