The people who bring you Crown Square…

We are so proud of the redevelopment of the former 14th Street Mall into Crown Square and would like to introduce you to some of the people who have dedicated themselves to this project.

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• Development Team

Crown Square Update

It’s been a while since we’ve posted some photos of the progress being achieved at the 27-building redevelopment of the former 14th Street Mall, now known as Crown Square. Below are just a few shots from this morning. Above: the view from one of the apartments on the 3rd floor of the building at 2600 N. 14th Street (the one-time home of Peters Dry Goods & Clothing Co. and later the first J.C. Penney’s store in St. Louis).

Above: the apartments at 2824-2830 N. 14th are nearing completion and should be ready for occupancy by the end of the month.
Above: 2718-20 Blair is also nearing completion.

Above: a view down the street toward the Arch with the former Parks Drug Store building in the foreground.

Below: the interior of the former Parks building at 2718 N. 14th offers some fantastic views of the street, including neighborhood landmark Crown Candy Kitchen, just across the intersection of St. Louis Avenue.

Above: next door to the Parks building, 2712-14 N. 14th is making nice progress.
Above: the buildings from 2601 through 2611 N. 14th represent the unique character and diverse architectural heritage of Old North St. Louis.

Above: the exterior of the former Woolworth’s building at 2619 N. 14th has been cleaned up and is on its way to a new life as a mixed-use building with commercial and residential spaces.
Above: the apartment building at 2423 Blair has been brought back from the brink of collapse.

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• 14th Street Mall, Historic rehabs

The History & Transformation of ONSL, as seen in one building

2601 N. 14th Street, from 1875, as part of a thriving, mixed-use community (below)… to abandonment and deterioration in recent years (below)…

to its renewed lease on life, in the midst of full historic rehabilitation as part of the Crown Square redevelopment of the former 14th Street Mall (below).

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• 14th Street Mall, Historic rehabs, History

Enjoy Cool Music at Grace Hill’s Whitaker Concert Series

Thanks to the initiative of our good friends at Grace Hill, you can enjoy some cool entertainment on a warm summer evening, just a few blocks west of Crown Candy Kitchen. The Whitaker Urban Evening Series of concerts in St. Louis Place Park is in its second year, with concerts happening every Thursday - including tonight and next Thursday.

KMOX featured a wonderful piece on the Whitaker Urban Evening Series on their Voice of St. Louis segment this morning. Click on the following link to hear the report by Debbie Monterrey, in which she offers her rave reviews of the concert series, as well as the entire Old North St. Louis area: Debbie checks out the Whitaker Urban Series sponsored by Grace Hill and discovers great improvements in Old North St. Louis.

Tonight’s concert features Arvell & Co., with Phoebe Clagett, so head on over to the park and enjoy an evening with some neighbors from ONSL and adjacent communities.

The following are scenes from the June 26 concert.

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• Life in ONSL, ONSL amenities

Appreciation BBQ at Crown Square

On July 3rd, EM Harris Construction Company, the general contractor for the Crown Square redevelopment, held a BBQ in appreciation of all of the subcontractors, laborers, police officers, and community partners involved in the construction and development of the former 14th Street Mall. The event was held in the former Parks Building on 14th and St. Louis Avenue. You can see from the photos that construction is almost complete.

Thank you, EM Harris, for making this project such a success!

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• Uncategorized

Interns, interns, everywhere!

We are very pleased to have three summer interns to assist with research and neighborhood projects. From left to right, Elizabeth Brucksch is in the Masters of Architecture program at Washington University; Paul Bilger is in the pre-Architecture program at the University of Missouri; and Christian Ronzio is an undergraduate at Yale University who is exploring engineering and sustainable design.

It is the efforts of volunteers like this who make our organization strong. If you would like to offer your enthusiasm, skills, and talents, please contact Sean Thomas at sean@onsl.org.

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• Interns Summer 2008