To follow up on a the story about Fremont Park from a few weeks back, it looks like the work is now complete. It turns out that crews were merely replacing the sidewalks in the Benton Park neighborhood recreational area. Still, the new aggregate sidewalks look good. It seems like crews were busy replacing sidewalks all around Benton park this winter, as similar replacements were made in front Pointers Market and the former location of McClozzi’s among other places.

Confusing headline huh? I guess it should really read “Fremont Park in the South St. Louis neighborhood of Benton Park in the midst of upgrades.” Because that is what it is getting. Over the last few days crews have removed most of the sidewalks at the 2.31 acres park, which is located on the south side of Lynch Street between McNair and Salena.

I have been unable to determine the exact nature and extend of the improvements, but it seems that the sidewalks will all be replaced at a minimum. The current layout of the park consists of a softball field, a playground, and a couple of open spaces with benches. There isn’t much too it, but its nice to see Fremont getting  some attention, considering the fact that there are two larger parks in the neighborhood (Benton Park and Cherokee Park).

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Looks like the Shaw neighborhood will be getting another addition to it’s restaurant lineup. Mama Josephine’s located at 4000 Shaw Boulevard, will be offering homestyle meals starting March 2010. Not many details on the place yet, but the sign says they will have dine-in, carryout and delivery.

Located about a block east of Sasha’s on Shaw, the restaurant will be operating out of the commercial space of the former townhome development at Lawrence Street and Shaw.  Not only is this good news for the neighborhood, its also great for the street of Shaw itself. I have written about the development potential on the street before and it’s great to see places like Mama Josephine’s and Sasha’s tapping into that. Check out there website for more info: www.mamajosephines.com

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Even in the midst of neglect beauty can often be found. Buildings caving on themselves from lack of repair are not what most would consider aesthetically pleasing, but even in these wrecks a trained eye can see things worth noting. For instance, take a look at these pictures.

Photographer Robert “Ferd” Frank took these photos of the building at 3500 Illinois in the Marine Villa neighborhood. I posted an article on this property yesterday and if you look at the pictures I took, they look quite dreary and dull. But with the right lighting and exposure things look quite different. Obviously it will be to the benefit of all when this property and others like it are saved, but even in the worst of conditions there is always a positive side.

For more similar pics, check out the Ferdworks website.

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If you frequent South Saint Louis, you have no-doubt seen Morganford Road. Stretching north and south from Arsenal at Tower Grove Park to Bayless in South Saint Louis County, the street is quite prominent. That is why it is so perplexing that there is no consistent name given to the street. Is it Morganford or Morgan Ford?

The origin of the street’s name literally comes from the name of a ford. A man by the name of Morgan (first or last name, I don’t know) operated a ford at River Des Peres. The street was named after this man. Despite a recently posted Post Dispatch story to the contrary, Morgan Ford was not a person’s first and last name. It was a literal ford.

I have always used the Morganford spelling myself, as it just seems to fit. Considering the fact that many local organizations and businesses, online mapping services such as Google and Yahoo, and even the postal service recognize this spelling, it seems right. But not so fast. The City of St. Louis officially recognizes the street as “Morgan Ford.”  Local business associations along the strip also recognize this spelling. All those street signs with the “Morgan Ford” spelling aren’t typos.

So what is the “official” name? That depends on who you ask. I am temped to start using the Morgan Ford spelling as the City uses that spelling on street signs, but the lack of postal and online recognition of this spelling holds me back.  This is a blog after all, so maybe I should keep in sync with the rest of the web-world. Which side of this name battle are you on? Me, I guess I am a Morganford man.

Two years ago there were four Laclede Gas gasometers left in St. Louis. I was saddened to see the gasometer in Forest Park Southeast torn down a couple years back, but at least there was still one of these monstrosities in North City near Goodfellow and two more next to I-44 in Shrewsbury. Until now.

It seems that the two Shrewsbury gasometers will now meet the same fate as the FPSE. There is no doubt that the current structures are ugly with being untended for so many years, but I have found them memorable since before my elementary school days when I used to attend St. Michael’s down the street from the structures. Hopefully something more than grass will find a home on these newly vacated lots. And maybe, just maybe, the Goodfellow gasometer will be able to hold out and avoid the fate of it’s brothers.

Link

You know a neighborhood is on the right track when it can support not only two business districts (South Grand and Morgan Ford), but also a hodge-podge of businesses interspersed throughout the neighborhood. That is exactly what continues to happen in the neighborhood of Tower Grove South with the soon-to-be-opened A Walk in the Park Pet Spa.

