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By
Jim Baer
Wiley Sam Walton was one sly guy. He didn’t earn his fortunes
at the helm of Wal-Mart by making dumb decisions.
For instance, think about the friendly greeter at the front
door? Sure, old Sam wanted to make you feel welcomed and comfortable
in his retail establishments. But he was working on a more complex
theory. His motivation was a little less than obvious. People
are 70 percent less likely to steal from a friend than a stranger.
And for that one instance, that front-door greeter is your newest
and best friend.
Downtown St. Louis is coming alive with all kinds of greeters
and newest-best friends. If Captain Toni Filla, commander of
the downtown 4th district had her way, her officers in automobiles,
on bikes, Vespa scooters and on foot would become your newest-best
friends.
Calmly sipping an iced tea on a hot day outdoors in the Central
West End, Capt. Filla motioned towards a squad car gliding by
and asked: “When you see a St. Louis policeman, is the window
rolled down, and did that officer greet you with a hello?”
Wade Blackwell, principal of Blackwell Professional Support
Services (BPSS) certainly gets it too. He has a small army of
highly-trained security officers, doormen, and executive officers
at downtown establishments, protecting the citizens within their
territorial limits. Blackwell and Filla certainly both get it—the
fact that high-level security will give the comfort and assurance
that people demand in today’s somewhat threatening society.
“9/11 changed the way we look at the world and how we deal with
the people,” reasons Filla, commander of the downtown district.
One bad incident can give a downtown area, or for that matter,
any area a bloody nose. Police and security downtown are going
to great lengths to make sure that security and absolute law
and order reigns supreme.
Filla attends countless meetings with downtown organizations
including Downtown St. Louis Partnership, garage owners and
the like to make sure plans are in place to protect the citizens
within her charge. Finding time to patrol the street and get
away from the desk is a challenge in itself for this veteran
officer.
Captain Toni Filla, St. Louis Police Department
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However, crime statistics are finally on Filla’s side.
“We are here for the citizens.” says the commander.
What the 32-year-veteran with many previous job responsibilities
including secretary to the St. Louis Police Board, Commander
of Internal Affairs, Commander of Traffic and Commander of the
8th and 1st District and Supervisor of Sex Crimes frets most
about is lack of experience of her youngest officers.
“A lot of our officers have less than five-years experience
and I worry about them the most,” she reveals. “They need a
lot of hand-holding. Our officers need to stay attuned to downtown
problems in general,” she says.
Filla is glad the streets are filled with people and that buyers
are purchasing so many downtown lofts. Activity along the avenues
and boulevards is making the police officers jobs easier. “If
things just don’t look right, then we will investigate,” she
says. Darkened and empty streets and alley ways can be their
biggest threat. She is happy that the Downtown CID guides have
been put on bikes downtown to spread information and good cheer,
especially for the six-million visitors who embark on downtown
annually.
Filla says her closest allies are within the downtown business
organizations, stores and hotels in general. She tips her military-style
cap to Downtown Partnership’s President Jim Cloar. She also
says Mayor (Francis) Slay and the police board have a lot of
input into what she and her officers generally do downtown.
“They realize how tough our job can be and they support us,”
she says.
Filla has 75 officers assigned to downtown including five lieutenants
and 15 sergeants covering everything west of Jefferson and east
to the river; south to 1-44 and north to Market Street past
Cole Street and the Edward Jones Dome.
Generally, Filla feels that things are pretty much normal at
Union Station, down in Laclede’s Landing and lively along Washington
Avenue. “We have people out and about until 3 a.m. on Washington.
We have to watch out for people walking in dark alleys and to
parking lots there,” she says. “We don’t want anyone to have
an unsafe or negative experience downtown.”
Filla says the main target for theft is valuables left in cars.
“If I could give out just one piece of advice, I would tell
people to lock up their valuables and put them into the trunk
and get them out of sight,” she says thoughtfully.
Blackwell, 47, who has been in business now five years, is running
security at a number of places downtown with a staff of 48 that
is growing all the time.
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Doorman
Earl Bingham for Blackwell Professional Support
Services Inc. |
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The doorman you see wearing a highly-tailored serge suit with
a “B” emblazoned on the sleeve and white gloves is likely a
black belt in Karate. What BPSS is offering in many cases is
75 percent concierge service and 25 percent security coverage.
BPSS has contracts with CORTEX, St. Louis Life Science Center,
Gambrill Gardens, Beauvais Manor on the Park, Mansions on the
Plaza, the Sansone Group and Colliers Turley Martin and is honing
in on downtown’s Marquette Building, Park East Towers, Park
Pacific, the Bogen Lofts and the Chemical Building.
