Spencer Development’s plan to build a seven-story building of apartments, stores and offices on a city-owned parking lot in the Grove moved ahead Tuesday when an aldermanic committee approved the project for 10 years of tax abatement.
Stores, 30 apartments and offices with an outdoor terrace are part of the $6.25 million project to construct a glass-and-concrete building at 4101 Manchester Avenue. Sale of the site to Spencer could occur this month
Looks great. The east end of the grove is going to feel pretty different in a coupla years.
Between this project, the mofo project, and the other recent multi-family project announced in the grove (which has the same architect as the mofo project), there's about to be a whole lot more vertical rust-colored beams/panels around town.
I was going to say something of the sort. It has a nice Le Corbusier look to it. That might be the nicest new design I've seen in town in . . . possibly inside of my own lifetime, actually. That is really really sweet!
stlgasm wrote:
I prefer the original design. The new design doesn't seem like it would make much of an impression in the skyline in the way the older design would.
I think that's a trick of perspective between the two different renderings. Counting floors, I think they're the same size. Both appear to be seven stories. And the proportions make me think they didn't alter the height any. The number of apartments is much the same as it was before. I'm guessing the square footage is similar. Maybe even the structural plans are much the same. They've changed the facade a little and opened up balconies, making things look more different than I think they really are. And they put a large notch in the corner that's front and center of both renderings. But if you read the verbiage even the old article sounds more like the new rendering than the old one. It was always described as glass and concrete. You just couldn't really see the concrete before. Honestly, looking at it closely, I don't think it's a new design, just alterations to the old one. You can still see the seven story block in the back and the six story block in the front. They made the facade even top to bottom and pushed the curtain walls in a little, probably to give the residential block more balconies and maybe also better air circulation. And they changed the screen over the two pedestal stories, making them more visually distinct. But honestly, I think the single biggest change is that it's a clearer drawing that actually shows the materials in daylight, where the last one was all in silhouette, making the building seem lighter and airier. To be frank, it will probably never have all the lights on like that anyway. The new rendering is probably more honest. And seven stories will make an impact in the Grove any way you cut it. What with the building at Chouteau and Sarah, assuming that's still going forward, that's going to completely transform the east end of the neighborhood.
Oh, very true. I think I'm liking this one more with each new rendering. But I've always been a sucker for dense strakes and clean concrete decks. Reminds me a bit of what the Ramada Inn at the Arch was before the reskin. (Which came up around here in another thread.)
Zoning variances were granted by the Board of Adjustment yesterday after a rather entertaining exchange with Don Bellon, the property owner next door. Assuming financing has been lined up and drawings are ready to be submitted for a building permit, this could move along quickly now.
Zoning variances were granted by the Board of Adjustment yesterday after a rather entertaining exchange with Don Bellon, the property owner next door. Assuming financing has been lined up and drawings are ready to be submitted for a building permit, this could move along quickly now.
We did put one condition on it. That they find space accessible to the public for bike racks, either on their property or city's. They'll have 24 racks (or maybe spots) in the private portion of the garage
According to Greg Johnson on Twitter, the 7-story apartment building proposed on the wedge (4101 Manchester) goes out for bid next week.
I met one of the guys on the development team for this project- he and his family moved to STL two weeks ago from Miami, and they absolutely love St Louis so far. In fact, initially he had just planned to commute back and forth from Miami during development and construction, but he brought his family with him for a recent meeting here and they all fell in love with St Louis and decided to move here, at least for the next couple years. They’ve lived all over the world— Venezuela, Peru, NYC— so it’s cool that St Louis has made such a positive impression on them. They live in DeMun and are blown away by the parks, the restaurants, the culture and the architecture of the city, and especially how accessible it all is. He told me that the design of the building is inspired by similar developments that the developer has done in Soho, NYC. Very excited about this one!
good to hear. hopefully revitalization picks up quickly enough to convince them to stay longer. that seems to be our major problem–retaining people longer than a couple of years. our dysfunction and the glacial pace of progress often drive away potential long-term residents.
- Construction fencing is going up on this (construction should officially start within the coming weeks)
- A crane will be used since this is concrete frame
- Design hasn't changed any
They live in DeMun and are blown away by the parks, the restaurants, the culture and the architecture of the city, and especially how accessible it all is.
Love hearing about these stories. We could use a few (hundred thousand) more transplants like him and his family. Demun is all too charming.
I thought I read before of a connected project with the wedge parcel directly east of this site, is there any work being done to that or it is staying the same for now?
