Historical September–October 1999 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Archway Communities has occupied the southeast corner of Pershing at DeBaliviere for 30 years.
A drug treatment facility, it kept a very low profile. Consequently, few residents of Skinker DeBaliviere knew that it was there or worried about it if they did. Archway joined the Skinker DeBaliviere Community Council in the fall of 1997 after Paula Sigman became its director.
This year it was learned that Archway had had the commercial tenants of the first floor of its building vacate the premises.
It intended to remodel so that the 1st floor would have conference rooms and offices.
In addition, Archway gained a contract with St. Louis County drug court to treat those found guilty of possession of drugs, a felony, on an out-patient basis. Archway failed to apprise the SDCC board, on which it sits, of the remodeling or of the major addition to its out-patient clientele. Opposition was voiced at the SDCC to Archway’s change In nature of service(it already has 72 patients in residence at its facility and follows up with former residents on an out-patient basis) and its change from first floor commercial to treatment and office uses.
An Archway spokesperson indicated that the remodeling was part of a master plan that had taken form well over a year ago. Archway has also adopted a much more noticeable profile, encouraging media stories that give its location.
On Wednesday, September 8, about 40 people gathered at Crossroads School to discuss the issue further.
Residents spoke in praise of Archway’s initial tenancy in the neighborhood but some added that they believed residents would prefer that Archway sell its building now and relocate to some other neighborhood. Billy Handmaker, headmaster of Crossroads School and neighborhood resident, expressed concern that Archway’s contract with St. Louis County would bring first-time drug offenders to the neighborhood for treatment.
He said that this particular population was not desired so close to a school. Representatives of Archway said that they did not want to offer services in a neighborhood where they were considered unwelcome.
There were also concerns that Archway has no parking spaces at the Pershing location. Someone at the meeting suggested Archway relocate to Regional Hospital. One Archway spokesperson said the surrounding neighborhood was a bigger problem than the Archway clients.
A physician on Archway’s board finally suggested that a committee be formed to help Archway relocate to another facility. At its regular meeting on September 13, the SDCC Board discussed the Archway issue.
The board voted its lack of support for a variance to allow Archway to remodel, said it would take nominations for people to help to assist Archway in moving, and also voted in favor of asking Archway not to increase its out-patient load by adding people referred by St. Louis County Drug Court. Archway director Sigman indicated that Archway may reconfigure the 1st floor of its building, possibly to avoid the need for a variance. Alderman Krewson indicated that she did not favor the variance or the additional out patient traffic.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, September–October 1999.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1999_09.pdf, printed page(s) 3, 19; PDF page(s) 3, 19.
