Eleven Most Enhanced Buildings Awards, May 2002

Landmarks initiated the 11 Most Enhanced Awards in 1996 to recognize the city's best examples of quality rehabilitation, adaptive reuse and outstanding new construction in historic contexts. The jury also looks for geographical balance, for different building types exhibiting various styles and dates of construction along with a range of ownership and financial collaborations. 
 

Winners of this year's 11 Most Enhanced Awards invested almost $84 million in St. Louis' future. Financing comes from owners, banks, government (city, state and federal), foundations and pledges from members. Buildings ranged in age from Steins Row in Carondelet to the new chapel at First Unitarian Church. Representatives from each project braved a record-breaking cold spell complete with driving rain to attend the award ceremony at WireWorks, a gracious and inventive host.

1901 Arsenal Street

In 1984, when Landmarks prepared a national register nomination for the Benton Park neighborhood, 1901 Arsenal Street was a sad example of a 19th century building type common in this and other city historic districts. The mansard roof was covered in vinyl siding; the bracketed cornice was missing; the cast-iron storefront was badly damaged. Gradually, neighborhood housing began to attract reinvestment, but the corner of Arsenal and Lemp overlooking the Anheuser-Busch Brewery remained derelict. Often the most architecturally significant building on the block, corner stores such as this one present a singular challenge for adaptive reuse. To insure its survival, the neighborhood housing corporation took charge of 1901 Arsenal.

After over ten years of vacancy, the property (described as the "Derelict Dowager" in the Benton Park newsletter) was acquired by Pyramid Construction. Both the housing corporation and Alderman Ken Ortmann stayed involved throughout the $800,000 renovation project. The housing corporation developed working drawings to replace the cornice, argued successfully for slate rather than asphalt shingles on the mansard roof and arranged for three dozen individually cast pieces of iron to repair the battered storefront. Ortmann found the extra money to pay for these elements. Pyramid Architects adapted the building as two for-sale residential townhouse condominiums (one listed at $138,900 and the smaller at $85,000). Two retail or commercial condo units on the first floor will share condo fees with their upstairs neighbors. Financing for the project came from US Bank, the all-important Missouri Historic Tax Credits and Community Development Block Grant funds.

Lift for Life Academy

Lift for Life Academy (providing after-school gym and education for at-risk children) opened its doors in 2000 with an enrollment of sixty 6th graders housed in a garage at 14th and Cass Avenue. In desperate need of a larger facility, a team including Board members and Executive Director Marshall Cohen discovered the former Manufacturers Bank building at 1731 South Broadway. The owner was ready to sell; his attempt to open a strip club in the stately bank had been firmly rebuffed by Alderwoman Phyllis Young.

Architects Kim Cohn and Kevin Chapman worked with Knoeble Construction to make extensive and imaginative use of the bank's original spaces for today's enrollment of 146 6th and 7th graders. The old vault is now a restroom; one of seven classrooms occupies the board room; a well-equipped science lab benefits from the generous natural light offered in the 1960s drive-up windows; teller stations are now study carrels with computers. Unable to take advantage of historic tax credits because of its non-profit status, Lift for Life financed the $950,000 project through Southwest Bank and donations.

3500 Utah

Ron Flier was shopping for an artist's studio when he met Tom Pickle, executive director of DeSales Community Housing Corporation. Tom showed him a building DeSales controlled at the corner of Utah and Arkansas in the Tower Grove East neighborhood. Constructed in 1907 from plans by local architect, Francis Holly, the property by the late 1990s had become a nuisance-the focus of petty criminal activity. A joint effort by Alderman Ken Ortmann, neighborhood residents, the police and the circuit attorney's office succeeded in getting the building shut down. DeSales bought it with Block Grant funds, then deeded it back to the City for safekeeping.

With no previous rehab or development experience, Ron and his wife Vicki bought 3500 Utah from the City for one dollar in 2001 and began work on what was meant to be a six-month project. First, they enlisted the services of project architect Saul Dien and contractor Ralph Zuke to convert what was originally a butcher shop into a spacious downstairs studio for Ron with plenty of room for 3 to 4 other artists upstairs. After more than a year of sometimes frustrating rehab and $140,000 of personal funds, Ron Flier is happily at work in his new studio.

The Piper Plant House at Tower Grove Park

The Piper Plant House is the last of the historic buildings in Tower Grove Park to be renovated; its near twin, the Piper Palm House, received an Enhanced Award in 1998. The plant house is the most transformed of any of the park's rich collection of 19th century architecture. Built in 1885 with bricks from the Ittner Brothers brickyard, the structure designed by George I. Barnett to house tropical plants during the winter endured decades of deferred maintenance and indignity during its tenure as a maintenance shop.

