ST. LOUIS & CLAYTON | Project Rundown

[Arch City]

St. Louis' Delmar Strip better known as 'The Loop', 'The Delmar Loop', or ' U City Loop' continues to grow with awesome in-fill projects. And...with the Loop Trolley on its way, growth in this part of the region is certain.

According to the website, The Loop Center will be "a unique commercial space, both in design and location, this 30,000 square foot, two-story mixed-use development will accommodate restaurants, retail and office space. Its prized location will encourage both day and evening activities."



Link:
The Loop Center

[Arch City]

After a year-long delay, Shriners Hospital for Children has resumed planning for their new St. Louis hospital.



ST. LOUIS – Shriners Hospitals for Children® — St. Louis will resume planning construction for a new facility at the Washington University Medical Center, according to Ray A. Rohr, chairman of the Board of Governors for the hospital. The project was placed on hold in early 2009 due to the economic down turn and its effect on the international health system’s endowment fund.

“We are very excited that we can finally move forward with the construction of our new hospital,” Rohr said. “While our current facility has served us well, and will continue to do so for the immediate future, our patients and their families deserve a facility that better reflects the state-of-the-art care we provide.”

Hospital officials in St. Louis received word last week that the hospital system’s governing boards in Tampa, Fla., voted to begin moving forward with the project. Con In 2008, the Boards of Directors and Trustees for Shriners Hospitals for Children® approved building a 247,000-square-foot hospital at the Washington University Medical Center campus in St. Louis.

Plans for the new hospital include 40 inpatient beds, four surgical suites, and 30 clinic examination rooms.struction on the facility is anticipated to begin in late 2010.

Source: ShrinersHQ.org

[Arch City]

The steel is rising at the northwest corner of Forest Park and South Euclid avenues, the tower will extend north to the building that houses Majestic restaurant, at 4900 Laclede Avenue. The tower's completion is expected in early 2012.

Consolidation of clinics, doctors' offices and executive offices in the new 300,000-square-foot tower will expand BJC's high-rise medical complex to the north side of Forest Park Avenue. It will go up just east of the parking garage built in 1994 and will be connected by an elevated walkway to the Barnes-Jewish Hospital complex.

The new, $98 million, 12 story, 320,000 square foot, ambulatory care clinic on the northwest corner of Euclid Avenue and Forest Park Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri. The building will house clinical departments, retail spaces, outpatient treatments, corporate offices, and medical offices. The façade of the new building is contextual with the surrounding hospital campus and urban setting and employs precast concrete, metal panels, and store-front glazing.

The top of the building will feature a glass lantern and an architectural screen wall that conceals rooftop air handlers and cooling towers. The building also has a partial basement for mechanical and electrical equipment.

[Arch City]

Dominium plans $23.2 million an apartment rehab for Leather Trades Lofts in historic West Downtown St. Louis - near Washington Avenue and the emerging Midtown Alley (Locust Street) areas. I think there will be 59 rental apartments.



Link:
Leather Trades Lofts

[Arch City]

Friday, August 13, 2010
Galleria stores race for space near Nordstrom
ST. LOUIS BUSINESS JOURNAL - BY E.B. Solomont



The new Nordstrom at the St. Louis Galleria won’t open until September 2011, but stores in the mall are jockeying for position near it in anticipation of a revenue boost.

Construction on the Nordstrom wing, which wrapped up last month, has created an additional 17,000 square feet of retail space for a total of 1.1 million. With the work complete, General Growth Properties, the mall’s owner, is signing new tenants and building a hub of retail activity on that side of the shopping center. “There are additional stores coming,” including some “first to market,” said Christine Poehling, the Galleria’s marketing manager.

This month, Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened a 2,500-square-foot restaurant in the Nordstrom wing, and Laurie’s Shoes Etc. is reopening in a brand-new space. St. Louis Bread Co., which closed in 2008, reopened July 5 with an upgraded artisan oven and fireplace. Mrs. Fields, Game Stop and Sue’s News, a new tenant, all recently opened their doors. Apple currently is building a 6,000-square-foot store to triple its current size, and Starbuck’s will move to the second floor just outside Nordstrom’s entrance.

John Beckman of Jeff Eisenberg and Associates, who represented Five Guys in the restaurant’s transaction, said the space near Nordstrom and the mall entrance drive the highest leasing rates. “The spaces there are in highest demand,” he said.

