The grand opening of the World Chess Hall of Fame at 4652 Maryland Avenue occurred last Thursday evening and a guesstimated crowd of 400 or so shared in the celebration. Among those in attendance were a celebrated group of inductees, chess-world dignitaries from around the globe, public officials (Lewis Reed, President of the Board of Alderman, Jeff Rainford, Mayor Slay's Chief of Staff, and Charlie Dooley, County Executive), and an assortment of curious non-chess playing neighbors (myself included). Backers Rex and Jeanne Sinquefield, shown above, have good reason to be proud of this recent addition to the cultural mix of St. Louis.
After a welcoming ceremony, formal induction of the honorees and a ribbon cutting, the building was open for touring. Exhibitions currently on view at the Museum are: "Chess Masterpieces: Highlights of the Dr. George and Vivian Dean Collection," and "Out of the Box: Artists Play Chess," including a piece created by Yoko Ono. See the website for hours.
The impact of the Chess Club on the CWE has been significant. Tournaments have attracted players from all over the world. When the Club first opened, we met a man from Kansas City who was so impressed by the quality of the facility that he hoped to find a place to live in the neighborhood, as he thought he'd be here frequently. The organization also sponsors lessons for area school children, and brings many guests to the Chase Hotel, where occasional tournaments are held when Club facilities can't accommodate all the players.
That's the good news. Following recent posts on a wedding dress and the fabulous 9/11 Memorial on Art Hill, I am back on the neighborhood beat with some observations on local businesses/organizations that behave as though permits and ordinances exist only for others.
As I walked over to the opening Thursday evening I realized that Maryland Avenue was closed from Euclid to the planter beds just beyond the Chess Club. You may remember that in Alderman Lyda Krewson's recent letter (see it here) she mentioned that the Chess Club had been granted a permit to close Maryland for a couple of hours on Saturday for a Boy Scout event. I learned Thursday night that the Chess Club had also applied for a permit to close the street for the opening party, but that application had been denied. Incredibly, it didn't seem to matter. The justification offered was that they expected 400 people to attend the event, and had no place to put them. Does that suggest that, by extension, every time a business wants to stage a large event they can adopt their own rules for the use of public space? The Chess Museum commandeered the street to accommmodate a service bar, bar tables, V.I.P. seating, and a large screen t.v. It also caused a huge inconvenience for residents, visitors, and for businesses located nearby.
Recently Maryland Plaza's Moris Fashions sought a permit to close York Avenue for a fashion show, and Drunken Fish requested a permit to close Euclid and Maryland for an anniversary bash. Fittingly, those applications were denied, and those two businesses adapted and abided by the Street Department's decision.
On Friday morning the only evidence of the party was the rain-soaked red carpet remaining on the sidewalk and in the gutter. It does not seem to be in the interest of the larger community to be closing public streets for private purposes at will. Policies and procedures exist for good reason, and it seems to me they should apply to all, regardless of the good work of the organization.
After this I'm going back to reporting on less controversial topics.
This was a ridiculous situation. THe Chess Club knew a permit was required, but blatantly ignored it. Very Frustrating! There were absolutely no ramifications for them.
While I welcome this interesting addition to the neighborhood, I’m befuddled at how an organization would blatantly ignore the permits and processes to which the rest of us, residents and businesses alike must abide.
I appreciate your reports on ALL issues relating to the CWE – controversial or not. It seems to me, on light of several recent issues, we need some way to enforce neighborhood restriction/decisions.