NorthSide Development

Awarding Paul McKee Tax Credits Doesn't Violate MO Constitution, Judge Rules

By Nicholas Phillips Thu., Apr. 1 2010 at 10:50 AM
Categories: NorthSide Development, NorthSide Development
abandonedbldg.jpg
Photo by Jennifer Silverberg
Developer Paul McKee's tax credits are safe - for now.
​The final judgment against anti-Paul-McKee crusaders Barb Manzara and Keith Marquard, at least at the level of Missouri's 19th circuit, is pretty brutal.

Last October, the pair filed a suit in Cole County challenging the constitutionality of the Distressed Areas Land Assemblage Tax Credit Act, which began as a bill drafted by one of McKee's own attorneys, then became state law, and then was used by the developer to get $19.6 million in tax credits late last year.

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Barb Manzara, Keith Marquard, northside redevelopment, Paul McKee
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NorthSide Development

Anti-McKee Lawyers: City Ignored Facts That "Even Ray Charles Could've Seen"

By Nicholas Phillips Mon., Mar. 29 2010 at 12:22 PM
Categories: NorthSide Development
Thumbnail image for 3attorneys.jpg
Photo by Jennifer Silverberg
​Late last week, the legal team trying to shoot down developer Paul McKee's huge plan for the north side filed their post-trial brief. At 47 pages, it's the most detailed argument to date from attorneys Eric Vickers, Bevis Schock and Jim Schottel, and reiterates their major points:

  • Under Missouri law, the city must declare a predominance of blight in an area in order to grant a developer a  TIF, or public subsidy, to revamp it. But in this case, the opposition claims, the Board of Alderman blighted a huge area, then subdivided it and granted a TIF for only certain parts. And those certain parts, standing by themselves, don't show a predominance of blight.

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bevis schock, eric vickers, jim schottel, paul j. mckee
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NorthSide Development

Kinloch Fire Protection District in Dispute With St. Louis County and NorthPark Over TIF Funding

By Keegan Hamilton Tue., Mar. 23 2010 at 7:01 AM
Categories: NorthSide Development
Darran Kelly.jpg
photo by Keegan Hamilton
Darran Kelly, chief of the Kinloch Fire Protection District
​The Kinloch fire station is one of the nicest buildings in town, but that doesn't mean it's in good shape. The heater is broken, some of the windows are boarded-up, and until recently, a blue tarp, dubbed "the shower curtain," served as the portal through which the fire trucks would enter and leave when responding to emergencies.

The crumbling edifice is the home of the Kinloch Fire Protection District, the only all-volunteer fire department in St. Louis County. The building received several sorely-needed repairs in January when Chief Darran Kelly placed a help-wanted ad on Craigslist.

"A few guys came out and put in carpet, tiled the floors and the showers, installed a new electric panel and donated some office furniture," recalls Kelly, a 29-year veteran of the force.

Last year the District had to sell a reserve fire truck for scrap metal to pay the electric bill. "It's not because we didn't ask for what was due to us," adds the chief, who oversees nearly two dozen firefighters. "St. Louis County put us in this position." More »

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Berkeley, Charlie Dooley, Darran Kelly, Ferguson, Kinloch, Kinloch Fire Protection District, Mike Jones, North County, NorthPark, Paul McKee
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NorthSide Development

Opponents of Paul McKee's Northside Development: Do They Want It Both Ways?

By Nicholas Phillips Fri., Feb. 26 2010 at 11:46 AM
Categories: NorthSide Development
vacantsilverberg.jpg
Photo by Jennifer Silverberg
A vacant crumbles on the north side
​Logically, it seems, Paul McKee can only be guilty of one of the following:
  • A scheme to gobble up a bunch of homes on the north side (using eminent domain), and to then bulldoze 'em into the ground to make room for his development dream; OR,
  • Feigning a commitment to revitalize the north side, when in fact what he really wants is to concentrate on the downtown areas of his plan.
Curiously, Anti-McKee crusaders seem to be claiming that he's guilty of both.


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kacie starr triplett, lewis reed, northside redevelopment, paul j. mckee
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NorthSide Development

Update: Committee Passes Triplett's Bill to Tackle the City's Vacant Building Problem

By Nicholas Phillips Wed., Feb. 24 2010 at 11:10 AM
Categories: NorthSide Development
noloitering.jpg
If Triplett gets her way, you'll know exactly who owns buildings like these.
​Last June, a bill designed by Alderwoman Kacie Starr Triplett to crank up the heat on deadbeat owners of vacant buildings never got out of committee. Yesterday, it finally did.

