St. Louis Centre -> MX District downtown

doug · PostSep 01, 2009#3912009-09-01T18:46+00:00

None of these explain why people are moving to Vancouver.

Here's an idea.

For more I would suggest reading "An Anatomy of Civic Ambition in Vancouver: Toward Humane Density" which can be found in Urban Planning Today

The elements of their City Plan can be viewed here. The aforementioned journal article explains in exhaustive detail how business and civic leaders began working together in the 1970's in order to reach today's end result: density at the detriment of the automobile. This requires a long view something which Room 200/230, and some members of this forum, solely lack.

Alex Ihnen · PostSep 01, 2009#3922009-09-01T21:05+00:00

Doug wrote:None of these explain why people are moving to Vancouver.

Maybe not, but it does explain why I would consider moving there.

threeonefour · PostSep 02, 2009#3932009-09-02T05:48+00:00

Grover wrote:So the following steps need to be taken to ensure St. Louis attracts new business:

1. build bio-dome over metro area (remember to put in big sliding door for Lambert and Scott AFB and install digital programable thermostat)

2. erect mountains

3. dig ocean (populate with whale and other aquatic life)

4. socialize medicine

Apparently, in 2009, implementing the first three changes would be much easier than any attempt to address the fourth item on the list.

matguy70 · PostOct 17, 2009#3942009-10-17T03:13+00:00

The city of St. Louis is requesting $5 million from the Missouri Development Finance Board to pay for improvements to the One City Centre office tower downtown.

Missouri Development Finance Board (MDFB) Executive Director Bob Miserez will present the city’s request at the board’s meeting Tuesday in St. Louis.

Miserez said the city has not yet submitted finalized development details, and he does not expect a vote on the loan to occur at Tuesday’s meeting.

“We do not have final information yet, and we’re working on getting that information,” Miserez said.

St. Louis deputy mayor Barb Geisman said the loan request is an attempt to kick-start redevelopment of One City Centre, which is adjacent to the vacant St. Louis Centre. City officials have talked about converting a portion of St. Louis Centre mall, which closed in 2007, to parking with ground-floor, street-facing retail.

“You can’t solve one without solving the other,” Geisman said.

In July, the St. Louis Development Corp. approved $4 million in New Markets Tax Credits to pay for improvements to One City Centre to attract law firm Lewis Rice Fingersh. Lewis Rice is currently based at 500 N. Broadway and has not yet finalized a deal with One City Centre’s owner, SCR Investments, a partnership led by Stacy Hastie, chief executive of Environmental Operations Inc.

READ MORE/ENTIRE STORY:

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/ ... ily41.html

zink · PostOct 20, 2009#3952009-10-20T18:10+00:00

"One City Centre office building and the adjacent vacant St. Louis Centre mall in downtown St. Louis are poised to move forward with a $220 million overhaul."

- So they got the $5 million to help redo the office tower.

"SCR Investments plans to convert a bulk of the former St. Louis Centre mall into parking for One City Centre tenants and parking for tenants at the U.S. Bank Plaza office building at 505 N. Seventh St. The entire St. Louis Centre/One City Centre development has been renamed 600 Washington."

More parking!!! Nice! /sarcasm.

Look back on page 1 of this thread. It is sad to see how happy everyone was back in 2006 about the possibilities.

HOWEVER.... this should mean the bridge should be coming down next year!

Read more:

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/ ... a=from_rss

moorlander · PostOct 20, 2009#3962009-10-20T18:31+00:00

^ From the article

More regional musical chairs...

Additionally, accounting firm LarsonAllen has signed a letter of intent to move its base of operations from Town & Country to One City Centre in 2010.

“The new ownership group of this building is committed to making it a Class A building,” said Scott Engelbrecht, principal in charge of the St. Louis office of LarsonAllen. “We just feel that it’s going to be a hot spot in the downtown business district.” Engelbrecht said about 100 employees will be moving downtown from the firm’s Town & Country office.

debaliviere · PostOct 20, 2009#3972009-10-20T18:43+00:00

^

If we're going to play musical chairs, I like the game a lot better when one firm stays downtown and another moves downtown from the burbs.

dredger · PostOct 20, 2009#3982009-10-20T23:48+00:00

Some points that seem to be a good thing out of all this.

- I think putting the main entrance on Washington and letting One Center be known as 600 Washington is a big plus.

- Having ground retail and hopefully a full service theater with parking above is better for the long run downtown. Trying to have a mall and consolidate retail on one location didn't help and failed miserably.

- Like most, I wish their was enough demand for lofts as originally proposed by John Stephen instead of parking. However, I would rather see the Laural developed and the briddge come down if the market will support one. Simply put, you can always convert the parking structure late.

- Getting a business back into the city sooner is better then hoping for another stalled development to get off the ground and risk losing the opportunity altogther.

John Stephen thought big but didn't have the resources to pull anything off. Slowly but surely you will see some downtown development move forward with the current players.

metzgda · PostOct 21, 2009#3992009-10-21T15:38+00:00

Overall, I like the general plan for this project. However, am I missing something here? It will cost $25 million to "rehab" the office tower. Ok. However, it says it's a $220 million project. So does that mean it will cost $195 million to convert a portion of the existing structure into parking and ground floor retail?? How on earth will that be profitable? Also, what are the plans for the remaining structure not converted to parking? Is rehabbing that included in the $195 million?