Source

[Arch City]

The Roberts Tower is nearly finished after a short delay occurred during construction. The first tenant will be Shula's 347 Grill overlooking Old Post Office Square.

The restaurant is due to open in late October or November 2010.

Updated Link:
Robert Tower


Photo Credit




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Photos Credit

[Arch City]

An international design competition called "The City, The Arch, The River", was held in order to determine which team of architects or design firm could deliver the best plan to enhance and invigorate the grounds of the Gateway Arch and surrounding area, which includes the national monument, national park and the East St. Louis Riverfront.

To learn more about the goal of the competition go here.
To learn more about the designs go here.

SOM



Weiss Manfredi Team


Behnisch Team



PWP Landscape Architecture, Foster + Partners, Civitas

[Arch City]

Macy's @ Railway Exchange Building

Bruce Development Co. and developer Rick Yackey closed yesterday on the Railway Exchange building at Seventh and Olive streets. The building is going to receive a $112 million rehab to the office floors of the largely vacant, 21-story structure. With projects already underway in the MX District, nearly $400-million dollars in construction will take place.

Macy's will shrink its store to the building's three lower floors from seven floors.

After Macy's bought May Company the building lost 850 employees. The building, part of the newly branded Mercantile Exchange (MX) area of downtown St. Louis may offer more retail inside as well as office space.

Company executives are mum on the remodeling's details.


Macy's @ Railway Exchange Building

Links:
Bruce, Yackey Seek TIF for Macy’s Overhaul [2009-11-09]


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From yesterday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Sale of Railway Exchange Building closes
BY TIM BRYANT > tbryant@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8206 | Posted: Thursday, August 19, 2010 5:56 pm |

Look for the reconfiguration to begin early next year on Macy's in downtown St. Louis.

That's the word this afternoon from Cincinnati-based Macy's in annoucing it has sold the Railway Exchange Building to local developers Rick Yackey and Bruce Development Co.

The long-anticipated sale of the Railway Exchange Building downtown was completed today, opening the way for its redeveloment, including renovation of the Macy's store.

Bruce Development and Yackey reached agreement in October to buy the building for $18.5 million. After several tentative closing dates passed, the deal was finally done today, officials said.

"We are thrilled that the Railway Exchange building has been sold to a local group that has the best interest of the building and the city at heart," said Barbara Geisman, the city's deputy mayor for development.

As previously disclosed, Macy's plans to shrink the downtown store to three from seven floors. Jim Sluzewski, a spokesman for Macy's, said that planning the job will begin now, with renovation to begin early next year.

The $112 million Railway Exchange project is in line for public assistance. The city has approved up to $27.8 million in tax-increment financing, plus money from a community improvement district and a transportation development district. The redevelopment area is comprised mainly of the 21-story Railway Exchange and the parking garage across Olive Street from Macy's.

Proceeds from the sale of federal New Markets Tax Credits also will go into the project.

Macy's plans to lease three floors of store space, plus office space on two upper floors. The building had been losing tenants for years. The closing in 2008 of Macy's Midwest headquarters cost 850 jobs and left the building largely vacant.

Source

[Arch City]

One of downtown St. Louis' largest projects currently underway, which could include the St. Louis Blues (music) museum. The renovations are also part of the planned MX District - a retail district on lower Washington and Locust streets.

The $142 million Laurel hotel, apartment and retail redevelopment has closed on financing, one of several sizable downtown developments that finally have the money in place to move forward after long delays.

Connecticut-based Spinnaker Real Estate Partners secured the last piece of financing necessary for the redevelopment project at 601 Washington Ave. to start construction and set a target opening date of Jan. 1, 2012. Plans for the historic renovation of the 11-story building include a 212-room Embassy Suites Hotel, 205 apartments and 30,000 square feet of street-level retail space.

The retail space will face Washington Avenue and Sixth and Seventh streets. “If we get it right with the retail, it enhances all the properties around it,” said Amos Harris, Spinnaker’s representative in St. Louis. “The Laurel can have a transformative impact on that quadrant of St. Louis.”

The hotel will occupy floors two through five, and the apartments will be built on the upper floors. Monthly rents will range from $900 for a one-bedroom unit to $2,200 for the largest two-bedroom apartment, a corner unit overlooking Washington Avenue.

