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Council Plaza
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Council Plaza in 2011. "The Saucer" is now a Starbucks and Chipotle.
Location in St. Louis#Location in MissouriShow map of St. LouisLocation in United StatesShow map of MissouriCouncil Plaza (the United States)Show map of the United States
Location	300 S. Grand Blvd., 212 S. Grand Blvd., 310 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri
Coordinates	38°37′58″N 90°14′02″W / 38.63265°N 90.23391°W / 38.63265; -90.23391
Area	9 acres (3.6 ha)
Built	1968 (1968)
Architect	Schwartz and Van Hoeffen
Architectural style	Modern Movement
NRHP reference No.	06000217
Added to NRHP	March 2, 2007

Council Plaza is a housing development in St. Louis, Missouri. Located adjacent to the campus of Saint Louis University, it was built between 1964 and 1968 as a public housing development primarily for the elderly. The principal buildings of the complex are two high-rise apartment buildings, now called Grand View Tower Apartments and Council Tower Senior Apartments. The complex has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2007.

History

Before Grand Center rose to become an entertainment district in St. Louis, the area was a residential neighborhood located just west of the original core of the city. In the years after World War II, civic leaders regarded decaying neighborhoods to be the city's biggest postwar problem. During this time in 1954, Mayor Raymond R. Tucker announced plans for the demolition of the Mill Creek Valley, which was destroyed in 1959 into what locals called the Hiroshima Flats. The area never attracted the investment that the mayor had thought and now Harris-Stowe and St. Louis University occupy the majority of the land.

The Council Plaza housing development, built with financing and support from Teamsters Local 688 and its leader, Harold J. Gibbons, transformed the Grand Center area in the 1950s and 60s. The two apartment towers, the 16-story Council Tower West (now the Grand View Apartments) and the 27-story Council Tower East (now the Council Tower Senior Apartments) were two of the first developments built in the Mill Creek Valley. This area became known as Council Plaza. The Council Tower Senior Apartments building is still one of the tallest residential structures in the metropolitan area; in 2011 this building, then "largely vacant", was sold and the new owner began an extensive renovation, including renovation of the 260 foot high sculpture that covers the tower's east façade.

The filling station building was built in 1967 based on a design by architect Richard Henmi. It was originally a Phillips 66 station, and later became a Del Taco restaurant. In 1967, the Phillips 66 was known for its bat-wing model, consisting of four tapered columns supporting a tapered round roof. The building came to house Starbucks and Chipotle with a project cost about $1.5 million.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. O'Neil, Tim. "A look back: Clearing of Mill Creek Valley changed the face of the city". Web. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
3. "History of St. Louis Neighborhoods". Web. Community Information Network. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
4. Binns, Evan (January 7, 2011). "Bruce mounts $40 million rehab of Council Tower". St. Louis Business Journal. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
5. Bryant, Tim (January 20, 2012). "Craftsmen recreate crumbling sculpture". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
6. Affziger, C (July 26, 2011). "Council Plaza and Grand Center". Web. St. Louis Patina. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
7. Walker, Marlon (August 18, 2011). "Del taco building may keep its saucer shape". Post-Dispatch. Retrieved April 15, 2013.

External links

• National Register of Historic Places nomination for Council Plaza

• Restaurants in St. Louis
• History of St. Louis
• National Register of Historic Places in St. Louis
• Saint Louis University
• Buildings and structures completed in 1968
• Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri