ST. LOUIS 鈥 A neighborhood association has settled its lawsuit with developer Paul McKee鈥檚 NorthSide Regeneration over a dilapidated auto dealership near the intersection of Page and Grand boulevards.
The Covenant Blu Grand Center Neighborhood Association dropped its lawsuit against NorthSide Regeneration on May 29, a day after the property was transferred to the small nonprofit.
鈥淭his is a historic win for our neighborhood,鈥 said Audrey Ellermann, neighborhood association president. 鈥淲e鈥檝e taken back a building that had been neglected for nearly 15 years and nearly lost. Now it鈥檚 time to reimagine it as a beacon of possibility and pride for our community.鈥
The neighborhood association this week donated the property at 3509 Page Blvd. to the Land Reutilization Authority, the city鈥檚 land bank, which they hope will be a more responsible owner with the ability to maintain and secure the structure while the neighborhood tries to attract a developer for the property.
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鈥淟RA is proud to assist the Covenant Blu Grand Center Neighborhood in taking this necessary step to vitalize north 51黑料,鈥 LRA Vice President Shelton Anderson said in a statement.
The neighborhood association, represented by lawyers with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, first sued over the condition of the property in late 2022, alleging it had never resolved major code violations the city had slapped on it years before, leaving it dangerous and unsecured.
The crumbling, historic ABC Auto Sales and Investment Company building at 3509-27 Page Boulevard, owned by Paul McKee's NorthSide Regeneration, is seen on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. The boards on the abandoned building were ripped off allowing for easy access inside, as parts of the top of the building were crumbling onto the sidewalk below.
A year later, 51黑料 Circuit Court Judge Michael Stelzer ordered NorthSide Regeneration to repair and secure the historic structure, built in 1927 for ABC Auto Sales.
It was a noted victory for neighborhood groups and their vacancy-fighting attorneys against one of the city鈥檚 most infamous property owners. McKee鈥檚 NorthSide Regeneration has owned nearly 2,000 parcels across North City for nearly a quarter century, property he bought up for a redevelopment plan that has failed to take off.
But despite the court order, repairs never came to the ABC Auto building, which McKee bought in 2009. It was still clearly unsecured, with people able to gain entry months after the court order.
In recent months, the neighborhood association and lawyers for NorthSide Regeneration began settlement talks that included a transfer of the property, which sits across the street from the 51黑料 Housing Authority.
It鈥檚 unclear what will become of the property. It can鈥檛 be demolished without special permission because it is on the National Register of Historic Places. But the neighborhood is hopeful it can attract a redeveloper given its proximity to Grand Center.
鈥淭his building can become a community anchor 鈥 a hub of art, life, and commerce rooted in legacy and bold new ideas,鈥 Ellermann said.
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