Recognizing the potential value of its historic homes and industrial buildings, but with few plans for reuse in the immediate future, the City of St. Louis is proposing to establish a preservation fund to mothball some of its 6,000 vacant buildings.
"A bill to be filed Friday [PDF] with the St. Louis Board of Aldermen would set up a building preservation fund — estimated at $500,000 a year — to fix roofs and walls on long-term vacant buildings, mothballing them for future development," reports Tim Logan. "An equal amount would be added to the city’s demolition fund, to help speed the demolition of thousands of condemned properties."
The proposal was developed in response to the recent demolition of the century-old Cupples 7 warehouse, a loss that dismayed preservationists and city leaders.
"The money would help to preserve one of the city’s signature assets — its blocks and blocks of red-brick housing stock — while also hastening the razing of crumbling old structures that house crime and harm their neighbors, said Jeff Rainford, chief of staff for Mayor Francis Slay."
"The tough question — in a city with so many empty buildings — is which ones to save," adds Logan.
Read the full story: St. Louis proposes fund to 'mothball' vacant buildings
Defunct Hospital to Transform Into a Home for Neighborhood Investment in St. Louis
A truly ambitious, and thoroughly innovative development, project in St. Louis will adapt a former hospital facility to house numerous nonprofit and neighborhood investment organizations.
Can St. Louis Keep Its Unique Heritage from Crumbling?
As the back-to-the-city movement takes hold, cities are turning old industrial buildings into distinctive spaces prized as offices and lofts. St. Louis is trying to figure out how to preserve their legacy assets from crumbling as they await new life.
New Jersey affordable housing requirements spur infill development across the state
A 50-year-old law continues to reshape development around housing goals.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
Denver is solving homelessness. Why aren't the rest of us?
Since 2023, Denver's street homeless population has decreased by 64%, proving that effective tools exist to support those in need of housing.
LA accused of breaching $1.4 billion sidewalk repair settlement
The city faces a backlog of nearly 5,000 street repair requests.
MTA kicks off six-year, $1 billion transit upgrade project
The authority is replacing the roughly 90-year-old train signals on the A and C line with modern technology.
Developers may expand largest gas pipeline network in Northwest
Pipeline giant Williams has proposed new expansions for its Northwest Pipeline from the Colorado Rockies through Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority