ST. LOUIS BUSINESS JOURNAL — Downtown businesses are appealing a city ruling that would let Rev. Larry Rice’s New Life Evangelistic Center reopen — but not as an overnight homeless shelter.
The city of St. Louis last week issued an occupancy permit for the former homeless shelter, at 1411 Locust St. It allows the facility to reopen as a “church, office, retail & inside storage...” Downtown businesses, including entities tied to King Realty Advisors developer Brad Waldrop, sued in January to try to stop the issuance of the permit.
On Thursday, they appealed its issuance with the Board of Building Appeals, saying the renovation and construction allowed by the permit “violates City Ordinances and code” and “will cause a danger to occupants of and visitors to these premises, and to nearby structures, visitors and occupants.” An attorney for the appellants, Elkin Kistner, said he took action after the Building Division “erroneously issued the permit based on revised building plans that NLEC’s architect submitted after we pushed back against the original defective plans,” which didn’t meet code.
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