The staff of the Heritage and Urban Design Commission reviewed 419 applications for building permits in city historic districts, 927 applications in other sections of the city, and 1403 applications for demolition permits. There were 114 federally mandated 106 reviews for federally supported housing and related projects, and 343 reviews for proposed demolition using CDBG funds. They also added 114 reviews to the 70 completed in 1995 for proposed demolition in previously flooded areas that received federal support.
While success in finding incentives to promote investment in large historic structures not only in downtown but in all parts of the City remained elusive, neighborhood development offered some measure of achievement. The Soulard Neighborhood Housing Corporation, working with the Heritage staff and Operation Impact, successfully rehabilitated the Trapper Cottage, an extremely old and now rare example of Medieval architecture transplanted to the Americas by German immigrants in the early 19th Century. This rehab prompted the construction of two new moderate income CDBG subsidized houses and the rehabilitation of three market rate town houses. The staff also identified an early rural house in the Baden neighborhood and is working with the housing corporation to save it and turn it into a home again. Work on the Anton Schmitt House continued in Carondelet, and the adjacent Stein Street row houses, a City Landmark, were obtained by the Land Reutilization Authority, who, working with the Heritage staff and the Landmarks Association, were able to identify a dedicated preservationist to buy them and rehabilitate them.
Year two of the Preservation Plan was published. It included completion of a database of previously documented sites containing cultural or historic resources in the City, and composite maps of eligible and listed areas. It also included a compilation of all resource material available in the City as well as a proposed strategy and methodology for continued survey activity. The Preservation Plan is part of a mutual agreement among the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Public Housing Authority and the City. Once a plan is completed it will be possible to reduce the number of site specific memorandum of agreements between the City, State and Advisory Council.
The first year of the ongoing Ville Project was completed with publication of a book containing essays and poems written by the twenty teenagers who worked with historian Dr. Priscilla Dowden and poet Janie Ibur in exploring the local and national history of the City's African-American citizens, especially as it centered in the Ville neighborhood. The site of many predominantly African American institutions earlier in the century, this neighborhood is currently a fragile and endangered resource, subject to disinvestment pressures.
CDBG support went to the Landmarks Association throughout 1996 to help defray the cost of continuing historic asset inventories and nominations to the National Register.
The city economy continued to face challenges in 1996. We've enjoyed success in some areas with the retention of Nordyne (700 employees), the attraction of the Mid.Tec Teaching Factory, the continued growth at A.G. Edwards, the initiation of a 5 year, 500 million dollar modernization program at Anheuser Busch and the continued growth in the institutional sector with both St. Louis University and Washington University commencing major campus expansions. In fact, institutional sector growth, with Washington University Medical Center commencing a $250,000,000 facility expansion and modernization, St. Louis University's decision to relocate Park's College to newly constructed facilities at its midtown campus and the Missouri Botanical Garden construction of a new 16 million dollar research facility, represent the most encouraging news of 1996. Also on the favorable side, several projects were finalized in 1996 and should come to fruition in 1997. These committed projects include expansion of Harris Stowe State College and St. Louis University onto the former Laclede Town site, the long awaited City Plaza Shopping Center and the development of an 80,000 square foot Home Depot on South Kingshighway. Downtown also enjoyed a significant boost with the announcement that Union Pacific will add 550 employees to its downtown operations center. St. Louis also suffered economic set backs with the acquisition and relocation of Pet Inc. by Grande Metropolitan, the uncertain economic impact of the merger of Boatmen's Bank with Nations Bank and the impending realignment of the Aviation and Troop Support Command.
Economic Development PlanningFunded through the Department of Defense's Office of Economic Adjustment, the City will be contracting for the development of an economic development strategy, the first since 1979. This planning exercise will analyze the city's current economic development program, provide a best practices analysis and make strategic recommendations for programs and development initiatives designed to replace the 4000 jobs being lost through the ATCOM realignment. The strategy is expected to take 6 months to complete and should be ready in the 3rd quarter of 1997. The Sedway Group has been selected as the lead consultant for this economic development analysis.
