News from St. Louis

For the last few years I have been reading a number of place blogs. I have a list of favorites, Richard Layman who writes Urban Places and Spaces was an early influence and helped me find a name for my own place blog, Squandered Heritage. Richard produces a staggering amount of information and covers the gamut of critical thinking about urban spaces.

The next blog I found was Ecology of Absence which is written by Michael Allen. He has a tremendous point of view in terms of preservation and conservation but more than that he understands the role that human occupancy plays in the narrative and the posts he writes are never about buildings alone, they are about the impact and relationships we have to building and in the case of Blairmont he was able to undercover the dealing of a Real Estate developer using a neighborhood as a tool of speculation.

_This is a compendium of information on the real estate companies controlled by developer Paul J. McKee, Jr. known widely by the name of the first of his holding companies to buy a north side parcel, Blairmont Associates LC. Through these companies McKee has purchased over 700 parcels located in an area roughly bounded by Delmar Boulevard on the south, Grand Avenue on the west, Palm Avenue on the north and I-70 on the east. The purchases began in 2003 and continue to this day. Many of these holdings are adjacent to city-owned real estate or in the path of infrastructure projects. The purchases are in the 3rd, 5th 6th, and 19th wards of the city. Included in the inventory at least 150 historic buildings. This ownership has significantly damaged historic buildings through acute neglect, and has lowered the quality of life for many of the people who live near their purchases. Overall, the holdings have perpetuated the neglect of one of the city’s most hopeful areas. ~ Michael R. Allen, editor _

To read more about Blairmont

Recently I came across another blog I really enjoy, Dotage Matt Mouring is the great mind behind this and lives here in New Orleans while he attends graduate school.

I ran into Matt the other day and he was headed up to Saint Louis for a love in sponsored by Friends of the San Luis , you can read more about the event here at Next American City as much as I wanted to jump in a car and drive for 9 hours to stand in the cold I just couldn’t make it.

Funnily enough the building they were attempting to save from the Archdiocese and the wrecking ball was designed by New Orleans own. Charles Colbert who also designed the threatened Wheatley School here in New Orleans.

Maybe next time and in the meantime everyone, love your City!