Teamwork

What does it take to turn a dangerous eyesore into a good neighbor? Almost always: teamwork.

In Benton Park West, for example, Alderman Ken Ortmann, the City’s Problem Properties Team, the Benton Park Housing Corporation, and St. Louis Design Alliance, have worked together to convert a former six-unit building seized several years ago by police through an anti-crime program into three-story townhomes which feature spacious living areas, restored rear balconies, and fine wood finishes.

Meanwhile, Michael Curran’s Steins Row homes in the historic Carondelet area are about to get some company. The Planning Commission has approved the rezoning of the southwest corner of Steins and Water Street from industrial to local business, so that developer Ben Simms can construct a 14-unit residential condominium on the site.