Other major planning initiatives or city solicited request for proposals include: an RFP for developers of the 26 acre former Arena site in the City's central corridor, an RFP for developers of a headquarters hotel in proximity to the expanded convention center, planned district planning for the whole city to be completed over the next 3 to 4 years and a land use plan and development strategy for Downtown St. Louis.
Commercial / Industrial LandWhile the assembly of development ready sites for industrial development and the challenge of reusing environmentally impacted sites remain central and unfulfilled goals of the city's economic development strategy, the city has enjoyed success in positioning several sites for new retail development. The City Plaza Development on the city's north side is now positioned to be built in 1997. The first phase, a ten acre development with a Schnucks full service grocery and several outlet retail sites is committed. A second phase will involve an additional 10 to 15 acre land assembly to accommodate a second major retailer. The city is working to identify a general merchandise store to finalize this second stage of development. On the city's Southside, a recently announced Home Depot will be constructed on the former site of the Continental Can factory. This development is significant because the assembly and demolition of the former plant was accomplished without city development assistance. The development will begin construction in the first quarter of 1997. The second major retail site to be positioned for redevelopment is the site of the former Famous Barr Department Store. The city assisted the developer, Sansone, with the acquisition and demolition of the massive former department store. The development originally had the commitment of Home Quarters to anchor the development. Home Quarters has since withdrawn from the development. We believe that the site remains the premier retail location in St. Louis and we continue to work with the developer to secure another anchor retailer for this site.
The city also continues to work toward a retail development at the former Bi-State Garage site on South Broadway. The city is currently working with several groups to secure the development of a retail center probably anchored by a grocery store at this prominent site.
With regard to the industrial sites, the city has succeeded in funding the necessary geotechnical improvements to a 10 acre site on the city's south riverfront which will allow for the development of a 250,000 square foot multi modal distribution center. This facility, to be developed and operated by Slay Industries, will combine access to truck, barge and rail with a state of the art, high cube distribution facility. HUD approval of a 108 loan and EDI grant made this development possible.
Commercial Industrial RehabilitationSt. Louis as a city completely built out since World War II when manufacturing tended to occupy multi-story buildings, faces the task of finding beneficial reuse of these economically obsolete facilities. The lack of development ready sites and the enormous cost to assemble, demolish and provide infrastructure to prepare sites for commercial and industrial development continues to limit the city's competitiveness in regional searches for development sites. In fact, at this time, no sites exist in the City of St. Louis which are more than 6 acres and development ready. The construction of expanded facilities for Jefferson Smurfit means the Union 70 Industrial Park is now completely built (4 years ahead of schedule). The redevelopment of this former General Motors assembly plant does indicate a demand for city distribution and industrial sites. Unfortunately this demand is largely unmet.
Compounding the lack of development ready sites is the ongoing problem of reusing environmentally tainted sites. Private development cannot bear these costs and make the sites economically competitive. Increasingly, these sites wind up in the city's land inventory as owners quit paying real estate taxes and the city receives them through tax foreclosure. There is some good news on this front with the implementation of a state brownfield program through which the state provides state tax credits to offset these clean up costs. Several sites, long vacant due to extraordinary clean up costs, are now under review for redevelopment based upon these clean-up subsidies.
On the neighborhood commercial district level, the city continues to make strides to increase the economic viability and appearance of older commercial areas. Currently the city is working in 26 areas with an aggressive program that provides on-site management assistance, small scale public improvements, business finance, facade improvement subsidies and design assistance. The program can point to some notable successes but in some areas the effect of population loss and an increasingly poor market area limits the program's success.
Downtown St. Louis continues to suffer from a serious over supply of class B and C office space. The vacancy rate on this type of space is greater than 50% while A space has bounced back to a five year low in vacancy. The Arcade Building remains a vacant eyesore while its future is decided in the courts. The Syndicate Trust building closed when a planned parking redevelopment proved infeasible. To compound matters the building's facade has been determined to be a safety concern and the building is now encircled by fencing while its future is determined through litigation between the city and its owner. Similarly the Paul Brown Building announced its intention to close at the end of 1996. The 555 Building, the Gateway Hotel, the Merchandise Mart building, the Lennox Hotel, and Bank of St. Louis Building remain completely vacant. The city's inability to create new demand or reduce the supply combined with the fact that increasingly the courts are deciding the disposition of these buildings, is negatively impacting the economic health of downtown.
