No More Humphrey's?? WTF???

[Box and Won]

I think a "Save Humphrey's" campaign may be in order. Check out Bill McCleland's column from the Post this morning:

A SLU classic faces squeeze from developers

By Bill McClellan

Of the Post-Dispatch

04/24/2005

THERE IS A SENSE of timelessness, alums will tell you, at Humphrey's Restaurant and Tavern just south of the St. Louis University campus on Laclede Avenue. The saloon looks much as it did when it first opened 29 years ago.

It was then, and is now, a place to get a beer and a sandwich, but as the lunch hour turns into afternoon and then into night, and the crowd morphs from middle-aged workers into grad students and upperclassmen, the beer becomes ever more important. That has been the nature of the place since Bob "Humphrey" Mangelsdorf decided to open an "upscale" campus bar in 1976.

But now redevelopment has come to Laclede, and the future of the landmark saloon is in jeopardy.

"I cannot comment on the status of the negotiations," said Erik Solverud, the attorney for the developers.

"I have no intention of selling," said Janis Mangelsdorf.

She is Humphrey's widow. She was attending dental hygiene school at Forest Park Community College when she met Humphrey in the early '70s. He was managing Friday's, a saloon at Spring and Laclede. They got married in 1973. Two years later, Humphrey decided to open his own place and bought Free Advice, a hippie sort of a place located in one of the row houses on Laclede. An entire wall was a blackboard. Burgundy wine was the house specialty. We'll turn this into a more traditional, but upscale campus bar, said Humphrey. Much of the labor was provided by fraternity boys who were happy to be paid in beer. The bar opened in June 1976.

Upscale, of course, is a subjective term. Humphrey's was never fancy. But it was clean. Humphrey served good sandwiches and quality liquor. He hoped to attract grad students and professors. His place became a law school hangout. Then in 1986, at age 40, Humphrey had a heart attack and died.

Janis was left with their three sons - 2, 4 and 6. Also, a mountain of debt. She quit dental hygiene to run the saloon. In 1988, she had the opportunity to buy the two row houses adjoining the saloon, to the west. She figured she had to do it. She had to expand the place. "I hated to take on more debt, but I couldn't meet the expenses unless I did," she said. She had a difficult time getting a loan. Finally, Paul Ross of Citizens Bank in Maplewood gave her the loan. The expansion worked. She saved her business.

The years rolled along. Bars in that midtown area came and went - Friday's, Caleco's, Pastore's, the Loading Zone, Bogart's, Fifth House and 20 North. Humphrey's remained. The three Mangelsdorf boys grew up working at the place their father started.

In 2001, the 240,000-square-foot warehouse complex west of and behind Humphrey's went on the market. It was owned by the Warehouse of Fixtures. Developers Rick Yackey, Bill Bruce and broker Rick Zimmerman purchased the complex in late 2003. The building to the west of the saloon was slated for condos and lofts. The building behind the saloon - that is, to the south - was offered for sale or lease. Aquinas Institute, which currently leases space from St. Louis University on Lindell, agreed to lease and then eventually buy the building. The Dominican-sponsored institute hopes to move into its new quarters in the fall.

Why should these things have any impact on Humphrey's?

Years ago, when the row houses were finally coming down, the properties were bought almost in a Monopoly fashion. One person bought Boardwalk. Somebody else bought Park Place. The Warehouse of Fixtures eventually owned two small strips next to Humphrey's, and Humphrey's owned a small strip next to the Warehouse of Fixtures. There was a similar patchwork of ownership behind Humphrey's. But all along, Humphrey's has used all of this area as its parking lot. Years ago, Mangelsdorf fenced it and paved it. "I need parking for my employees and customers," she said.

She said the developers visited her and told her they intended to buy her place. Her attorney, Gerald Ortbals, said the completed plans of the development show a parking lot where the saloon now is. If the developers can block access to the parking lot, they can starve her business, he said. So he went to court this month and filed a lawsuit arguing that Humphrey's be given title to the property because it has been using and maintaining the property since 1976.

Attorney Solverud said his clients intend to "vigorously contest" that lawsuit. "We own those parcels," he said.

What about the ultimate plans of the development? Is Humphrey's slated to be a parking lot?

"I'm not sure they've gotten that far in their plans," Solverud said.

Aquinas Institute's entrance will face the back of the saloon. That is not exactly ideal. Plus, its lease stipulates that the developers will provide parking. Where are those spots? But it seems possible, even likely, that any problems with Aquinas can be worked out.

"We're Catholics, so we don't oppose drinking," said the Rev. Charles Bouchard, Aquinas' president.

On Friday, Bouchard brought the Aquinas board to Humphrey's for lunch.

But will the same spirit of good will be present with the developers? Can the landmark saloon be saved? The good news is that Solverud is a graduate of St. Louis University Law School. Did he used to hang out at Humphrey's?

