Historical November–December 1999 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
We see the future of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Neighborhood to be a healthy one for many reasons.
The housing stock is a very important reason for optimism. Our neighborhood is fortunate to have a diversified supply of residences from efficiency units to large gracious homes. Consequently, housing needs from those of an individual to those of a large family can be satisfied in our neighborhood.
The construction of the buildings is such that, as mentioned earlier, the same quality of home would cost at least five times the current market value to replace, and probably could not be duplicated due to the unavailability of craftsmen and the extreme expense of fine materials. Prices of neighborhood property have been going up, but our quality homes are still a bargain.
These assets of our housing stock are reflected in the statistics (of houses for sale) kept by the Residential Service.
The demand for homes in our neighborhood has risen steadily. Currently, although there are only eight houses for sale, there are 22 families who are looking for homes in the neighborhood. (64) (Readers should remember that this section was written in 1973.) The schools are another reason to be optimistic about the future of our neighborhood. For years St. Roch’s Catholic Church has looked beyond its own members. Seeing the overcrowding in the public school, St. Roch’s has admirably filled a need in our community. Not only has their school operated with a policy of open enrollment, but has also been responsive to parent suggestion. Realizing that a neighborhood school is vital to the future of a neighborhood, residents of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Neighborhood urged that some solution must be found for the overcrowding at Hamilton Public School.
From this, the Hamilton District Reference Committee was organized by action of the Superintendent of Schools, Clyde Miller.
It consists of representatives from the Board of Education, the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council, public school administrators and teachers, parents and at-large members.
On April 4, 1973, a proposed plan for the 1973-74 school year was presented at the committee’s initial meeting by Charles Brasfield, Superintendent of the Northwest Soldan District.
In telephone conversations with Samuel Gregory, Assistant Superintendent of the Northwest-Soldan District and Calvin B. Stuart, Jr., we learned that the plan calls for a “new” public school which will operate in the present Hamilton Branch Three building, for grades Kindergarten through fourth.
It will eliminate the current bussing to Wheatley and Mitchell schools.
This will involve a redistricting with some of Hamilton’s school population changed to surrounding elementary schools; however, all students from our neighborhood would be in the Hamilton District. Teachers have been informed of the proposed plan, and the Board of Education has approved it.
In the next few weeks, there will be several meetings to discuss the plan with as many residents as possible. So we see our neighborhood in the future served both by a quality private school and a desirable public school which together will make the area more attractive for families with children.
We believe that there will be a growth and redevelopment of commercial facilities to enhance the neighborhood’s future.
The continued existence of such “neighborhood institutions” as Garavelli’s (owned by Byron Tompras) and Barry Leader Drugs (owned by Sidney A. Goldberg) are examples of the stable clientele our neighborhood offers to merchants.
The plans of the Kingsbury Redevelopment Corporation reflect this neighborhood asset in designating a portion of the redevelopment area for commercial use. Immediately to our west, the Loop Area of University City has come back to life to meet the commercial and entertainment needs of its residents.
With continued resident pressure, commercial establishments cannot practically ignore the fertile market in our neighborhood.
In the future as in the past. the Skinker-DeBaliviere Neighborhood will have a desirable location in relation to the entire metropolitan St. Louis area.
There is easy access to all major_interstate highways and the Inner and Outer Belts.
If rapid transit is ever developed in St. Louis, there is reason to believe it will be in close proximity to our neighborhood.
We are only 12 minutes from downtown Broadway and seven minutes from the Clayton shopping district.
We are convenient to either an Illinois airport or an expanded Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.
As for the negative aspects of city living, people are beginning to realize that urban problems do not stop at the St. Louis City Limits. Blight and crime have moved westward with the population. Statistics for the last year show that the crime rate in the city in general and our neighborhood in particular is decreasing.
The “crowding” of the city is also lessening in our neighborhood. Our residents’ insistence on strict housing code enforcement has forced occupancy rates to go down, and the redevelopment plans will lessen the density in that area.
The most important reason for our prediction of a healthy future for the neighborhood is the people who live here.
They are working together for this future, and it is the people living here who make Skinker-DeBaliviere not just an area, but a NEIGHBORHOOD.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, November–December 1999.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1999_11.pdf, printed page(s) 5, 6, 7; PDF page(s) 5, 6.
