25.06.24
Phone conversation

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Alease Dailes is a longtime resident of Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO. At the time of this interview, she served as alderwoman representing Ward 4 of Bellefontaine Neighbors, which is directly adjacent to Cementland.

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Daniil:

You said you weren't familiar with Cementland before we spoke, right?

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Alderwoman Alease Dailes:

Correct.

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Daniil:

If it was up to you, what would you like to see on that lot at Scranton and Riverview Drive? Do you have any ideas of what the community might like to see in that place?

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Alderwoman Dailes:

Yeah, I was thinking about that this morning. A nice luxury hotel with balconies so the guests could view the river during any season. And a nice, high-level restaurant, upscale restaurant, so that individuals from the area and from out of town could come and enjoy a great meal.

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Daniil:

What sort of impact do you think that would have in Bellefontaine?

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Alderwoman Dailes:

I believe a lot of the individuals who live here, the homeowners, the young – middle aged, it would be a nice place. They would love to have an upscale restaurant in the neighborhood where they can go and enjoy birthdays or just the night out, a date night, or girls’ night out. Enjoying the scenes of the Mississippi River from the balcony.

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Daniil:

I think last time we spoke; you also threw out an idea for a boating lodge?

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Alderwoman Dailes:

Oh yes, I think the boating lodge will be excellent. We have a lot of individuals that do have boats in our community. And having a boating lodge on that level, some of the people in the community will learn about boating, purchase boats and store the boats at the location. I think this will be excellent. It will also be a great tourist attraction, having the hotel there, not that far away from the Safari. The boats can take trips on the river. And given the history, further down the river, going towards the City of St. Louis is the area where Mary Meachum led the slaves across from Missouri to Illinois. Tourist will be able to see thesteps in the area that they took down to the river.

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Daniil:

And is flooding a concern for development in that area at all?

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Alderwoman Dailes:

Yes. In '93, we had the Great Flood of the Missouri River. It was devastating to this area. I think back in either '19 or '20, we had the river come up. The river does come up across Riverview Drive, and the city has closed the gates where there will not be access from Hall Street all the way down to I270. This may be an issue depending on the season. I don't know how to prevent that; that would be something from the engineering company to figure out. Depending on the season, that could be a problem.

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Daniil:

You mentioned that with both of these ideas for the boating lodge and for the hotel, this might bring some tourism into the area. What kind of impact would an influx of tourism have on your ward in Bellefontaine?

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Alderwoman Dailes:

That area, I think, is Riverview. However, the few small businesses that we do have in the city might benefit from it. We don't have a lot of businesses. The QuikTrip area, they will probably be able to flourish a lot more—you know, people getting gas. We do have a small grocery store, which is Ruler. But we're more of a bedroom community.  We don’t have a lot of businesses. And most of the businesses that we do have, they're right at the corner of Bellefontaine and Chambers, or at Lilac and 270, where the QuikTrip is located.

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Daniil:

You mentioned that your father had a connection to the Missouri Portland Cement Factory?

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Alderwoman Dailes:

He used to deliver to the factory. This area was a farm area at that time. My Dad, a US Army Vet, was a Purple Heart from World War II. He's been deceased for about 13-14 years. But yes, he did indicate to us when we were growing up that he would come down to the factory. He worked for General Electric, and he would deliver light bulbs to that company.  And he was a union worker for the Teamsters.

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Daniil:

And did he live in the area too at that time?

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Alderwoman Dailes:

At that time, blacks were not allowed in this area.

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Daniil:

Is there anything you'd like to share about Cementland, or the Missouri Portland Cement factory, or Bellefontaine generally that I haven't asked?

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Alderwoman Dailes:

I think it's an excellent idea. This would be a long-term goal, but if there was a boating lodge, I think it would be perfect along with the hotel for people to store their boats. And, if someone would open a boating shop, where people in the neighborhood could buy small boats, and take boating lessons on how to use their boats on the river. I think it would be excellent. It will give people in the community something different to do and a different sport to learn.

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Daniil:

The property that Cementland was purchased by a trucking company recently, and it seems like there is a lot of trucking operations in that area. Is that trucking logistics industry a presence in Bellefontaine?

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Alderwoman Dailes:

I'm not sure. If it is or was, the trucks would come down Riverview.