"Reaching for the Sky: Soaring higher and higher are the six 13-story apartment buildings under construction in the downtown Plaza Redevelopment Project. Steel being hoisted by the crane in this picture will be fitted into upper-floor construction of one of the buildings at Seventeenth and Pine streets. The buildings, which are to be completed simultaneously, according to present construction
Elevated view of the Plaza Apartment buildings under construction. The project would become the first urban renewal project to be completed in St. Louis.
Elevated view of the Plaza Apartments buildings under construction. The project would become the first urban renewal project to be completed in St. Louis.
Street level view of the Plaza Apartments buildings under construction, with advertizing signage. The project would become the first urban renewal project to be completed in St. Louis.
"Inspecting a barricade around a 30-foot deep excavation for an underground garage in the Plaza Development is Building Commissioner Albert H. Baum (top photo). Lower picture (not present) shows a view of the excavation separated from busy Olive street traffic by flimsy boards."
"Downtown Plaza apartment buildings now under construction are the three 13-story structures in the front row of this drawing by architects Hellmuth, Obata, and Kassabaum, Inc. Between two of them is St. John's Basilica. They are in the two blocks bounded by Chestnut street (foreground), Fifteenth street (Right), Pine and Seventeeth Streets (left). Construction of the three apartment buildings in the background is expected to start soon. Between two of these buildings is Centenary Methodist Church."
Caption on back: "Filling in unsightly holes in the Plaza redevelopment area gets underway as the basement of the Reed Hotel, which was demolished when the area was cleared, is buried under dirt excavated at sites of three apartment buildings going up in the area. The site and Fifteenth and Pine streets will ultimately be improved with commercial buildings and a parking lot for Plaza residents. All of the eyesore holes in the Plaza area will be eliminated as quickly as possible."
"Actual construction of the first apartment building in the Plaza project got underway yesterday as this crane began excavating at Fifteenth and Pine streets. Relocation of a sewer line around the site has been substantially completed by the Fruin-Colnon Contracting Company, which will erect six 13-story apartment buildings in the development."
"Preperation of Plaza site for the first of six 13-story apartment buildings begins as a Fruin-Colnon Contracting Company crane starts digging up an old sewer line, which will be relocated. The task is expected to take two weeks after which excavation for the first building will begin on the west side of Fifteenth street at Chestnut."
"Plaza development gets under way at Fifteenth and Pine Streets where test borings are being made prior to construction of a three-story rectory by St. John's Catholic Church and the laying of a sewer line by the Urban Redevelopment Corporation. The block, which extends to Sixteeth and Chestnut streets, has been selected for the first building in the 1090-unit Plaza apartment project. It will be 13 stories with 208 apartments."
"Launching Plaza Redevelopment Project, Russell E. Gardner, president of the Urban Redevelopment Corporation, scoops up the forst shovelful of dirt. Lining the treat of the big shovel are (from the left) Daniel Sheehan, a member of the firm's executive board; Preston Estep, treasurer, and Aloys P. Kaufmann, president of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce. At right, Mr. Kaufmann shows Mr. Gardner where to dump the first scoopful. The housing project got underway at Fifteenth and Chestnut streets yesterday."
"Launching Plaza Redevelopment Project, Russell E. Gardner, president of the Urban Redevelopment Corporation, scoops up the forst shovelful of dirt. Lining the treat of the big shovel are (from the left) Daniel Sheehan, a member of the firm's executive board; Preston Estep, treasurer, and Aloys P. Kaufmann, president of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce. At right, Mr. Kaufmann shows Mr. Gardner where to dump the first scoopful. The housing project got underway at Fifteenth and Chestnut streets yesterday."
16-STORY APARTMENT BUILDING This 16-story apartment building is being constructed on the southeast corner of Kingshighway and West Pine boulevards. The structure will be fully air conditioned and will cost an estimated $6,000,000.
Caption on back: "Debris piles up along the 1500 block of Pine street following the collapse of a portion of a building being demolished to make way for the Plaza housing project. No one was hurt, but one woman fell while scampering to safety."
"Fourteen old coins in the Plaza area demolition were found by Jay Sirolos, 4622A Pope ave., superintendent of salvage operations for Prock & Ehinger Construction Co. Some of the coins, found in wreckage at 1719 Market st., dated back to 1827."
