Delays Stall Buyouts for Richmond Heights Neighbors

By Clay Barbour and Margaret Gillerman, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Nov. 9–RICHMOND HEIGHTS — The end is near for the historic Hadley Township — just not near enough for some residents.

A year ago, residents of the neighborhood began saying their goodbyes and looking toward new futures with money from a promised buyout for a multimillion-dollar development.

It was then the City Council approved a redevelopment agreement with Michelson Commercial Realty and Development that would raze the historically black neighborhood and replace it with a $190 million mixed-use development of stores, offices and upscale single-family homes.

But this month, Michelson extended the closing dates, including some that were set for this month, on many of the properties and the unexpected delay has left residents anxious and worried.

“All we do is wait, we have waited for years,” said Carolyn Troupe, a longtime resident. “Our lives are on hold. How do you make plans?”

Developers have long eyed Hadley because of its prime location and its aging and modest housing stock. The neighborhood, with 180 pieces of property, lies in the southeast quadrant of the Highway 40 (Interstate 64) and Hanley Road intersection.

In the past 10 years, at least three developers have teased the city with grand plans for the area. Last October the city entered its agreement with Michelson, with support from residents.

Since then, the company has secured all but seven pieces of property. Those seven are now in various stages of the eminent domain process. Officials expect the process to be over soon and the closings to proceed with only minor delays.

“I expect we will be moving forward by February or so,” said Tim Berry, Michelson’s executive vice president. “The vast majority of residents are ready, we are ready, but we just need to get these last parcels worked out.”

City officials say they are sensitive to the residents, many of whom have been scared by eminent domain horror stories.

One of the worst occurred in Sunset Hills, a community in south St. Louis County.

In 2003, Novus Development Co. started work on a real estate development in Sunset Manor, located on about 65 acres off Lindbergh Boulevard. The plan called for razing 254 homes and building a $185 million, high-end shopping center.

The company was never able to secure financing for its project, forcing Sunset Hills in February 2006 to repeal the ordinance establishing it.

The ordeal almost destroyed the neighborhood, financially damaged many homeowners and led to the ouster of the mayor and four aldermen.

“The city was very sensitive to that project and the taste it left in everyone’s mouth,” said Richmond Heights City Manager Amy Hamilton. “But this is not the same. This is just a matter of time. We just have to let it run its course.”

Troupe thought for sure that by now she and her children and aged father would be out of their home in Richmond Heights and comfortably settled into a newer, larger house — maybe even in time for Christmas.

“I’m very disappointed about it. It’s just a total mess, actually,” she said. “It’s time to move on one way or the other.”

Troupe and her neighbors signed contracts months ago to sell their homes for a price that promised a new lifestyle in a more expensive neighborhood with amenities they only had dreamed of earlier in life.

Many of the homes in the area are on less than one-fifth of an acre and have jumped from about $30,000 to $70,000 in value in the past year. Others are more modern brick ranches — one appraised at $230,000 — with four bedrooms and two baths.

The majority of the property owners are to be paid $37.50 a square foot — or about $200,000 to $750,000 a parcel, depending on lot size, said Reggie Finney, a resident and founder of the Hadley Township Homeowners Association.

Some property owners who were interviewed say they were offered fair prices for their land. Still, not every resident was happy about the buyout.

One said she believed that few of the longtime property owners wanted to move but felt they needed to sign the contracts or could be forced later into selling at a lesser price.

Mae Wheeler, 73, a well-known jazz singer, reluctantly signed. She is battling cancer and does not want to leave her house and find a new one, or leave her now-colorful trees and longtime neighbors.

“I’ve lived in the community here since I was 6, when we moved from Memphis, and in this house for almost 50 years,” said Wheeler. “It was like a village. Everybody took care of everybody’s business.”

Although Richmond Heights and homeowners insist the neighborhood is being kept up, about six houses are already boarded up. A few of the homes are beginning to show wear and tear, although many of the green yards are nicely cut and front porches displaying autumn decorations.

“I am very frustrated,” said JoAnn Bailey, 68, who has lived in Hadley Township with her husband, Arthur, for 43 years. Their three children grew up in the neighborhood. They were supposed to close on the house Nov. 5.

“First of all, we have never wanted to move out of our house,” Bailey said. “It was never for sale. … Now, my house is deteriorating and we have had to make repairs to appliances — our dishwasher and refrigerator — because we don’t know how long we’ll be here.”

cbarbour@post-dispatch.com — 314-727-6234

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