^ Framer, no offense intended but I hope your thoughts are incorrect and or someone can get creative. In this new era of hyrbrid/shared space and work from home it is tough seeing anyone in corporate America other then big tech wanting that much space for back office and or even multiple companies if you split up the space. And big tech has already decided to double down for space in either Silicon Valley or some of the hot areas say Austin, Nashville and Miami or in Amazon case, DC area.
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Not sure if you or anyone knows for sure... How big are the floors? How tall are the ceilings? I take it the floor plates, as you noted, are solid as can be and can hold a whole lot of weight going up. I've had an interesting idea on this building rattling around in my head for the past two weeks, about a new potential future use for this building. Knowing how tall the floors are would help me be able to validate or negate my idea about what it may or could become. If anyone knows, please comment on it. Thanks.framer wrote: ↑May 04, 2022I still think the floor plates in this building are too big for practical residential conversion. Best bet in my opinion is some kind of back-office space.
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30+ story parking garage??gone corporate wrote: ↑May 04, 2022Not sure if you or anyone knows for sure... How big are the floors? How tall are the ceilings? I take it the floor plates, as you noted, are solid as can be and can hold a whole lot of weight going up. I've had an interesting idea on this building rattling around in my head for the past two weeks, about a new potential future use for this building. Knowing how tall the floors are would help me be able to validate or negate my idea about what it may or could become. If anyone knows, please comment on it. Thanks.framer wrote: ↑May 04, 2022I still think the floor plates in this building are too big for practical residential conversion. Best bet in my opinion is some kind of back-office space.
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This was posted in the thread a few years ago // there's some stops that look pretty tall in there
I have a thought to pitch but not sure if I really should be proud of it or even putting it out there... It starts with the fact that both Kansas and Oklahoma statehouses have recently approved huge incentive packages for Data Centers and a supposed battery plant. So what idea would fly that get MO statehouse/Gov backing a major investment into Downtown St Louis/909 Chestnut?
So my idea, MO Statehouse pitches a big incentive package for 909 as the new home as Freedom Tower to land Twitter. Elon could literally relocate its office & a server farm from Mid Market in San Fran to North of Market in St Louis in the all in one deal. Would be right up Elon's alley noting that he is glad to fight gov't and move things away from Cali but glad to live off its largeness whether it be a $7500 EV tax credit and or be NASA contracts. MO Statehouse/Gov gets the good feeling, St Louis City/Downton lands HQ and 909 gets a long term use.
So my idea, MO Statehouse pitches a big incentive package for 909 as the new home as Freedom Tower to land Twitter. Elon could literally relocate its office & a server farm from Mid Market in San Fran to North of Market in St Louis in the all in one deal. Would be right up Elon's alley noting that he is glad to fight gov't and move things away from Cali but glad to live off its largeness whether it be a $7500 EV tax credit and or be NASA contracts. MO Statehouse/Gov gets the good feeling, St Louis City/Downton lands HQ and 909 gets a long term use.
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I think the concept is a good one. Two issues - Musk likes Austin and TX's as a non income tax and RTW state. Secondly, you forgot the MO legislature is actively stymying the economic engine of the state out of spite, so them helping seems...unlikely.
^great idea. Somebody send this over to Greater St Louis Inc and let’s get the ball rolling on this
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have already see reports that Musk is entertaining the idea of going public in 3 years or so after he would take it private. So the Freedom Tower would probably fade in the background but Dorsey's twitter bird might shine brightly atop 909 Chestnut for years to come.urban_dilettante wrote: ↑May 05, 2022The Musk Freedom Tower? LOL. no.
I just honestly think Twitter's San Fran HQ is now in play. Might as well as do what Texas is going to do and offer some serious incentives if the region wants to make a play. Just don't any other way to frame it for MO statehouse/Gov to sweeten the pot without making it political because every other state makes it about business. MO state politics unfortunately makes everything about idealogy as it drives the state towards leading the bottom of the pack w Mississippi IMO. Maybe a better way is Jones/Reed come up with their own incentive plan for Twitter. But something
Repost*
"In regards to the master planned development in West Bottoms. This is their 2nd development the first being a mid 20th Century high rise which has had alot of success with leasing and the entire thing is just a noticeable improvement. Its also worth noting the developer in New York City based SomeraRoad who recently bought the AT&T building at 9th and Chestnut."
