​The Urban Greening Program (UGP) guides the spending of $13.5 million on the demolition of vacant and abandoned buildings in the City of St. Louis for the purpose of removing impervious surface and reducing combined sewer overflows. The funding is provided by the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District’ Project Clear as described in a 2012 Consent Decree. Through an agreement between MSD and LCRA, the funding is managed by St. Louis Development Corporation staff as a program of Green City Coalition.
 
The selection of buildings for demolition includes a combination of data-driven prioritization and neighborhood engagement. The Vacancy Demolition Prioritization Model ranks City blocks based on their high potential for storm water absorption through open space maintenance. Green City Coalition also hosts neighborhood participatory mapping and open space planning workshops in high-priority neighborhoods and offers technical assistance to neighborhood-supported small-scale development projects.  

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IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS
St. Louis Development Corporation // Land Reutilization Authority // Building Division // Planning & Urban Design Agency // Missouri Department of Conservation // Department of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry // Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District // EPA Regions 5 and 7  

FUNDING PARTNERS
Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District // St. Louis Development Corporation
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BUILDING SELECTION METHODS

​Vacant and condemned buildings are selected for UGP demolitions based on the following:

• the building is within high-priority areas for removing impervious surface (top 20th percentile of prioritization model);


• the building poses a high risk to public health and/or safety (e.g. falling bricks, crumbling walls, foundation decay, repeat problem properties for illegal dumping or crime); 


• and/or the building has been prioritized through Green City Coalition neighborhood workshops or technical assistance programs. 

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UGP DEMOLITION STANDARDS

​​Urban Greening Program demolitions are required to meet the standards outlined in the City of St. Louis Demolition Handbook, with the following key differences:
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• no man-made materials are permitted to remain on site (this includes the complete removal of basements and foundations, removal of any remnant fencing materials, concrete pads, retaining walls, sheds, garages, etc.), and no burying of any materials;


• tested and approved soil fill is provided to the contractor and delivered after clean-hole inspection;


• in addition to the core requirement of certification by the Demolition Board, contractors must attend a program orientation before being eligible to bid on UGP demos. 

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GREEN LIEN APPLICATION PROCESS

​After impervious surfaces are removed from a parcel (demolition is complete), a deed restriction is applied. The deed restriction limits the future amount of impervious surface to about 50% of the parcel's size, impacting plans for residential construction only rarely but not permitting parking lots or large structures. If impervious surfaces must exceed the max, green infrastructure best practices can be employed to offset the potential loss of water absorption.

These ‘Green Liens’ can be applied to the parcel where the demolition occurred, or they can be ‘swapped’ for another. Swapped parcels must meet each of the following conditions:

• the parcel  does not contain a structure and is owned by LRA;


• the parcel is available for purchase from the LRA (no pending offers or sales);


• the parcel size is comparable to that of the parcel receiving UGP funding;


• the parcel is within the same city watershed as the parcel receiving UGP funding;


• and the parcel is within at least one of the following: high priority VDPM block, MSD problem area, or community open space.

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UGP Technical Assistance Program

​Technical assistance is available through the Urban Greening Program for neighborhood-supported development of LRA land. In the event that a neighborhood organization, community development corporation, or small developer with neighborhood support is pursuing the development of LRA vacant properties containing buildings in need of demolition, the Urban Greening Program may be able to provide technical assistance by fully funding and overseeing demolitions.

For an organization to be eligible for the UGP Technical Assistance Program, the following conditions must be met: 
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• the properties are within the Bissell Point Watershed;


• the organization can ensure overall project funding and implementation, and can demonstrate neighborhood and ward support; 


• the Building Division, LRA, and Cultural Resources Office have confirmed the need for building demolition; 


• the organization will select the demolition parcel or a comparably sized, available LRA lot to receive a Green Lien, and that property will be included in the development project and maintained by the organization thereafter.

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GET INVOLVED

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