The Missouri Association of REALTORS, sponsor of a proposed state constitutional amendment to prohibit transfer taxes on the sale of real estate, announced today that it would file a lawsuit challenging the Missouri Secretary State's rejection of the ballot petition due to insufficient signatures.  On Monday, the Missouri Secretary of State announced that the ballot petition, known as Vote “YES” To Stop Double Taxation, failed to secure enough signatures of registered voters to qualify for the November ballot.

The Vote “YES” To Stop Double Taxation Committee collected thousands of petitions across six of the state’s nine congressional districts. The Committee plans to file a lawsuit in Cole County Circuit Court, asking that the petition signatures be declared sufficient. The suit will also ask the court to count signatures rejected by the Secretary of State due to petition circulators not being registered with the state.

“With the large volume of thousands of signatures of supportive voters and the deadline pressure scores of local election authorities faced to check the signatures, there will inevitably be mistakes, and we believe mistakes happened,” said Chuck Hatfield, attorney for the Vote “YES” To Stop Double Taxation Committee. “We owe it to the tens of thousands of Missouri voters who signed the petitions and worked hard on the issue’s behalf to go out and review the signatures and correct the mistakes,” Hatfield said. “We are committed to putting this important question before voters, so they have a chance to protect themselves from double taxation.”

Missouri remains among just 13 states that do not impose a transfer tax on real estate sales. The past legislative session included several proposals to impose a transfer tax on new construction. Lafayette Square REALTOR Michelle Silies commented "the imposition of a tax on the on the sale of real estate will only increase the costs associated the sale of one's home." Ms. Silies further stated "proposals for transfer taxes could not come at a worse time for homeowners already trying to sell their home in this challenging market."

Learn more about the amendment at www.YesToSaveHomes.com.

HISTORY OF WATER TOWER:  This 154 foot Corinthian brick column, known as the North St. Louis Water Tower, is located at North Grand Blvd. and 20th Street in North St. Louis.  The water tower was built in 1871 at a cost over $45,000.  From 1871 to 1912, the water tower was used to create pressure to pump water from the Mississippi River at Bissell's point to the Compton Hill Reservoir at South Grand Blvd. and Arsenal.  It was taken out of service in 1912 when electric water pumps replaced the original stealm pumps at Bissell's point.  In 1929, it was put back into service as an air beacon.  After being threatened with demolition, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

This month, we focus on a local non-profit Web Innovations and Technology Services ("WITS") who is the largest non-profit electronics recycler in Missouri.  Under Missouri law, electronic equipment such as computers, televisions, cell phones, cordless telephones, and monitors are classified as "hazardous waste" and must be collected and disposed by regulated collection sites because electronic equipment often contains heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and even PCBs. Although there are a number of commercial electronics recyclers in the St. Louis area, there is only one with a strong track record of re-use and recycling.

Here are some of WITS' achievements:

• In 2009, WITS refurbished and reused over 3,500 computers and other electronics. Since 2004, WITS has refurbished and reused over 20,000 computers and electronics. These refurbished computers and electronics have been sold or given away to residents in local communities.
  
• Over 8,000 volunteers and residents have helped promote or support WITS or donated to WITS programs.
  
• In 2009, WITS diverted over 6.5 million lbs of electronic components from landfills and waste streams by refurbishing electronics, by disassembling electronics, and by re-manufacturing products for other uses. Since, 2004, WITS has diverted over 20.5 million lbs. of electronic components from landfills and waste streams.
• 65% of electronic items donated to WITS are reused. 35% of electronic items donated to WITS are demanufactured and sold for new product uses.
  
• WITS has created over 365 new jobs since its inception.
• 1,250 low-income families have volunteered at WITS events to earn a computer, TV or other working electronic item. 

Here are some of the ways that St. Louis real estate professionals can benefit from WITS' recycling programs:

• Electronic Disposal: Dispose of old, used and inoperable electronic equipment in a safe, environmentally friendly manner. Other commercial recyclers charge disposal fees. WITS does not charge for the disposal of most electronic items delivered to the WITS' facility or delivered to a WITS' collection site.
  
• Tax Donation: Receive a charitable donation letter summarizing the fair market value of the donated item for use as a charitable tax donation
  
• Onsite Electronics Pick-Up: If you require pick-up service, WITS charges $50-$100 per box truck for all business pickups, $30-75 for residential pick-up with a 1 hour drive.
  
