The mill rises 4 stories above the main level, including 3 levels of sequentially smaller finished spaces and then the motor room for the mill itself on the unfinished 4th level. The finished levels within the mill are in various stages of repair, but with the main and basement level renovations complete, these unrenovated areas should be done soon. When completed, these levels are tentatively planned to be used as event spaces, but plans are not yet set. In the gallery below, you can get a peek at how things look now and of the old (original) motor that makes the mill spin.

The post Interior Tour of the Bevo Mill appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

If temperatures don’t get high enough to quickly melt off the ice, over the days following the initial precipitation, the ice will slowly be melting from the bottom up due to the heat coming off the roof.  If the air temperature is significantly below freezing when this happens, this newly thawed ice will refreeze in the gutter system. If enough of it accumulates, the entire gutter will fill with ice and begin to form a dam along the edge of the roof. Since this ice dam will block the ice melt’s access to the gutter system, the melting water now has nowhere to go. It is trapped between the ice and the roof.  Over a long enough period of time, this trapped water will find a way to get through roof membrane and into your building.

So what can you do to fix this problem? Unfortunately, most of your options are preventative measures. Once the ice has formed, you are usually stuck with it until it melts on its own. Any attempt to break up the ice could actually end up damaging the roof as the ice is often stuck to the roofing material and any tools used to remove it could tear the roofing. The most important thing is to keep your roof in good condition. If the adhesive or tar on seams and around roof openings are in poor condition, the trapped water will find a quick and easy pathway inside your building. The better condition of the roof, the longer it can withstand the weight of the ice and the ice melt. The other important preventative measure is to make sure your gutters are clean. If leaves or other debris cause improper drainage, the damming will occur more quickly.

While such winter storms don’t happen often in most locations, not keeping up on maintenance can lead to a lot of troubles. Make sure you are prepared for the next storm.

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For less than $50 at places like Target or Bed, Bath & Beyond, you can pick one of these up. Normally running anywhere from three to four feet in width, these racks can easily add storage space where there are no closets or expand the space when closets are small. Best of all, since many historic buildings have small bonus rooms, especially about stairs on the second floor, you can easily hide these “mobile closets” out of sight of your living areas. And since most racks are on wheels, you can easily move them out of the way when not in use.

This solution is especially helpful for apartment renters, as they are not likely to be allowed to add shelving or closets themselves. Budget-conscious landlords should also take notice, as providing a clothing rack or two can be an affordable way to satisfy your tenants storage needs. Either way, its a great solution for easily adding closet space in historic structures, or any building found wanting in the closet category.

The post Clothing racks can solve closet shortage problem appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

While the Zoo would be tearing down a number of old buildings for surface parking at the proposed development, the existing buildings are not very interesting. And there is no doubt if the project moved forward it would bring traffic and attention to the surrounding neighborhood and businesses. The Zoo has 120 days due diligence to review the plan, but by July, we should know whether this proposal should become reality.

For more on this potential expansion, check out the St. Louis Zoo website.

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One of the hardest parts of being a landlord is finding tenants for your units. And really good tenants are even tougher to come by. Even the highest quality units can sit vacant if they aren’t shown properly. The best pictures and the greatest marketing strategy in town can be wasted if you don’t close the deal. Here are a few tips on how you can make the most of your showings:

• Remember that you are selling the apartment. The apartment will not sell itself. When the tenant arrives, you shouldn’t simply open the door and let them walk around. You should walk with them, pointing out the positive features of the apartment.
• When the prospect leaves, make sure they walk away with a rental application and a flyer displaying all the information they need to know about the apartment. Once they walk out the apartment door, they have already begun to forget some of the details of the apartment. The flyer will serve as a refresher and make the apartment stand out from the others they might have visited.
• Follow the “smells good, looks good, feels good” rule. Try to get to apartment before the tenant arrives. If the unit has an odd or stale smell, put an air freshener in the unit. If the apartment is too hot or cold, turn on the AC or furnace. Turn on the lights beforehand. Make sure everything is presentable. Comfortable. Make the prospect feel like they are at home.
• If a prospective tenant showed even a remote interest in the apartment, make sure you follow up with them in the following days. Renters have busy schedules, just like you, and sometimes they simply forget to call. A simple follow up call or email can make the difference to a tenant on the fence.