Cleanup work began in 1999 under the direction of architect Phil Cotton who collaborated with staff to fit administrative offices, meetings rooms, an archive and library into an elegant open plan. Work proceeded with a line of credit from Southwest Bank, using donor pledges raised by the Friends of Tower Grove Park as collateral. The completed project, built by Dar-Beck Construction Co. with construction management by Hercules, cost $1,600,000.

WireWorks

The first industry to encroach close to Lafayette Park after the 1896 tornado was The American Bed Company. Incorporated in 1900 to manufacture iron beds, cots, wire spring mattresses and couches, the company began construction of a multi-building plant in 1902. Western Wire Products Co. took over the five-building property during the Depression. The strategically located red brick complex became available for adaptive reuse during the late 1990s after Western Wire moved to more modern surroundings in Fenton.

Siedlund Co. and Parkside Development Corporation teamed up to buy it and began the conversion into 94 apartments and space for a restaurant. (The Community Development Administration worked with Alderman Lewis Reed to provide funding for site improvements and the parking lot.) Rehab was well underway when a spectacular fire destroyed most of the three-story section and part of the original two-story factory. Considering the fire only a temporary setback, the developers, of the $12 million WireWorks project along with project architect Johannes-Cohen Collaborative and contractor E. M. Harris, reduced the number of residential units from 94 to 80, rebuilt the damaged second floor, saved the brick walls of the destroyed three-story section and created space for a courtyard and swimming pool. Bank of America and The Private Bank provided construction financing, while Red Capital Mortgage provided permanent Fannie Mae financing. The St. Louis Equity Fund and AmerenUE invested in the Federal and State Historic Tax Credits.

Center for Emerging Technologies

St. Louisans regarded George Preston Dorris' arrival from Nashville in 1898 with his experimental car as the "the best joke since the McKinley-Bryan election returns," but the company he worked for became the first in the city to manufacture autos. When it relocated to Peoria in 1905, Dorris resigned and formed the Dorris Motor Car Company. Two years later architect John Ludwig Wees was commissioned to design a factory on Forest Park Boulevard. But even with a third story added to the building in 1909, production couldn't meet demand. A larger factory was constructed about a block away (now the Dorris Lofts) and this building was turned into a service and repair center.

After serving the rest of the 20th century as a shoe factory and office furniture warehouse, the original Dorris plant was returned to its engineering roots as the Center for Emerging Technologies. Rehab designed by Mackey Mitchell Architects with Korte Company as contractor cost $7 million. Creative and complicated financing came from the Danforth Foundation Related Investment Program, the Midwest BankCentre, a T.I.F., both federal and state historic tax credits and equity contributions.

First Unitarian Chapel

William Greenleaf Eliot organized the first Unitarian church west of the Mississippi in 1834. Members became a progressive force responsible for founding numerous St. Louis charitable and education institutions. (One example is Washington University, incorporated in 1853.) In 1868, a second Unitarian congregation-the Church of the Unity-built a small stone church in Lafayette Square. The building is still there; but in 1917, the congregation moved to a new church on Waterman in the Central West End. Designed by William B. Ittner, this church was modest in comparison to those built by Eliot's congregation including one at 9th and Olive (dedicated in 1851, now the site of the beleaguered Century Building) and the next at Garrison and Locust (dedicated in 1881, now a vacant lot). The fourth and final Church of the Messiah was built at the corner of Union and Enright in 1907.

Faced with flagging memberships during the Depression, the Church of the Messiah and the Church of the Unity merged, formed the First Unitarian Church of St. Louis and held services starting in 1938 at the Waterman church. Tucked away just a few doors from Holy Corners (a remarkable collection of historic buildings on Kingshighway), First Unitarian did not venture out into that heady context until last spring's groundbreaking for a new chapel. The project, built by S. M. Wilson, included renovation of the original church and later education wing; the First Unitarian Chapel was allotted a mere $750,000 of the total $2.5 million. The design assignment for Powers/Bowersox came equipped with all the usual constraints associated with working for a religious institution plus the formidable challenge of creating a worthy presence on Kingshighway. The degree to which that challenge was met is reflected in this award, only the fourth recognizing new construction out of seventy-seven presented since 1996.

Manchester and Tower Grove Avenues

With no prior experience in developing historic properties and no tenants lined up, Guy Slay took a large leap of faith and purchased a desolate store at the southeast corner of Manchester and Tower Grove Avenue. The property, built in stages between 1892 and 1924, had last been occupied by Carp Department Store. Inside was 30 years worth of "stuff." After a giant garage sale and trips to the dump, Slay and his team faced rotten flooring, useless wiring, obsolete plumbing and mechanical systems plus years of shoddy remodeling.