• Purchase Refurbished Electronic and Other Items: Purchase refurbished computers (from $60), laptops (from $100), and LCD Monitors (from $25). Other items including televisions, radios, stereos, fans, heaters, lawn equipment, etc. are available starting at $5.
• Home CleanOut: If you work with seniors or sell home in probate estate, WITS offers a low flat fee ($100) pick-up service of all household items. WITS then repackages and delivers such non-electronic items as clothing, household furniture, etc. to other non-profits.
  

Other WITS's programs:

• Volunteer for Computer Program: Volunteers who agree to work at WITS' facility or WITS' events for 65 hours receive a free computer or other electronic item. Senior, veteran and disabled volunteers can work from home placing telephone calls and earn a free computer after 45 hours of volunteer time.
• Student Program: Eligible low income students accepted to college and maintain a B+ average receive a free computer.
• Kids with Kancer Program: Chronically ill children age 8 to 18 suffering from cancer and hospitalized or receiving full-time home care are eligible to receive a free laptop.
• Seniors Program: WITS receives applications from seniors and donates 1 computer system per month to seniors in need of a computer.
  
• Computer Exchange: Non-profit organizations, schools and churches can exchange used, old and inoperable computers for new computers.
  
• Revenue Sharing: Non-profit organizations, schools and churches can act as event organizers or collection sites and receive a percentage of the income generated from the recycling of electronic items. 

If you are interested in learning more about WITS, visit their facility at 647 E Holly Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63147 (2 blocks from N. Grand and Hwy 70), their website at www.witsinc.org, or their upcoming recycling event in Belleville, Illinois on August 8 or Chesterfield, Missouri on August 28.

This site provides you with an estimated value based on modeling. The comparable sales used to determine the estimated market value may or may not be comparable and the estimated fair market value may not reflect recent changes in market conditions. In addition, the estimated market value and the optimum list price may be different. Data provided by First American Core Logic. Home valuation provided courtesy of PREA Signature Realty.

Need a more precise analysis of the optimum list price for your historic home, townhome, condominium or loft in the City of St. Louis? Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or via e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.

As someone who lives and breathes in a digital world, I regularly text, e-mail and use social media to communicate with friends, family and colleagues.  However, I use traditional, commonly accepted modes of communication when it comes to substantive business correspondence such as:

• Telephone Call with Confirming E-Mail
• E-Mail
• Business Letter Sent via Facsimile
• Business Letter Sent via U.S. Mail

Usually, I try to mimic the method of transmission of the message used by the other person.  If you send me an e-mail inquiry, I typically will respond via e-mail to the e-mail address that you used to send the original message to me.  However, I draw the line at texting and social media as a communication tool for agent-to-agent business communication.  Here are a few reasons:

• Papertrail:  Texting doesn't create a papertrail that can be easily accessed or easily archived.  There are programs and systems for doing so.  However, only the real tech savvy do so. Whereas a copy of e-mails and letters are placed in the file and archived on my computer, text message aren't - except I do type out a written summary of substantive texts for the file.
  
• Security:  Social media messages travel through unknown servers.  I simply don't trust that the messages will be received, that the messages won't be intentionally or inadvertently sent to the wrong location (e.g. Facebook wall versus personal message), or broadcast to unintended recipients.
• Professional Content:  Text and social media messages often have limited number of characters.  It is difficult to fully communicate a position on a substantive issue in 140 characters or less.

More importantly, although I use multiple e-mail addresses for specific purposes, I only use a single e-mail address for business communication.  I don't use a separate e-mail address for MLS, for my website, for my business card, etc.

Here are some simple examples of the poor use of technology tools to communicate with other agents:

• Example #1:  Scanned counteroffer is sent to listing agent with cover sheet via e-mail.  Telephone call is placed to listing agent to confirm receipt of offer.  No response to voicemail mesage.  No response to e-mail.  Deadline passes for counteroffer.  Additional telephone calls are placed to listing agent.  Again, no response.  After deadline has passed, listing agent sends reply to counteroffer via text message.  At this point, deal is dead.
• Example #2:  Agent sends inquiry regarding contract via e-mail.  Listing agent replies via e-mail to the e-mail address used by the first agent.  No reply.  Telephone calls are placed to agent inquiring regarding status.  Agent, after claiming that amendment wasn't received, finds the e-mail and states e-mail account where the e-mail was sent is his bulk e-mail account and he doesn't check it regularly.  E-mail address is the e-mail address listed on the local association roster and on his MLS bio or profile.
  