Keeping to these rules will help you to make the most out of your showings. Just don’t forget to get the apartment cleaned up and presentable before you even begin showings in the first place. Even if you have to pay someone to clean it for you. After all, each day the unit goes unrented is money out of your pocket.

The post Making your apartment showings matter appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

On the residential end, the apartments start at $595 and range from one to three-bedroom. All of them are loft-style and have top-notch finishes. As you can tell from the picture gallery below, the finishes have a distinctive flair not often seen in this part of town. On the commercial end, there is roughly 27,000 square foot of space. Current tenants include Perennial Artisan Ales, Goebel & Co Furniture, Davis Street Market Deli, and SouthSide Fight Club (a mixed-martial arts gym) among others.

Formerly a syrup-plant for Coca-Cola, the $27 million project was developed by Steins Broadway and Rothschild Development. While the commercial aspect of the Temtor will need to mature a bit more with time, the project has really been a great anchor development in an area of the City of overlooked. The buildingt is officially located in the Patch neighborhood, but is very close to Carondelet. Both neighborhoods have been given a  boost by this project. Hopefully it will continue to be a success for the the area and developers alike.

For a closer look at the inside and outside of the project, take a look at the picture gallery below.

The post The Temtor Building transforming the Patch Neighborhood appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

All brewing takes place on site, with beer available at both their tasting room and at many local bars. The folks at Perennial seem to love to get creative. The have a interesting rotating cast of brews to go along with mainstay styles. Here is how Perennial phrases it:

Our philosophy is to brew beer with the adventurous craft beer drinker in mind—focusing on hand-crafted, small batches of beer, using local, seasonal and organic ingredients as much as possible.

A welcome addition to the local microbrewery lineup. Visit Perennial Artisan Ales website for more information on the brewery. For a closer look at the interior of Perennial, check out the picture gallery below.

The post St. Louis Microbreweries: Perennial Artisan Ales appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

Lease Renewal

As a general rule, the best time to get rid of a bad tenant is at the end of a lease term. If you keep up with yearly leases, which you should, you can simply inform your tenant that you will be parting ways at your next expiration. Given proper notice, most tenants will move out without incident. There is a long laundry list of reasons you can use to justify not renewing. Pick on or more that are appropriate for the situation, and formally ask the tenant to vacate at the end of their lease term.

Repairs

Updating a unit can offer a great opportunity to not only improve your property, but to remove bad tenants.  If you plan on doing repairs, and use this point to justify requesting they move out, most tenants won’t feel slighted. It offers a great excuse to part ways for both yearly (at the end of the lease term of course) and month-to-month leases.

Raise Rents

Raising rents can also be a good way to clean house. Higher rents generally mean higher quality tenants. Most trouble-tenants will leave on their own when facing a rent hike. This method works best when you have not raised rents in a long time or inherit tenants upon a new purchase.

Remember that the best method of avoiding this hassle is to never allow bad tenants into the property in the first place. Strict background and credit history checks can go a long way in keeping troublemakers out. Putting a sub-par tenant in a building may help fill a vacancy today, but it can cause headaches tomorrow.

The post Friendly alternatives to evicting bad tenants appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

This method, commonly used by banks in foreclosure situations, can be very fast and relatively cheap. The basic premise is that rather than going the route of eviction, you offer a cash settlement to the tenant if they are out of the unit by a specified time. The actual amount of the settlement depends on the situation. At first glance, many landlords scoff at the idea. Such an attitude is, however understandable, can shortsighted. Consider the following:

• It’s fast – This method can potential get the tenant to move out in a matter days due to the financial incentive. Compare that to the three months a knowledgeable tenant can stretch an eviction out.
• It’s cheap – Offering a tenant $250 to move out is far cheaper than any eviction. Paying a professional to handle the process will run you over $300 alone. If you account for lost rent and tenant damage accrued during the eviction process, the choice is obvious. Even if you have to offer more than $250 to get the tenant to move. Some tenants might actually want to leave, but not even have enough money to put a deposit down on a new apartment. This cash might help such tenants make ends meet. And for the others, it just might be enough to make them move on.
• It’s easy – Going through the process of eviction not only takes time and money, its a pain in the butt. Especially if you are representing yourself in the eviction. It’s also easier on the tenant. Many tenants would be willing to cooperate with you and move out, but they don’t have the money to make a down payment or move to a new place.

