ST. LOUIS – A neighborhood organization is battling a proposal to turn an old abandoned school into a multi-family housing development, but this is proving to be an uphill fight.
Cook School, located at 5935 Horton Place in the West End neighborhood, has been vacant for 20 years and developers have a plan to bring the property back to life. But some residents don’t like the idea. They hope to derail the project, even though it’s already passed the obstacles in St. Louis City Hall.
“The fact that it’s more apartments. I don’t think we need any more apartments in our neighborhood. We need home ownership,” Jaqueline Gomez said. “We just have a lot of issues around here with apartments, like service calls and things like shootings. Just the other couple of months ago, there was an apartment complex right around here that had stolen a puppy and thrown out the window. We just have a lot of problems with apartments down in this area.”
Another resident who also opposes the deal is Emmett Coleman. Coleman says their complaints have fallen on deaf ears.
“We’ve had signatures, petition signatures that went as evidence to the board of adjustment in opposition to it,” he said. “Far more than individuals who showed up in support of it during that hearing.”
Gomez says they can’t count on Alderwoman Shameem Clark-Hubbard.
“I don’t think we’re getting support from our alderwoman; not at all,” she said.
Clark-Hubbard is all in with this deal. In her letter of support for the board of adjustment, she wrote, “I am writing in support of WJL Services and Will Liebermann for his ongoing efforts towards the redevelopment of the former Cook School into proposed market-rate family rental housing units.
“We realize its future potential use is extremely limited. Most importantly, without the conversion of this building into housing, ww believe the many hardships on this property will prevent it from being redeveloped at all.”
FOX 2 attempted to get an interview with the alderwoman to no avail.
On Monday, she sent us this email: “I am not available for an interview anytime soon and I would never want to hold up your story. I completely understand your position to go ahead and run your story without me.”