About Christian
These are exciting times for the City of St. Louis! As alderman in the 6th Ward, I will give full-time dedication to the progress of all our neighborhoods. I will work closely with developers renovating historic structures as well as those seeking to build new. As an employee of the St. Louis Development Corporation for 10 years, I learned the detailed process of seeing economic development projects through various City boards and departments, including the Board of Aldermen, where I formed constructive working relationships with many members. As an active resident of the Tower Grove East neighborhood and a member of its Board of Directors, I regard community input and involvement as deeply important to the legislative and governmental processes. At the community level, I will be accessible to all residents of the Ward seven days per week and will personally return every telephone call I miss within 24 hours, unless I am out of town, in which case I will still check messages routinely. Accessibility to large and small developers and to neighborhood residents should not be mutually exclusive. As your fully engaged advocate, I will not seek additional employment but will devote my attention exclusively to stabilizing and enhancing all of our communities. I will be present at all of our neighborhood meetings and will be available for additional gatherings whenever needed.
I have been a homeowner in Tower Grove East for 11 years and have lived in the City of St. Louis for most of my life. I am a strong proponent of historic preservation and was a founding member of the Grand and Gravois Coalition, a grass-roots organization instrumental in saving the Art Deco South Side National Bank building from demolition for a Walgreen's. The building is now under renovation as condominiums and serves as a catalyst for rehabilitation of other surrounding historic structures. In 1999 I was honored to receive DeSales Community Housing Corporation's Golden Brick Award for service to the community.
One of the many things I enjoy about life in a historic City neighborhood is its convenience to a variety of amenities and services. A favorite part of living in Tower Grove East is its proximity to South Grand's restaurants and shops, as well as immediate access to Tower Grove Park. This sort of pedestrian-friendly geography makes urban communities special and favorably distinguishes them from their suburban counterparts.
The Board of the Tower Grove East Neighborhood Association wished to enhance the prospects of fully utilizing the wide array of commercial buildings located throughout the interior of the neighborhood. In 2000, with the cooperation of Aldermen Ortmann, Reed, and Young, a redevelopment plan conceived largely at the community level was implemented for all the commercial and corner split-use properties located within Tower Grove East. The plan identified uses that the neighborhood wished to encourage and offered the incentive of real estate tax abatement to redevelopers proposing substantial rehabilitation done in accordance with the approved plan. As both a Tower Grove East board member and employee of a City economic development agency, I was proud to have a lead role in developing this plan and helping to move it through both the community and the legislative processes. Since its implementation, the plan has served as a useful tool for our neighborhood and the officials elected to represent it.
As your alderman, I will prioritize the wishes and needs of my constituents in legislation I support and actions I take city wide. My door and my ears will be open at all times, and as your local link to the apparatus of City government and services, I will always be eager for your input. Feel free to contact me anytime at (314) 402-9295 or via email at christian_saller@hotmail.com. I would very much appreciate having your support on March 6, 2007. In the meanwhile, I welcome your comments and questions.
I am a 1989 graduate of Webster University, with a B.A. in English, French and History. I live in the beautiful Crittenden Street Historic District with René, my wife of eight years, and our two cats, Mavis and Branwell. In my free time, I enjoy reading, cooking, and completing home improvement projects.