When you come down to it, there is no reason not to try this method. It’s cheaper, it’s faster and it’s quite simply a better arrangement for both you and your tenants. It doesn’t always work and it isn’t for ever situation, but its usually worth a try. If it fails, you can always go with the traditional eviction.

For more options, you might want to read Friendly alternatives to evicting bad tenants

The post “Cash for Keys” as an eviction alternative appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

One of the most interesting things about the development is that rather than being along the more widely known South Grand or Morganford corridors, the brewery is actually be located on the southern end of the neighborhood at 3714 Holt Avenue. Since the facility is just north of Chippewa, nearby the now defunct Bleeding Deacon and the new storage facility at the old railroad bridge near Morganford and Chippewa, it doesn’t get a lot of drive-by traffic. Considering the off-the-beaten-trail location, the likelihood of anything resembling a true brew-pub is small. But bring on the beer.

For more info, visit the Civil Life Brewing website. For a closer look at the interior and exterior of the facility, check out the gallery below.

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Most recently operated by Intercommunity Housing, the building was boarded up in early 2010 after that organization vacated the building. Now owned by the Dominican Friars, the building’s occupants include friars studying for the priesthood, priests, and brothers (friars not studying to be priests).  For more info, check out the St. Dominic Priory Building website. A great addition along Lafayette, which along with the townhomes at 3201 Lafayette, are really helping to improve the borders the Gate District. You can also see pics of the finished project as well as construction progress in the gallery below.

The post St. Dominic Priory complete in the Gate District appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

The property was actually listed on the St. Louis MLS for $1 million for the better part of the last two years. While the structure appeared to be in adequate shape, there is no doubt that price was too high considering the top-to-bottom renovation the 8,500 square foot building needed. The property was relisted at a much more marketable $249,900 in September 2011. But a buyer was not found and the owner sought a permit for demolition. Surprisingly, without any review from the Preservation Board the building was demolished this week.

The number of hurdles facing any developer taking on this project would have been massive, but given the proper the chance, the project should have been doable. We will never know now. Instead, we will most likely either see a parking lot or an ugly modern infill-project. Goodbye Avalon, you will be missed. For more on the history or the Avalon, check out the theater’s profile on CinemaTour. Take a look at the picture gallery below for a closer look at the last days of the theater.

The post The end of St. Louis’ Avalon Movie Theater appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

Each townhome is roughly 2,500 square feet and priced around $250,000. These 3 bed, 2.5 bath homes all have contemporary, higher end finishes. The finished product really is top notch and is hopefully the start of a trend in this section of the neighborhood. With this project and the ongoing renovation of the former Loretto Academy happening down the block, this stretch of Lafayette is really coming around. Check out the latest pics below:

The post 3201 Lafayette townhomes in the Gate District appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

Realizing that they have a major problem on their hands, in the late-2000s the City of St. Louis Building Division created a new window replacement program in order to remove old lead-covered windows in multi-family units.  The Multi-Family Window Replacement Program is designed to help eliminate lead hazards in multi-family rental units, which are being marketed to low and middle-income families. Under the program, multi-family buildings with lead-painted, wooden windows can qualify for a $200 per window (possibly higher for historic windows) reimbursement credit for replacing their old windows with new double hung windows. The City of St. Louis will reimburse the owner for up to 10 windows per unit, for a potential total of $2000 per unit.

Vacant units, for which an owner wishes to seek the credit, will be inspected by the City’s Building Division. This inspection, normally costing as much as $400, is offered free of charge. If lead is detected around the windows, the owner will then replace the problem windows. Anyone can install the windows, as long as they take the free 1-day class in Lead Safe Work Practices through the City. Note that the rules for occupied units are more strict. After the windows have been installed the City’s Lead Inspector will return to perform a lead clearance test. If the unit does not pass the test, the owner will be instructed on what other steps need to be taken to complete the lead abatement. When clearance is granted, the owner will submit copies of their receipts and the City of St. Louis will reimburse the owner under the previously described criteria.

