HYDE PARK (65)
Click [ HERE ] for the PDF version.

LOCATION
A historic North St. Louis neighborhood, Hyde Park is bound by Ferry to the North, I-70 to the East, Palm and Natural Bridge to the South, and Glasgow to the West.

HISTORY
The area that is today Hyde Park first changed from rural to urban in character with the settling of German immigrants in the 1840s. The affordable land overlooking the Mississippi was conveniently located along old Bellefontaine Road (now Broadway), which was mostly a produce route running north from downtown. By 1850, the town of New Bremen, named after the newcomers’ town of origin, was founded. The center and namesake of the neighborhood, Hyde Park resulted from the sale of 14.5 acres to the city by the Farrar family estate in 1854. By 1856, this new thriving center of commercial and industrial activity was annexed by St. Louis.

As rail lines and industry expanded along the Mississippi River, the area quickly grew denser in population and housing stock. The openings of the Merchants and McKinley Bridges further intensified industry and commerce. The crossroads of transit and rail resulted in a diverse neighborhood of both working and middle classes.

Over time, with an old housing stock and a dwindling industrial base, Hyde Park endured the fate of many postindustrial American inner-city neighborhoods. The routing of the interstate through the neighborhood further sped disinvestment, with traffic decreasing on once highly visible commercial streets. Though some land speculation has occurred in the last 20 years, Hyde Park has yet to see widespread historic renovation, and many that have tried have left. In a neighborhood as impoverished as this one, the area’s churches and their community outreach efforts have been the lasting backbone.

CHARACTERISTICS
Hyde Park has a large variety of housing types. There is a sprinkling of single-family homes immediately around the park as well as on blocks to the north and east of the park. There is also a good number of apartments above small businesses, mostly along Salisbury and North Florissant. Hyde Park is predominantly, however, made up of two- to four-family flats.

Since most units are too small for families, too old for landlords, and not widely attractive to rehabbers, Hyde Park’s housing stock continues to suffer from vacant and condemned buildings. As a result, the commercial districts of Salisbury and North Florissant have suffered, offering only a limited number of site-services. Finally, modern industry has deemed older structures impractical, though a strong economy has enabled some, including minority-owned, to adapt older sites to small businesses.

Though largely vacant, Hyde Park is both a historic district and an empowerment zone, lending itself to tax credits for redevelopment. Virtually all masonry structures, the neighborhood is rich in architectural heritage, embodying all unique St. Louis typologies of the late 1800s.

INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS
There are several churches in Hyde Park, yet the two oldest maintain the greatest influence. Friedens United Church of Christ offers afterschool tutoring through Friedans Haus. Holy Trinity Catholic Church runs a food pantry, evening arts classes, and an annual carnival through Hyde Park Neighbors. Additionally crucial are the remaining businesses, mostly on Salisbury, and their business association. Clay Elementary, the city’s oldest, serves the neighborhood as a Gold-Star school.

Hyde Park Alliance had played the largest role in drawing up a comprehensive plan for the neighborhood. Since going defunct with its loss of leadership, however, the Alliance has been replaced by the Third Ward Neighborhood Council as the key player in planning and development. The Third Ward Council under Alderman Bosley has consolidated the efforts of several needy neighborhoods to have more collective bargaining in grantwriting. As a result, those nonprofits in the ward have become more aware of each others’ services and financial needs. Prioritizing housing in Hyde Park over others in the ward has caused some internal dissent, but concentrated efforts are starting to lead to more concrete results.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Though the odds seem stacked against revitalization, Hyde Park’s duality as an isolated pocket accessible to highways and transit lend it market potential. Land speculation had failed in the past mostly because it was not concentrated and therefore not visible enough to gain momentum. Additionally, the neighborhood’s housing stock is outdated for families. Finally, the area’s greatest asset to market is its history.

Most structures possess potential conversion to lower densities. Most buildings are physically sound yet their plumbing, insulation, wiring, and appliances are well beyond deterioration. Thus, any owner cannot financially rehab the units unless expected returns were to match initial costs. Converting two-families into single-family homes would increase owner occupancy, and four-family conversion into two-family flats would lend such units competitive turnover among rentals. Any building on a block undergoing such a rehabbing, however, would be too risky of a return. Therefore, a concentration of gap-financed rehabbed units are needed to start a renewed housing boom.

Fortunately, there are areas of Hyde Park where such a concentrated initiative has already been suggested by city agencies, grassroots forums, and local elected officials. Salisbury, with its interstate accessibility and business district best intact, could support apartment rehabs. The perimeter around the park, with its inherent benefit to property values and amenities, could support concentrated rehabilitation of single-family homes.

Entry gates are proposed for both the east and west ends of Salisbury. This visible effort to reinforce the identity of the area will likely be coupled with planned efforts for in-fill businesses at the east gate on I-70 at McKinley Bridge and a gated subdivision of new homes on now largely vacant land at the west gate. Placing identifiers next to future construction at the most visible points in the neighborhood should leave a lasting impression with passersby.

The park and the business corridor are Hyde Park’s most unique characteristics and thereby define its identity. If initial development is concentrated on these blocks, it is likely that the neighborhood’s quality can begin to be renewed.