"I've been to Humphrey's," he said.

[MrJ2333]

You'd think theyd realize there isnt a huge need for more overpriced housing on campus. We've already got Coronado, Lindell, any on campus housing, and now the Moolah. We only have 3 bars now, and Lacledes sucks. I would think that Humphreys being right next to the development would be more of a positive than a negative, but maybe thats just me.

[Iggy]

Perhaps Jan can take the money she'll receive in the sale and open a new and improved Humphrey's next to the new arena. That would be nice.

[SLUAvtr]

I heard this straight from Jan's mouth, "I am not selling, nor do I have any intention on selling this place." Granted this was at the end of the Billikens season, but Jan said she will not sell Humphrey's, unless something has changed her mind drastically, but I highly doubt it. Humphrey's is just way to important to so many people, including all of Billiken nation.

[Basketbill]

so what are the potions for Humphreys? File to be named a landmark?? Would that put too many restrictions on renovations and other business decisions? It seems the Aquinas people could easily make a deal allowing a joint parking facility. Did not Mayor Slay go to SLU, and how many beers did he have at Humphrey's....

As a Med student I remember many a thursday night there, or at least the beginning many thursday nights there. I remember cutting out of an afternoon of lectures to sneak over to Humphreys, hiding from the TV Camers as SLU and Larry won in the first round of the NCAA's.

[Billiken Law]

beware the power of eminent domain. Jan may not have a choice whether to sell or not. A lot will hinge on the outcome of the Kelo case recently heard in the USSC regarding ED.

[SLUAvtr]

Wouldn't eminent domain only affect Jan if these developers are on SLU's on their payroll? I know SLU could come in and say, "Hey, it's our land because it's on our "campus", but unless the developers are in bed with SLU, then it'd be SLU's decision on what would be done with the Hump, correct? The question SLU would have to ask themselves would be to tear it down, give us the money and we'll run, or risk upsetting A HELL of a lot of people/students/alumni/etc., and losing a very large booster of their athletic department, and have another "graduation tax" fiasco on their hands again.

[Billiken Law]

This is what Kelo is all about - ED abuse by extending ED power to private developers in the name of "revitalization."

Besides, is Humprhey's actually on the SLU campus? It isn't owned by SLU....

[kshoe]

Humphries then there is almost no way the developers will win this battle. If SLU acts like this is none of their business then Humphries could be in trouble.

I suspect that the recent articles will fire up the community and alumni and Biondi will put a stop to this in the near future.

[TEE]

I am all for revitilization efforts in the city, but come on.

These developers need to realize that Jan/Humphries are people you work with, not people you run for parking.

UGH!!!!!!!!

[Lobo]

What happened to the building that use to house Pastori's and BBC?

I think having a restaurant/bar on the edge of campus is a positive.

[cujaysfan]

does humphery's own the building - or do they lease from another entity...that would make a huge difference.

will make me really sad if i can't have a beer or ten at the humpty hump next time i am in town to watch the bills.

[Box and Won]

It's still there - it's empty though.

The old Fifth House building on Laclede (Between Warehouse of Fixtures and Laclede Street Bar & Grill) is slated for demolition by SLU, which is too bad - that building would have made a great bar or coffee shop.

[SLUAvtr]

Jan "owns" the building per se. If I remember correctly, when the city finally decided to work out the certificate of who owned the property, there was quite a bit of legal tape that needed to be worked around, but I believe Jan does own the title to the building, not SLU, nor the city. SO, in all essence, Jan needs to be bought out if they want to tear down Humphrey's. SLU, I believe, does not own that property, but because Humphrey's is now surrounded by all that is SLU, that is where I think they will try to use the eminent domain. The parking, I know for a fact, is actually the lot for that warehouse right next door to Humphrey's, but, like the article said, Jan is trying to solidify the title because she's been maintaining it for 20+ years or so. I think the fate of Humphrey's is totally in Jan's hands, and she said she'll never give it up. She'd never want to take away the band's favorite hang out place.

[SLUAvtr]

Please don't anyone say to move this topic to the other board. We all know the Hump is an integral part of every Billiken basketball season. This topic DEFINITELY fits onto the season board.

[bonwich]

We've had some interesting discussions in the past about SLU's ongoing inability to nurture retail, restaurants and other support services in the surrounding neighborhood. I submit that Humphrey's is another link in that chain.

[rhagolf]

As someone who is acquainted with Mr. Yackey, beware is a good word to consider. He is a former owner of the Lt. Robert E. Lee, which was moved from the riverfront to Imperial, without the approval of the Corps of Engineers or the City of St. Louis. The City was involved, because they had an urban development grant, when the boat was located on the river. The leased restaurant went belly-up, so the partnership headed for the hills, when they found a buyer.

Hopefully, His Honor the Mayor will remember this transaction!

[davidnark]

This isn't a SLU thing. This is a private developer.