As you grow older you seem to become more aware of change. For me it's more noticeable in the places where I attribute major life happenings.

The St. Louis Post Dispatch recently published an article talking about the future of the CitiMortgage building at Clayton and Clarkson Roads in Ellisville, MO. I read with interest as that is where I first learned what it means to be an IT professional.

I spent six years at CitiMortgage working my way up to a LAN Manager position and embracing all the new technology the late 80s, early 90s had to offer. In some ways you could say that my experience at CitiMortgage matured me as an adult.

Learning not only technical skills, but soft skills such as presentation, documentation and negotiation, I was able to springboard myself into an exciting and fulfilling career in the IT field.

I loved that building. It was a place of first for me in terms of business location:

• Cafeteria - It was a gorgeous cafeteria that offered breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Mail room - Spacious area where packages and bulk mail were received and sent.
• Copy center - Many nights spent here assembling documentation and manuals.
• Data center - I lived in the data center for 12 months developing CMINet.
• Board room - When your a young guy seeing the executives meeting in a board meeting is impressive.

Each of these things was new to a kid whose prior technical experience was cobbling together programming code in a two person office.

Even after I left we would drive through the parking lot marveling at the size and remembering fondly. When I say we, I mean my wife and I. See, she worked there at the same time I did. It's the only time we've worked for the same company at the same time and it was delightful.

So it was with a degree of sadness that I read the article. It's sort of ironic that CitiMortgage moved to within a half mile of where I work now and the building they moved into is probably twice the size of the building at Clayton and Clarkson.

The article details the reasons the building is being torn down. It seems wasteful to me that a building of such stature and promise would be torn down, but such is life. The land it sits on is prime territory as the surrounding areas is the third wealthiest in St. Louis county.

When I was there plans were being drawn up to build a second building on the land. Now there won't even be one building.

So, is it a shame that I am wistful about a building whose time has come and gone? I don't think so. I think it's important to recognize the passing of chapters. This chapter closes with a wrecking ball instead of a page turn.

I did stop by to grab some final photos of the building before it is removed to make way for a shopping complex.

CitiMortgage Building West Side - If you enter from Clarkson Road this is what you'll see. This was once used as the West County location of the St. Louis Community College system. I can remember working on the project to turn the office space the St. Louis Community College was using into Citicorp space.

 

 

CitiMortgage Building Rear West Side - This the back of the west wing. Before the security measures were implemented, people were free to come and go from this side as well. There were two large parking lots on this side that opened to green space.

 

 

CitiMortgage Building Rear - On the back of this building you can see a patio area under the back of the building. This was the exit for the cafeteria to the outside. People were free to eat on the patio if they wanted. The cafeteria was open, light and airy. The open green space was used for team builders and a few company wide picnics we had throughout the year.

 

 

CitiMortgage Open Space as Seen from Cafeteria - This was the open space behind the building. It included a lake, pictured below, and was once going to be the spot where a second identical building was going to be built.

 

 

CitiMortgage Lake - Ok, it isn't much of a lake, but it did have a dock. I don't recall if it was stocked, but it made for a nice walk around the paved area.

 

 

CitiMortgage Front from Parking Lot - The parking lot in front was prime territory for parking. Since thousands of people working at this building the earlier you got there the better. Rarely would I get a close space in the morning. But at night it was mine. Later in my tenure they awarded the close spaces to CitiStars, a monthly employee recognition program. That meant more than the certificate you received.

 

 

CitiMortgage Front Entrance - This was the main entrance and when the security procedures were instituted everyone had to enter through these doors. Past this door was a security and reception desk, a nice lobby area and the real estate team. Interestingly, when I began working here there was an awesome atrium in the middle of the lobby that extended all three floors. It was later filled in and built out for more office space.

 

 

CitiMortgage Front Parking Lot - No, I'm not obsessed with the parking lot, but through a perspective shot from the entrance was worth it.

 

 

CitiMortgage East Front - This part of the building was identical to the west side. This entrance faced Clayton Road.

 

 

CitiMortgage East Side - This is the side of the east building. The dock is located here. Next to the dock was the generator and across from the dock was the garbage area.

 

 

CitiMortgage Rear East Side - This is the back of the east part of the building.

 

 

CitiMortgage Main Exit - I thought this was the appropriate last picture. It's the main exit looking from the main entrance. Good memories of a great place.

 

 

 

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