PRESERVATION NEWS YAHOO GROUP

by Scott A. Des Planques

Historic Preservation Planner

St. Joseph, Missouri

 

The Preservation News Yahoo Group was set up by Robert Myers, the Historic Preservation Planner from 2002-2004, as a way to get information out to

St. Joseph’s citizens who have an interest in historic preservation. It costs nothing to become a member, just e-mail the city of

St. Joseph’s Historic Preservation Planner, Scott Des Planques at sdesplanques@ci.st-joseph.mo.us requesting to become a member. You will receive a few notices each month either seeking your input on city projects dealing with historic preservation or information on various preservation topics. You may elect to be removed from the e-mailing list at any time. This is not a BLOG; your comments will come directly to the historic preservation planner and not forwarded on to all of the group members so you will not be flooded with e-mails.

 

Notice of the city of

St. Joseph’s Dangerous Building Hearings is posted to solicit public input on any of the properties being heard. If you are interested in saving a property, this is the time to let your voice be heard. Once a property has been ordered demolished there is no turning back and it will be gone forever. Please speak up! Your opinions are very important and if I receive e-mails or hard copies requesting a property be repaired as opposed to demolished, or visa-versa, I can forward this information to the city’s chief building officer at the hearing for him to consider before deciding the fate of the property. Input from the public has saved numerous properties, so please let your voice be heard.

 

Demolition and Property Rehabilitation Notices are posted when federal funds (such as Community Development Block Grant funds), etc. are used so the public can comment on the proposed project. The public can speak for or against the project, or if they have information regarding the historical or architectural significance of the property they are invited to respond by either hard copy or e-mailing their comments to the historic preservation planner by the date listed in the posting. The Demolition and Property Rehabilitation Notices are sent in part to meet the city’s Section 106 obligations of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended in [36 CFR PART 800.2 (d) (1&2)] &.[36 CFR PART 800.2 (f) (3)]. (Full story)

Posted by: admin on Friday, October 31st, 2008
Filed under: Investing in St. Joe, General | no comments

Serving Up A Better St. Joe!

By Jay Kerner

 

Every once in a while I catch myself falling into traps of negativity. One of our stated goals is to be “Pro-Joe” but it’s so easy to find negative things to write about. You don’t have to look that far. In fact you don’t have to look at all. The TV, the radio, the internet and daily papers all dish up a steady diet of doom and gloom. “If it bleeds it leads” isn’t just a joke for most media folks. Feel good stories are sometimes a little harder to come by. That’s why I was so pleased when this one came across my desk.

 

St. Joe is blessed with a caring, compassionate population. Individual charity funds are generously supported and our

United Way

campaign is a regular part of the fabric that makes up our community. (Full story)

Posted by: admin on Friday, October 17th, 2008
Filed under: Jay Kerner, Investing in St. Joe, General | no comments

Restore Historic Properties, but Beware the Pit-Falls of Under Investing

by Scott A. Des Planques
Historic

Preservation Planner
St.

Joseph,

Missouri

 

As

St. Joseph’s Historic Preservation Planner, I have had a number of experiences with good people who truly have the noblest of intentions when purchasing historic, yet run-down/blighted properties to restore. They see in their minds-eye how grand the home or business will look when it is done. This ultimate goal may be unobtainable if the owner does not have the financial resources to carry the project through to fruition. One of the biggest problems is that you can get some of these old houses very cheap. Hey, who doesn’t like cheap? We have some folks who are lured by the low asking price of these fixer-uppers without taking into account the true cost of restoring them. When someone calls and asks about buying an old home that needs a major overhaul I try to be up front and not give any false illusions. There are a number of stumbling blocks to restoring an old home: (Full story)

Posted by: admin on Sunday, October 5th, 2008
Filed under: Investing in St. Joe, General | no comments

New breast center at Heartland Regional Medical Center offers streamlined services and the latest in technology, plus a shoulder to lean on.

In October 2008, a state–of–the–art breast center will open at Heartland Regional Medical Center (HRMC). This new center will offer many benefits to patients; Radiologist Chris Looney, MD, states that three of these elements will make a huge difference: time, support and technology.

