The Landmarks Association of St. Louis recently held its annual Most Enhanced Awards. The awards, which the Landmarks Association has held for 21 years, honor exceptional rehabilitation projects of historical buildings throughout the St. Louis area. This year, the association named 14 winning buildings and recognized the people who completed the renovations.
"Every year, we are astounded by the incredible skill, devotion, and ingenuity of the trades people, rehabbers, architects, and developers who do the hard work of putting our historic buildings back together," the media release from the Landmarks Association read.
The winners this year range from an Imo's to luxury apartments, and were selected by considering each project's difficulty, capacity to have a transformational effect on the area, historical or architectural significance, and the project's "power to inspire."
Lafayette School Apartments, 815 Ann
KAREN THAEMERT
Designed and constructed in 1906, the Lafayette School building in Soulard was left vacant when the school closed in 2004. Despite its dilapidated condition, Advantes Development purchased the building in the summer of 2015 and began renovations. The original classrooms were converted into 36 apartments.
"The ideas developed over a century ago to create comfortable learning environments are perfectly suited to create comfortable living environments today," Andrew Weil, the Landmarks Association's Executive Director, says.
1540 Mississippi Ave.
Built in 1878 as Lafayette Square grew, it was later abandoned in the 1960s. New owners bought the house in 2014 and oversaw extensive renovations.
"The home was stunningly restored to fit the clear and creative vision of its new owners, who selected everything from tile and cabinets to colors and fixtures," Weil says.
1701 Delmar
This building, located across the street from the City Museum, was restored from an old post office that was abandoned in 1977. Imo's Pizza bought the property and renovated the interior, keeping the bare brick walls and the Post Master's crow's nest.
625 Lofts at Euclid
The building, which was primarily used as storage space through the 20th Century, now contains 87 loft apartments and a variety of amenities, including a fitness center, steam room, pet spa, indoor parking, theater and billiards room, hot tub, and 10,000-square-foot rooftop garden.
5201 Virginia Ave.
The downstairs retail area and upstairs residential spaces of this building were renovated to highlight their pressed metal ceilings and large display windows on the primary façade.
"This project is a great example of how St. Louis has effectively used the eligibility of so many of our buildings for the State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit to attract investment from surrounding areas," Weil says.
Bronson Residence, 3201 Washington Ave.
The Bronson Residence was originally constructed in 1885 and is just one of three surviving residences along a ten block stretch of Washington Avenue. The renovations included an outdoor area with seating for up to 60 people, as well as restorations to the intricate interior of the house.
301 N. Memorial
Formerly the headquarters of Peabody Coal, the office building sits just a block west of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. In 2013, St. Louis based ICC Global Engineering Management Consultants bought the building and began restoration to the worn exterior.
"Today this significant modern building is once again the headquarters of a St. Louis company with global reach," Weil says.
5900 W. Cabanne
The former "rooming house" was restored to its original floor plan. The restoration required rebuilding the roof and replacing all of the systems in the house.
4230-40 Manchester
The condition of the string of commercial buildings in The Grove ranged from declining to disastrous before renovation began. The first floors of the buildings were connected to form an office and commercial space, while the second floors were repurposed as seven apartments.
"Now the buildings are occupied night and day and the beautifully restored storefronts contribute to the wonderful walkability of the neighborhood," Weil says.
4261 Manchester
One of the larger buildings in the commercial district of The Grove, this was the last building near the intersection of Manchester and Tower Grove to be renovated. Commercial spaces were restored, and new apartments were constructed on the second floor.
2842 Ohio Ave.
After a period of vacancy, the house had been worn by water damage, mold, and graffiti. The interior required a new staircase, plaster and drywall work, and new systems.
2607 California Ave.
Water damage severely damaged the exterior of the house, and part of the second floor had already collapsed by the time renovations began.
"The whole house was stripped down to the studs, a process that revealed that most of the studs had to go, too," Weil says.
Mio Nonni's Casa, 124 E. Steins
The small residence had been burned by vandals and was vacant for an extended period of time. Referred to as "Mio Nonni's Casa," the renovated building will be used as an art gallery and event space.
Henry Miller Boarding House Museum, 2726 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd
When the architects first toured the building, they were surprised it was still standing. Renovations to the structure were badly needed, and the floors were weak.
"This building was completely reconstructed from the inside-out using as much original material as possible," Weil says.
See past years' most Enhanced (and most Endangered) buildings on Landmarks' website, and check back for more information on this year's winners, including "before" photos of the winning projects.