• Example #3:  Broker sends text message regarding dispute.  Listing agent replies "too lengthy to discuss via text... call me."  Broker doesn't respond.  Listing agent then places call and leaves voicemail message. No response.

My point is pretty simple.  Stop texting... stop using social media... and pick-up gosh darn telephone for business communication.  Send a confirming business letter or e-mail summarizing the conversation where appropriate. 

The rise in instant communication has resulted in some circumstances in poor communication and lazy transmission of important contractual responses.  While instaneous communication may have some benefits in timing, it certainly has some major drawbacks in terms of substance. If the tone of message is lost in e-mail, then it is even worse via text. 

So... stop hiding, pick up the telephone and act like a professional. By the way, if you think "LOL" and a "smiley face" make you look and sound like a professional, I suspect that you are dead wrong.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  This article was written for a real estate association newsletter and is directed at newly elected association officers.  However, the concepts are the same whether it is a leader of a team, brokerage, committee or association.

Leaders aren’t born. Leaders evolve and grow over time. So, the question is: How do I become a leader?

STAGE 1 – PARTICIPATION. It is not often that someone joins an organization and is instantly recognized as a leader. It starts on a much smaller scale. It starts by attending meetings, making connections, and building relationships. It isn’t about showing up. Like effective networking, it requires a plan and active participation. It requires a commitment of both time and effort. It is all about service, making commitments, taking an action and delivering results. For example, if you attend sporadically, arrive late and leave early, and don’t participate, then you aren’t really participating and your time and effort is being wasted.

STAGE 2 – SEEK OUT A MENTOR. Depending on your experience or length of service, you may want to seek out a mentor or advisor. The mentor or advisor relationship can be a formal or informal relationship. Often, it is simply a person willing to answer questions or willing to act as a sounding board. Information and insights on the traditions of the organization and on the group dynamic are invaluable. Without such information, it would be like a child playing a game without knowing the rules. More importantly, a good mentor or advisor will assist you in identifying opportunities to take on a greater role within the organization and will encourage and challenge you to reach within and go beyond your comfort zone. Access to other leaders is also an important aspect of the mentor relationship. It opens doors and creates opportunities. More importantly, it allows you to make informed decisions on how to capitalize on opportunities.

STAGE 3 – MAKE AN IMPACT. After participating in the organization, the next step in the evolution of a leader is often accompanied by action that makes an impact on the organization. Participation leads to access and opportunities. If opportunities aren’t presenting themselves, then you need to make your own opportunities. To do so, you must first understand the mission of the organization and the dynamics of the group. You must be willing to play a role and to make a contribution in that role. It is important to step up and fill a need of the organization. As you start to contribute, your contributions will be recognized and you will have a greater role and progressive responsibilities within the organization. However, your contributions may not be fully recognized unless you are organized and take a serious professional approach. Greater opportunities will present themselves to people who play a role, who have a niche and who are willing to contribute to the success of others – whether or not the contribution or role is recognized immediately or not.  

STAGE 4 – TAKE RISKS – DEVELOP A LEGACY. At this stage, you will need to articulate a vision for the organization. By doing so, you will necessarily need to take a risk. Your priorities and agenda may differ from other leaders in the organization. There will always be a risk of rejection and a fear of failure at this pont It is at this point that you will need to build a consensus. This doesn’t always occur at a meeting. Often, it occurs informally. It requires preparation and planning. Before you present an initiative, you need to ask:

(1) Is there a need? Or, does it solve a problem?

(2) Does it further the mission of the organization?

(3) Do we have the resources – money, time or personnel – to do it right?

(4) Will stakeholders buy into the initiative?

After you have answered these questions, then proceed by proposing and implement an initiative. It isn’t about getting it done – it is about getting it done in an exemplary manner. Every leader needs to establish a legacy to answer the question – Did I leave the organization in a better position than when I started?