Source and more: Laurel closes on financing for $142M project - St. Louis Business Journal

Check out a model of the finished product here and here.


photo credit, flickr.com/urbanreviewstl


photo credit, flickr.com/urbanreviewstl


photo credit, flickr.com/urbanreviewstl


photo credit, flickr.com/urbanreviewstl
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[Arch City]

Below are progress photos of the $80-million renovation of Peabody Opera House taken by American Digital Traveler. The photos show both exterior and interior changes (removal of seats, stage work, progress on HVAC and spinkler systems, plaza excavation, etc.)



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[Arch City]

Here's another update. The website has been expanded.

1300 Market Street is planned for the burgeoning Gateway Mall corridor, which will include the newly-renovated Peabody Opera House, the renovated Central Library, and Park Pacific development. Also, plans are underway to improve the western end of the Gateway Mall.









Heisman Properties of Los Angeles will spend $40 million to redevelop the building and the plans include retail and office space on the ground floor, cultural/gallery space and office on the first floor and office space on the second and third floors. In addition to the interior spaces, plans call for several walkways, courtyards, plazas and terraces to surround the building. Once completed this project will act as a conduit between both the civic and cultural communities tying many recent downtown developments together. It will be the centerpiece of an area that will be a destination featuring the Scottrade Center, soon-to-be-redeveloped Kiel Opera House, the Gateway Multimodal Transportation Center and the revitalized mall.

The 170,000 square foot renowned courthouse is located at 1300 Market Street and was constructed in 1911 for $1,000,000. The architect was Isaac Taylor, who was well-known in St. Louis and chief architect of the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904, as well as many significant buildings in St. Louis including the Jefferson Memorial, the Bee Hat Building and Hadley Square.

The sculpture over the Market St. entrance represents "Truth and Justice".

[Arch City]

Not a major project, but still it's a positive for both the economic recovery and St. Louis in that a local company remains committed to the St. Louis region - particularly downtown.
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Nestlé Purina breaking ground for $15 million building at Checkerboard Square in St. Louis



St. Louis, Missouri, July 15, 2010 … Nestlé Purina PetCare today announced plans to construct a $15 million Learning and Training Center at its Checkerboard Square (World) headquarters — the first new building on campus in nearly 25 years.

Purina and Nestlé officials will celebrate with a groundbreaking ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 16, featuring Jack Russell terriers “going to ground” and remarks by Nestlé Purina Chief Executive Officer W. Patrick McGinnis and Nestlé Executive Vice President Luis Cantarell.

“This is good news for Nestlé Purina, good news for our associates and good news for the City of St. Louis,” Pat McGinnis said. “Even during challenging economic times, we continue to grow and invest in our business.” Construction on the new four-story, 56,000-square-foot building will begin immediately and is expected to be completed by December 2011.

Purina’s 55-acre Checkerboard Square property features 17 buildings with approximately 1.3 million-square-feet of office space, three ponds and a dog park. This capital project marks the first new building at Purina headquarters since 1986.

The new building will emphasize innovation and include a state-of-the-art 82-seat “in the round” auditorium, along with conference rooms and office space. It will face Chouteau Avenue.

Nestlé Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., the world’s largest food company.

Source

Originally Posted by Arch City

it's official then: EVERY renovation and new construction in downtown STL has to have its own dedicated parking garage even though the others are never filled to capacity. very nice.

[Arch City]

Originally Posted by IWant2BeInSTL

it's official then: EVERY renovation and new construction in downtown STL has to have its own dedicated parking garage even though the others are never filled to capacity. very nice.

I don't think that is a totally fair assessment. Every renovation in downtown St. Louis has not added a garage nor has every new project. The Roberts Tower is a perfect example. All up and down Washington Avenue are renos without new garages because many of the renos had inside parking added in the structures or used existing spaces.

In my opinion, the garage for 1300 Market St. makes sense because of the renovation occurring at Kiel Opera House (now known as Peabody Opera House). That place alone could seat up to 4,500 people. While I would rather have a better use of the land that incorporates a tower, which could include a new public/private garage, I think this one makes sense. It is also good that it won't simply be a sterile garage, but will incorporate street-level retail. The existing one, flanking Savvis Center, doesn't have street level retail.

Ultimately, unfortuately, parking garages are a necessary evil in today's society- especially when 80% of region's population live outside of the core city and public transit has its limitations. The challenge is to build garages sleeker for enhanced streetscape purposes, smarter in order keep them from being total dead zones when not in use and wiser so that downtown's aren't overwhelmed with them, which requires tighter zoning.

