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 LaSalle Park is an integral part
of the three-neighborhood "Old Frenchtown" area — LaSalle Park, Lafayette Square
and Soulard — bordering the southern edge of downtown St. Louis. It was
formed as a "new neighborhood," distinct from the larger Soulard
district, through the efforts of Ralston Purina, which has its world
headquarters in LaSalle Park, and The City of St. Louis. In March 1969, 137
acres were declared blighted and the St. Louis Land Clearance for
Redevelopment Authority applied for a federal planning grant to rehabilitate
the neighborhood.
Federal funds were approved
for redeveloping LaSalle Park in 1971. Brick sidewalks, extensive landscaping
and street lamps designed to mirror those that were in the neighborhood many
years ago were installed.
 Property throughout the
neighborhood was sold in early 1976 to both individuals and developers who
were willing to restore homes and businesses or to build "in-fill"
houses. These
structures are so named because they are designed and built to match or
resemble the surrounding architecture. Through the efforts of Ralston Purina
and the City of St. Louis, an Urban Renewal Plan and Guidelines for upholding
the integrity of the neighborhood's properties was established.
The neighborhood
continues to operate and maintain its distinctive architectural design and
character through a revision of this urban plan.
 LaSalle Park contains a mixture
of Victorian and Federalist
architecture.
At least two of the homes in this French neighborhood
were built at the time of the Civil War. New construction is also found in
the neighborhood. The current urban renewal guidelines, approved by the City
of St. Louis, require that all new construction be built in a style similar
to and compatible with the existing architecture.
The LaSalle Park
Neighborhood enjoys Federal Historic Status with homes that are considered to
have neighborhood, city, state and national architectural significance. Plans
were filed by Ralston Purina Co. and Landmarks Association of St. Louis, Inc.
in 1977 (revised in 1979, 1980, 1982) to establish the historic importance of
the neighborhood architecturally.
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This site designed and maintained by Jen Luchte
lasalleparkna@gmail.com
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