"Foodland" discussion and the importance of community involvement
Last night at the home of Gate District East neighborhood president Steve Zeiger a group of neighborhood leaders met to discuss the current status of the former "Foodland" grocery store site on the west side of S. Jefferson just north of Lafayette Avenue. To help bring everyone up to speed, I brought copies of a resolution I prepared as an employee of the St. Louis Development Corporation in January, 2005. This resolution was reviewed and approved by the Land Clearance Redevelopment Authority ("LCRA") and designated Gilded Age as redeveloper of the site. This Board authorized execution of a Redevelopment Agreement between Gilded Age and the city to enable this developer to pursue acquisition of the property for commercial and retail development. Gilded Age is not seeking tax abatement for this project, though it may pursue creation of a TIF (Tax Increment Finance) District to assist their proposed $10,000,000 redevelopment of the site with new commercial, retail and residential uses. Acquisition of the "Foodland" site is still in the legal process now. This project would bring much-needed retail amenities to the surrounding areas, which have developed dramatically with extensive renovation and new housing, especially over the past decade. New commercial/retail construction would be built up to the street, providing a pedestrian-friendly configuration and street presence appropriate for an urban artery like S. Jefferson. The prospects for a variety of stores and shopping are excellent, given the current demographic profiles of the market areas.
The subject of community input into the development process came up. Active residents know best what their communities need, what they must leave the neighborhood to purchase or enjoy and what sort of day-to-day challenges should be addressed by city government and redevelopers. I strongly support and encourage direct input of 6th Ward residents into the reuse of the Foodland and other development sites. Smart developers listen to the communities where they execute projects, whether it's selecting tenants and users or designing the configuration of new buildings, parking and essential architectural details. The dedicated group at Steve's house last night plans to communicate with Gilded Age on this crucial development and I'm confident that their dedication to and passion for the city's ongoing resurgence will result in exciting new amenities we will all enjoy.
[Posted under Campaign Diary by Christian Saller on Fri., Feb 16, 2007 at 9:38 AM]