STAGE 5 – PREPARE FOR LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. At some point in your development as a leader, you may have to submit an application for an appointment, meet for an interview or stand for election. Here are some tips for seeking an appointment or being elected within an organization:

• Build a strong legacy of service with quantifiable results.
  
• Maintain and continually update your resume or curriculum vitae. Keep it simple, straightforward and accurate.
• Understand the duties, responsibilities and time commitment of the position that you seek.
• Assess your skills. Seek a position that matches your skills. Be the right person for the right job, not just any job.
• Manage your time. Don’t try to be everywhere. Limit your commitments.
  
• Make sure that your family and business commitments are met or managed.
• Understand the selection process. Know the participants in the process. Understand the rules associated with the process.
  
• Seek out mentors and advisors to guide you. Ask others for assistance and advice.
  
• Develop a team to assist you. Don’t try to do it all yourself.
  
• Think strategically. Consider timing and the strengths of others seeking the same office.
  
• Delegate campaign tasks to others.
• Create a vision and professional message. Show (not tell) your qualifications for the position. Share your goals and priorities for the office that you seek.
  
• Use testimonials and endorsements, if appropriate.
  
• Prepare for the nominating interview. Review sample questions. Write out answers to possible interview questions. Anticipate and plan for questions that relate to perceived weaknesses. Role play questions and answers so you are comfortable with your responses. Pay attention to the words you use in the interview. With limited time, errant words may be misconstrued.
  
• Take a copy of your nomination application, consent to serve, resume or curriculum vitae, or other credential forms to the nominating interview.
• Prepare for your public speech. Develop a theme to your comments. Make your comments short and concise. Avoid flowery phrases and clichés. Offer tangible examples of your past accomplishments and priorities for the future.
  
• Communicate your priories to supporters, key leaders in organization and general membership. Tailor the method of communication, number of contacts and message to the targeted audience. Make sure the message is consistent.
• Be judicious in the language used.
  
• Be gracious whether you win or lose. Today’s opponents may just be tomorrow’s supporters. Be sure to thank your supporters, mentors, etc. for their advice and assistance.
  

STAGE 6 – YOU KNOW YOU HAVE MATURED AS A LEADER WHEN… Leadership styles evolve over time. You know that you have matured as a leader when you:

• Limit your commitments to manageable levels.
  
• Establish a clear agenda for your work. Are able to communicate your vision and goals to others.
  
• Set and communicate reasonable expectations for yourself and others. Require accountability of yourself and others. Track progress toward goals.
• Learn to delegate tasks and share responsibility. Are able and willing to acknowledge contributions and share praise.
  
• Build consensus without compromising core values. Are committed to decisive action.
• Focus on progress, not perfection.
  
• Pick battles in a judicious manner. Learn when and when not to speak out. Focus on issues, not people. Maintain a professional and civil tone. Think before speaking or sending e-mails. Sound a conciliatory tone to create cohesiveness.
  
• Motivate others to exceed expectations for their position.
  
• Focus on the right person with the right skills when filling positions.
• Develop a bold and aggressive vision for the organization. “Give back” to profession is sole focus.
  
• Encourage and support the development and personal growth of the next class of leaders.
  
• Act in the best interests of the organization as a whole.
• Take a long-term, strategic view on issues. Understand the big picture. In the end, leaders understand the nature and demands of leadership and service and never stop evolving as leaders.

NEED TRAINING MATERIALS FOR NEW OFFICER ORIENTATION?  Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or via e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com for more information.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  This article was written for a real estate association newsletter and is directed at newly elected association officers.  However, the concepts are the same whether it is a team meeting, meeting with clients, or an association or committee.  The article describe how to draft good meeting minutes and how to use meeting minutes as a tool for creating accountability and action after meetings.

THE ROLE OF MEETING MINUTES

Minutes of a meeting are invaluable to chapter leaders and members. Minutes serve a number of purposes and uses beyond simply recording events and decisions – such as:

• REVIEW OF PAST ACTIVITIES: Minutes record past stances and positions taken by individual members as well as the board as a whole.
• SUMMARIZING PROCEEDINGS: Minutes creates a summary of the board session for use at future meeting and for use by board members who were unable to attend the board meeting.
• COMMUNICATION: Minutes act as a communication to convey to chapter members the substance of issues addressed at the board meeting as well as decisions made by the board.
• LEADERSHIP TOOL: Minutes serve as a roadmap for future action – including a reminder of who committed to doing what.
• INDIVIDUAL RECOGNITION:  Minutes are a simple way to recognize individual contributions to the chapter.