According to Tim Logan of the Post-Dispatch, the bill passed by a 6 - 3 vote at a Housing, Urban Development and Zoning comittee hearing Tuesday morning. Now it's off to the full Board of Aldermen, which could make a decision next week. (Click here for Logan's story)

As we blogged yesterday: under Triplett's bill, any structure in St. Louis that's been abandoned for six months and violates building code will go into an online registry. Its owner will get $200 tacked onto their real estate taxes. If they don't pay, they'll get hit with a $250 fine and the city could foreclose on the property.



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april ford-griffin, kacie starr triplett, ken ortmann, paul mckee, tim logan
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NorthSide Development

Does McKee Have Private Financial Backing to Execute His Plan? Local Attorneys Say NO

By Nicholas Phillips Fri., Feb. 19 2010 at 1:30 PM
Categories: NorthSide Development
Thumbnail image for pjmckee.jpg
Photo by Jennifer Silverberg
Paul J. McKee, Jr. -- Can he pull off his $8.1 billion plan?
 One of the major arguments driven home by the four attorneys and four plaintiffs trying to bring down Paul McKee's plan for the north side (check out this week's feature) is, basically, SHOW ME THE MONEY!

The developer can't pull off his grand vision, they claim, because he doesn't have enough private financial backing.

Here's a brief walk-through of their argument.

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Bank of Washington, D.B. Amon, patti hageman, Paul McKee, Paul Puricelli
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NorthSide Development

Totally Bizarre Encounter between KMOV and Lawyer Trying to Thwart Paul McKee's Plan

By Nicholas Phillips Wed., Feb. 17 2010 at 10:45 AM
Categories: NorthSide Development
This week's feature, "North Side Rancor," tells the tale of four attorneys and four plaintiffs who are trying to undermine the city's cooperation with developer Paul McKee in order to block his  $8.1 billion plan for the north side.

Things got interesting as soon as lawyer D.B. Amon filed this lawsuit back in October. Check out this wacky interview with him and KMOV News 4 reporter Chris Nagus:



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Chris Nagus, D.B. Amon, Paul McKee
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NorthSide Development

Wash U. Economist Rips McKee's Plan for North St. Louis in First Day of Trial

By Nicholas Phillips Wed., Feb. 17 2010 at 8:23 AM
Categories: NorthSide Development
boldrin.jpg
Michele Boldrin, chair of Wash U's Economics Department, called McKee's forecasts "completely arbitrary"
​It was a heated and colorful first day in the trial that will determine whether the city properly greenlighted developer Paul McKee's 1,100-acre, $8.1 billion plan to revitalize north St. Louis. (For a full preview of the trial, check out our feature, "North-Side Rancor").

Sporting owlish spectacles and a red bow tie, Judge Robert H. Dierker presided over more than four hours of testimony Tuesday afternoon, which included a lecture from a Washington University economist, a couple of testy exchanges, and metaphors involving elephants and dogs (plus one about the Pope and two chickens -- you had to be there).



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bevis schock, d.b. amon, eric vickers, jim schottel, michele boldrin, paul j. mckee, paul puricelli
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NorthSide Development

Federal Judge Strikes Down Enforcement of St. Louis Anti-Leafleting Law

By Chad Garrison Fri., Feb. 5 2010 at 7:40 AM
Categories: Community, Criminally Stupid, NorthSide Development
windshield_flyers.jpg
Ruling makes it easier to accessorize someone else's ride.
​U.S. District Judge Rodney Sippel issued a consent judgment yesterday calling the enforcement of an anti-leafleting law in St. Louis an infringement on the First Amendment right of free speech.

The judgment follows a complaint filed by the ACLU of Eastern Missouri on behalf of a group opposed to developer Paul McKee's controversial NorthSide development plan.

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ACLU Eastern Missouri, Committee for More Responsible St. Louis City Government, NorthSide, Paul McKee, Rodney Sippel, St. Louis police
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NorthSide Development

Latest Missouri City to Want Sports Stadium: O'Fallon

By Chad Garrison Mon., Sep. 28 2009 at 10:46 AM
Categories: Bidness, Follow That Story, NorthSide Development
familyarena.jpg
Family Arena: So lonely, it could use some company.
​If Paul McKee's controversial redevelopment proposal for north St. Louis never comes to fruition, hopefully he can take solace in knowing that there's always room for growth in O'Fallon.

The town in St. Charles County, which boasts of being Missouri's "fastest growing city", is already home to McKee's Winghaven planned community. Now it seems the city also wants to be home to the St. Louis Bandits junior hockey team, and O'Fallon leaders are sparing no expense to ensure their community can steal the club from the Hardee's IcePlex in Chesterfield.

Recently the O'Fallon City Council approved a $40,000 contract for a "feasibility study" to look at whether or not the city should construct a $35-million, multipurpose arena. The arena would be built on 12-acres of land owned by McKee's McEagle Properties.

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arena, Family Arena, hockey, McEagle Properties, Missouri, NorthSide Project, O'Fallon, Paul McKee, St. Louis Bandits
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