If used properly, this program could be of huge benefit for multi-family investment property owners. With potentially $8000 in window credits per four-family, this one is really worth a look. However, before taking the leap, be aware that there are some restrictions to the program. Most notably, that the landlord must not rent the finished apartments for more than HUD’s annual “Fair Market” rents. For 2012 those rates are $638 for a single-bedroom, $792 for a two-bedroom and $1,020 for a three-bedroom in the City of St. Louis. Not exactly low-end. Plus, these rates can be raised annually in compliance with HUD’s annual “Fair Market” rate increases  (HUD Rates). A landlord would be required to keep within these rates for 36 months after completion of the project.

Obviously there are other qualifications for the program, but the most important question at any time is whether or not any funds are available for the program. Since the answer to this question seems to constantly be changing, it is probably best to contact the City of St. Louis to discuss the program. You can find out the latest information on the program, as well as who the current contact is at Lead Safe St. Louis. They should be able to tell you whether or not your project could qualify and when funds might be available for assistance. Note that if this program is of interest to you, it might also be a good idea to check out it’s sibling: the Multi-Family Lead Remediation Program.

The post Multi-family Window Replacement Program appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

If a landlord owns a multi-family rental property in the City of St. Louis with lead paint issues (almost all of them do), and decides to rehab the property, the assistance could be significant. According to the City:

Qualified projects will receive $5,000 per unit for the first two units in the property, and $1,000 for each additional unit (assuming the costs of lead remediation equal or exceed the total amount of subsidy provided by the City). The developer will be reimbursed once all of the conditions of the application have been met, including but not limited to: investment of at least $30,000 in project costs (excluding painting not associated with lead paint and floor coverings), obtaining a building permit, and some major system upgrade.

The biggest qualifier listed above is that the property must be undergoing a substantial rehabilitation exceeding $30,000 in total costs and/or two major building systems must be replaced (electric, plumbing, HVAC, etc.).
Another significant qualification, just as with the Window Program, is that the landlord must not rent the finished apartments for more than HUD’s annual “Fair Market” rents. For 2012 those rates are $638 for a single-bedroom, $792 for a two-bedroom and $1,020 for a three-bedroom in the City of St. Louis. Not exactly low-end. Plus, these rates can be raised annually in compliance with HUD’s annual “Fair Market” rate increases  (HUD Rates). A landlord would be required to keep within these rates for 36 months after completion of the project.

Obviously there are other qualifications for the program, but the most important question at any time is whether or not any funds are available for the program. Since the answer to this question seems to constantly be changing, it is probably best to contact the City of St. Louis to discuss the program. You can find out the latest information on the program, as well as who the current contact is at Lead Safe St. Louis. They should be able to tell you whether or not your project could qualify and when funds might be available for assistance.  Note that if this program is of interest to you, it might also be a good idea to check out it’s sibling: the Multi-Family Window Replacement Program.

The post St. Louis’ Multi-Family Lead Remediation Program appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

Sitting across the street from an Alps Supermarket, Beauvais Manor On the Park, and Tower Grove Park, according to tax records, the property last sold for $173,000 in August 2008. There has no permit or construction activity on the property in the time since then. Considering the site’s former use as a gas station there are likely environmental concerns, but hopefully the owners will eventually find a work to make something of the site.

The post The Scrap Heap: 2350 South Grand appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

On the Missouri side of the river, West Alton is home to scenic wetlands and the historic Confluence Point State Park at the intersection of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. In Alton, Illinois you’ll find attractions such as the beautiful Great River Road running along the Mississippi, the monument to Robert “The Alton Giant” Wadlow, and Fast Eddie’s Bon Air. A viewing of the landmark Clark Bridge and the surrounding areas makes for a great day-trip for anyone wanting to explore the St. Louis area.

