Business Owners, St. Louis Officials Criticize Investor's Rising Rents.

Byline: Peter Shinkle

Jul. 8--David Jump, a real estate investor trying to sell a group of buildings in the Washington Avenue loft district for $37.5 million, is seeking to triple the rent paid by the City Museum.

Also, he sought to raise the rent on a daycare center last summer, sparking criticism from a city official working to redevelop the district. Other tenants in Jump's buildings say their rents will increase, or have done so.

Jump's handling of the real estate in the district has sparked the kind of criticism familiar from disputes over urban redevelopment in other cities.

Jump has defenders, too. One restaurateur said he is pleased with work Jump has done to improve some buildings. A city official said rent increases are inevitable as the district is improved.

The dispute has arisen as a section of Washington Avenue stretching from Tucker Boulevard six blocks west to 18th Street is undergoing redevelopment with the help of $11 million in federal funds. The renovation of the former garment district, which is studded with architectural gems from its heyday, has spurred development of new loft space for offices and residential living. It has led also to rising rents that might force some businesses and tenants to relocate.

Jump is not the only real estate investor active in the area, but he is widely considered the most powerful. Jump …