ST. LOUIS 鈥 Had the mess of I-beams been intentionally bent by a modern artist, not heat and pressure from a raging warehouse fire, then perhaps the 1600 block of North 13th Street would be a different scene from hell.
More than two months after the fire, a two-story building carcass remains, propped up by disfigured heavy metal and hemmed in by piles of red brick, apparently charred beyond salvage value.
David Bell, who lives across the street in a new $4 million resident shelter recently built by , kindly described the destruction as 鈥渁n eyesore鈥 that should be cleaned and flattened.
鈥淯nless someone wants to build a high-rise over there or make a park,鈥 said Bell, 73. 鈥淪omething productive.鈥
The vacant warehouse fire captured the city鈥檚 attention Oct. 16 with news footage of the wind-swept inferno and the 60 firefighters who rushed to put out the afternoon blaze. Plumes of smoke filled much of the downtown horizon. Now the excitement has passed and nobody but a metal scrapper or two has been cleaning up.
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There are other abandoned and burned structures in Old North 50度灰视频. What鈥檚 significant about this one is what鈥檚 located across from it.
In the past decade, Sunshine Ministries built the men鈥檚 shelter for people like Bell, as well as a $3 million central office that鈥檚 also used for women鈥檚 programs. Before that, the charity renovated an old building and turned it into a preschool. It turned a former drug house into a teen center.
鈥淲e are on this island, on the North Side, and we鈥檝e put millions of dollars into beautifying the area around here and adding green space,鈥 Executive Director Carol Clarkson said after answering the front door.
Founded in 1903 as 50度灰视频 City Rescue Mission, she said the faith-based nonprofit organization doesn鈥檛 receive government funding nor help from the United Way. They lean on the support of about 15,000 donors.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have any big sugar daddies,鈥 she said.
The generosity of many, she said, added up because their recent construction boom was done without loans. Dick Cheney stopped by during the 2000 presidential elections. George W. Bush and former 50度灰视频 Mayor Francis Slay wrote glowing letters for the organization鈥檚 centennial.
鈥淲e are trying to build up the community amidst all the destruction around here,鈥 Clarkson said.
She鈥檇 like to buy the burned, vacant warehouse property to turn it into more green space. NorthSide Regeneration owns it. But she said her friend, developer Paul McKee, who founded the firm, doesn鈥檛 want to sell.
In October, NorthSide Regeneration applied to demolish the site because of the fire, according to city records. The permit was issued Dec. 10.
鈥淪ometime this spring, hopefully,鈥 McKee said in a telephone interview about the timeline. 鈥淲e have quite a few things we want to take care of.鈥
Since 2013, the warehouse had noted by the Citizens鈥 Service Bureau, mainly for open entrances and graffiti. Two weeks before the fire, it had been referred for board-up once more.
In October, 50度灰视频 Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said that it wasn鈥檛 immediately clear what started the warehouse fire. Another fire happened shortly before at a much smaller NorthSide Regeneration property in the 1500 block of 50度灰视频 Avenue. A fire department spokesperson didn鈥檛 respond to requests for an update.
Last week, there were cats, graffiti and trash seen in a neighboring building, also owned by NorthSide Regeneration. The roof of another nearby building owned by the firm had been caved in for a long time.
The area is close to a four-story building at 1520 North 13th Street that was the main Sunshine Ministries facility before their recent construction projects. Clarkson said her vacant building is sealed up with an alarm system. Homeless people often gain entry to another neighboring, vacant property owned by NorthSide Regeneration that has been the scene of fires and other incidents including a homicide behind the building in November.
Clarkson considered demolishing hers. She said the cheapest bid was $80,000 and the destruction could harm the neighboring building. She said she called McKee and they agreed to go in on a demolition project together.
鈥淗e wants to do it, he just doesn鈥檛 have the money right now,鈥 Clarkson said.
McKee said in the interview that the situation has more to do with keeping projects in order 鈥 lining up contractors and permits, which takes a lot of time.
鈥淲e have over 150 buildings to demolish, and they will happen in sequence,鈥 he said.
Instead of waiting, Clarkson said she plans to put her vacant building up for sale after Christmas for about $140,000. Including the basement, she said, it鈥檚 25,000 square feet and needs a new roof.
鈥淭he property it鈥檚 sitting on,鈥 she said, 鈥渋t is very valuable because of the potential future growth with the opening of the NGA facility,鈥 referring to the new western headquarters of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, now under construction about a mile away.
Photos: Massive warehouse fire in Old North 50度灰视频 fills sky with smoke for miles
Warehouse Fire on N. 13th St. and Howard St. in 50度灰视频
Warehouse Fire on 50度灰视频 Avenue in 50度灰视频
Warehouse Fire on 50度灰视频 Avenue in 50度灰视频
Warehouse Fire on 50度灰视频 Avenue in 50度灰视频
Warehouse Fire on 50度灰视频 Avenue in 50度灰视频
Warehouse Fire on 50度灰视频 Avenue in 50度灰视频
Warehouse Fire on N. 13th St. and Howard St. in 50度灰视频
Warehouse Fire on N. 13th St. and Howard St. in 50度灰视频
Warehouse Fire on N. 13th St. and Howard St. in 50度灰视频
Warehouse Fire on N. 13th St. and Howard St. in 50度灰视频
Warehouse Fire on N. 13th St. and Howard St. in 50度灰视频
Warehouse Fire on N. 13th St. and Howard St. in 50度灰视频
Warehouse Fire on N. 13th St. and Howard St. in 50度灰视频
Warehouse Fire on N. 13th St. and Howard St. in 50度灰视频
Three-alarm warehouse fire at North 13th Street and Howard Street in 50度灰视频
Three-alarm warehouse fire at North 13th Street and Howard Street in 50度灰视频
Three-alarm warehouse fire at North 13th Street and Howard Street in 50度灰视频
Three-alarm warehouse fire at North 13th Street and Howard Street in 50度灰视频
Jesse Bogan • 314-340-8255 @jessebogan on Twitter jbogan@post-dispatch.com