Benign Neglect: Part IV

The final installment of our series of reports on benign neglect in north St. Louis takes a look at the future. Where is the hope, and how much is there? What needs to change to make the community flourish?

North St. Louis sits at a crossroads.

The largest construction project in St. Louis history is taking shape in the form of the Next NGA West project; but, some would argue, it comes as a result of a half-century of benign neglect. After all, many of the 97 acres of space became available for development because people left, homes crumbled and were eventually cleared. And something else is gone here besides the houses.

“There are a lot of obstacles,” Colin Gordon, author of "Mapping Decline," points out. “Money being the biggest one, but also the deep suspicion of remaining residents because of what has happened to them over [their] and their parents’ lives."

And in the end, trust, or a lack of it, may be the biggest barrier to solutions.

[Rightwingcommentremoved]

I've rehabilitated house's in North St.louis and how it goes is you bring in new appliances, put in new windows and the next day when you show up to work it's all been stolen, doors kicked in, everything gone.i could only compare it to trying to rebuild a neighborhood in northern Afghanistan.

[jamie]

"Selling out the neighborhood"? There is no neighborhood to sell out. Anything, and I do mean anything is better than what is currently there.

[truthtruth]

These ppl are just gonna tear it all up as soon as the cut the ribbon.Get all the ppl that are their now out then .ppl from st charlea and the county might move back.

[wise_up_dems.]

Ground zero? Go back about 50 years.
Lyndon Johnson and "the Great Society".
This problem is decades in the making.

[sultanofswing]

Spent all that money for 6k views? What a waste.