The business will operate out of 3892 Wyoming, which is about four blocks south of Arsenal and two west of Grand. The building is looking really nice and if the sign out front is accurate, they will be opening October 1st, 2009. The neighborhood just keeps on getting better. Welcome.

I haven’t posted anything about the proposed changes to the streetscape on South Grand since early last year as these projects tend to drag on forever. Thankfully, it looks like things are finally coming together.  In fact, the 3- lane proposal (my personal favorite) is actually being tested right now.For 30 days, which run out around October 8th, 2009, the target area of Grand between Arsenal and Utah has been restriped and concrete barriers have been put up at intersections to simulate the proposed configuration. I have heard some people complain that this is unnessary or that it will simply push traffic into neighborhoods, but both of these stances are wrong in my mind. I test drove the entire section both ways yesterday and I loved it. Traffic was flowing nicely too despite the view-block concrete bollards at street corners.

On the pedestrian angle, if you have ever walked that strip of Grand, you will agree that it can be intimidating to cross the street. With 4 lanes of traffic and 40 mph car speeds, it is more than an illusion. South Grand has done very well for itself, but this change would make it much more pedestrian friendly, akin to the Delmar Loop. It would be a great thing for residents in the surround neighborhoods of Tower Grove South and Tower Grove East, and sure won’t hurt property values either.

But don’t listen to me, test it out yourself in the next few weeks and call the Great Streets Initiative with your thoughts at 314-776-2423. For more information on the proposal changes, check out the Great Streets Initiative website. You might also want to check out Saint Louis Urban Workshop’s take on the issue as they have been following this one more closely than I.

It’s no secret that the City of St. Louis has it’s share of crime problems. The trouble is, no matter how much money is pumped into police patrols, they are still merely a reactive force. To really stop crime, it takes the community coming together and saying “we won’t stand ofr it anymore.” Thats were the Guardian Angels come in.

Already established in 140 cities in 13 countries, this is an organization that has had a lot of experience in helping the community stand up for itself. Members patrol their areas wearing red berets and red jackets (they don’t carry guns) and take a proactive role in stopping crime. Unlike a neighborhood watch, they actually get involved first-hand and make arrests and break-up fights. This isn’t your typical nonprofit organization.

Guardian Angels leaders are apparently working with Hyde Park residents to start a local chapter, which would have a presence in any neighborhood with local support. A lot of people seem to react to groups like this and call them vigilantes. Others cite that this is work for the police and that these people should stay out. I say that since the status quo clearly isn’t cutting it, we should welcome the group with  open arms and do all we can to encourage their efforts. Who knows, maybe we will be seeing red berets on the streets sooner rather than later. I, for one, would welcome the sight.

Link

The new grocer in Benton Park, Pointer’s Market, is now open at 2901 Salena. Yours truely hasn’t been there yet, but they have been open for almost a week. Benton Park is really coming into it’s own when it comes to business and residential progress. Looks like they just got another good addition to the lineup. For more on Pointer’s, check out the our previous post on the business.

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A couple weekends ago, I took a trip to Philadelphia with some old friends, to watch our beloved St. Louis Cardinals play in foreign territory. In the eleven years I have been doing this I have watched the Cardinals play in thirteen different stadiums around the country.Its always a great time no matter where we go, but this year, walking through the streets of Philadelphia, I couldn’t help but feel a surprising feeling: envy.

Don’t get me wrong, I love St. Louis. If you read this blog you know that, with only occasional acceptations, I am a big cheerleader for the area. Its just that sometimes I feel like we think too small. While, in a relative sense, we have made huge strides since the 80’s, we are farther away from a world-class city than most of us care to admit.

While iconic Philadelphia sites such as the Reading Market Terminal, with its food court/farmers market on steroids feel, are big reasons why I feel this way, the real source of this sensation was to be found in every corner of the city. It seemed as if every street was filled with people, shops, restaurants, businesses… No matter which direction I went, it could be seen in all corners of the area. There were people EVERYWHERE!

The integration of historical and contemporary also seemed to be a good balance and I was particularity impressed by the restaurants and clubs, which were so perfectly integrated into their riverfront. It felt kind of like a smaller version of New York. Something of a scale I could actually wrap my brain around.