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Totaling 7,200 square feet, One Vision Homes Inc. bought the property for $85,000 in July 2011. Demolition started soon thereafter with nothing but bricks and studs left of the original building. The rear garages seem like they will survive construction though. The property’s 12 units are actually spread out over two 6-family buildings and backs up the the historic and infamous Avalon Movie Theater along the alley. No word yet on the makeup of the finished product, but whatever it is will be an improvement for this busy corridor. Should be interesting to see what comes of the finished product.

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via Blog 17

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There are two significant positives effects that allowing pets can offer. The first is that it increases your potential tenant pool. Since many landlords don’t allow dogs and cats in their buildings, those that do allow them get to take advantage of the pet-owning population. By allowing pets you could scare off some prospective tenants who only want to live in a “no pets” building, but in practice that doesn’t seem to happen that often. In reality, most people like animals and are fine with them being around as long as they are not a nuisance.

The other benefit to allowing pets in your building is a little more debatable. And that is that in many cases, pet owners are better tenants than non-pet owners (in general). That is not to say that owning a pet makes you a better tenant, but consider the fact that if someone owns a dog or cat, and is properly taking care of it, they are at least a reasonably responsible person. If they can keep their animal up to date on their shots and train them, they probably are going to be more likely to stay up on their rent than the average apartment-seeker out there. And if the tenant had the pet at their former apartment, that provides one more reference point to check up on their past.

Even if you agree with both of the above points, the question of whether or not to allow pets in a specific apartment is a valid one. While this is largely a personal choice, it seems that many owners who have new carpets or pristine hardwoods in a unit seem to shy away from allowing pets. Considering the potential costs of replacement of these materials, that is a valid concern. Perhaps making a personal list of cost vs. benefits would be a good starting point.

Whether you choose to allow pets or not, one final point to consider is that children can be just as destructive as pets. Maybe even more so. But you can screen any pet coming into your building and refuse to rent to someone on those grounds if you don’t feel comfortable with the animal (as long as you have a consistent pet policy). Dogs and cats aren’t a protected species (unless its a helper animal), but children are. You can’t screen a child and you can’t refuse to rent to someone because they have children. With pets you actually retain control. Some food for thought the next time you have a vacancy.

For more on this subject, read on about specific recommendations on creating a sound pet policy.

The post To “allow” or “not allow” pets in your apartments? appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

Breed

The first thing you need to do is determine the limitations of your units. If you have large apartments with a large back yard you can probably handle a larger dog. If you have a matchbox apartment with no yard at all, maybe not. To be safe, it is often best to avoid larger breeds. Breeds like Great Danes and German Shepherds are just too big for most apartments. Another thing to stay away from is allowing dangerous breeds. That means no Pit Bulls or Rottweilers. You might even want to stay away from well behaved, but somewhat intimidating species like Doberman Pinschers.

While many of these dogs are good-natured and would not harm anyone, some people are intimidated by larger dogs, which might run off too many tenants. Plus, larger dogs have the potential to create more noise and property damage due to their size. One way to encompass most of these qualifications is to simply limit the weight of any dog in your building. That limit could be 30lbs, it could be 50lbs, but the important thing is too have a weight policy. With single-family rentals, the noise issues are less of a concern, however, so be sure to consider the specific rental unit. As for cats, unless someone wants to have a pet leopard in your apartment, there isn’t much of a need to worry about the breed.

The Specific Animal

So you’ve nailed down your breed policy considering your personal tastes and the limitations of your units. Now you need to consider the specific animal in question. A common requirement for both dogs and cats is that they be spayed or neutered. This is actually being forced upon pet owners in some urban areas now, but the need for this is really more a matter of opinion and. I don’t think enforcing this rule is a cure all for problems, but it doesn’t hurt. Animals with this procedure are less aggressive, which could mean less problems.

Another wise requirement is that the prospective tenant provide the vet records for the animal. You screen people so why not pets? If a tenant can prove that their pet is up to date on their shots and has regular vet visits, its a safe bet that they will be one of those good tenants I was talking about. In addition to verifying vet records, when talking to a prospective tenants former landlord, make sure to ask about the pet as well.

