Former Detroit Public Schools Book Depository/ Roosevelt Warehouse (Houghton, St. Louis: 2010, apartments)

[STLCardsBlues1989]

Pictures: Former Detroit Public Schools Book Depository/ Roosevelt Warehouse, Photography by James D. Griffioen
G is for Guitar on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

A Blog Post and Flickr Set from the forgotten Detroit Public Schools Book Depository. Pallet after pallet of mid-1980s Houghton-Mifflin textbooks, still unwrapped in their original packaging, seem more telling of our failures than any vacant edifice. The floor is littered with flash cards, workbooks, art paper, pencils, scissors, maps, deflated footballs and frozen tennis balls, reel-to-reel tapes. Almost anything you can think of used in the education of a child during the 1980s is there, much of it charred or rotted beyond recognition.

Detroit Public Schools Book Depository: Warehouse full of abandoned hope | LISNews

Pretty interesting.

[dre71]

Yeah it is pretty interesting especially in person. I know your from stl do you guys have empty buildings like this on The north side thats the bad side there but where is the most decayed area in your city.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

The north side tends to be the most decayed, but there are some nice neighborhoods raising up there.

What's New in Old North
There are people currently working to save Old North St. Louis.

I don't think St. Louis has an empty building as interesting as the book Depository. There are some north riverfront empty buildings I believe. Washington Ave. has seen a lot of renovations in recent years. Most have been redone, are in the process of, or at least have a plan attached.

Built St. Louis: Home
That site is really interesting, though not as up-to-date when it comes to Wash. Ave. Paul McKee is buying up homes in North St. Louis, letting them deteriorate (taking the windows out) and then demolishing them. He's trying his best to destroy North St. Louis (see the Built St. Louis blog) or here: Ecology of Absence
The World of Blairmont

There are abandoned buildings in St. Louis certainly, I'm not sure of one as interesting as the Book Depository of Michigan Central Station. At least not anymore.

For that Built St. Louis site, under crumbling landmarks:
The Switzer building is gone, a storm destroyed more of it in 2006, meaning not enough was left to qualify for historic tax credits. The loft plan was abandoned and the building was knocked down the rest of the way.
City Hospital is now the Georgian Condominiums The Georgian
The Arcade Building I believe is under construction. The Arcade | Classic Luxury Residential Condos and Lofts in St. Louis Missouri
The Syndicate-Trust building is in use as condos Syndicate - Located in Downtown St. Louis, MO 63101
The Keil Opera House, which is owned by Blues owner Dave Checketts, is under a plan for a $50 million renovation expected to be done by 2010. The Opera House Auditorium was demolished in the 90s to build Scottrade Center, but the rest of the massive building still stands.
Carr School I think has a plan underway, but I can't find anything about it online.
Cass Avenue Bank is still standing, I don't know anything beyond that.
Clemens Mansion is still in a sad state. Paul McKee, who owns it and has apparently done nothing with it during that time, sent some workers a while back to repair it. The police stopped them. Apparently they didn't have the correct permits.
Avalon Cinema appears to not be changing any time soon.
Franklin school - Franklin School Apartments - Active Senior Living, Downtown St. Louis
MacArthur Bridge - as far as I know there's been no change.

Recalled to life:
Continental building - Continental Life Building, Luxury Apartment and Loft homes in Midtown St. Louis
St. Louis state hospital is partially a museum http://www.mimh.edu/library/about.htm
Chase Hotel - Chase Park Plaza
Cupples Station Warehouses - there are many in St. Louis. One is next to Busch Stadium and I believe is the Westin. Another one nearby is being worked on. And there are Cupples Station Apartments. Cupples Station Loft Apartments
Westin St. Louis Hotels: The Westin St. Louis - Hotel Rooms at Westin.com.com
There are more Cupples buildings, some under construction. Near Busch Stadium's MetroLink station, standing at the Busch gate you can see old windows facing the inside of the MetroLink tunnel. Those were most likely from a demolished Cupples Station building.
Eads Bride - you can walk and drive across it (I've walked across it and under it).
Historic Bridges of the U.S. | Eads Bridge
Merchandise Mart - Merchandise Mart Apartments
Neighborhood Gardens - NEIGHBORHOOD GARDENS APARTMENTS - Home
Paul Brown Building - The Paul Brown Loft Apartments
Homer G. Phillips hospital - Senior Citizen apartments Homer G. Phillips senior center has waiting list - St. Louis Business Journal:
South Side National Bank - South Side Tower | St. Louis, Missouri
Statler Hotel - Renaissance Grand. I've stayed there before. It's nice. The Renaissance is two towers, the Statler and a skinnier hotel that was also renovated. The Mayfair, a historic hotel, is also nearby.
Saint Louis Hotel: Renaissance Grand & Suites Downtown St. Louis Hotel
The "windows" on the back of the Suites tower are mostly painted on.
Unfortunately (as you probably know) Detroit's Statler is gone.
International Fur Exchange - Drury Plaza Hotel Drury Plaza Hotel, St. Louis, Missouri
Moolah Temple - A movie theater/lounge/bowling alley/apartments now. Moolah Theatre & Lounge
Moolah Lanes - Home

[dre71]

Thanks for posting those links its good to see some development in St. Louis I always hear how bad it is still declining . Have you been to detroit before if so what area.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

I've never been to Detroit.

I don't actually live in St. Louis, but I visit a few times a year and I have family that lives in the area. My Dad grew up in South City also.

St. Louis I think has bottomed out. If it is declining, it's slowed dramatically. I think the population will start turning around. Even the downtown has improved a lot. The Movie Escape From New York (1981) was filmed in St. Louis because the downtown was so abandoned. It's not that bad anymore.

St. Louis City has gained a few residents since 2002, though it hasn't exploded quite yet. St. Louis Area Population Breakdowns Most every part of the Missouri Metro area listed here is growing except for St. Louis County. Illinois cdounties are growing too, except Macoupin county which has stayed relatively the same.

[dre71]

Good to hear St. Louis is doing good especially downtown and even the north side thanks for the links STLblues also. I used to live in St. Louis in the hill neighborhood right across from St. Ambrose how is that area doing nowadays. I loved living in st.louis its really a great city once you really experience it for yourself it has diversity, architecture, and more its really not the hellhole rappers and media make it out to be most of it is quiet nice city if you give it a chance. It does have problems dont get me wrong but it does have great areas that are perfectly safe.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

I've always heard that St. Louis Hills is a pretty nice area.

I visit St. Louis a few times a year. I love the architecture. It's gritty in some parts, but I like that, too. It has history and character (though from what I've read and seen Detroit does as well).

And St. Louis is pretty affordable, too.