PREPARING TO TAKE MINUTES

To create good minutes, the Secretary should prepare for the meeting. Good preparation results in greater organization and more accurate minutes. Here are some tips for preparing to take minutes:

• ATTENDANCE LIST. Create an attendance list of all board members for meetings including title and voting rights. Simple circle or make a check against the each person in attendance at the meeting.  Include a space on the list for noting guest or non-board members in attendance.  In addition, include a box to indicate whether the board member submitted a written report at or before the meeting.

• AGENDA OUTLINE. Obtain a copy of the meeting agenda. Create an outline for the meeting.  The outline should follow the items on the meeting agenda and should include sufficient space for taking notes on the discussion as well as recording the acts taken or decisions made.

• ABBREVIATIONS. Create a standardized set of abbreviations for people and actions. Use of abbreviations will allow you to focus on the discussions at the meeting.

• MOTIONS/RESOLUTIONS LOG. Create a log for resolutions or motions taken recording the name of the moving party, the name of the person who seconded the motion, the nature or substance of the motion or resolution, and the roll call record of the vote indicating whether the resolution or motion passed or not.

• ACTION ITEMS. Create a list of action items from the meeting. This item should be separate from the minutes for use of the Executive Committee to track commitments made by individual board members and to create accountability so that actions required to move issues forward are taken between meetings.

• RECORDING/NOTES. Use a recording device to record the meeting (if appropriate). Use handwritten notes or computer at the meeting to take the notes necessary to later prepare the minutes. Don’t try to make notes of every comment. Focus on the issues discussed, major points raised and decisions made.

• PROMPT PREPARATION. Set aside time after each meeting to prepare the minutes. Minutes tend to be more accurate when prepared immediately after a meeting. Too often, the Secretary waits to prepare the meeting minutes until immediately before the next meeting. As a result, memory of the meeting fades, important information is missed or omitted from the minutes and inaccuracies in the minutes develop.

• PROOFREAD. Before issuing the minutes, proofread the draft of the minutes to confirm the correct spelling of all names, titles, etc.

• LIMITED DISSEMINATION FOR REVIEW. Before finalizing the minutes, circulate a copy of a draft of the minutes to the Executive Committee for their review and comment.

DRAFTING MINUTES

Here are some simples steps to drafting the minutes for your chapter’s board meetings:

• STEP 1 – MEETING TITLE. Start with the title. Set for the name of the organization, type of meeting and the time, date, and location of the meeting.

• STEP 2 – ATTENDANCE. List the names of board members in attendance and absent. Include the names of non-board members as guest. Note whether a quorum is present or not.

• STEP 3 – PRELMINARY ITEMS. Set forth who called the meeting to order and when and who presided over the meeting. Note any preliminary items such as the approval of past minutes. State whether the minutes were approved or amended.

• STEP 4 – REPORTS. Identify and summarize any reports given to the board, such as the President’s Report, Treasurer’s Report, etc. After the title of each report, write the name of the person delivering the report. In summarizing the important points of each report, the Secretary can write the summary as a prose paragraph or make each item a bullet point. Be sure to include any actions taken as a result of the reports, such as motions made and seconded and the voting results on the motions.

• STEP 5 – OLD/NEW BUSINESS. Record any discussion and decisions on old and new business. Record important points in a discussion, the wording of any motion made and the voting results.

• STEP 6 – ADJOURNMENT. End the minutes with the adjournment, including the time the meeting ended, who called for adjournment and the vote. The secretary should sign the minutes below a final phrase, such as "Respectfully submitted by" including the time/date prepared and the time/date approved.

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES IN DRAFTING MINUTES

SHOULD MOVERS AND SECONDERS BE RECORDED IN MINUTES? Generally, No.

The answer will vary based on your chapter’s bylaws, standing rules and customs and practices. However, absent contrary authority, the name of a person making a motion or seconding a motion should not be recorded in the minutes. This rule is based on the comments contained in Rule 60 of the Robert's Rules of Order (10^th Edition) which states as follows:

The mover's name is recorded only "in the case of important motions."

