Last Friday, developer Paul McKee Jr. and his wife, Midge McKee, met with a dozen North City residents who live near the Northside Regeneration office at 11th and Howard streets.
Although the neighbors came with many concerns, both McKees felt like they left reassured of the $8 billion redevelopment plan for 1,500 acres of North City, which could be set in motion if the Board of Aldermen approves the project’s amended $391 million TIF proposal this month.
After receiving approval from the TIF Commission to “start the clock” on the last two development areas (C and D) on Sept. 11, the McKees have been meeting with various groups who voiced concerns at the TIF hearings. On Tuesday alone, they had three meetings scheduled, including a congregation, a group of residents and a ward meeting.
Even so, the McKees still struggle to earn the residents’ trust.
Elizabeth Brooks, who has lived on the 2700 block of Howard for 10 years, was one of the residents that met with the McKees on Friday for two hours. As they explained the Northside plan, she noticed that her home was not illustrated in the renderings. This sparked fears that her home would be eliminated in the redevelopment, perhaps through eminent domain.
In fact, McKee’s counsel Paul Puricelli addressed this matter bluntly in a brief to the Missouri Supreme Court, where he quotes from the redevelopment agreement: “The use of eminent domain will not be allowed pursuant to this Redevelopment Plan.” The plan also states, as Puricelli reminded the court with direct quotation, that Northside “has not identified any owner-occupied residences for acquisition through the use of eminent domain.”
Still, Brooks and many others are scared.
“After the meeting, me and the rest of the residents talked,” Brooks said. “We felt like he just said things we wanted to hear.”
Their concerns go beyond eminent domain. Brooks said some of McKee’s properties are threatening to damage or have already damaged other buildings.
“We want to see him take care of these homes that are about to fall over on other people’s houses,” she said.
Despite their long list of qualms, Brooks said the neighbors were happy to hear about the plans for job growth in the area. For construction jobs, the goal is to have one out of four workers be residents in the development area.
“I liked him saying that,” she said.
She also approved of his plans for historic rehabbing, which includes transforming one building into a center for entrepreneurs.
McKee said a 2009 lawsuit, only recently resolved by the Missouri Supreme Court, delayed development plans for more than three years, and he is more than ready to move forward.
In 2009, the TIF Commission approved Northside’s $391 million TIF for the first two development areas, A and B. Soon after, several residents sued the City of St. Louis and McKee, challenging Northside’s TIF agreement and redevelopment plan. The project was tied up in court until April 2013, when the Missouri Supreme Court ruled in McKee’s favor.
The next step for the project is getting approval from the Board of Aldermen for an amendment to the TIF bill. On Friday, a bill authorizing the TIF will be submitted to the board for recognition, mostly likely sponsored by Ward 5 Alderman Tammika Hubbard.
McKee said he is confident that the board will approve the bill.
“The worse we’ve ever done was a 28-2 vote,” he said. “People understand.”