What About All the Run Down Buildings in Saint Louis?
Someone said to me:
I like Saint Louis, but it seems like they don’t take care of their buildings. It’s sad to see so many once-beautiful buildings in such bad shape.
I understand. It is disappointing to see buildings in such bad shape. But more importantly, they reduce property values for the people in the neighborhood and create an environment that is hospitable to crime and dangerous activities.
It’s a problem.
The reason why Saint Louis, like other midwestern cities fell into disrepair after World War II is complex and there are many factors. It’s not a simple answer and it has been studied extensively. The below short documentary has some good information.
The Future
While I believe it is important to understand the past and the causes of our issues, I believe it is also important to have a vision for the future. Our vision is this:
Saint Louis is a loving, vibrant and unified city that is a great place to be for everyone.
Many of Saint Louis’ problems can be fixed with more money. More money for schools, teachers, first responders, infrastructure, social programs, jobs and more. When we rehab run down property that is generating maybe only a few hundred dollars a year in tax reveue, we increase the city’s property tax revenue by thousands. You only have to do that a few times before you’ve paid a teacher’s annual salary.
I believe there are three key things that will move the city in the right direction:
Fixing houses.
Getting more people who love Saint Louis in homes they love.
Local investment.
We can look at the dilapidated buildings and see hopelessness, despair and ugliness. Or we can look at them and see possibility.
Rehabbing these beautiful old buildings gives us a great opportunity to not only improve the city, but also update it. We can reconfigure the buildings to make more sense and be more compatible with the way we live today.
I think it’s a very exciting time to be in Saint Louis and I look forward to working hard to make the city everything it can be and work great for everyone.