Historical April 1984 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Ten apartment buildings near the Washington-Rosedale intersection have been purchased by City Equity Corporation.
They plan to rehabilitate the 68 rental units, fewer than half of which are currently occupied.
The developers have asked the Board of Aldermen and the St. Louis Redevelopment Authority to blight this property so that they may receive tax abatement on their improvements and financial assistance through the issuance of revenue bonds.
An aldermanic bill to do that has been introduced and will be voted on March 23.
In a letter to property owners in the 6000 and 6100 blocks of Washington, Alderman McGuire emphasized that adjoining property will not be blighted nor will the developers be granted the power of eminent domain. Recent controversy over the Tiffany neighborhood and Nina Place rehabilitations heightened interest in this project.
A meeting was convened on Saturday, March 10, at Delmar Baptist Church, which drew approximately 40 people. Among those who addressed the group were Phil Delkeskamp, project director for City Equity, Alderman Freeman Bosley (3rd Ward), and Bertha Gilke, an outspoken community leader associated with the Cochran housing group. Apart from Delkeskamp, most speakers used the occasion to review the historical and potential misuse of blighting and eminent domain.
Before adjourning, the suggestion was made to amend the aldermanic bill regarding the Washington-Rosedale apartments to prevent such abuses. Alderman McGuire was unable to attend the March 10 meeting but did attend the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council meeting two days later. Delkeskamp was invited to discuss this housing issue and to answer questions.
He stated that City Equity plans to modify the 68 units (45 1BR, 23 2BR) but not change the total number.
All 68 units will be rented at market rates; there will be no Section 8 housing (HUD subsidized).
However, as required, 20 percent of the units will be designated for low to moderate income families. Monthly rentals will range from $295 (1BR) to $435 (3BR) without utilities compared to the current $165-$250.
An attempt will be made to provide some offstreet parking.
The aldermanic bill allows the developer to pay the same amount of taxes currently being paid on the unimproved property for the next ten years and a reduced increase for the following fifteen years.
There are no federal or state funds involved. McGuire pointed out that no one spoke in opposition to the bill when it was first presented.
The bill includes language to obligate the developer to find safe, sanitary housing for existing inhabitants whose rent payments are current and to pay moving expenses.
Although it had snowed heavily and there were too few Council members to constitute a quorum, three local residents did attend the SDCC meeting to address the Council about a related issue.
They had lived in this area for up to 12 years and desired to remain living in this area but could not find affordable housing. Forced to move from their subsidized apartments when HUD approval was withdrawn, they were caught in the squeeze of insufficient federally-approved HUD-subsidized housing and their inability to pay for available non-subsidized housing within the local area.
They appealed to SDCC to assist them.
In part, their plight is due to the rising level of interest in an area that they helped to stabilize.
They can no longer compete financially for existing housing or rehabbed housing.
As renters, they have not received the benefits of rising property values. Their difficulties are magnified by cutbacks in federal funds for the programs that have assisted them in the past.
The state of Missouri has always been tight on citizen services.
The first and last appeal can and should be made to neighbors.
But these three residents received no satisfying answers from their community council.
One of them sadly reflected that there was time and money to discuss cleaning the carpets in the Council office but no time for people in distress.
If anyone has a workable solution to assist these neighbors, please send it to the Council office.
Our community, with a significant number of resident real estate agents and property owners, can’t seem to find one.
Original photograph caption
Apartment buildings near Washington and Rosedale accompanying the rehabilitation report. The Paper, April 1984, page 1. Photographer not credited.
Originally published in The Paper, April 1984.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Source lists 45 one-bedroom and 23 two-bedroom units, but quotes an upper rent for a three-bedroom unit. Retained as printed. March 23 vote is prospective even though masthead says April; filing date is not asserted printing day.
Original source: SD_Times1984_04.pdf, printed page(s) 1; PDF page(s) 1.