Of course, Philadelphia is not without its share of problems. I noticed throughout the city that their infrastructure seems a bit run down.  For instance, while they have subways, they struck me as pretty dirty and with horrible signage. The amount of homeless and aggressive panhandlers was also up there. More than once I felt the need to look over my shoulder and I saw a few things on the street better left out of this article.

The funny thing is, despite these and other issues, all I will ever be able to think about is how there were so many people on their streets. It struck me that there were so many shops and restaurants to serve these people, not the other way around. When I compare that to our central corridor I feel like a small town bumpkin. Its really a wonder that we have so many great destinations as we do considering the commuter nature of many of their patrons.

We have made a lot of progress in bringing people and money back to the city, but we have so far to go. To have a thriving community with culture, entertainment and jobs a plenty, something everyone in the region surely must want, we need to work for it. The only way to do it is to bring the people back. Imports from other regions are great, but in reality, we need our old citizens back.  Until we can beat out St. Louis and St. Charles Counties for their affections, how can we ever hope to to beat out other metro areas?

The already decorative storefronts along the Morganford Business District in Tower Grove South are taking things to the next level. The Tin Can has had their “beer can” sculpture up for some time now, but to my knowledge, the rest of these have popped up within the last few weeks.

Businesses with sculptures include:

• Local Harvest (Store and Restaurant)
• Three Monkeys
• Tin Can
• Car Wash
• Vintage Haberdashery
• The Future Antiques
• Tower Pub
• The Scooter Shop (2nd Chance?)
• Stella Blues (now closed, I don’t have a pic)

Such a creative way to give the business area a defining personality. Check them olut for yourself in the gallery below.

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Looks like Cherokee’s loss is South Jefferson’s gain. Kakao Chocolate, formerly at 2837 Cherokee, has just reopened its doors at 2301 South Jefferson. No located at SW corner of Jefferson and Shenandoah in the Fox Park neighborhood, this new location offers a significant increase in exposure for the chocolate shop. While I hate to see Cherokee lose any businesses, as a business owner in the vicinity of this new location, its great to see another quality establishment move into the area. Check out Kakao’s website for more info.

In a 180 from their previous policy of refusing to sell their fromers school buildings to Charter School Providers, the St. Louis Public School officially announced this morning that they are now willing to consider offers from Charter Schools on these buildings. With poor schools being one of the most often cited reasons for residents leaving or refusing to move to the City of St. Louis, anything that has the potnetial to improve the education system is a win in my book. Thanks for making the right decision SLPS. Link

File this one under a non-real estate related bit of nonsense. Driving down Cherokee Street in Benton Park West this afternoon, I noticed a mural, which I have never seen before: This picture of Barrack Obama. While Obama paintings, slogans and signs have been a common sight since before the election, this one really stood out to me. I couldn’t help but think this painting next to the Black Bear Bakery reminded me of something.

Then it hit me: It looks like a MAD Magazine caricature of the new president! When I got back to the office I found a couple of MAD pictures to compare. While not carbon copies, I find them oddly similar. Or maybe its just me. The thing that really struck me is that, love him or hate him, the new president is definitely an ingrained part of pop culture. The man is everywhere!

So what do you think? Am I seeing things or do these guys look like they were drawn by the same guy.

Obama painting and the MAD Magazine guy - Any resemblance?

Tucked away among the warehouses of the St. Louis neighborhood of Fox Park, in the basement of the Koken Art Factory building, is  a new and unique entertainment venue. UR MOMS Bar at 2500 Ohio takes karaoke to the next level by incorporating a live band into the performance.

The venue is currently only open to the public on Thursdays and Saturdays, and only has a song lineup of a hundred or songs at the moment, but this unique experience is an interesting draw for the area. With the closure of Tanner B’s last summer, there really hasn’t been much in the way of entertainment in the Fox Park neighborhood. Not only does this new bar offer a new outlet for nightlife for locals, but it will also help bring attention to the area from those outside the immediate vicinity.

This section of Fox Park is mostly filled with old warehouses, being predominately industrial in nature. I have discussed the potential for lofts in this area in the past and this additional attention could increase the likelihood of such developments. If you’re looking for a unique nightlife experience on a Thursday or Saturday night, consider giving UR MOMS Bar a try. For more information check out their website.

