Delmar: ‘Bridge’ to Development? War Zone or New Frontier?

(…one of my first pure news stories from some 30 years ago, after interviewing seven people in the know. It’s interesting to see what has changed since that time.)

     Named for the home states of two 19^th-century property owners—Delaware and Maryland—Delmar Boulevard has been a key thoroughfare in the development of St. Louis, both city and county.  For many, the term ‘north of Delmar’ has indicated ‘marginal’ neighborhoods where developers and lending institutions fear to tread.  West End Word writer Jeff Greenberg examines development prospects along Delmar Boulevard from U.City’s Loop to the Central West End, including a few ‘pioneers’ who have staked a claim in once desolate areas.

     While city and county officials continue to mull over details of the proposed Metro Link light rail system, future development of sections of an important West End link hangs in the balance.

     Several civic and business leaders and developers cite Delmar Boulevard as the pivotal bridge to additional progress in the area.  That is the primary reason 28^th Ward Alderman Daniel McGuire introduced a bill on Feb. 9 proposing a major blighting operation on the 5200 to 5000 blocks of Delmar Boulevard.  McGuire is seeking a policy of eminent domain for all but six of the 26 buildings in that area.

     “Unfortunately, Delmar has been a physical and psychological barrier to the city,” McGuire said.  “It should be a bridge—not a barrier anymore.  “We should assist businesses there.  It’s a wonderful opportunity to use the hospital (St. Louis Regional Medical Center) to work off.”

     According to McGuire’s ‘bridge’ theory, the U. City Loop stands at one end with Kingshighway Boulevard to Sarah Street developments at the other.

     While few people can dispute the U. City Loop’s role as Delmar’s principal economic anchor, one can hardly dispute the history of other stretches of Delmar Boulevard to that of the Loop.

     “I don’t think the U. City Loop ever hit bottom as badly as this area,” said City Wide Realty developer Bruce Ring, who has developed $10 million worth of commercial and residential property along Delmar Boulevard and the near North Side.  “So, the intellectuals and college people never deserted the Loop like they did the Delmar-Skinker area and other places to the east.”

     “We’ve been reborn every six months, but this is a stable, developing neighborhood that never really died,” said U. City 2^nd Ward Councilman Paul Schoomer.  “There was a time when it wasn’t great for retail, but it had other things to offer.  We have businesses that come and go with the frequency of any small business failures.  It’s like economic Darwinism.”

     While the U. City side of Delmar Boulevard has indeed remained pretty stable, serious decay of buildings on and near other parts of the thoroughfare has hindered progress elsewhere—as in the case of McGuire’s ward.

     Developments in many sections of the city have been especially slowed by the difficulty of securing necessary financing for construction and rehab projects.  But the unavailability of low-cost insurance has been another barrier.

     According to 28^th Alderman Marian Miller, the brunt of the dilemma is due to the elimination to key public programs.  Miller cited problems that Citywide Realty had in getting financing to rehab a multi-family dwelling on the south side of Delmar Boulevard at Union Boulevard.

     “Once the lending companies get off their prejudicial behinds, this area will be OK,” said Ring, whose projects include the Medicare-Glaser Center.  “As soon as the stigma goes away, these areas will keep improving.”

     Despite the barriers, Miller is steadfastly working with Rep. William Clay, Sen. John Danforth, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Boatmen’s Bank in an effort to further improve the physical and psychological climate.   

     Elsewhere, Nesby Moore is determined to push for continued progress with his private entity, the Union-Sarah Economic Development Corp.

     “This area had one of the highest crime rates in the entire city when we began here 14 years ago,” said Moore, whose group was responsible for the popular National Supermarket at Delmar and Kingshighway boulevards.  “We had the first major development plan in north St. Louis.

     “There are over 50 kinds of businesses, and when we started, there were only six.  You look at the economics of that and see that the number of people employed rose from about 50 to more than 400.”

     Ring pointed to traffic estimates of about 50,000 cars a day passing by Delmar and Union to reiterate the market for further business expansion.  There are other reasons to believe that this would be a good area in which to locate.

     While the width of Delmar Boulevard is another asset, Steve Casagrande of Bevco Liquors chose his 5127 locale because of its quick and easy access to all parts of the St. Louis metropolitan area. 

     But in order to secure a solid West End future, Casagrande believes that commercial property along Delmar must be accompanied by suitable residential dwellings.

     “I think that getting the population stabilized would be the key to this area,” Casagrande said.  “We need family ownership of homes instead of rental areas.  That will attract restaurants and boutique shops, and ultimately draw the rest of the businesses.”

     Ring referred to the success of the Central West End to agree with Casagrande’s assessment.  He said that the CWE has come a long way in the last 10 to 15 years, and housing costs are evidence to that fact.  Ring said that a $45,000 Portland Place house is now worth $500,000 to $1 million.

     “Like the Central West End, we’ll be brought back—but only after the lending institutions have backed us,” Miller said.  “Maybe they’re getting more conservative, but our people are more active in organizing.  People are tired of waiting.  Young people need support in order to keep them there.”

     Miller said that she has definitely seen an upswing in the number of people in their 40s who have moved into the area or who are planning to. 

     Casagrande said that no progress in that direction will be hasty because conditions in the Central West End were never quite as extensively run down as major stretched near Delmar.

     “One of my close friends once said, ‘Delmar is like a deep river,’” Casagrande said.  “It’s like a dividing line between north and south St. Louis…and it looked like a war zone when I got here (from native Spring Lake, NJ) 30 years ago.”

     That ‘deep river’ analogy provides the perfect basis for supporting the quest to ‘bridge’ Delmar’s major gaps in development.  

     Metro Link is one project that is expected to benefit much of the area.  A Metro Link station is planned near Delmar and Hodiamont Avenue, close to where the old Wabash train station now sits.  “That stretch of Delmar needs another anchor, and I feel the Metro Link station will generate traffic, attract investment and spur additional commercial development,” said Nancy Farmer, executive director of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Development Council.

     But many area leaders predict that any boon from that system will not occur in the near future, and that it will only help this area if commercial and residential developments are begun both before and shortly after its completion.

     “The Central West End has jelled to the point where we no longer have large patches needing massive rehabilitation,” McGuire said.  “Now we need to extend the rejuvenation.  To me, it’s a natural growth.  Cities not only grow, but they rebuild.  Add on the impact of the light rail system, and I think we have a wonderful opportunity to ride the momentum”

     McGuire was elated to announce that the practicing architects and students at the American Institute of Architects will discuss Delmar Boulevard for this October’s annual ‘charette,’ a massive brainstorming session.