Financials

The last thing that you need to consider is how much to charge for a pet. Some owners like to charge a monthly pet rent, others prefer a single nonrefundable charge prior to the tenant bringing in the pet (some charge both). Personally, I use the latter as I find that it more of a statement of good faith than simply paying an extra $10 a month. As for the dollar amount, I have always considered $100 for cats and $300 for dogs to be appropriate, but those numbers can be anything you choose.

Once you have decided on your stance of each of the above, put your newly formulated pet policy to paper. When advertising the apartments in questions make sure you let prospective tenants you the details of your policy. After all, if you are going to allow pets, you need to let your target tenant market know it.

The post Apartment Pet Policy appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

Privately owned until recently, before this park opened you could only see this amazing spot from a boat in the middle of the rivers. Now, the State of Missouri owns the site on the northern confluence point so you can see the swift and muddy waters of the Missouri and the relatively clear and calm Mississippi smash into each other up close and personal. It really is an amazing site and certainly makes you realize just how different these great rivers are.

Access to this area is on the Missouri side of the Alton Bridge (another great view) about 20 minutes north of Downtown St. Louis. Its a great afternoon trip if the weather is nice. It’s pretty clean and well-kept so you don’t have to be as adventurous as Lewis & Clark to pay a trip to the site.  Just make sure to check the flood stage of the rivers as the area is prone to flooding. For more info check out the park website. For a better look at the confluence, check out the picture gallery below.

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The post St. Louis Parks: Confluence Point State Park appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

For the 12th annual Festival of Nations on August 27-28, 2011, the weather was perfect and the people were out in force in the park and the surrounding neighborhoods of Tower Grove South and Shaw. The next event is still almost a year away, but if you have never been, be sure to put it on your calendar for 2012. You can read more about the event on the Festival of Nations website. In the meantime, take a look at the picture gallery below for a closer look at the festivities.

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SSDN is a licensed and accredited early childhood program serving children and families of South St. Louis since 1886. No word yet on when construction is going to break ground, but St. Louis City and Missouri State officials have already signed-off on demolition and other project specifics. The Fox Park Neighborhood Association has also given it’s blessing. Seems a shame to waste those nice looking buildings at 2123-27 S Jefferson, but in a town fond of tearing down historic buildings for cookie-cutter developments, why should we be surprised. Pics of the these properties on death-row can be seen below.

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The post SSDN demolishing buildings at 2101-27 South Jefferson appeared first on St. Louis Real Estate Society.

To determine your eligibility, you’ll need to hire a licensed plumber (yes licensed) to determine the cause of the potential break in the line. The will perform a sewer scope investigation (you should be getting sewer scope inspections on all properties BTW). If they find that there is a break in the line along a “city covered” area, have them write up a ticket indicating this in addition to marking the spot in the yard where the break lies.  If the break ends up being your sole responsibility you are stuck with the whole cost of the fix. Before going ahead with traditional methods of repairs, you might want to give trenchless repair a look first. Costs for such methods can be as much as 50% cheaper.

If  the plumber determines the break is in the right-of-way, the next step is to call the St. Louis Citizens’ Service Bureau. Specifically, the Street Department sewer lateral desk at 314-647-3111 (x1008 ). They will help make arrangements to have the Plumbing Inspector do a site inspection. They will probably request supporting evidence such as the write-up from the plumber and pictures or video from a sewer-scope inspection, so be prepared.

Once the inspector visits the site, assuming your real estate taxes are verified as paid in full, they will then make arrangement for the repair. If the repair is considered to be an emergancy, the work will usually be tackled within a week or two. If the work is determined to not need immediate attention, however, you will be put on the “wait-list,” which could be many months long. But since you’re not footing the bill, its probably best not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

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The final layout features twelve 1 bed, 1 bath units ($675 to $725) and six large 2 bed, 1 bath units ($850). Of these, only one 1-bed and four 2-bed units remain vacant. Interior work on the project included a complete demo, all new electric, plumbing, 95% efficiency HVAC systems, kitchens with granite counters and stainless appliances, bathrooms, hardwood floors, tile, intercom system, insulation, trim and drywall. Pretty much everything. Finishes are very similar, with four different 1-bed and a single 2-bed layouts.

