Preservationists Lose Court Appeal Over San Luis Apartments

• They did NOT find a viable economic use and 'hammer that hard'...and they did not call Kielman. So, they lost. And its' going to get worse. A lot worse.

• The point the Friends of the San Luis were trying to establish was whether citizens have the right to appeal a decision of the Preservation Board. The enabling ordinance dealing with preservation issues outlines an appeals process, but when the Friends attempted to use it, they were shot down for not having standing. However, the ordinance says nothing about "economic interest" or standing. So now it appears that 1. the Preservation Board can act with complete impunity to uphold or ignore its responsibilities outlined by the ordinance because there is no appeals process to check their power. 2. Citizens have no recourse when the board acts arbitrarily. This is a loss for the rights of citizens in St. Louis who care about the physical integrity of their neighborhoods.

• @onlooker: Thanks for pointing out my oversight. I've amended the post to reflect the larger issue of whether a group with no economic interest in a property can sue to stop its demolition.

• As usual, you miss the point. This case is not about just one building, it is about reforming the process through which far-reaching decisions are made. That should be something everyone who cares about the city should want to support.

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