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Skinker high-rises create district to tackle problems
(by Matt Blickenstaff - June 10, 2009)
Five high-rise buildings along Skinker Boulevard are uniting to create an informal district to promote awareness of the buildings and collaborate on shared challenges.
The Skinker High Rise District, opposite of Forest Park between Arundel Place and Clayton Road, is composed of one apartment building, The Dorchester; one co-op, the 801 Building; and three condominium buildings, The Wiltshire, The Versailles and the 625 Building.
Mark Tucker, vice president and treasurer of the residents’ board of the 625 Building, said he borrowed the idea from neighborhood associations around the city. Tucker met with 625’s president and 801’s association president in February to discuss challenges faced by each building.
“It was clear both buildings were dealing with an awful lot of the same issues,” Tucker said. “I thought if we banded together and formed some sort of a district we could attack all these things at a better position of strength.”
Independently, the high-rises had to hire vendors, suppliers and maintenance staff and had to secure contracts for services such as landscaping and snow removal. Tucker said he hopes to lower costs and save time by pooling resources and sharing staff among the five buildings.
In early April, Tucker met with board representatives from the four other buildings and the district was formed. While Tucker admitted that some board members were hesitant to cede their independence, he said there was no opposition to the plan.
“I think once everybody realizes the benefits of working together there will be a whole lot more excitement,” Tucker said.
While the district hasn’t set an official meeting time, its first official act was to meet Lyda Krewson, the alderman for the 28th ward where the high-rises are located. Tucker said he hopes to pool the buildings’ influence in dealings with the city of St. Louis.
“We’ve had very good responsiveness from the city, but we just felt, inevitably, there will be some situations which we’ll have more clout if we deal together rather than separately,” Tucker said.
Raising public awareness of the high-rises is also high on the agenda. With competition from upscale developments such as the Residences at the Chase Park Plaza and the Plaza in Clayton, the Skinker High Rise District hopes to garner as much visibility as possible.
“I think we suffer from real estate agents who haven’t been in here for a long time, thinking about us as we used to be and not as the buildings we are becoming,” said Marit Withrow, the secretary of 801’s board. “This is just the greatest place to live and the area is spectacular.”
Since 2000, nearly $8 million has been spent renovating the 801 Building. Improvements include updated elevators, plumbing, fire systems and revamped décor. Withrow said the changes have gone largely unnoticed by realtors as the demand for housing has dropped and the pool of potential buyers diminished.
The district’s first event, to be held June 23, is an open house for area real estate agents. Agents will get a chance to tour the five buildings, nosh on food provided by neighborhood restaurants and get a lesson on the history of the district from Krewson.
The open house will also serve as a get-together for the residents of the five buildings and a chance for curious tenants to sneak a peek at their neighbors’ homes.
“The residents are excited to show the building off,” said Chris Manley, secretary for the Wiltshire’s board.
The open house is the first step to creating personal connections as well as practical ones. The district plans to coordinate with area businesses such as the Hi-Pointe Theatre, Jimmy’s on the Park and Sascha’s Wine Bar to provide high-rise residents with social events to foster the neighborhood atmosphere common in single-family residential streets.
“We are taking this opportunity to know each other and create a community that hasn’t been there before,” Manley said.
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