For six months, Blackwell holed up on the top floor of the Paul
Brown Building, walking the streets day and night to find out
the exact needs of the business community. He needed to experience
life on the street downtown in the raw state. Job No. 1 is maintaining
a close relationship with St. Louis’ downtown police force.
BPSS’s doorman’s appearance is impeccable, distinguished and
exhibit warm personalities, while welcoming residents and guests
to a given property. Doormen can suggest a restaurant, call
a cab, hand over a newspaper or stop a criminal in their tracks.
Their goal is to protect residents both on and nearby their
assigned properties. “Service is everything. We look our customers
in the eye and we give service. People who deal with our doormen
and security people have that warm and fuzzy feeling,” says
Blackwell.
Blackwell keeps a close and tidy relationship with St. Louis’
police and downtown leaders. He too attends countless leadership
meetings and is a member of the RCGA’s Leadership Circle.
Blackwell himself is trained in the martial arts and has worked
for Tracy’s Karate Studios for 25 years.
“Jim (Cloar) is my mentor. I am determined to make downtown
a safe place,” says Blackwell.
So where did Blackwell get this high-end doorman concept? Look
no further than New York or Chicago where well dressed doormen
greet guests and residents alike at many hotels, office buildings
and apartment complexes.
“Safety and security requires a lot of teamwork. We have to
watch the sidewalks, the alleys, everything. We are on the lookout
for all potential problems,” he says. “I put my own name on
the company. That should mean something. We are the hardest
workers in the business and we are concerned with all aspects
of safety,” says Blackwell. “I take this whole thing seriously,
and I am committed to making it work,” he says.
If downtown is going to grow and become a major player in urban
renewal, then security has to be the paramount focus. Hospitality
and security just go hand in hand. There is no margin for error.
Filla and Blackwell are two in the business who sure feel that
way about making downtown St. Louis a safe place to work, play
and stay.
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DOORMEN
EVERYWHERE
Young professionals and entrepreneurs, moving into downtown
lofts travel a great deal, and for some, their living
space may be a second or third home. What these travelers
need is a lot of TLC and security. Some are buying condos
just so they have a place to stay when going to sports
events or entertainment venues downtown. These people
prefer a second home to a hotel room.
Rob McRitchie, a partner in the firm Heisman and Crossland
Capital Partners is offering just that. Plans call for
doormen at the Alexa at Washington and Tucker, where luxury
condominiums will go on sale later this year.
“We are finding a high level of interest with this service.
The City is experiencing a renaissance in development
and we want to take that development to the next level
and offer amenities that buyers would find in Chicago
or New York,” says McRitchie.
Phyllis Weiss, who handles publicity for the Meridian
and the Chemical Building, says the elevated service is
just becoming a normal standard that buyers are coming
to expect. “A lot of our owners travel a lot and we don’t
want to raise any red flags to indicate when they are,
or are not in town. Our doormen will take their packages
and make sure their property is unmolested,” says Weiss.
Families want to see a high level of security for their
loved ones, reasons Weiss. “Many of the new buyers are
young women living on their own for the first time, and
“we will have a surrogate looking out after their best
interest,” she indicates.
What is a standard in New York and Chicago and elsewhere
is coming to St. Louis in a big way. Expect to see a lot
of doormen at high end establishments throughout downtown.
The downtown housing market is growing up, one step at
a time.
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ABOUT
DOWNTOWN
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The
Old Post Office is one of two remaining French Second Empire
architectural style governmental buildings in the United
States. In addition to its historic architecture, the building
features: an encircling 30-foot-deep moat; 14 visible fireplaces;
the sculpture of “Peace and Vigilance” by Daniel Chester
French (also noted for his Abraham Lincoln sculpture in
the Lincoln Memorial), relocated from the dome to the building’s
first floor (a replica rests at the base of the dome); and
15 walk-in bank vaults that at one time stored gold bullion
to fund U.S. westward expansion.
Jacob
Development Group currently has three lofts under redevelopment
on Washington Avenue: The Bogen, the Avenida and the Ventana.
Each building comes with an electric car, exclusively for
use by residents for quick jaunts around town.
Originally built in 1892 and currently
on the National Register of Historic Places, The Security
Building is only the third dual “green” and historic renovation
in the country and the first in St. Louis. The Lawrence
Group has been located in the building for more than 12
years and purchased it in 2003. |
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