Plan to modernize area clashes with homeless

ST. LOUIS -- Lucas Park was once a refuge for the rich from the grit of the city. Now, it offers refuge for the homeless, who are accused of panhandling, littering and publicly urinating in the park, which is in the heart of a loft district.

City Hall has a new strategy for dealing with the problem.

It includes increased police enforcement and improved services that give the homeless a place to eat, bathe and go to the bathroom during daytime hours when they are locked out of some shelters.

The city also plans to crack down on what Jeff Rainford, Mayor Francis Slay's chief of staff, calls "drive-by feeders" -- churches and charitable groups that visit Lucas Park almost daily to give out food.

Past efforts by police to clear the homeless from the park drew criticism from civil liberties lawyers and a lawsuit.

In recent years, downtown residents and business owners have stepped up demands to address the homeless village at Lucas Park. At the same time, loft development has boomed around it, and more high-end housing -- including new construction -- is in the pipeline.

The city's plan calls for enforcement of a 10 p.m. curfew at Lucas Park and ordinances against public urination, public drinking and littering.

The city also will close the park at 2 p.m. daily to allow crews to throw away trash, makeshift beds and belongings that have been stored there.