Survival of San Luis is uncertain
The Archdiocese of St. Louis, owner of the vacant San Luis apartments on Lindell Boulevard, is acting as if it has clear sailing to tear down the 11-story building.
Dan Jay, the architect on the archdiocese’s plan to replace the building with a parking lot, said today a demolition contractor could be hired by the end of the week. And after utility connections are cut, demolition could begin in about two weeks, he said.
But the San Luis’ owner is yet to get a demolition permit. Opponents, including the Landmarks Association of St. Louis, could step in to try to block demolition.
Still, the archdiocese won a big victory Monday night when the St. Louis Preservation Board approved review of the demo plan and parking lot project.
The board’s four-hour hearing on the San Luis included comments from 20 people who praised the San Luis’ mid-century modern architecture, panned the parking lot design or questioned the archdiocese’s claim it needs more parking for the Cathedral Basilica and Rosati-Kain High school.
Check out stltoday.com and tomorrow’s Post-Dispatch for more on this story.
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why tear down a building with 280 parking spots to create a 250 parking spot lot?
It’s even stupider than you think; the number of spots is actually going to be only 150.
For the record, this is how the appeal process works. The text of the preservation ordinance is posted below, but in summary: an appellant has 30 days to appeal after a demolition permit is issued by the building division. Following the appeal, the Preservation Board has 45 days to schedule a meeting to hear the appeal. Legally, this due process must be granted. If demolition begins without the due process, it is illegal.
Text of preservation ordinance:
” SECTION FORTY-FOUR. Appeal on actions or determinations:
Demolition, Construction,
Alteration - Historic District or Landmark/Landmark Site.
Any person aggrieved by, or any officer, department, board, bureau
or commission of the City affected by, the action of the building
Commissioner with respect to a requested permit based on the Cultural
Resources Office’s application of the Landmark or Historic District
standards to a requested permit or based on the recommendations or
determinations by the Preservation Board or Cultural Resources Office
pursuant to Sections Thirty-Nine through Forty-Three, may appeal the
action of the building commissioner to the Preservation Board for
review and hearing. Such appeal shall be known as a preservation
appeal and shall be taken within thirty (30) days after the action of
the building commissioner by filing a notice of appeal with the
Cultural Resources Office specifying the grounds of such appeal.
SECTION FORTY-FIVE. Hearing on filed appeal: Demolition,
Construction, Alteration -
Historic District or Landmark/Landmark Site. Within forty five
(45) days after the filing of appeal to the Preservation Board, the
Preservation Board shall hold a hearing thereon. The Preservation
Board shall hear the recommendations and evidence submitted by the
Cultural Resources Office and by any officer, department, board,
bureau or commission desiring to be heard thereon and shall permit the
appellant and other parties to the appeal an opportunity to appear and
be heard by the Preservation Board and to submit evidence. The
Preservation Board may permit any other interested person an
opportunity to appear and be heard by the Preservation Board. The
Preservation Board may continue or adjourn the hearing or schedule
additional hearings to permit a full hearing of the appeal. The
Preservation Board shall cause all proceedings in a preservation
appeal to be suitably recorded and preserved.”