I would think with $195 million, you could tear down the current structure and build a high density development in it's place including a parking structure, ground floor retail, residential AND commercial.

Hmm...

moorlander · PostOct 21, 2009#4002009-10-21T15:55+00:00

I was under the impression the $220mil was for the previous proposal.

MattnSTL · PostOct 21, 2009#4012009-10-21T15:57+00:00

I think the $220 mil may include the Laurel as well.

moorlander · PostOct 23, 2009#4022009-10-23T12:02+00:00

developers and financing in place to begin a $220 million overhaul after a three-year delay. On tap is a movie theater, up to 100,000 square feet of retail space, 750 parking spaces, 205 apartments, an Embassy Suites hotel and several new office tenants, including law firm Lewis, Rice & Fingersh and accounting firm LarsonAllen.

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/ ... tory1.html

aj2cb2000 · PostOct 23, 2009#4032009-10-23T12:52+00:00

I have seen the plans for the project. To say that it is just a parking garage does not do it justice. It should completely change this area for the better.

jmedwick · PostOct 23, 2009#4042009-10-23T13:18+00:00

Hopefully renderings and plans of the proposed development will circulate and answer some of the key questions. While I doubt downtown needs the additional parking that is proposed, if the parking is in the center of the mall and screened from all street frontages (yes even 6th street) with retail on the ground floor and other uses wrapping the parking on the upper floors, the development could be a real improvement for downtown.

That said, without more detailed plans, many questions remain unanswered.

Would the 100,000 square feet of retail be along all street frontages?

Will some of the retail square footage be incorporated on two levels (e.g. two level stores)?

How does the location of the proposed retail uses fit within the long-term plan for the retail development of downtown?

As a side question, how does the proposal for more parking play into any long term plans for the Railroad Exchange Building? As others have noted, consolidating the downtown Macy's onto three floors will not correspond with the current skybridge access to the Famous Garage on Olive. Is part of the plan with St. Louis Centre to keep the Skybridge over Locust, allowing Macy's customers parking access to the consolidated 3 floor store? Would this increase the possibility of tearing down the Famous Garage at some point for a new development on the block due south of the Railroad Exchange?

debaliviere · PostOct 23, 2009#4052009-10-23T13:55+00:00

I hope the Locust bridge is torn down as well. From the article:

Still under negotiation is whether a skybridge across Locust Street linking the Railway Exchange building at 611 Olive St. to the planned parking at the former St. Louis Centre mall will also be torn down.

jmstokes · PostOct 23, 2009#4062009-10-23T15:58+00:00

Moorlander wrote:developers and financing in place to begin a $220 million overhaul after a three-year delay. On tap is a movie theater, up to 100,000 square feet of retail space, 750 parking spaces, 205 apartments, an Embassy Suites hotel and several new office tenants, including law firm Lewis, Rice & Fingersh and accounting firm LarsonAllen.

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/ ... tory1.html

Movie theater! YES YES YES YES. I know, ridiculous, but that's very exciting for me.

...now if someone would open the one at Union Station we'd be in business.

I'm not as negative on this entire development as I was. If this is all really going to happen, that's great.

innov8ion · PostOct 24, 2009#4072009-10-24T12:34+00:00

The movie theater in that location has been planned for a long time. Glad the project is back on.

doug · PostOct 25, 2009#4082009-10-25T20:48+00:00

Name one parking garage ever converted to residential in St. Louis.

MattnSTL · PostOct 25, 2009#4092009-10-25T20:53+00:00

The problem with converting a parking garage is that the designs don't usually work for conversion due to short ceilings or angled floors. In the case of St. Louis Centre, I think a garage as one component is OK. Certainly, the current plan is not quite as exciting as the original plan, but in general it is OK. We need to see some renderings and layout plans.

doug · PostOct 25, 2009#4102009-10-25T23:12+00:00

^How is the garage component OK?

threeonefour · PostOct 26, 2009#4112009-10-26T13:56+00:00

Doug wrote:^How is the garage component OK?

I'm like you- doubtful- at least until I see some renderings.

This is the Show-Me State after all, right?

framer · PostOct 27, 2009#4122009-10-27T04:14+00:00

One thing that makes the garage component OK is the fact that it is helping to get this project moving again.

stl_rising · PostOct 27, 2009#4132009-10-27T22:40+00:00

It will be interesting to see what type of retail they are looking to put in these spots. I know when Mercantile Exchange was full throttle, the hopes (at least mine) were around getting some good local/national stores...I hope we can get some quality retail in this area that somewhat resembles what they were planning to do with Mercantile Exchange. I'm also hoping the development continues South on Broadway...there are a couple great and abondoned buildings that are prime for rehab and I'm sick of looking at cracked out buildings outside my living room window!

debaliviere · PostNov 06, 2009#4142009-11-06T14:43+00:00

Good article in this morning's P-D:

Link

krykel · PostNov 06, 2009#4152009-11-06T16:16+00:00

Looks like a good time to start the STL Comments stock responses

St. Louis Centre -> MX District downtown

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