From McRee Town to Botanical Heights

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"A New and Rejuvenated St. Louis Neighborhood for Potential Homebuyers"

On Monday, June 7, 2004, it became official. The old McRee Town Neighborhood in south St. Louis became Botanical Heights as Senator "Kit" Bond joined St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and other dignitaries in the long-awaited Botanical Heights Groundbreaking Ceremony. The Botanical Heights development is based on a plan adopted by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen and signed by Mayor Slay in March 2002. It results from five yeas of planning by neighborhood residents in the McRee Town, Tiffany, Shaw, and Southwest Garden neighborhoods.

St. Louis Mayor Slay (2nd from left), Mr. Darryl Jones (4th from left), Senator "Kit" Bond (5th from left), and other dignitaries at Botanical Heights groundbreaking.

With bulldozers in the background and loads of shoveled earth creating small mounds, Mr. Darryl Jones, President, Garden District Commission Board, stated, "The Garden District Commission worked tirelessly with residents of McRee Town, Tiffany, Shaw, and Southwest Garden neighborhoods over the past five years. The McRee Town project is a grassroots project, where the master plan takes into account the wishes and needs of the residents. The overall feeling of the community is tremendous." The community-based planning consisted of numerous public meetings that began in 1997 and produced consensus on a number of recommendations. Recommendations, including making the revitalization of McRee Town the highest priority; reducing density; emphasizing owner-occupied housing; and providing high standards and a fair and dignified process for those residents who were relocated, were adopted and implemented.

When Botanical Heights is completed, it will replace a neighborhood that had:

• a staggering crime rate that reflected eight murders and 20 shootings during a 19-month period;
• 33% of its children suffering from lead poisoning;
• 56% of its structures in a dilapidated or nearly unlivable condition;
• a 34% decline in assessed property values since 1990; and
• only 35 owner-occupied properties.

Billboard announcing development of Botanical Heights.

Botanical Heights will offer more than 400 residential units and more, including 100-200 new single-family homes; 20-60 rehabilitated units for rental or ownership; of which 15-20 percent are planned for low-income residents. Additionally, the area will include new and rehabilitated office, manufacturing, and technology-based businesses and institutions.

According to Mayor Slay, Botanical Heights is the largest market-driven project in the City of St. Louis' recent history. Mayor Slay stated, "it is a superb example of a public-private partnership working for the common good. The federal government, thanks to Senator Bond, the State, the City, the private sector, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and many others are making the revitalization of the McRee Town neighborhood a reality."

When the neighborhood is fully developed, St. Louis City officials and other partners estimate that this initiative will have rejuvenated McRee town; enhanced surrounding neighborhoods; and generate tax revenues totaling $18.4 million over the next 25 years. To date, more than $12 million has been raised to jump-start the revitalization. This amount includes $5.85 million from HUD via a $2.85 million neighborhood initiatives grant and $3 million from the City's Community Development Block Grant funds.