Historical November 1986 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Uncertainty over the future of various vacant buildings in the neighborhood, and particularly in the Nina Place area, prompted a recent series of citizen meetings. Bill and Pat Kohn organized the first of these meetings on October 1 at 5949 Kingsbury, the Kohn’s Art Studio. Annabeth Caulkins of the Pantheon Corporation and I have an update on the status of the Nina Redevelopment Plan.
An ordinance approving the plan was adopted by the city on Nov. 27,1984, with completion on the project scheduled for January 1988. Phase I of the development, to rehab the rental buildings on Waterman and Nina Place from Waterman to the cul-de-sac at McPherson, was scheduled to be completed by this summer.
This has obviously not been accomplished. Ms Caulkins explained that despite a large financial commitment of federal community development block grant funds I had obtained from the city, the project had not proceeded because of two primary problems.
First, the partnership initially agreed upon among several property owners was not consumated due to the reluctance of a group of investors led by Mike Beardon. Second, Congress’ work on tax revision and budget restraints created an uncertain future for real estate investment, with the result that no additional private capital could be obtained for the project. Caulkins stated that Pantheon is currently re-evaluating their plans for the area and may proceed with rehabbing the buildings as moderately priced condominiums rather than apartments.
She further noted that Pantheon would discuss selling some of the buildings to others who would be interested in development on a building-by-building basis. I explained that there was little interest by other major developers to take over the project because of the already stated reasons and the unique conditions of the plan, which included denial of eminent domain rights over owner-occupied property.
A smaller group of people met again at the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council offices on October 6 to follow up on the first meeting and develop a plan for community action. Out of these two meetings and subsequent talks with Ms Caulkins, the following was agreed: 1. I will formally report to the city’s Board of Public Service that the project is not on schedule and the neighborhood’s dissatisfaction with the current situation; 2. Pantheon will continue to maintain and board up their vacant buildings; 3. Pantheon will provide for additional alley lighting in the area. Continued to page 7
4. Pantheon will provide security patrols in the area; 5. Pantheon will erect informational signs in the area to inform visitors that the vacant buildings are part of a development plan, not simply abandoned; 6.
As provided in the Redevelopment Plan, I will appoint a Redevelopment Advisory Committee to monitor future activity and provide a legitimate and on-going forum for the concerns of our neighborhood over the status of the Nina Place area.
The first meeting of this Nina Place RAC will be held at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12 at the SDCC office.
The public is welcome.
In other related developments: Pantheon’s Delmar Parkway Project is nearly completed.
This development includes the total renovation of the Sloan Building (formerly the “blue building”) on Delmar east of DeBaliviere and four apartment buildings on the south side of Delmar.
The Piece of the Roch Corp. lots at Pershing and Des Peres, and Westminster and Des Peres are being acquired by the city for park purposes.
The Westminster white chat lot, site of the former Sunoco station, will be landscaped and planted this fall.
The vacant grey building at Washington and Des Peres may be purchased by the city.
It is planned that the building be demolished and the lot landscaped as a passive park.
The two vacant buildings on 60XX McPherson have been purchased and will be rehabbed by neighborhood resident Mark Gorman.
The “Mike Beardon Buildings” at 520 Rosedale, 61XX Pershing, 60XX and 61XX Waterman and hopefully those in the Nina Place area, will be taken over by a major banking firm and rehabbed in the near future.
Original photograph caption
Nina Place. Photo by King Schoenfeld. The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, November 1986, page 7.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, November 1986.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1986_11.pdf, printed page(s) 1, 7; PDF page(s) 1, 7.
