Webster v Webster: Tangle in the ‘Hood
Date Posted: August 30, 2013
Posted In: News, Projects,
Despite a facility-sharing relationship between Webster University and Eden Seminary spanning four decades, the heated sparring between residents of the City of Webster Groves and the university over the Eden site continued to roil in August. The Webster Groves city council rejected by a 4-3 vote a permit to allow the university to use Eden’s Luhr Library and Wehrli Center and raze the “White House,” an old house that officials said could not be renovated, for green space.
The plan called for the transformation of the former Luhr Library into an administrative and information technology hub. The seminary library, unused since 2009, would also house the Webster University national champion chess squad. Webster University wanted to base an alumni affairs employee in the Werhli Center.
At the core of the controversy seems to be an inherent distrust of Webster University by longtime Webster Groves residents, particularly those in the Webster Park area surrounding Eden. The residents have stated that any use of the property, which the university has leased from the seminary for 99 years, would be only the first step of widespread encroachment by the university into the residential neighborhood on the north side of Lockwood.
Eden SeminaryTheir fears appear to be fueled by the fact that Webster University has quietly purchased residential properties for years in the area south of Big Bend and along Edgar Road. Lockwood currently forms the north boundary of the campus. Big Bend bisects it. The two streets meet in a “V” east of the campus.
Even Webster Mayor Gerry Welch, who voted in favor of the permit, indicated that she felt that candor by the university regarding sharing use of the property with the city, which both sides favor, and a stated moratorium by Webster University on home purchases in the neighborhood north of Lockwood are needed to defuse the current atmosphere.
Webster University for its part has made an effort to be more transparent about its intentions regarding future growth and construction. Under the leadership of President Beth Stroble Webster University a master plan, prepared by the internationally known planning and urban design firm Sasaki & Associates, with input from the City of Webster Groves, was completed in 2012.
“We released the Webster University Master Plan in 2012,” Webster University’s Barbara E. O’Malley, associate vice president and chief communications officer for global marketing and communications, wrote in an email to St. Louis CNR. “Like many Master Plans, it lays out a pathway of potential development for the next 15 – 20 years with much based on availability of resources.
“Since the release of the Master Plan, we have been moving forward in the form of updating facilities, improving landscaping, and improving our physical assets on campus.
“We have also been working with the City Plan Commission and the City Council to advance plans that require their approval. We have tried to be transparent and have kept them in the loop since the onset of our Master Planning process, providing information in both closed and open sessions.
“Leading an institution that has a near-100 year-old legacy means that we are very cognizant of our role as stewards of our institution’s assets, and relationships with our neighbors and of our community. We have a long-term partnership with Eden Theological Seminary that dates back over forty years in which we have shared buildings and facilities. It makes great sense that we continue this partnership in agreement with Eden.
“It is unfortunate that the City Council took the stance it did after months of discussions, sharing of plans and deliberation. Since their decision, we have been hearing from many community members who are expressing dismay that the City of Webster Groves would prevent us from using property that stands unused and in disrepair. To those community members who care passionately about economic development and civic progress, the City Council decision makes no sense.
“At this stage, we are keeping all options open as to next steps.”