The City strategy to encourage commercial and industrial rehabilitation continues to focus on incentives for development. The primary incentive programs used by the city to induce commercial and industrial redevelopment are real estate tax abatement, state enterprise zone tax benefits, and low interest lending.
Business FinanceDuring the 1996 fiscal year efforts have been stepped up to make businesses more aware of the financial assistance programs and incentives the City has to offer. A mailing was sent to businesses outlining our programs and encouraging them to contact us for additional information. In addition our brochure packet was updated to contain more detailed information on our programs as well as other business development initiatives.
Thirty-five businesses were approved by the St. Louis Local Development Company for loans last year. These businesses received Micro Loans, Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) loans, Business Development (BDL) loans, SBA 504 loans and Urban Enterprise loans (UEL) totaling $4,422,362 in assistance and leveraging approximately $10.2 million in private financing with projections to create 322 jobs and retain 323 jobs in the City of St. Louis. Thirteen of these businesses were new businesses to the city while the remaining businesses were expanding their current operations in the city. While we have seen an increase in our programs typically targeting expanding businesses, we did see a drop in the usage of the Micro Loan program. This program is designed to assist small start up businesses who have been unable to obtain capital for starting their operations conventionally. This highlights a population where marketing efforts need to be focused.
Happily in fiscal year 1996 the city also saw an increased awareness from the state of the need for business assistance programs in the City of St. Louis. The first sign of this was the extension of the state designated Enterprise Zone program and expansion of its geographic area which will allow the benefits of this existing program to be realized into the year 2005. The Department of Economic Development increased assistance to businesses in the city with the creation of the Urban Enterprise Loan program which provides low interest loans to businesses located in the Enterprise Zone. Approximately $1.4 million was allocated to this program for the Ô96-97 fiscal year. Finally increased participation from the state played a key role in helping to retain or attract many businesses like Union Pacific.
The city also continues to be a partner in established regional efforts providing business financing to local companies available through the St. Louis Business Fund and the Metropolitan Loan Fund.
Technical AssistanceInterest has increased in the St. Louis Enterprise Center, the city's small business incubator, as light manufacturing space was converted into office space in order to meet demand. The Enterprise Center continues to be a successful facility where businesses can grow and learn from one another. Construction of the St. Louis Technology Incubator was also started and the facility is expected to be completed in December of 1997. This facility will house bio-medical and technology related start up businesses in need of wet or dry lab space, currently unavailable in the City of St. Louis. The facility is expected to house many of the small businesses which spin out of the University research labs and provide technical assistance for them. This assistance will be further bolstered by the location of the Missouri Innovation Center in the Technology Incubator.
The relocation of Mid.Tec, a teaching factory which provides training in basic and advanced manufacturing practices in a full-scale, highly sophisticated factory, promises to be an opportunity for youth to build a rewarding and productive future in the manufacturing industry. Besides increasing the skill level of the city's labor force Mid.Tec will be very instrumental in helping the city's existing manufacturers with adopting competitive practices such as computer aided design and manufacturing, rapid prototyping, computer numerically controlled machining, activity based costing and a host of quality management techniques.
The Consolidated Plan highlights the lag between the understanding for the need of more energy efficient practices and the absence of actual statewide policy requiring more energy conscious guidelines. The analysis and recommendations presented in the Consolidate plan focused on three specific categories: implementation of Statewide policies with more stringent and inclusive standards; cooperative methods of service delivery between public, private, profit, and nonprofit entities; and enhance cost-effective delivery of energy efficiency services to low-income individuals and communities.
Activity to promote energy efficiency during 1996 is reflected below in terms of the specific recommendations that were included in the 1994 Five Year Consolidated Plan.
In 1996 no significant efforts were made at the State level to enact legislation requiring more stringent standards in these areas.
Efforts spearheaded by Union Electric have been made to promote more energy efficient strategies when upgrading and rehabing homes. As part of its efforts, Union Electric has approached appraisers and started promoting the idea that energy efficient measures increase values of homes and should be considered when appraising homes.
