Thursday, October 16, 2014

A Tour Of The Cotton Belt Building

Cotton Belt Building 3

The Artica festivities were held in and around the abandoned Cotton Belt Railway freight terminal. As noted by Dave of Tamarindo Daily Photo, who lived in STL at one time, there was another Cotton Belt Building downtown that started as a hotel and became an office building. It was demolished two years after I started working downtown but I have no memory of it.

The freight terminal is a five story building that served a particular railroad. It is now owned by an acquaintance of mine who has great hopes of redevelopment but, as usual these days, cannot get funding. Tomorrow we will look at the great wall facing the Mississippi and what it may become.                          

Cotton Belt Building 2

Cotton Belt Building 4

Cotton Belt Building 5

Cotton Belt Building 1

7 comments:

Pat said...

I think these places have their own special beauty, and it's good to preserve them photographically. There are many such here.

Luis Gomez said...

I have been there. It still is a great looking place.

William Kendall said...

It looks like a place ripe for ghost stories.

Nathalie H.D. said...

Is the place wide open to artists and the public or is it restricted access and only open during the festival?

I love the creative space it represents for artists but I can also imagine your friend's concern regarding redevelopment opportunities - economic prospects don't look good at the moment.

Nathalie H.D. said...

I particularly like the first photo of the team of young people walking into the room - I love the collective energy in the way they move forward.

Nathalie H.D. said...

I particularly like the first photo of the team of young people walking into the room - I love the collective energy in the way they move forward.

Unknown said...

haha - that team picture is not just "young people" - some of us are "older" but the pure creative energy of artica is ageless