By Antonio D. French
Filed Friday, May 25, 2007 at 12:28 PM
SPECIAL REPORT
As they wait to see if Governor Matt Blunt decides to sign the huge check that is House Bill 327 — which gives millions of dollars to dozens of entities, including developer Paul McKee and his "Blairmont" companies — residents of the north St. Louis neighborhoods most affected by McKee's secret plan hold their breath and look to the sky for the other shoe to drop.
As they wait to see if Governor Matt Blunt decides to sign the huge check that is House Bill 327 — which gives millions of dollars to dozens of entities, including developer Paul McKee and his "Blairmont" companies — residents of the north St. Louis neighborhoods most affected by McKee's secret plan hold their breath and look to the sky for the other shoe to drop.
Labels: Development, Special_Reports
24 Comments:
What's shocking is that this post has been up 30 whole minutes and not one comment from Doug Duckworth.
5/25/2007 1:07 PM
As promised.
5/25/2007 3:25 PM
LOL. Doug's consulting one of his UMSL professors to see what he should say.
5/25/2007 3:53 PM
perhaps you should go to Urban Review for Doug Duckworth's comments
5/25/2007 3:55 PM
Whatever happened people using lengthy fake names and e-mail addresses when they left snarky, anonymous comments, like "i-can-say-anything-rude-with-impunity-when-i'm@my-compter.com"? I kind of miss that. It had a sort of vicious charm to it.
5/25/2007 4:33 PM
There has to be a plan somewhere. Does anyone have any ideas what firms would be working on the designs?
5/25/2007 6:21 PM
I wonder - what kind of plan would involve buying buildings in the middle of an occupied neighborhood where lots of rehab is going on, and intentionally leaving them unboarded and vacant? Would that be a plan to increase crime? To lower property values? These people can't even make a show of good faith by attempting to secure their property. McKee may not be communicating directly with the people whose neighborhoods he's trying to devalue, but he's still managing to send a pretty clear message.
5/26/2007 1:52 PM
I have said all there is to say at length. Besides, this report is so in depth I have nothing left to add!
5/26/2007 4:35 PM
The first master plan for the area came from Arcturis.
But they are no longer involved.
5/26/2007 4:38 PM
Well At least someone has a plan for all these old rundown buildings . And Blairmount did't chase anyone away that did't want to get out of here anyway
CJKranz
5/27/2007 6:23 PM
Go Blairmount some people are just peed cause you won't let them in on your plans .
5/27/2007 6:32 PM
Go Blairmount some people are just peed cause you won't let them in are your plans
H. Johnson
5/27/2007 6:34 PM
Most of the people in this neighborhood are leaving cause of Crime and they really don't like what their seeing with Old North St. Louis plans . Blairmount has nothing to do with why these people are leaving
N. Boatright
5/27/2007 6:42 PM
^
Hmm, I wonder if the last four comments were posted by the same person.
I.M. Notfooled
5/27/2007 8:34 PM
What right does anyone have to a monopoly of a goverment project?
I thought these things were bid on by contractors; and given to the quality bid. not contractors bidding on politicians; and given to the shady bid.
Those 4 comments surely came from a blairmont ghost.
5/27/2007 11:31 PM
No not Blairmount ghost all 4 post where made by the same family members I have lived in this Neighborhood for 44 yrs and raised my family here . Now getting ready to move from here but it has nothing to do with Blairmount. Blairmount can't hurt this neighborhood anymore then LRA did but nobody cared what LRA has done with their crap . And I know for a fact that some of the people that are harping on what Blairmounts property looks like are also helping in trashing it out so they can take a picture of it ..
Carmella Kranz
Hebert St.
5/28/2007 1:47 AM
My apologies for the Blairmont Ghost comment. It surprises me that anyone not benefiting monetarily by this bill is supporting it. Why?
Is your home for sale or sold?
In 10 years when you and your family drive by the old place... will it be there? Or any of the things that made the neighborhood your home?
Careful, there are flippers from the neighborhood acquiring property and getting it to Blairmont too. Many residents have tried to get ahold of some of these parcels only to be outbid by McKees unlimited budget (our tax money).
5/28/2007 9:58 AM
"Blairmount can't hurt this neighborhood anymore then LRA did"
LRA buildings belong to government that is theoretically accountable to the people.
Blairmont buildings belong to a private developer who is not accountable and who won't tell people what he wants to do.
That's a big difference.
Besides, in ONSL, the neighborhood group has made an unprecedented deal with LRA that has led to rehabs of LRA buildings. Will McKee be as responsive to community desires?
As far as people trashing buildings out to take photos, that's horse shit.
5/28/2007 1:57 PM
As far as people trashing buildings out to take photos, that's horse shit.
I know for a fact know her by name and know that she had my nephew that worked for her in helping rehab her home had him to put some of her crap behide a house that belonged to Blairmount and then she wants to harp on about how they won't clean up around their houses and now she has the fence tied shut and locked on their property so the city are anyone that might want to cut it down can't get in to do so and I'm not the only one at this end that knows she had the boys to dump her crap behide Blairmounts house. Then we seen her out there taking pictures of the place . Twice I had to make my nephew go back and clean up what she told them to do unless your ass lives around 19th and Hebert then you don't really know what is going on here . I use to mow the lot next to her house until she tied it shut the property don't belong to her it was kept clean and clear til she moved in next to the property and everybody in ONSTL knows I kept it mowed and cleaned . quit hiding behide Anonymous and sign your name
I;m not scared to sign my name
Carmella Kranz
Hebert St.
Carmella Kranz
5/28/2007 10:42 PM
Sorry about that mess up on the last post . I was trying to say That I use to keep the lot next door to her house mowed until she went and tied the fence shut and locked to keep anyone from getting in to mow it . The property does not belong to her and my husband is going to get ahold of someone this week and ask them to take the fence down so the lot can get mowed and she can't keep anyone from getting in to mow it .
5/28/2007 10:56 PM
You and the city deserve the 100 mil more than they do Carmella. Thank You.
5/29/2007 2:36 PM
Re: lynn's comment
One kind of plan that would involve buying up derelict properties and keeping them in a blighted state would be a plan to maintain blighted sections of the city in order to continue and increase community block grant monies from the federal government. The city receives the grants based on the percentages of blighted areas, then spends the money on building facades and fluff in areas the mayor decides to help--not in the blighted communities.
Another possibility is that "someone" is aware of large grant funding in the works to develop blighted properties and are holding on to them to be positioned to receive the money. The current state money may be what they were after, but I suspect something bigger is in the works.
Mayor Slay and his school board "foreknew" about federal Reading First funding and instituted a reading program in the city schools known to be a substandard choice, and even implemented it incorrectly and by force on teachers. Before the program only 2 or 3 schools would have been eligible for the federal Reading First funding which was based on low test scores. When they got through, only 2 or 3 weren't eligible. This shows me that there are people in power in this city that are certainly capable of doing harm to the people in order to position themselves for grant money.
5/30/2007 7:51 AM
Isn't the Community Program Development Corporation involved somehow?
CPDC was involved in the relocation projects for Vashon, Cardinal Ritter and McRee Town.
Also close to McEagle.
5/30/2007 11:45 AM
"nobody cared what LRA has done with their crap"
Not true. Read the blogs and you'll find a lot of complaints about LRA.
6/02/2007 6:10 PM
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