As I was driving down Kingshighway from Bellefontaine Cemetery to the former St. Mark’s, a blinding white object to the right caught my attention. The old Rex-All Warehouse, which I’ve looked at before back in June of 2011 and November of 2018 (fifth through seventh photos) has received a “glow up” as the kids say nowadays.
Think they have enough signs? And I didn’t even notice the giant chicken until I got home. I guess painting all the windows over is one way to save on painter’s tape.
I stumbled upon a fascinating story about the ownership change about 420 years ago on this building.
Apparently the City of St Louis foreclosed or put it up for tax sale due to delinquent taxes Somehow, a guy in San Diego learned of it and submitted offer, which was highest offer, to buy it.
The City had the power, under whatever process he used to purchase it, to deny the sale due to out of state residency. After some back and forth arguments, he shrugged and… MOVED FROM SAN DIEGO TO ST LOUUS PRRMANENTLY!
The warehouse was used as car, boat and other storage under the name of Fiesta. I used to work for Grandpa Pidgeons and we used Fiesta for storing pallets of items at half the cost of other places.
We became good friends over the years and he’s one of the most colorful down to earth folk I’ve ever known. He refused to give up his San Diego culture in St Louis, wearing shorts and Hawaiian shirts even in St Louis winters.
Eventually he sold the business, I think to a friend or associate , who is probably current owner
😵💫. 20 years ago, not 420!
Ugh! I absolutely abhor “whitewashing”, especially over windows, this warehouse looked pretty nice back in its day. I remember Rexall Drugs, but we always had Walgreens too, even in the 60’s, and I never thought of Walgreens as a “low-price” competitor vs. Rexalls. Almost anytime we went into the city from Shrewsbury, we passed Rexalls at the corner of Chippewa and Jamison, and then Walgreens in the Hampton Plaza (Hampton & Chippewa), and we did get prescriptions at both places when I was a kid when the local Shrewsbury Pharmacy (which had limited hours) was closed, and we needed medication right away.