On the exterior, the original six garage spaces have been restored and a new 20-car parking lot has been constructed. The building also features a new roof, significant tuckpointing work, repaired original rear balconies, and refurbished original windows. Some landscaping and final touchup work remains on the exterior, but it is now mostly complete.

The property had been gutted for conversion to condos a few years ago, but with the shift in climate for the housing market, the project was put on hiatus. With their acquisition of the property, T & E Development scaled back some of the more elaborate upgrades in the original condo plans, but the apartments were still completely redone from top to bottom.

Last last major building in the southeastern corner of Shaw that had been left to be rehabbed, there is no doubt that this project will have a significant impact for this section of the neighborhood. Hopefully it’s revival will have a lot of spillover affect. Threshold Properties (314-865-0405 or info@stlresociety.com) is handling leasing of the units with only 2-beds for $850 currently available to view.

For a view of the finished product and construction progress, check out the picture gallery below.

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Such was the case when I went into a run-down short-sale building in South St. Louis this afternoon. This property was occupied, the owner had a dog, and the place was filthy. I did a quick walkthrough and got out as fast as I could. Only, when I stepped outside, I noticed the wonderful gift of fleas all over my ankles. Disgusting? Of course, but I wish I could say this is the first time I have had this happen. Still, this summer has been especially bad for this problem, with a good number of foreclosures seeming to have a flea problem. Between REO companies not fighting these infestations once known, and former property owners that are clearly beyond lazy, the problem is likely to be stopping anytime soon.

So what can you do? The best method is to make sure you have a can of OFF or similar bug spray with you when entering such buildings. I don’t often spray myself beforehand, but if I find fleas on my legs while in a building I will immediately go to the car and spray. Most of this stuff does not kill the fleas, but they will certainly jump off (pun intended) you. Other than that, it’s something that is pretty much just a hazard of the business. Just be prepared so that you can nip the problem in the bud should you encounter it.

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The project was developed by Tiger Lily Development in conjunction Clover Leaf General Contracting. They, most notable, handled the renovation of the 3500 Illinois property in Marine Villa in 2010. The building was rebuilt to the standards necessary to receive Energy Star and Builder’s Challenge designations, which includes using closed cell insulation throughout the houses, high efficiency HVAC, and Energy Star windows, appliances, lights, and fans. The project also used Missouri Historic Tax Credits, and retained many of the historic features such as the original trim and mantles, where possible. The original two-car garage was also be rebuilt. As you can see from the picture gallery below, the transformation was quite impressive.

Completed in Summer 2011, the property is actually still on the market at a $229,000 list price. You can check out the full listing here or contact the listing agent Gillian Noero of  Dielmann Sotheby’s International Realty.

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In the past few of years, the only significant mention of the Falstaff name locally was the fire that happened at the site in February of 2008 (ended up being nothing major) and the proposed redevelopment (see St. Louis Business Journal article) of the other, less attractive, former Falstaff Brewery in town at 3674 Forest Park Blvd. This brewery has less character than the one in Benton Park, but the proximity to the SLU campus made it an attractive development option. Unfortunately, it seems that the project never really got off the ground.

As for the brewery at 1920 Shenandoah, it is gradually showing signs of its age. Other than the fire, structural problems have continued to mount due to decaying mortar and water damage. As you can see from the picture gallery, there are a number of openings and crumbling bricks around the perimeter. Nothing unfix-able, but if left untended for too much longer it could become a problem. The property has been listed for sale (see brochure) for a few years now, but the $1.3 million price tag and uncertain housing market makes investing in this 129,214 sq ft behemoth a bit questionable to the big guys in town and around the country.

The good thing is that there is still plenty of time for someone to come in an fix up the building. Although it is deteriorating as is expected of any untended building, it is long from a lost cause. Since the building is located just north of the most redeveloped section of the Benton Park neighborhood (near Blues City Deli) and only a few blocks from McGurk’s and all the traditional Soulard attractions, one would think that someone will soon recognize the potential of this gem as the market slowly warms back up in the coming years. For a look around the exterior of the complex check out the picture gallery below. Note that this gallery also includes pictures of the adjoining building at 2300 Salena, which is currently for lease.

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