Demolition

In the wake of the May 16 tornado, applications for demolition permits on private property doubled. Property owners are making tough decisions to raze their homes, and whether to stay or leave the city.

Demolition crews knocked down a problem property in the Castlepoint area, the first of more than 200 that St. Louis County officials have marked for teardown. The $11 million project aims to greatly reduce the number of abandoned, dangerous properties in north county neighborhoods.

New offers must be submitted by Sept. 3 to be considered at the Sept. 24 LRA board meeting.

An early look at the Vacancy Strategy Initiative Report shows the number of vacant properties in the city decreased by 4% since 2018.

It’s a problem that metastasized over decades, making it unrealistic to expect a speedy solution to the roughly 25,000 vacant buildings and lots inside city limits.

The old Belle-Clair Speedway racetrack and other structures in Belleville will soon be torn down to make way for renovations including a brand new speedway.

The Staenberg Group has plans to redevelop the site into a “Downtown Chesterfield” with housing, retail spaces, restaurants and more. Developers expect it to be four years before people can start moving into new residential units.

St. Louis University has issued demolition proposals for buildings located at 3221 and 3223 Olive St. in Covenant Blu - Grand Center — just north of the neighborhood formerly known as Mill Creek Valley.

Long before the building fell into disrepair and was skewered in online reviews as the Executive Inn, it was a temporary home for two of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

A $160 million redevelopment threatens to close a St. Louis woodworking business.