[ChiPsy]

^^ Agreed, in this case. I'm also impressed by how much STL continues to do right now, step by step, building by building -- that downtown has changed so much in the past 10 years!

Arch City, i was exaggerating to an extent. however, the roberts tower essentially does have its own garage - the monstrosity that replaced the century building. i doubt it would have happened otherwise. and as much as i love culinaria, the exterior looks and functions like puke. my major complaint is that there is no comprehensive parking plan for DT and so every substantial development demands its own garage, be it inside or next door. i just think a few strategically placed garages and maybe a shuttle service would be more forward-thinking (hopefully, all these garages will have to be demolished in the near future for density). i do appreciate the ground-level retail but... there's just something uninviting about garage retail. compare the dining and retail along wash. ave. to hardee's, friday's, bread co., caleco's, swifty's... bland at best. ugly at worst. anyway, just my opinion.

EDIT: i can't remember if caleco's is actually in a garage, but if not there are plenty of other examples.

[Arch City]

Originally Posted by IWant2BeInSTL

Arch City, i was exaggerating to an extent. however, the roberts tower essentially does have its own garage - the monstrosity that replaced the century building. i doubt it would have happened otherwise. and as much as i love culinaria, the exterior looks and functions like puke. my major complaint is that there is no comprehensive parking plan for DT and so every substantial development demands its own garage, be it inside or next door. i just think a few strategically placed garages and maybe a shuttle service would be more forward-thinking (hopefully, all these garages will have to be demolished in the near future for density). i do appreciate the ground-level retail but... there's just something uninviting about garage retail. compare the dining and retail along wash. ave. to hardee's, friday's, bread co., caleco's, swifty's... bland at best. ugly at worst. anyway, just my opinion.

EDIT: i can't remember if caleco's is actually in a garage, but if not there are plenty of other examples.

I think we are agreeing for the most part. I definitely believe that a better comprehensive plan for parking would be a step in the right direction. I alluded to that by mentioning zoning. I also agree that parking garages do not have to be built for every new or reno'd structure. I agree 1000%, but I do believe garages do have to be built for some new and reno'd projects. In my opinion, I think the 1300 Market St. one is a fairly acceptable one. It is much better than the huge surface lot there now; and it will likely serve the reno'd Peabody Opera House as well.

With regards to the The Old Post Office District garage, it was built as a parking garage for the entire district, but I do get the gist of your position.

[Arch City]

An old school in North St. Louis (Arlington School) will be renovated and new infill construction, designed by an African-American design firm, will take shape on a stretch of Martin Luther King Drive that is seeing a slight resurgence.
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Groundbreaking set for St. Louis project
BY TIM BRYANT
www.STLtoday.com | Wednesday, October 13, 2010 12:44 pm

Mayor Francis Slay, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, St. Louis Housing Authority officials, representatives of developer McCormack Baron Salazar and others are scheduled to attend the groundbreaking Friday of the Arlington Grove housing complex on Martin Luther King Drive.

KAI Design & Build is the architect for the $34 million project. It involves remodeling the long-vacant Arlington School as mixed-income apartments and construction of in-fill townhomes on surrounding properties. Also to be built is a three-story retail and apartment building at Martin Luther King and Burd Avenue. Arlington Grove will have a total of 112 apartments.

Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church is helping to lead the development. The groundbreaking is set for 2:30 p.m. Friday at the corner of Martin Luther King and Burd.

Source
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Source #3

[Arch City]

Bigger renderings for Arlington Grove.

[Arch City]

St. Louis is building new recreation complexes in the city. Ground was recently broken on a second one to be located in O'Fallon Park, and the first rec complex in South City was completed in November 2009. The rec complex in O'Fallon Park is slated to open by December 31, 2011. Both recreation centers are the first to built in the City since 1971.
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Construction is under way on a new $16.7 million recreation complex at O'Fallon Park on St. Louis' north side. Designed by St. Louis-based KAI, the two-story, 79,000-square-foot recreation center will feature an aquatics center with an indoor splash pool and a triple-loop slide, a motion pool, a children's pool, a sauna, a steam room, a spa and an outdoor lap pool. The facility will also include a gymnasium, an indoor track, a fitness center, locker rooms and a community multipurpose room.

Source
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