Union Electric sponsored seminars were held in 1996 to educate various organizations--development organizations, nonprofit, neighborhood organizations, builders--on the value added to homes which incorporate energy efficient upgrades. A total of four energy seminars were conducted reaching approximately 170 individuals.
During the year, the Community Development Agency and Union Electric Company shared an award for "energy efficient design and development and technological advancement" which was won for the Nines on Compton project. The nine-unit Near South St. Louis development at Sidney and Compton was financed by the Community Development Agency. Union Electric provided additional funding for the energy efficiency upgrades and technical advice that resulted in a 1996 technology award from the St. Louis Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Condition Engineers (ASHRAE).
Approved by the Missouri Public Service Commission, the Union Electric GreenKey project encourages energy efficient construction by providing an incentive when a builder offers electric heat and a heat pump with a "seasonal energy efficiency ratio" of "12." To qualify, the residential builder must also include specific energy efficiency and environmental measures. The Union Electric GreenKey program covers a contractor's incremental costs for upgraded insulation and weatherization, if contractors install energy efficient electric heating units and a number of related features. Over the three-year pilot, incentives will go to builders of 500 new residential housing units--100 of them for low-income families.
In 1996, the St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) Board of Education adopted an "Energy Policy" authorizing the superintendent to develop an energy efficiency plan to reduce energy consumption and costs while maintaining or improving existing comfort at district facilities. This new direction resulted in the SLPS entering into a school energy efficiency development program (the Green Lights Program) with the Missouri Energy Resources Project (MERP) in order to save energy and money, upgrade buildings, improve comfort, prevent pollution, and integrate an energy education program into the school curricula.
In 1996, the energy education program was fully implemented. A total of 60 teachers were trained to integrate the study of energy and energy efficiency awareness into the classroom. Students were asked to take the energy efficiency lessons home with them in order to help their families save money and energy. During 1997 the initiative will expand in several of the Community Education Centers by involving St. Louis area Americorps members and the Urban League. Through the extended program, students will be trained to conduct energy audits of houses and apartments and will learn to provide weatherization services to residents in the neighborhood served by their schools.
Of the 111 facilities owned by the SLPS, the school energy efficiency development program will target 22 of these facilities for physical improvement. The specific building improvements consist of: retrofitting existing fixtures with electronic ballasts and T8 lamps, retrofitting existing fixtures with specular reflectors, incandescent lamps to compact fluorescent, retrofitting and replacing Exit fixtures, incandescent to new T8 luminaries, and many more improvements. The physical improvements are planned for 1997.
When all energy efficiency improvements have been installed, the SLPS expects to save a total of $152,000 per year or 19% savings of baseline energy expenditures (savings of 2,305,100 kwh from 12,449,921 kwh to 10,144,821 kwh). The total project cost is estimated at $3,084,458.
The State of Missouri legislature has allocated funds to carry out energy studies on most state owned buildings. The energy audit intends to determine overall electric and gas consumption (E.G. energy usage of mechanical equipment, heating and cooling systems and lighting). The audit will help identify those facilities with the highest cost index and energy use index and target them for retrofitting. No funds have been allocated for retrofitting. Each department will have to decide which energy conservation measure to adopt and will absorb the retrofitting costs.
In 1996 energy audits were completed for the Department of Mental Health, Bellfontaine Facility and the Missouri Department of Transportation. The University of Missouri-St. Louis is planning an energy audit for 1997.
The City of St. Louis, Division of Facilities Management, has initiated a planning process to determine an energy conservation strategy for city owned buildings. In collaboration with the Missouri Energy Resources Project (MERP), the division has started to identify additional private and public partners to help develop and implement a comprehensive energy efficient policy for the City of St. Louis. In 1996 the division defined a schedule to carry out detailed energy audits for City Hall and 30 fire stations in the City. The audits are planned for 1997.
