When you are Mayor of a City where 15,000 residents look for work each day and cannot find it, you would think that job creation would be at the top of your economic development priority list. When your name is Francis Slay, however, you provide some curious responses to the question of which projects you think are essential for the economic health of downtown St. Louis. [Hint: The words "jobs" and "employment" do not make the cut.]
(The next months and years will provide ample opportunities to discuss farcical and failed development projects in St. Louis, so I will not address the Softball Village here.)
So, why does Francis Slay care about what happens at Central Library, anyway?
Central Library, view to southwest, March 2009
The Slay Campaign’s January 2009 Quarterly Campaign Finance Report lists a $5,000.00 contribution from ODFC, LLC in addition to a $2,500.00 contribution from the “business account” of Steven Stogel, a principal at DFC Group.
Slay for Mayor, Missouri Ethics Commission Filings
Slay for Mayor’s April 2008 Quarterly Campaign Finance Report also shows a contribution from DFC Group, Inc.; this one is in the amount of $1,275.00.
Slay for Mayor, Missouri Ethics Commission Filing
The January 2008 Slay for Mayor Quarterly Campaign Finance Report lists two contributions from companies under the DESCO name; these were in the amount of $1,250.00 each.
Slay for Mayor, Missouri Ethics Commission Filings
On February 17, 2006, the St. Louis Business Journal reported:
The board of directors of the City of St. Louis Municipal Library District turned a page in its efforts to renovate the Central Library at 1301 Olive St. downtown.
The board retained CLR Consultants, a group formed specifically for the project by DFC Group and DESCO Group, to provide recommendations related to library enhancements, historic preservation, budget estimates and financing….
CLR is being spearheaded by Steven Stogel, president of DFC Group, which along with DESCO is renovating the Old Post Office downtown (Tritto, Christopher. “DESCO, DFC form group for library renovation work.” St. Louis Business Journal, February 17, 2006).
On December 5, 2008, the St. Louis Business Journal reported, “CLR Consultants, an affiliate of St. Louis-based real estate consulting and development firm DFC Group led by Steve Stogel, has been retained by the library board as the development coordinator” (Brown, Lisa. “St. Louis Library seeks new chapter.” St. Louis Business Journal, December 5, 2008).
Lest anyone question the control that Mayor Slay exerts over operations at the St. Louis Public Library, please consider the following from the Library’s website:
“The St. Louis Public Library is headed by our Board of Directors, who are nominated by the Mayor of St. Louis and confirmed by the Board of Aldermen” (“About Us: Board of Directors.” St. Louis Public Library [website], 2008. Accessed January 17, 2009. http://www.slpl.org/slpl/library/article240148718.asp).
Apparently, $11,275 is all it takes to buy the attention of Mayor Francis Slay to your cause.
I am going to miss visiting Central Library; it was my favorite public space in all of St. Louis. After Steven Stogel and CLR Consultants are finished “renovating” it, however, I assure you that the building will no longer retain its public character. Sigh, if only we could raise $11,275 to convince Francis Slay that job creation should be a priority for the City!
Tags: central library, CLR, DESCO, francis slay, jobs, mayor slay, pay-to-play, Steven Stogel
April 20, 2009 at 12:00 am |
Andrew Carnegie must be rolling in his grave. WTF? At one point in this country we had corrupt public officials who at least could do the bread and circuses, but now we just have clowns like Francis X.
May 22, 2009 at 10:12 am |
[...] is a reason why I oppose the St. Louis Public Library’s giveaway to DESCO, Steve Stogel, DFC, and others; St. Louis is selling itself short. A central public [...]
May 28, 2009 at 3:16 pm |
[...] while back, I promised that future posts would allow for an examination of Softball Village as one of Francis Slay’s [...]
May 30, 2009 at 3:23 am |
[...] that his administration seeks to divest the City of the Library system’s crown jewel as a giveaway to DESCO and Steve Stogel, his decision to block construction of affordable housing on the Mississippi Bluff has compounded [...]
June 12, 2009 at 9:02 am |
[...] President Obama about the economic stimulus bill, blocks the construction of affordable housing, seeks to divest the St. Louis Public Library of its Central Branch, demotes the City’s fire chief for refusing to follow political orders, and fails to provide [...]
June 23, 2009 at 7:21 am |
[...] Central Library Renovation Approved: Rationale to Follow By thomasaduda I asked months ago, and I still wonder whether anyone can answer the question, “Why does Francis Slay care about Central Library, anyway?“ [...]
January 23, 2010 at 6:57 pm |
[...] Library to be something other than a facility for the public’s benefit. When I asked, “Why Does Francis Slay Care About Central Library, Anyway?” on April 20, 2009, I did so with the troubling reality of the St. Louis Public Library Board [...]
January 26, 2010 at 7:49 pm |
[...] As St. Louis Public approaches an unprecedented two year shutdown of Central Library for a disastrous “renovation” that will benefit Slay’s campaign contributors at our expe…, I think that it is important for us to consider the history of the “commitment” to [...]
February 8, 2010 at 9:12 am |
[...] company or individual donates money to Slay’s campaign [...]