The primary purpose of the breast center is to decrease the time from receiving an abnormal mammogram result to initiating treatment from sometimes two to three months to just a matter of days. (Full story)

Posted by: admin on Saturday, June 14th, 2008
Filed under: Investing in St. Joe, General | no comments

Local Family Starts Home Based Travel Business

by Debra Bowling, Independent Writer

Where to start? First, let me introduce myself and my family. My name is Debbie; my husband Ray and I have two girls one in high school, and  the other is married and expecting her second child. I would like to tell you about the company that has changed our lives and how we found this great opportunity. (Full story)

Posted by: admin on Thursday, May 15th, 2008
Filed under: Investing in St. Joe, General | no comments

The Paper Lofts

by Erin Eddins, Source Publications

What would you do with a ½ million square feet? Steve and Scott Foutch, of Foutch Brothers LLC, knew what they would do with that amount of space as soon as realtor, Larry Buck showed it to them. In 2006 they purchased the massive space and soon begin changing the structure known as the Mead Building. 

The Mead Building has been an integral part of St. Joseph history, not just as an architectural anchor but also due to the number of Joes employed there at one time. Most locals light up when Mead is mentioned and then tell stories of their days making Big Chief Tablets or their friend or neighbor working in the office. (Full story)

Posted by: admin on Thursday, May 15th, 2008
Filed under: Investing in St. Joe, General | no comments

A United Effort Downtown

Kansas City developers John Johntz and Andy Battmer are putting the finishing touches on their plans to convert the historic United Department Store into loft space. The building, located at the intersection of 6th and Felix Streets, will have classic

New York style offices and residential lofts with large, wide open spaces and huge windows for plenty of light. 

 “We find that people really love the large, open floor plans. It allows them to move around and the flexibility to be creative with their space.” says Andy Battmer. ”These types of tenants are also drawn to historic buildings like the

United

Building with its unique features. The building is a neoclassical design with beautiful fluted columns on the facade with acanthus leaves and flower rosettes as decorations.” (Full story)

Posted by: admin on Thursday, April 17th, 2008
Filed under: Investing in St. Joe, General | no comments

WHY DOWNTOWN?

by Oscar Hansen, Independent Writer  
 Let me start way back in 1973. Just graduating from 
Northwest Missouri
 State with a Degree in Industrial Health and Safety and Physical
 Education I started my working career with Big Smith, Inc., located at the
 corner of 4th and 

Francis Street


 as an Industrial Engineer.
 


I remember that Downtown was always on the go: lots of shopping,
 workplaces, nice restaurants, hotels, etc. The St. Joseph Jaycees were an
 integral part of keeping the action going Downtown. I served on the Board
 of Directors of the Jaycees the year that the Apple Blossom Parade was
 re-started, we also sponsored the Miss St. Joseph Pageant…wow what two
 great projects!!! (Full story)

	

													
	

        

                Posted by: admin on Saturday, March 8th, 2008

		Filed under: Investing in St. Joe,  General | no comments

Why East Hills Mall is Worth Saving

by James Jerold, Independent Writer

I understand there is a vote coming on January 3rd in the City Council concerning the East Hills Mall’s application for a Tax Increment Financing plan. It’s easy to look at the politics of the thing alone, and plenty of individuals, knowledgeable of the details, can speak to this better than I. How our city handles and promotes economic growth is of utmost importance and should be dealt with intelligently and fairly. I am confident that the matter is being examined thoroughly by people competent to do so, and the council’s decision will reflect that. (Full story)

Posted by: admin on Friday, December 28th, 2007
Filed under: Investing in St. Joe | no comments

Come Join the $100 Car Club

by Jay Kerner

Well, it’s time to find another $100 car again. I started to say this was a relatively new phenomenon, but it’s really not. I started out with $100 cars. The first one was a 1964 Buick Special I bought at 16 with money I made working at Miller’s Grill. (Still the best tenderloin I ever had). It was a honey with custom plastic slip covers that left brand new upholstery when I cut them off. (Full story)

Posted by: admin on Thursday, December 13th, 2007
Filed under: Jay Kerner, Investing in St. Joe | no comments

Next Page »