The Urban League Weatherization Program was able to serve a large number of individuals through their program in calendar year 1996. A total of 277 homes and apartments occupied by low-income individuals were provided with energy conservation retrofit. Of the individuals served, 200 were homeowners and 77 were renters. The average cost per unit was $2,382. The total expenditure amounted to $659,814 of Department of Energy funds, dispersed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
In 1996, the Division of Family Services Low Income Energy Assistance Program (DFS LIEAP) was able to provided assistance to approximately 17,500 individuals and families who were unable to meet the cost of their energy bills. The average grant dispersed was $200.
Dollar-Help, Inc. is a crisis intervention program established to provide financial assistance to people who cannot pay delinquent heating bills and who have exhausted all avenues of public funds for energy assistance. Donation can be made in three ways: the automatic Giving Option in which regular contribution of $1.00 or more are included on the Laclede Gas (local gas company) bill, simple overpayment of exactly $1.00 on the gas bill, or direct mail contribution to the Dollar-Help fund.
In 1996, the Dollar-Help program made more than 2,600 grant payments to households in the metro region. A total of $577,324 was disbursed as payment to energy source vendors. It is estimated that approximately 50% or $288,000 was disbursed to assist households in the City of St. Louis.
Dollar More is Union Electric's energy bill payment assistance program. The program is funded by voluntary contributions from UE customers and the Union Electric Company. It has attracted $8.8 million in donations since November 1982. Each month more than 70,000 area customers donate to this program which is administered by a network of human service agencies throughout the UE service area. Nearly $960,000 was contributed by UE customers in 1996--an increase over 1995 contributions. Approximately $300,000 was directed to city residents. In addition, Union Electric Company invested $200,000 in this program in 1996. Collectively, Union Electric Company's customer and corporate Dollar More contributions totaled $1.1 million in 1996. Since the inception of Dollar More in 1982, more than 60,000 families have been helped.
In addition, Union Electric through its Energy Plus program has been able to continue offering needed assistance to low-income individuals in the area. The Energy Aid Grant Program, the weatherization kit program, the Energy Wise/Energy Smart education program and the youth employment program are examples of on-going efforts in the city to address the delivery of energy efficiency services to low-income households.
Lead poisoning affects approximately one in five St. Louis children under six years of age. Lead's toxic effect on the developing nervous system makes this statistic particularly troublesome. Paint containing lead is present in over 90 percent of the homes in St. Louis. It is a primary risk to children when it becomes ingestible in the form of chips and dust.
The St. Louis Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) receives funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the State Department of Health, as well as from City revenue. The Childhood Lead Poisoning Program is comprised of five components: Clinical Services, Case Management and Outreach, Prevention, Education, and Laboratory and Environmental services. The program is in the process of revising and better coordinating these services in order to meet the needs and challenges of Managed Care Medicaid.
The incidence rate (new cases of lead greater than or equal to 10 meg/dl) for children tested by the DHH Laboratory or reported to the City was 22.9 per cent for 1996. The number of specimens processed by the department during the year was 17,852.
Primary prevention of childhood lead poisoning is the ultimate goal of the City of St. Louis Lead Program. Towards this end a Lead Task Force is being formed. Funding for household lead removal is being sought and novel methods for identifying children at risk are being explored.
Code EnforcementThe Building Division within the Department of Public Safety is responsible for issuing permits and enforcing all applicable codes. These include construction and demolition permits, concentrated door to door exterior code enforcement, housing conservation district inspections, and inspections in response to complaints.
During 1996, permits for 119 new and 85 rehabilitated single family dwelling units were issued. Permits were issued for new construction of 281 multi family units and rehabilitation of 420 units. Additional activity was required for commercial, industrial and institutional development projects.
Progress was made on one of the Division's largest challenges - that of demolishing derelict buildings that have been abandoned and that have no chance of rehabilitation. Approximately 400 privately owned buildings have been demolished in the past two years, the results of increased funding support and efficiency. This pace is expected to increase because a special appropriation was approved during the year that provides an additional one million dollars each to the Building Division and to the Land Reutilization Authority for demolition activity. This is anticipated to result in demolition of an additional 350 buildings. Other activity during the year included:
There were a variety of planning projects during 1996. This was also a year in which there was recognition that the City required a larger scale planning function. In that regard, a commitment was made to expand the planning staff, and to begin two major initiatives.