WEST END (48)

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LOCATION
This neighborhood is defined by Page Boulevard on the North, Delmar Boulevard on the South, Belt Avenue and Union Boulevard via Maple Avenue on the East, and City limits on the West.

HISTORY
What is now known as the West End was originally part of a larger community called Cabanne. Originally, Cabanne comprised parts of three old Spanish land grants. The West End is the largest segment of this area, which also covered the neighborhoods now known as Skinker-DeBaliviere, DeBaliviere Place, Visitation Park, and Hamilton Heights. It was named after Jean Pierre Cabanne, who came to St. Louis in 1806. His large land holdings were passed on to his family until the 1870s, when they began to be divided for residential development. By 1900, the area was substantially developed. As a result, most of the houses in the area were built between 1890 and 1920. The neighborhood still contains some landmark buildings.

The streets that border the West End to the north and south, Delmar and Page, were originally major arteries to the west. In 1878, the West End Narrow Gauge Railroad was built. It was a steam line leading to Florissant. In the 1890s it was electrified, and it ran until 1966, when it was the last streetcar route to be abandoned by the City.

The area has a long and rich history. Its first churches began in the 1870s, with what is today St. Rose of Lima. Churches of all denominations began in the late 1800s, and still operate today. The first public school was built in 1887, and the first hospital opened in 1865. Unfortunately, after World War II, many residents began moving out of the neighborhood. There was a marked decline in ownership, and the density of residents began to increase. The area suffered an economic decline, which has been combated by several initiatives.

CHARACTERISTICS
The West End is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the City, with many grand old homes, such as the three-story ones on Cabanne Place with beautiful architectural detailing.

The area also contains a number of large abandoned apartment buildings that have remained a visual blight for too long because of the high cost of rehabilitation but remain potentially impressive architectural monuments. The neighborhood’s low crime rate defies the impression given by the large number of abandoned structures and could be used in promoting the neighborhood for future development.

INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS
The West End neighborhood is the location of the St. Louis CareConnection, Bi-State Development Agency’s DeBaliviere Garage, the People’s Health Centers clinic, and the North Side Preservation Association, all on Delmar Boulevard. The West End Community Conference, incorporated in 1955 for civic and educational purposes, more recently has focused on youth- and family-oriented programs. Presently, the WECC is contracted by the St. Louis Community Development Administration (CDA) to deliver the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NDIP). This program entails rehabilitating six units of housing for low- to moderate-income families, maintaining an inventory of area housing and land, and promoting and beautifying the West End area. The Housing Repair Program gives qualified residents grants for the repair of their homes. Destination Manhood is a male surrogate-parent mentoring program designed to teach young African-American males to assume the responsibilities of adulthood by using role modeling and positive examples. The Twin Development Corporation is another organization in the neighborhood that offers renovation services.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
The area is prime property for redevelopment because of its quantity of undeveloped land in proximity to the St. Louis CareConnection and the Central West End. The area needs more single-family homes and employment opportunities. There exists housing stock available for renovation, some of which has already been completed by McCormack Baron in the West End Apartment Complex. The owner of a locally based realty company lives in the neighborhood and consequently is involved in numerous rehabilitation projects. This company could be more directly engaged by the City in its planning processes for the sector north of Delmar that has been designated by the Mayor for development. Bi-State Development Agency has plans for a beautification project along Hodiamont. Maple Acres, as Belt and Cabanne are being labeled adjacent to the Ruth Porter Mall, is undergoing construction and should be completed within the next five years. The Ruth Porter Mall’s multiple blocks of unimpeded pedestrian passage present an excellent opportunity for improved linkages with other area open spaces, primarily Forest Park via DeBaliviere. Such pedestrian corridors would be greatly appreciated by many of the neighborhood’s senior citizen community, which is expanding as the Hylton Pointe Senior Center builds its second phase.