Crossroads Has Arrived

Historical November 1980 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.

Remember the Bettendorf store, alive on DeBaliviere? How many of us chatted sadly, pushing our last cartful of groceries during the declining days of nearby shopping? Remember next the rats and weeds and glass, the open-trunk Thieves Market on the parking lot, the colorful curses slashed across the boarded building?

Those days have passed.

A hardy, hearty band of intellectual adventurers has captured the building, assaulted the weeds and boards, and incredibly, in two short months, re-designed and built a complete new interior. Crossroads School has come to 500 No. DeBaliviere.

They opened newly-glassed, fire-coded doors to 125 students on September 15.

The magnitude of that achievement, considering the lease remained unsecured until June, is just one indicator of a new spirit bubbling on that Eastern flank of the neighborhood. Crossroads brings its special brand of energy, packed in 74 middle-school students, 51 upper-school students and a strong staff of 12 full-time and 15 parttime teachers. Interviewing Carol and Arthur Leiber and Karen Techner, I asked how they decided on DeBaliviere.

The three share responsibility, legal and administrative, for the school. “We’ve been looking for the right space for years, and this building answered most of our needs. Space has been neutral, both on Lindell where the school was most recently, and in Peacock Alley, where it began. We’ve worked with what we had, worked around it; We’ve moved through it, adapted to it. Now, we’ve been able to put together all the wants, the bests, to have rooms that serve their own functions.

We have built in 2 art rooms, science rooms, upper and middle school meeting spaces, language rooms, even a cafeteria, in addition to the academic rooms. Having this building makes it easier to do what we’ve already been doing.” Beyond the question of size and space allocation, the Bettendorf building meets two other important criteria: It is an urban location, in the central corridor of the city where 25% of the students live, and, it passes all the city Code Requirements.

We discussed the code requirements. Most of the buildings considered as possibilities were multi-storied and very solidly constructed. Any renovation money would have gone primarily toward meeting those strict requirements.

The space in this building is all on one level, and code requirements could be worked into the basic plan as they redesigned the entire interior. That put the money squarely into design, into creating an environment unique to Crossroads’ needs, and satisfied the fire, electrical and plumbing inspectors too.

Tom Cohen, the Architect who is a neighborhood resident, worked long hours with the staff.

He joined them pacing off the room sizes, planning the perfect wall heights, patiently plumbing any secret desires for the new space.

He has since joined the staff as “Architect in Residence-, and is teaching a class. There are rumors of a greenhouse on the roof.

Walking into school these days evokes an incredulous gasp from those of us who remember walls of food.

A wrap-around glass office, balcony and bulletin wall, all white and wood and earth-tones, draw us past the entrance into the creative use of those thousands of square feet. Murals, carefully conceived and painted by the student graphics classes, are beginning to decorate the white and adobe.

I asked Carol and Arthur how they chose the name Crossroads. “We wanted a name to immediately convey the ideas, integrated, urban, cross district, cross cultural. Crossroads worked.” The age group served by Crossroads, adolescents, is certainly at that time of life, a time viewed by the Liebers and Karen as exciting and vital. “The kids are great.

We want to contribute to them, and we look for those who can also contribute to the school community.

We work really well with curious and motivated kids, with average intelligence. or above.” The Middle School consists of grades 6, 7 and 8; The Upper School with grades 9, 10 and 11 (grade 12 will be added in 1981) follows a college preparatory curriculum, and boasts a college counselor. Tuition is approximately $1500 a year, and fundraising activities form an important part of parent’s participation.

Crossroads is a private, non-profit corporation.

When asked what has been the reaction of the neighborhood to the school’s move, the response was “Absolutely terrific.

We still can’t believe how enthusiastic people are here.” Central West End Savings has sent over backpacks, and an invitation for consumer math classes. Kingsbury Square Hardware is searching for any needed items.

The Mounted Police visit, and Captain Carroway from the Seventh District is giving a seminar. Grace Methodist has offered Fellowship Hall for plays or meetings. Pantheon has helped arrange the lease and expansion. Washington University interns and faculty are working at the school part-time.

The Missouri Historical Society is allowing – eight students to use the library for their research in a college-credit course sponsored by UMSL and the Arch. SDCC has provided lists of resource people and groups.

The library will order films and books. St. Lukes is loaning their gym. “We couldn’t ask for a better welcome.” Crossroads is truly an urban school.

They want to be part of the growth of this neighborhood and to offer their resources whenever it’s possible. Their first project, beyond rehabilitation of the building, is a Recycling Center, permanently located and staffed at the School.

It opened October 1.

The Crossroads staff plans heavy use of the local library to help alleviate the dwindling circulation.

They are willing to undertake neighborhood projects that can be incorporated into the curriculum. Three Crossroads families have moved into the neighborhood this year so the kids can walk to school Crossroads has landed on DeBaliviere, with a full cargo of high energy, strong spirit and special dreams. Let me share a secret vision, purloined from the October 8, Weekly Wednesday Notice: “From all over the world, tourists will come to see the work of the Crossroads Beautification Committee: Terrace walks, wishing wells to rival the Trevi Fountain . . . Wrought iron fencing with curliques from here to there . . . Seas of anemones and rose bushes with minimal thorns . . . Ivy-covered school walls rising from the center of a lake where Gondolas glide filled with awe-struck, thrill-seekers The communique is pure Crossroads. Parents are then urged to help clean up the trash and plant the ivy, which they are also urged to donate. There is something about unending optimism mixed with educational fitness that is irresistable.

As a devoted Crossroads parent and neighbor, I can’t wait to glide in a gondola down DeBaliviere! And considering the transformation of an old supermarket, how could we doubt such a dream.

Originally published in The Paper, November 1980.

Read this article in the original newspaper issue.

Original source: SD_Times1980_11.pdf, printed page(s) 5; PDF page(s) 5.