I made it back down to Carondelet and explored some more.
Update: I revisited the section of South Broadway below in the winter of 2021.
This time, I went down to Broadway, which has a plethora of historic buildings, many of which date to before the Civil War. You can almost imagine the clanking of hammers at Eads’s shipyards as the ironclads being built there took form.
It’s cliché, but Carondelet really does feel like its own thriving small town.
Chris, it looks like the rows of storefronts across the street from the last photo will be coming down soon. There is a temporary fence around most of that block & windows are now broken out, etc.
I think I know which buildings you’re talking about. Yes, they’re being demolished.
http://stlouispatina.com/watkins-furniture-and-fuel/
Yes, those are it. The stained glass looks like it may have been salvaged.