
Alderman Antonio French tells why he voted NO on developer Paul McKee's massive 1,500-acre redevelopment proposal.
Chesterfield developer Paul McKee appeared on a radio show this morning promoting his 1,500-acre development plan which includes areas of downtown and the near north side of St. Louis City. During the show, host Demetrius Johnson, a McKee supporter, attacked Alderman Antonio French because of a quote that appeared in today’s Post-Dispatch. McKee is asking for [...]
For the second week in a row, hundreds of people have filled O’Fallon Park on a Wednesday evening to listen to the sounds of live jazz music and enjoy one of the largest and most beautiful parks in St. Louis. “This event is about families reclaiming this wonderful park,” said Alderman Antonio French, who organized the [...]
It says something about the City of St. Louis that some of its youngest leaders are showing, in the early days of their leadership, an interest in preserving what has been here for some time – or, at least, instituting some formal controls over what is and isn’t preserved.
There is legislation being debated today in the Missouri State Legislature that would put a cap on a program, that more than any other state program, has contributed to the revitalization of the City of St. Louis over the past decade. The attacks on the state's Historic Tax Credit program are short-sighted and threaten to put the brakes on development activities in neighborhoods and downtowns all over the state.
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Posted on 24 September 2009
The statement below was delivered by SLPS representatives to the City of St. Louis TIF Commission for last night’s meeting regarding the developer Paul McKee’s $390M TIF request: “The St. Louis Public School District, the Special Administrative Board and its appointees to the City of St. Louis Tax Increment Financing Commission fully recognize the importance [...] Continue Reading
Posted on 18 September 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will be the beneficiaries of $14.25 million for historic preservation grants aimed at providing assistance in the repair of historic buildings on their campuses. The Department made these funds available under the American Recovery and [...] Continue Reading
Posted on 15 September 2009
Backers of McKee’s project are attempting a TIF Commission shake up days before next week’s important meeting. SAB may replace David Jackson. Here’s the story by Audrey Spalding of the Show-Me Institute… David Jackson says he has been asked to resign from the city commission that will consider developer Paul McKee’s proposed $8.1 billion development in north [...] Continue Reading
Posted on 02 September 2009
This story aired on CNN today. A charter school in Baltimore is having incredible success. Thanks, in part, to its dedicated teachers. The teachers at the KIPP Ujima School have even refused pay increases and voluntarily work every other Saturday to help their students be the best they can me. But now the teachers union [...] Continue Reading
Posted on 01 September 2009
“Health care reform is about family values,” Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed told over 1,500 union members, community leaders and activists at an Organizing for America (OFA) health care rally August, 30. “I can’t think of anything more critical than the health of our families,” he said. OFA’s rally is part of nationwide bus [...] Continue Reading
Posted on 01 September 2009
Last weekend, the International Institute presented its Festival of Nations multicultural celebration in Tower Grove Park. The event featured traditional dance and music, ethnic food, cultural and educational exhibits, and folk art demonstrations. Continue Reading
Posted on 25 August 2009
State Senator Jeff Smith today resigned his post after pleading guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice. This is his statement to his constituents: Today, with great sadness and regret, I am resigning from the Missouri Senate. During my 2004 Congressional race, I became aware of an independent effort to produce two mailers to [...] Continue Reading
Posted on 17 August 2009
The Arizona Republic reports “a man, who decided not to give his name, was walking around the pro-health care reform rally at 3rd and Washington streets, with a pistol on his hip, and an AR-15 (a semi-automatic assault rifle) on a strap over his shoulder.” “Because I can do it,” he said when asked why he [...] Continue Reading