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Abandoned apartments get new lease with $10.5 million makeover

By Charlene Prost

Of the Post-Dispatch

07/21/2005

Neighborhood Gardens

Fine brickwork and a courtyard design distinguish the Neighborhood Garden Apartments, built in 1935 and now undergoing renovation.

(Sam Leone/P-D)



The Neighborhood Gardens Apartments, which opened in 1935 as the city's first low-income housing community, has languished for years on the northern edge of downtown. But no longer.



Workers are clearing out, tuckpointing and starting to renovate the historic three-story brick buildings, long treasured by preservationists because of their design and exceptionally fine brickwork.



"They had been abandoned for probably 15 years and were full of trash and debris and everything in between," said developer James Dalton, who put together the $10.5 million project.



"But structurally, they're in just fantastic condition. Everything is concrete and steel," he said, "and the brickwork is still in excellent condition."

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What's coming, to replace the original 252 living units, are 144 larger one-, two- and three-bedroom market-rate apartments. He plans to open displays by year's end and to begin leasing next spring.



Dalton intends to market the apartments as moderately priced to appeal mostly to downtown workers who can't afford trendy lofts and condos in downtown or housing planned for the Bottle District development, just east of Neighborhood Gardens. Prices at Neighborhood Gardens will be $499 a month for 575 square feet to $750 for 950 square feet.



"There has to be a place for blue-collar people to live downtown, too," Dalton said, "and hopefully, this will be it, just as it once was."



The St. Louis firm of Hoener, Baum & Froese designed the buildings around a courtyard for residents, with gardens and pools of water. Apartments had direct entrances off stairs rather than corridors, 12-foot ceilings, cross ventilation and balconies.



In nominating the complex for the National Register of Historic Places, the Landmarks Association of St. Louis described it as "an excellent example of Modernistic domestic architecture," fine brickwork and a model, even today, for well-designed low-rent housing.



Dalton, president of Spanish Lake Development Co. in O'Fallon, Mo., intends to bring back much of what was there.



Amid the debris in the buildings, he said, were original construction documents he's using as a guide.



"We found that all the trim on the deck rails, windows and doors was dark green," he said, "so we'll be restoring that."



The balconies also will be restored. "Every apartment will have a balcony," he said, and with the new layouts, "the two- and three-bedroom apartments will have two balconies."



Dalton also plans to put about 94 parking spaces into the courtyard, an aspect of the project generating concern among some preservationists.



Dalton said he had no choice. He said he was unable to work a deal for nearby off-site parking. He said he'll landscape around the parking and have room for a small garden area.



Gary Tetley, an architect and member of the Landmarks Association's board of directors, said that putting cars in the courtyard "is unfortunate."



"But they are saving the complex, which is a good thing," Tetley said, "and the asphalt could be taken out in the future so it could be returned to gardens."



Dalton worked for more than three years on financing and other aspects of what will be the largest project of its kind he ever has taken on. His company began to build subdivisions in St. Louis County in the 1970s; about eight years ago it branched out to do rehab contractor work downtown.



One of Dalton's problems with Neighborhood Gardens was financing. He said he went "from bank to bank to bank" in St. Louis until he got referred to MMA Financial Co. in Clearwater, Fla., which provided a loan. He's also using state and federal historic tax credits. He said he bought the complex for $35,000 from the city's Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority.



Dalton first laid eyes on Neighborhood Gardens 10 years or so ago, when he prepared a bid for it that didn't work out for another development company. Then, several years ago, he was looking for a project and decided to take another look.



"I just thought it was a neat building, with a great layout and a lot of history."



One surprising bit of history he said he found, after reading through the old rent rolls also left in the buildings, was that famed author William Inge once lived there. Among other works, Inge wrote "Bus Stop" and "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs."



Dalton intends to keep that aspect of the complex's history alive as well, perhaps in the renovated community room.



"We will make it into an exercise (room), or a community room again for residents," he said, "and I think we'll decorate it with posters from his movies."





Reporter Charlene Prost

Although 575sf is a chicken coop, $499 is good for downtown.



Great news.

It would be cool if new residential developments are built around it and play off the architecture of the place. So much of the northside is being rebuilt with things that look like they belong in south county. I love these buildings, and am really happy they are being saved.

Arch City wrote:Although 575sf is a chicken coop, $499 is good for downtown.

And $750 for 950 sq ft is a decent deal. That's what a buddy of mine is paying for a place in Maplewood. I think I may like to live downtown more myself...

Wow, these should be interesting.