ST. LOUIS – Decades of declining school enrollment in St. Louis resulted in a number of vacant school buildings, and out of necessity the St. Louis Public Schools went into the real estate business. Whether you call it renovation or restoration, some of St. Louis' old schools have found new life as apartments, like the century old Lafayette School, now known as the Lafayette Lofts.
Jenny Travers has lived at Lafayette Lofts for a year and a half.
“When I first came to look at this apartment complex it was still under construction and I thought it was the place across the street,” said Travers. “I was surprised to find it was this old school building but looking around I could tell it was going to be a really neat place to live.”
Brian Minges is the president and owner of Advantes Group, which specializes in using historic tax credits to purchase aging schools like Lafayette and turn them into multifamily complexes.
“Had to pinch myself that it was still on the market,” said Minges. “Great location in Soulard, single family homes around there. Younger community. An area we wanted to enhance, invest.”
Lafayette Lofts has 36 apartments and 50 tenants according to Minges, whose company expects to finish construction at the Sherman Lofts, formerly Sherman School in the Shaw neighborhood, in less than a month.
Meanwhile Advantes has a contract on Wilkerson School, which will be the companies fourth school-to-apartments renovation.
“What we're trying to create is a place for people that maybe didn't live in the city to come back to the city,” said Minges.
With 19 properties listed on the St. Louis Public Schools website, the school district is very much in the real estate business. Success stories include nine schools that have been sold and converted to apartment buildings, five schools that are now mixed-use developments, and four schools sold that continue as schools. Walker Gaffney, the St. Louis Public Schools real estate director, said finding new uses for unused schools revitalizes neighborhoods and generates money for city education.
“From a community standpoint, these are beautiful historic buildings, often a hundred-plus years old, buildings that it's wonderful to see them restored,” said Gaffney. “It's a huge plus for the neighborhood to get a property like this back into functional use and have life in it and people. It's also a win for the school district. We sell the building and those proceeds can go to fund our educational activities.”
Seattle transplant Kipp Westmark, a resident at Sherman Lofts for 5 months, said he appreciates living in a building with history.
“When I moved here I found out that the school was built in 1898 by a prominent architect from the area and actually did some research and found pictures, historical pictures,” said Westmark. “Having the ability to put this to a good new use is the best way forward.”
