GRIFFIN March 2024

March 2024 • CWEA GRIFFIN • 3 Greetings! I hope everyone had a wonder- ful holiday season and got a chance to engage in the many fes- tivities in the Central West End and around the ward. Whether it was the Window Walk, the carolers or the perfor- mance by the St. Louis Muny kids, I hope you had a chance to enjoy the season. In December, I had the chance to see many of you at different holiday parties around the ward. The Board of Aldermen went on break for the holidays, and we returned in Janu- ary. In that month, I had the honor and privilege of hosting the New City School fourth graders at City Hall to talk about the Board, the building, and some history. They were a bright and inquisitive group, and we are very lucky to have such a great school in our neighborhood. Also in January, Washington University officially opened the new Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building. This state-of- the-art facility will house doctors and their teams from many differ- ent disciplines, creating a collabor- ative environment where they hope to solve some of the most difficult neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s. I can’t wait to see what they accomplish there. In February, I visited the Parkview Apartments on Forest Park Avenue to see the work being done by Fam- ily Care Health Center and The T to educate, empower and care for resi- dents in a building where tragedy has struck too many times. I had the chance to speak with residents and hear their stories, and see the good work being done there. I will con- tinue to make sure all of our resi- dents get the resources they need to live peacefully. Later that same day, I held a joint town hall meeting with 10th Ward Alderwoman Shameem Clark- Hubbard at the Union Avenue Christian Church, with special guest Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. In addition to hearing from Mr. Gore about the progress being made in our Circuit Attorney’s office, we heard from our Neigh- borhood Improvement Specialists about how the city handles prob- lem properties. We are so grateful for our NIS teams, and I want to give a special thank you to Ron Coleman, who serves as the NIS for the Central West End, Forest Park Southeast, and King’s Oak, which is almost the entire 9th Ward. Ron works tirelessly to help residents with everyday issues, and we are grateful to have him. You might have noticed some- thing different in recent weeks if you have traveled down King- shighway. Yes, there is the ongo- ing work being done on the new hospital tower that has necessitat- ed some lane closures. That work will be done over the next few weekends and is scheduled to be completed by the end of March. But there was another big change on South Kingshighway. Toward the end of February, the seven abandoned buildings located at 1070-1094 South Kingshighway were torn down to make room for a proposed multifamily apartment building. The buildings had been vacant for decades and were an un- fortunate landmark in St. Louis that symbolized all of the wrong things for our city. In recent months, they suffered multiple partial collapses. Many were missing roofs, and they were proving increasingly difficult to secure. When the buildings changed ownership last November, the new owners moved quickly to apply for emergency demolition as a matter of safety. Engagement for the new development is ongoing with the neighborhood, but the graffitied eye- sores are gone, and it is a new day for Forest Park Southeast and St. Louis. While it is sad to lose old brick structures, many in the neighbor- hood are excited to build more hous- ing and welcome new neighbors. Upcoming events to look out for: Make sure to patronize a local business during 3.14 Day! And on April 20, Back in Bloom will be happening in the Central West End with live music, street performers and street artists. I will be having office hours in the Central West End on March 4 from 11 am to noon at Northwest Coffee, and in Forest Park Southeast on March 14 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Chouteau Park. Feel free to stop by and ask any questions you may have, or just to say hello. As always, you can reach me at BrowningM@StLouis-MO.gov , or at 314-884-0707. It is an honor to serve you all. 9th Ward Report By Michael Browning, 9th Ward Alderman