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With the St. Louis Public School system ready to slash the number of schools they are operating across the City of St. Louis, one of the biggest questions on everyone’s mind is what is going to happen with the shuttered schools?Many will likely be sold off for other commercial or residential uses, but at the moment, there is a standing policy that no former St. Louis Public School building can be sold or leased for use as a charter school. There will probably continued debate over this issue in coming months, but that’s not going to stop charter schools from continuing to take root in the area. Just ask the people over at the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP).

While state and local officials bicker over the fate of our school system and the children it serves, the prestigious KIPP program has finally managed to find a home for it’s new St. Louis School. The Post Dispatch is reporting that the group will be leasing the former high school building next to the St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church at Ohio & Gravois in the Fox Park Neighborhood.

The current plan calls for construction to begin in March, with the school opening this summer. The first year would include only 80 to 100 fiftth graders with an additional class added each year until they serve approximately 360 students in the fifth to eighth grade levels.

With the notorious shoddy city school system, this is nice addition to the southside climate. Not only with this school help the children it serves, it will also help St. Francis de Sales, the surrounding neighborhoods of Fox Park and Benton Park, and the burgeoning commercial areas along Gravois and Jefferson. Hopefully this is just the first of many.

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After last week’s positive article on the status on Shaw Avenue, I figured it was only fair to followup with another article focusing on the less polished side. Taking that angle, while there are plenty of residential buildings along the street that still need attention, it’s the commercial properties that have the single greatest impact on the street’s image.

Rather than go down a list of all the properties that could use improvement, I have picked the 4 biggest commercial problem-properties along Shaw Avenue in the Shaw Neighborhood for this example. If these four properties could be turned around, Shaw Avenue could justifiably reclaim its role as the unofficial Broadway of Shaw. Here is a quick breakdown

4175 & 4200 Shaw – Intersection of Shaw and Klemm

These properties share the Shaw and Klemm intersection with the Mullanphy Elementary School. As such, any issues of safety get a lot of attention. The convenience store at 4200 Shaw has exterior camera surveillance and restricts loitering around the building. The old service station at 4175 Shaw is vacant, but it is kept relatively uncluttered to prevent anyone with less than ideal intentions from watching the schoolkids. In this capacity both of these buildings prevent few issue.

A quick glance, however, shows that they are far from perfect. Both of these properties are one of the first things a person sees when they drive down Shaw from the nearby Missouri Botanical Gardens. Not a good first impression. They are both hideous and need significant cosmetic upgrades. The convenience store is a mixed-use property, with apartments upstairs, but the storefront windows are blacked out and covered with bars. It is unkempt, dirty and always raises the question of what they are hiding. Such a space would be a great location for a restaurant, retails hop or even a more appropriately decorated convenience store.

The service station is simply a waste of space. If the property will not be reopened as a service shop it should just be torn down. It has no significant historic value. However, there could be potentiality ground contaminants  on the lot, which could be poses a problem. Regardless, this property is at the western doorstep to the neighborhood an says anything but welcome.

3969 Shaw – Intersection of Shaw and Lawrence

This property appears to be a former gas station on is probably the biggest eyesore and waste of space on this list. The building itself is tiny, but the lot is buildable. There really seems to be no reason to keep this building standing unless there is some secret history in play. Fortunately, the property was recent secured by the St. Louis Land Reutilization Authority (LRA) so redevelopment might soon be in the cards for this one. Of course, there is also potential for environment concerns with old gas tanks as with the old service station at 4175 Shaw.

1819 39th – Intersection of Shaw and 39th

This is my favorite one. Or least favorite, depending on how you look at it. This convenience mart at the corner of Shaw and 39th is a mix of aesthetic nightmare and crime magnet. It also happens to be the first commercial building you come across in the neighborhood on an approach from the east or north. Nearly every window in the building is in major need of painting. The signs are ugly, the facade is ugly… it is ugly. Looking at the City’s complaint records, there have been 70 official citations on the building in the last ten years. They seem to have a problem with properly storing trash and fighting of infestations of insects and rodents. The property is just hideous in every way.

As for the crime angle, I have personally witnessed two drug deals in front of the building in the past few years. I have heard many similar stories from others familiar with the property, including one person who was actually approached to buy cocaine while he sat in his car writing notes about a nearby property. The police seem to be aware of this, and I have seen arrests outside the property, but the activity continues. Come springtime it will be business as usual.

Thankfully, this property is on the hit-list of the both Neighborhood and City officials as well as the police force. As efforts become more proactive, things will likely clean up on their own, or action will be forced upon the owners.

