Historical November 1983 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
THE SKINKER-DEBALIVIERE CATLIN TRACT PARKVIEW HISTORIC DISTRICT In recent weeks there have been several significant developments concerning our Historic District.
The current boundaries for the district are generally as follows: Beginning at the intersection of DeBaliviere and Lindell, thence generally in a clockwise direction to the City Limits, the north alley of Delmar, Hodiamont, Delmar, DeGiverville, Washington, Laurel, the north alley of Waterman, the west alley of DeBaliviere, the Norfolk and Western Railroad tracks, DeBaliviere, to the point of beginning.
The district was created in 1978 to preserve the unique architectural heritage of the area by adopting various additional building standards, land use controls, and zoning regulations.
As a whole the plan has worked well, although sometimes in the past some residents have suffered through seemingly unnecessary bureaucratic delays in gaining permit approval for minor alterations from the Heritage and Urban Design Commission, which has the charge on enforcing the ordinance.
New Building Permit Procedures
At my request, and with the support of several Commission members from the neighborhood, the Commission recently approved new bylaws which should substantially speed up the permit approval process.
In the future, whenever the Heritage Commissioner receives a permit application for construction or alteration in our historic district, and determines that it is in compliance with our standards, he may approve the permit prior to full commission review.
All demolition permits, however, must still be approved by the full commission. Ideally, this process should take no longer than three days: day one — file application; day two — inspection of property; and day three — approval. Unfortunately, the Heritage Commission is currently understaffed and the process may take a week to ten days to complete.
Commission Members
I was very pleased that Mayor Schoemehl recently appointed several additional Skinker-DeBaliviere residents to the thirteen-member Heritage and Urban Design Commission. Those members from our immediate neighborhood are: Robert G. Ducker of Mackey & Associates, Jesse Horstman, Gee Stuart, Brad Weir, and Neville Vatcha; who along with Karen Sullivan of Portland Place, give the Central West End meaningful representation on this important panel.
Economic Recovery Tax Act
Of great importance to the continued development of our area is the 1981
Economic Recovery Tax Act
. Under this federal legislation, a three-tiered investment tax credit (ITC) became available for the substantial rehabilitation of old buildings. “Certified historic structures” receive the most favorable tax treatment, qualifying for a 25 percent ITC for rehabilitation for commercial, industrial, or residential-rental use. Lesser credits are available for the rehabilitation of old, but non-historic buildings: 20 percent for buildings at least forty years old and 15 percent for those at least thirty years old.
Unlike the 25 percent credit, the 20 percent and 15 percent credits are allowed for commercial and industrial rehabilitations only.
By increasing the profit margin for rehabilitation of historic buildings and erasing previous tax bias toward new construction, the act should stimulate additional investment and revitalizations in our neighborhood.
In order to qualify for the ITC, a rehabilitation must be “substantial,” i.e., the cost of rehab must exceed the greater of $5,000 or the adjusted basis of the property (adjusted basis = cost in the building minus any depreciation already taken). Only certified historic structures qualify for the 25 percent ITC.
A “certified historic structure” is a building listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places or a building located within and certified by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to a Registered Historic District. Registered Historic Districts include both districts listed in the National Register and districts created by local ordinance (like the Skinker-DeBaliviere Catlin Tract Parkview Historic District).
In our case then, before anyone can take advantage of the 25 percent ITC, our local ordinance establishing the district and the district itself must be certified by the Secretary of the Interior.
Architectural Survey
With this goal in mind, we have secured the necessary funds to initiate this certification process.
In July, Carolyn Hewes Toft and Jane Molloy Porter of the Landmarks Association of St. Louis, Inc., completed the architectural survey of our historic district, the first step in securing certification by the Secretary of the Interior. Landmarks’ staff is currently coordinating its efforts with the Technical Preservaation Services of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in Jefferson City.
Expansion of Historic District Boundaries
Our current boundaries exclude all of the Skinker-DeBaliviere area contained within the Pershing-Waterman Redevelopment site. Therefore, property owners on the 57XX block of McPherson and the 58XX block of Washington would be unable to gain the 25 percent ITC even if our district was declared eligible.
With this in mind, the survey team has suggested that the historic district be expanded to allow rental-property owners in these blocks to qualify for the tax credit rehab incentive. I plan to introduce this legislation to the Board of Aldermen when we return from our recess in mid-November. Ideally, our district will be certified by the Secretary of the Interior this spring. I sincerely hope it will provide the catalyst for the final phase of the continuing revitalization of our neighborhood.
Originally published in The Paper, November 1983.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1983_11.pdf, printed page(s) 7; PDF page(s) 7.
