Lindell Avenue AAA Building Back on the Chopping Block for CVS Development

The Lindell AAA building is once again threatened with demolition. The preliminary June City of St. Louis Preservation Board agenda includes a "review to demolish existing AAA building and garage to construct a new AAA Facility and CVS Pharmacy." The property is owned by the Automobile Club of Missouri. When the news broke of the intent to demolish the AAA building last June, City of St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay quickly weighed in and posted this statement on his blog, "I believe that the loss of any distinctive element of our built environment must be justified by a new good at least its equal. It is not my current impression that the amenity of a new chain drugstore within blocks of a couple of existing ones or the very ordinary design of the proposed building is such a good."

Even that statement, which left more than a little wiggle room to revise at a latter date, left 18th Ward Alderman Terry Kennedy unhappy. He was critical of the Mayor for speaking out of turn (you see, the mayor is supposed to defer demolition and development to Aldermen in this town). Despite Slay's opposition, it appeared demolition was likely, with Kennedy only stating that his "neighborhood review group will push for a more urban-friendly design, similar to the negotiations that led a nearby Walgreens to improve its building design. Holding CVS to the existing Walgreens standard? This was bad news.