Check out the companion piece to this article: Sasha’s on Shaw sets up Shop

One of the biggest holdups in the revival of the Shaw neighborhood is the lack of commercial space. The residential component of the neighborhood has seen a lot of improvement in recent years, but commercial development has been relatively limited. There are businesses and restaurants, but not much to draw people in.  On the other hand, Shaw’s  southern neighbor, Tower Grove South, has made great strides in recent years drawing activity from it’s increasingly successful commercial corridor along Morganford. As great as Shaw has become, it can never really reach it’s potential until to embraces  businesses. Thankfully, things might be changing.

A small commercial area along 39th street has begun to develop along 39th in the neighborhood, but the real news was the December 2008 opening of Sasha’s On Shaw. If the name sounds familiar that’s because it is run by the same people who own Sasha’s Wine Bar in Clayton. This new establishment is located at 4069 Shaw at the intersection of Thurman. It’s just a few blocks north of another neighborhood restaurant and bar known as Thurman Grill & Provisions.

This news is exciting for a lot of reasons. Not only does this kind of establishment add a trendy new component to the neighborhood fabric, it also draws attention from visitors outside the immediate area. Shaw needs this new blood in order to continue it’s evolution. If properly managed, this is the kind of place that could do that. Still, great as this aspect is, it holds second fiddle to the fact that this new establishment draws attention to the street of Shaw itself.

As the neighborhood has improved as a whole, Shaw Avenue itself has lagged behind it it’s redevelopment. The street, which is the largest cutting through the neighborhood, should be center-stage in the rehabilitation of the area. It hasn’t. So much in fact that many people might consider Magnolia Avenue, which separates the southern edge of the neighborhood form Tower Grove Park, the front door of the area. Along Shaw Avenue derelict buildings, crime, and shady businesses have been the reality. That’s starting to change though. The residential component has seem some significant reinvestment in the past couple of years and the commercial aspect looks to finally be getting off the ground.

Hopefully this will just be the first of many such businesses along Shaw Avenue  in the neighborhood. At the very least, it appears that the two buildings north of Sasha’s on Thruman are getting a facelift. Both are owned by the people that run Sasha’s and are commercial properties. You can see exterior pictures of all three of the buildings in the gallery below. Perhaps they are a sign of better things to come. If they are, and Shaw Avenue begins to realize its potential, so will the neighborhood as a whole.

Check out the companion piece to this article: The other side of Shaw

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I was driving through Tower Grove East yesterday when I saw this curious sight. Apparently, when the owner of this building needed to put a handrail up in front of their building, they looked no further than the bedroom. I can’t make up my mind if they are trying to be creative or trying to be thrifty. Either way its certainly an unusal sight.

While Cherokee Avenue in the Benton Park and Benton Park West neighborhoods as had its share of troubles in the past few years, there is no doubt that the overall outlook has looked continually positive. I’ve posted about Cherokee locations such as The Stable and Foam, but it looks like the whole area is getting a pat of the back. This time from the Riverfront Times in their Annual “Best of” list.

Cherokee was voted as “The Best Mile of St. Louis” by RFT readers in their annual list. Here is what they had to say:

If you had a nickel for every stretch of St. Louis where you could snack on an authentic taqueria-style taco between taking in a contemporary art show and shopping for a 1930s china pattern just like your grandmother had…well, you would be only five cents richer, because nothing else in St. Louis resembles Cherokee Street between South Compton and Lemp avenues. You want cutting-edge art, theater, crafts and music? Check out the Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts, the Tin Ceiling Theater, Firecracker Press and Apop Records. What about real-deal Mexican grub? Check: There are several blocks of Mexican bakeries, taquerias, restaurants and grocery stores. Partake of anarchist baked goods at Black Bear Bakery or vegetarian fare at the funky Shangri-La Diner; enjoy a pint at the old-school O’Malley’s Irish Pub or at the brand-new Stable, a restaurant and distillery in the old Lemp stables. And of course you can shop for antiques: from expensive to kitschy and everything in between. Cherokee might not be perfect — a few blocks are less than stunning — but it is an inspiring example of a diverse, ongoing urban renewal.

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/bestof/2008/award/best-mile-of-st-louis-582407/

Not only was the area collectively celebrated this year, but 5 indivdual establishments made the list:

• Best Chocolate – Kakao Chocolate
• Best Coffeehouse – Mississippi Mud House
• Best musical instrument store – Saxquest
• Best Mexican Market – Carniceria Latino Americana
• Best underground club – Camp Concentration at Apop Records

Congrats to everyone along Cherokee and thanks for investing in this long too neglected area. If you want to check out the full Best of 2008 list, head of to the RIverfront Times site.