The name of the seconder of a motion should not be entered in the minutes unless ordered by the assembly…

WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS? Executive Session or Redacted Minutes.

When a board of directors discusses confidential matters such as legal, tax or personnel matters, the board of directors should meet in executive session. Here is the typical procedure to be followed:

• A board member moves that the board go into executive session. If the motion is adopted, the meeting proceeds with non-board members excluded. The Secretary records in the minutes only that the motion was made, seconded and passed.
• The board conducts its confidential business. Non-board members may be invited by the board to attend. The Secretary records minutes from the executive session. However, the minutes of the executive session are not included in the general meeting minutes and are kept separately in a confidential manner.
• When the executive session is adjourned, the public or general minutes should record that the executive session has concluded. The board may elect to announce the decisions made in executive session for inclusion in the general meeting minutes.

NEED TRAINING MATERIALS FOR NEW OFFICER ORIENTATION?  Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or via e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com for more information.

The following recent court decisions may be relevant to your real estate practice in Missouri:

• City's real estate "for sale" restriction requiring a certificate of code compliance prior to marketing a home for sale declared invalid.  City of Bellefontaine Neighbors v. Scatizzi, Appeal No. 92965 (Missouri Court of Appeal Eastern District)
• Attorney's fees incurred to clear title due to filing of invalid mechanic's lien claim recoverable as special damages in slander of title case.  Lau v. Pugh, Appeal No. 29289 (Missouri Court of Appeals for the Southern District)
• Lender may sue original owner for fraud and negligent representation for non-disclosure of flooding problems - even though there was no privity of contract between lender for purchaser and original owner/seller.  White v. Bowman, Appeals No. 29631 (Missouri Court of Appeals for the Southern District)
• Assignment by original purchaser of misrepresentation claim against original seller held valid even though assignment occurred after original purchaser sold home to third party.  Adams v. Cossa, Appeal No. 92601 (Missouri Court of Appeals for the Eastern District)

NEED A SPEAKER TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF CURRENT CASES AND LIABILITY TRENDS OF INTEREST TO ST. LOUIS REALTORS?  Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381.

THEN:

NOW:

HISTORY OF THE BUILDING - FROM THE NATIONAL HISTORIC REGISTER APPLICATION:

The Wellston Station, located at 6111 Martin Luther King Drive (formerly Easton Avenue and St. Charles Rock Road) in the City of St. Louis, Missouri, is locally significant under National Register of Historic Places Criterion A for Transportation and under Criterion C in the area of Architecture. The station was built by the United Railways Company in 1909 at a time in which the streetcar had replaced the electric railway as the dominant form of mass transit in St. Louis. The new station was the largest waiting station in the system, and one of only three such stations sited at transfer points between major lines. The design e~nployedth e prevalent Craftsman style to create a luxurious and efficiently-arranged station with a spacious waiting room, a store and covered tracks. Today, Wellston Station is the only waiting station still standing. The opening of the new streetcar line and station on Easton Avenue in 1909 signified the triumph of the streetcar over the electric railway and the growing importance of the Wellston commercial district, which straddled the line between Wellston and the city of St. Louis. The station was built to serve the so-called Wellston Loop streetcar loop, which became one of the busiest streetcar transfer points in the country by 1940 and which was the termination point for the last streetcar line in St. Louis to close.  For the complete application, visit:  http://www.dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/07000377.pdf.

COMMENTARY:

The #32 Wellston Streetcar line began running in 1901 from the City Limits along Easton to Franklin and then to 3rd Street in Downtown St. Louis.  Wellston Station was built by United Railways in 1909 for $6,000.00 and served as a connection hub for four streetcar lines.  It later served as a bus station until the building was closed in July 28, 1963.  The building has had a commercial tenant occupying the front space until the present day.  The office space on the second floor has been blocked and is no longer accessible.

Just want to share with St. Louis buyers a short clip of the tranquil river views offered by Mississippi Bluffs.

INTERESTED IN LIVING ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BLUFFS WITH VIEWS SPANNING FROM DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS TO THE JEFFERSON BARRACKS BRIDGE?  Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty to schedule your tour of the Mississippi Bluffs, a gated new home community in historic Carondelet.