1419 Mallinckrodt in June 2013; photo by Charlie Vinz

Updates

1419 Mallinckrodt was a vacant, structurally condemned building dating from the late 1800's, one of many to be found sprinkled throughout St. Louis, when we acquired it in a tax sale in which there were no other offers. While we don't know how long the building has sat vacant, we do know that it is a site of great potential. Sharing a vacant lot to the east with our previous project at 1415 Mallinckrodt, 1419 is poised to be the perfect extension of our existing arts programming in the Hyde Park neighborhood of St. Louis.

Since the building is structurally condemned, the renovation process will require the development of design documents by both an architect and structural engineer to acquire a building permit, which we hope to have by the end of August. However, the basis of their designs have been formed by our years of programming in the neighborhood that has drawn out a multitude of ideas about what people in the neighborhood want to see.

The centerpiece of this building will be a brick oven for pizza and other bakery that will be part of a modest culinary training program and community cafe. The building will also include studios and workshop space for visiting and local artists.

Recent Wins

Rebuild Foundation was chosen to take part in Spontaneous Interventions: Design Actions for the Common Good, which was originally part of the U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. This summer, the exhibit traveled to the Chicago Cultural Center, featuring additional projects and a ton of new programming which we are excited to be a part of. Our featured project in this exhibit is 1415 Mallinckrodt.

We were also awarded a grant by the Regional Arts Commission in St. Louis, which will help fund our summer programming. Taking place in July, neighborhood youth will be offered an art and design day camp in which they will learn about landscape design as they think about how to shape the outdoor spaces around them and around the spaces adjacent to our projects.

1419 from the rear, with our recently completed 1415 in the background; photo by Charlie Vinz

Insight/Provocation

This is an important step for our organization, and one that represents a long-term commitment to the Hyde Park community. What started as an art project by Theaster Gates has grown into something that the neighborhood can start to take ownership of  and grow into along with us. As our small physical footprint grows bigger, so does our potential impact. Saving a historic condemned building from demolition is the first step in showing that there is great cultural value where others have only seen a liability.