Tucked away in the northeast corner of the Benton Park neighborhood of South St. Louis, neglected and lonely, is the former Falstaff Brewery. Maybe not as beautiful or well known as its cousin 10 blocks to the south, the Lemp Brewery, but a piece of local history nonetheless. But while talk has continual gone on for years about redeveloping the old Lemp complex, the Falstaff has gotten far less fan fare.

In the past couple of years, the only significant mention of the Falstaff name locally was the fire that happened at the site in February of 2008 (ended up being nothing major) and the proposed redevelopment (see St. Louis Business Journal article) of the other, less attractive, former Falstaff Brewery in town at 3674 Forest Park Blvd. This brewery has less character that the one in Benton Park, but the proximity to the SLU campus made it an attractive development option. Unfortunately, it seems that the project never really got off the ground. There is actually a website for the project, but as far as I know, it is dead (if you have info to the contrary I would love to hear it).

As for the brewery at 1920 Shenandoah, it is gradually showing signs of its age. Other than the fire earlier this year, structural problems have continued to mount due to decaying mortar and water damage. The property has been listed for sale (see brochure) for a few years now, but I guess the $1.3 million price tag and uncertain housing sector makes investing in this 129,214 sq ft behemoth a bit questionable to the big guys in town and around the country.

The good thing is that there is still plenty of time for someone to come in an fix up the building. Although it is deteriorating as is expected of any untended building, it is long from a lost cause. Since the building is located off of the best section of the Benton Park neighborhood and only a few blocks from McGurk’s and all the traditional Soulard attractions, I have to think that someone will pay attention to the potential of this one as the market slowly warms back up in the coming years. But I hate waiting.

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Shame on YOU! Someone wants to invest their hard earned money and labor in your neighborhood, during a downturn in the economy, and you tell them to buzz off. I live about four blocks away from this location and I know full well what the area is like. I just don’t see how you could think this would be a bad addition. There are still a lot of rough buildings in this part of the neighborhood. I’m glad to see that you support “progress”.

Sickening. Just sickening.

I’ve been closely following a rehab project, being developed by Phoenix Redevelopment Group, in the Benton Park neighborhood of South St. Louis over the past few months. I always thought this building at 2730 McNair (at the corner of Lynch and McNair) had a lot of potential and was glad to see someone was taking it on. Now I find out that it’s not only under construction, it seems that they have a commercial tenant lined too: Koronaz.

What’s Koronaz you ask? Apparently it is going to be a bar/restaurant. Not that the area is lacking in such establishments, what with so many places already open in Benton Park and nearby Soulard, but its always good to see another join the fray.

I didn’t find out about this until yesterday, but the Benton Park Neighborhood Association actually held a special meeting on September 14th to discuss the proposed venue. No word yet on how the meeting went (I have emailed the Association president to find out), but the neighborhood has always welcomed such establishments. I doubt they will have any trouble getting their liqueur license.

If you’re curious about the restaurant, I managed to track down the basic floor plans from the Benton Park website as well as the  menu. Looks like pretty typical fare, but that could change. I’ll be following up on this one as soon as I get word from Benton Park neighborhood representatives. In the meantime, you can see pictures of how the project is coming along below.

*UPDATE – There’s some terrible news on this. A commenter (see below) informed me that the Neighborhood Association didn’t approve their proposal. They wanted the Friday and Saturday hours to be restricted to 10pm. Knowing they couldn’t compete with other nearby establishments under those restrictions, Koronaz walked away. If anyone reading this was part of the group fighting this, I have a personal message to send out:

Shame on YOU! Someone wants to invest their hard earned money and labor in your neighborhood, during a downturn in the economy, and you tell them to buzz off. I live about four blocks away from this location and I know full well what the area is like. I just don’t see how you could think this would be a bad addition. There are still a lot of rough buildings in this part of the neighborhood. I’m glad to see that you support “progress”.

Sickening.

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I also wanted to share a rumor I had heard about the establishment. There has been talk that a cigar lounge/bar is going to be opening up on the floor above the Stable. I don’t know if this would be part of the existing business or another venture entirely, but my source seemed pretty sure of his information. They seem to do a lot of business, so there is obviously demand. Anyone have inside info on this one?