To develop rehab plans, project architect Mike Killeen of Architectural Design Planning and Chris Thompson of Custom Contracting worked closely with local preservation consultant Karen Bode Baxter and staff at the State Historic Preservation Office so that the Mangrove Building (originally the Anton Huber Commercial Block) will qualify for historic rehab tax credits if it is listed on the National Register. This phase, which includes all but the upstairs residential units, cost $350,000 with financing provided by Commerce Bank. Located in St. Louis' first official Main Street program area and adjacent to the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood, the Mangrove project should serve as an example for other potential rehabbers along Manchester Road.

Edison Brothers Warehouse

In the twenty-five years between 1902 and 1927, James Cash Penney rose from manager of a small dry goods store to the owner of a chain with nearly 900 locations including new "western" stores requiring a second distribution warehouse. St. Louis' central location, proximity to transportation routes and position as a jobbing and manufacturing center won the day. Construction and design of the massive warehouse building came from New York engineer John F. Miller and contractor Starrett Brothers (best known for the Empire State Building) along with architect Tom P. Barnett and engineers Taxis and Becker of St. Louis.

After Penney moved out in 1954, the building became known for its next owner, Edison Brothers, which commissioned three-acres of murals by New York artist Richard Haas in 1984. Potential destruction of that much-loved public art caused great outcry in 1997 when the old warehouse was threatened by demolition for a surface parking lot. Happily, a white knight arrived on the scene. Developer Don Breckenridge retained Landmarks to prepare the National Register nomination and brought in architect Dick Henmi to begin design work. The hefty construction that worked well for an assembly line worked equally well as a garage. Creating an eight-story atrium the length of a football field within that same structure was not so easy. Project cost soared to $52 million. Artist Richard Haas and his new book, The City Is My Canvas, were special guests at the grand opening of the Sheraton St. Louis City Center in 2001; 72 condominium units are slated for completion by 2003. Those who came to Landmarks' membership meeting on June 9 got a tour of work-in-progress and an opportunity to thank Don Breckenridge and his staff for their hospitality.

4915 and 4925 Fountain Avenue

Grandly envisioned and first platted in 1857 as a much-larger suburban enclave named Aubert Place, Fountain Park remained undeveloped until 1891 when the city landscaped the muddy park and installed an ornate fountain. Construction of the two-story houses that ring the park began almost immediately; over half were built between 1892 and 1897. A bronze statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. was installed in the park in 1978; the district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

A decade later the entire district was placed on Landmarks' 11 Most Endangered list. Years of neglect by absentee landlords had resulted in an alarming number of vacant and distressed properties. Malcolm Wittles and the Midtowne Development Corporation entered the scene in 1995 - just in time to acquire six condemned houses - each badly deteriorated and facing certain demolition. Malcolm received his first enhanced award in 1996 for the pioneering rehab at 4949 Fountain Avenue. Today, we salute the rescue of 4915 and 4925 Fountain - the last of six houses he acquired seven years ago. One of these four-bedroom homes has already been sold to an income-eligible buyer; the other has a contract pending. Financing for this $332,000 project designed by architect Jon MacGoy came from Community Development Block Grant Funds, private sources and state historic rehab and neighborhood preservation tax credits.

Steins Row

By far the largest concentration of mid-19th century stone houses in the urban area can be found in Carondelet. Fine craftsmanship, clean lines and individual nuances add subtle variety to these vernacular houses built by Irish and German immigrants. The oldest award winner today is a row of mid 19th century stone houses on Steins Street. Designated a City Landmark in 1974 and placed on the National Register in 1980, the row was acquired by the City of St. Louis in the early 1990s.

Listed once on our 11 Most Endangered sites and then listed again-after a well-intentioned but financially strapped new owner gave up the buildings-Steins Street Row Houses suffered a fire, making rehab even less likely. But the Carondelet Community Betterment Federation hosted meeting after meeting with representatives of the city, Landmarks, potential developers and the Regional Housing and Community Development Alliance in an effort to save the property. More than once a solution seemed possible, but then it fell apart. Finally, a complex financial package including support from Alderman Matt Villa, a $25,000 grant from the state Historic Preservation Program, Community Development Block Grant funds, historic rehab tax credits and a loan from Lindell Bank brought the total investment to $600,000 and attracted developer Michael Curran who is returning Steins Row to residential use. Sutton Studio provided architectural services.