How can we fix East St Louis? (Chicago, East St. Louis: neighborhood, buying)

[chicago103]

The problem is that East St. Louis is geographically disadvantages even considering it's advantages (interstates, Metro Link access to St. Louis) because #1 it is not part of the central city of the metro area, St. Louis, #2 it is not even in the same state as the central city so Missouri doesn't think much of it, #3 it is far from the center of gravity (Chicago) of the state that it is in (Illinois) and #4 the central city that it is near (St. Louis) does not have the high real estate prices that would drive people to live across the river (i.e. Jersey City and New York City). Heck Camden, NJ and even Gary, Indiana are much better positioned for recovery. They have done some revival as far as tourism with the Casino Queen and the Gateway Fountain but that is rather limited and who knows how many East St. Louis residents are actually employed there.

If I was a wealthy real estate developer I would want to convert the tallest building there, the 12 story Spivey Building into apartments/condos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spivey_Building. It is a nice historic building on the National Historic Registry that has been abandoned for decades and is right next to a Metro Link station in downtown East St. Louis. The biggest problem however would be what I mentioned above, most people who would desire living in rehabbed old buildings in an urban neighborhood can find plenty of them in St. Louis itself for affordable prices. Maybe if it was rental apartments to insure there are as many full time residents as possible you could have 100+ middle income professionals living there, a small market on the ground floor and a rooftop bar with views of the St. Louis skyline (free parking on adjacent vacant land + Metro Link station walking distance). It could be a catalyst for something, especially in a city of only 27,000 or less.

[drro]

I just did some streetviewing in East St. Louis and it seems completely dilapidated, everywhere. Are there any parts left which are not completely blighted?

Are there any actual plans to bring it back alive? Wouldn't giving it back to nature be a better option?

[MUTGR]

Originally Posted by drro

I just did some streetviewing in East St. Louis and it seems completely dilapidated, everywhere. Are there any parts left which are not completely blighted?

Are there any actual plans to bring it back alive? Wouldn't giving it back to nature be a better option?

There are still neighborhoods where homes are maintained well. Not sure how or even why folks are hanging on.

There is a multistory doowtown building I see from the highway when I drive by East. St. Louis that fascinates me but I can't really get a good look at it while driving. It looks like it was once very ornate, but it now has trees growing out of windows and on the roof. I think it might be the Murphy building but I'm not sure:

http://preservationresearch.com/wp-c...9/IMG_4535.jpg

[drro]

Originally Posted by MUTGR

There are still neighborhoods where homes are maintained well. Not sure how or even why folks are hanging on.

There is a multistory doowtown building I see from the highway when I drive by East. St. Louis that fascinates me but I can't really get a good look at it while driving. It looks like it was once very ornate, but it now has trees growing out of windows and on the roof. I think it might be the Murphy building but I'm not sure:

http://preservationresearch.com/wp-c...9/IMG_4535.jpg

Finally, I found a decent looking street. But the rest of the city seems just in a terrible shape.

[MUTGR]

Originally Posted by drro

Finally, I found a decent looking street. But the rest of the city seems just in a terrible shape.

Yes, those are Parsons Place apartments, relatively new, decent looking, just north of highway 64.

There are some existing neighborhoods with single family homes that look ok too, but not many.

I drive through there occasionally because my work takes me to Belleville from the Missouri side.

I'll see if I can locate some google images for you.

Here's one: 38th street just north of state street:

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.6100...FcFSFUfzSA!2e0

Another a little farther east on State street and north on Alhambra:

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.6118...mdwDJq_THQ!2e0


You might want to check out Cairo Illinois. Smaller town, but similar. Quite the history, too.

[drro]

Originally Posted by MUTGR

Here's one: 38th street just north of state street:

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.6100...FcFSFUfzSA!2e0

Another a little farther east on State street and north on Alhambra:

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.6118...mdwDJq_THQ!2e0

Those don't look that bad either although there are some boarded up homes here and there. Surprising how close 'decent' and completely scary can be. This abandoned church is a pretty scary site and is very close to the street I linked to.

[PerseusVeil]

Originally Posted by drro

I just did some streetviewing in East St. Louis and it seems completely dilapidated, everywhere. Are there any parts left which are not completely blighted?

Are there any actual plans to bring it back alive? Wouldn't giving it back to nature be a better option?

The city has no money, the state has no money, and everything that's been tried in the past has failed. They also can't kick out the current residents just because it's a dilapidated and dangerous city.

In order for East St. Louis to turn around, it would need for St. Louis to become a booming city that transplants want to move to. St. Louis is doing better than it was in the past in terms of crime and neighborhoods turning around, but the push East St. Louis needs is currently not happening, and it possibly might never happen.

[drro]

Originally Posted by PerseusVeil

The city has no money, the state has no money, and everything that's been tried in the past has failed. They also can't kick out the current residents just because it's a dilapidated and dangerous city.

I agree, although I can see why in the case of East St. Louis and a few other places like Camden, Flint or Detroit things have gotten so much out of control they might consider giving those up and turn them into a forest or something.

In order for East St. Louis to turn around, it would need for St. Louis to become a booming city that transplants want to move to. St. Louis is doing better than it was in the past in terms of crime and neighborhoods turning around, but the push East St. Louis needs is currently not happening, and it possibly might never happen.

There are only a few truly booming cities in the US, I can only think of New York, Boston and San Francisco at the moment. That means East St. Louis woulld never recover. I wonder why the people still living there don't just move away.

[PerseusVeil]

Originally Posted by drro

I agree, although I can see why in the case of East St. Louis and a few other places like Camden, Flint or Detroit things have gotten so much out of control they might consider giving those up and turn them into a forest or something.

To an extent, some places have. Detroit has taken to tearing down abandoned homes, clearing the rubble, and allowing for urban farms in some places.

St. Louis' murder rate was also worse than Detroit's last year. St. Louis still anchors its metro in a better way than Detroit probably does at this point though.

There are only a few truly booming cities in the US, I can only think of New York, Boston and San Francisco at the moment. That means East St. Louis woulld never recover. I wonder why the people still living there don't just move away.

There's far more than just the cities you mentioned, but you're right that East St. Louis might never recover. There's far nicer towns close to it, so it's not even like the Illinois suburbs of St. Louis would really need to pay attention to it at all.

As for the people, many of them have and others continue to do so, but many of them are the poorest of the poor. They can't move just because they want to. That would require money that many of them simply do not have.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by drro

. . . I wonder why the people still living there don't just move away.

Everyone with the means to move to an appreciably better place and/or who isn't running a criminal enterprise already has. That's why the place looks as abandoned as it does.