Kriegshauser West Mortuary

James L. Smith, who died Wednesday (Dec. 6, 2017) in a plane crash, had a long career as a developer and commercial real estate broker but was especially known for his key role in renovating and reopening the Chase Park Plaza Hotel.“He always said that it was a magnificent gem to the city and it deserved to be brought back to life,” a daughter, Marcia Niedringhaus, said Saturday of the iconic hotel, which reopened in 1998 after being shuttered for nine years.“He was proud to be the one to steward it for a period of time.”Mr. Smith, 72, of University City, was piloting a single-engine plane that lost power and crashed into a gas station parking lot as it approached Spirit of St. Louis Airport. He was returning from a business trip to Phoenix, his daughter said.In the 1990s, Mr. Smith already was an experienced real estate executive when he began looking for partners to buy the Chase, which was built in the 1920s.He and his fellow investors ended up carrying out a $100 million revival that included about 250 new hotel suites, a movie theater, new restaurants and a renovated ballroom.Mr. Smith remained a fixture at the Chase for more than 15 years. In 2006, a Dallas company bought most of the property but a company owned by Mr. Smith continued to operate the complex, and he remained the public face of continued improvements. He eventually was ousted by the owners in 2013 amid a court fight.Mayor Lyda Krewson, who as an alderman from the area worked with Mr. Smith on the project, said it was “the single biggest impetus” for reinvigorating the Central West End.Mr. Smith grew up in Florissant and earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Louis University in political science. His career also included stints as chairman of the St. Louis County Planning and Zoning Commission and on the boards of the regional Convention and Visitors Commission and the county Local Development Corp.He also was involved with various charity groups and was on the board of the Cathedral Concerts at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis,... (STLtoday.com)