*I reposted in the 909 Chestnut Thread since its relevant to said subject. Really, this team is more than capable of rejuvenating the building and if the trend they seem on in Kansas City holds true for St. Louis it could be even more good news coming in the future.
"In regards to the master planned development in West Bottoms. This is their 2nd development the first being a mid 20th Century high rise which has had alot of success with leasing and the entire thing is just a noticeable improvement. Its also worth noting the developer in New York City based SomeraRoad who recently bought the AT&T building at 9th and Chestnut."
*I reposted in the 909 Chestnut Thread since its relevant to said subject. Really, this team is more than capable of rejuvenating the building and if the trend they seem on in Kansas City holds true for St. Louis it could be even more good news coming in the future.
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Freedom Tower rings hallow after Musk got money from a Chinese company, Qatari and Saudi governments to fund his Twitter purchase
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^Did he now? I'm kind of suspecting his Twitter purchase is a pump and dump scheme anyway, but if those are his money backers it puts lie to the "freedom of speech" and "town square" nonsense.
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symphonicpoet wrote: ↑May 06, 2022^Did he now? I'm kind of suspecting his Twitter purchase is a pump and dump scheme anyway, but if those are his money backers it puts lie to the "freedom of speech" and "town square" nonsense.
What a difference 3 weeks makes. Kingdom rejects the offer. Musk ridiculous the Kingdoms freedom of press and now they have a deal for $2billion (read tweets from bottom up)
On the cheap! $4.05 million
https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... cCYwKMz4gA
Somera still declining comment, so not much else new in here.
https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... cCYwKMz4gA
Somera still declining comment, so not much else new in here.
They do invest in properties and given the huge decline in price they would have been crazy not to jump on it. They might flip it to another developer but there's an untapped project waiting here and they did a good job renovating and leasing a tower that probably would have emptied out during the pandemic under different ownership so I got faith in them. A big part of it is securing a parking agreement. Hopefully the city sees value in filling a 44 story high rise and can aid with a decent incentive package.
Don't know what the condition was before the renovations but looks like they did a pretty good job on the Summit 52 renos in OPK with lots of amenities. It's not Class A by any means but it's a solid building and they are charging $19-21/sf.
https://www.summit52.com/
https://www.summit52.com/
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I could see the state government pushing a big proposal to relocate Twitter to a place where "real Americans" live like Jeff City, St. Charles or Lee's Summit. I doubt they would ever throw STL or KC a bone like that.
If it does happen they will still be happy to take any credit
If it does happen they will still be happy to take any credit
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I would not be shocked if his offer gets pulled. Since this started, Tesla has lost $300,000,000,000 in shareholder value. Conservatives will turn on him quickly, Tesla and Musk just announced that they will pay for travel for employees to get abortions. He’s companies also offer comprehensive transgender health care coverage and just yesterday he agreed with Europes social media content moderation rules and Europe doesn’t ***** aroundGoHarvOrGoHome wrote: ↑May 10, 2022I could see the state government pushing a big proposal to relocate Twitter to a place where "real Americans" live like Jeff City, St. Charles or Lee's Summit. I doubt they would ever throw STL or KC a bone like that.
If it does happen they will still be happy to take any credit
^ Throw in the fact that Twitter doesn't really do a very good job of making money and going public only exposed that fact. Of course, Elon and Twitter all over the place in my opinion. Grab a tweet, comment, byline this or that as you noted with Europe rules and you could literally have something across al the political spectrums.
However, at the end of the day it is easy to say that Elon will simply pickup and move Telsa to Texas. My two cents, I'd rather step on the court and be chased off as a wannabe instead of never stepping on the court. The City and the region needs to make a legit economic development effort beyond a few renderings somehow, someway with 909 Chestnut. Not sure what, but start with the fact that downtown is not Manhattan and come up with a parking plan. Heck, even if it securing an existing garage a couple blocks away instead of saying we will help with parking later. Second, identify incentives for creative uses. Say an incentive to add residential if x number or percentage is affordable housing or say incentive to convert so many floors for data farm if such and such company commits x square footage or floors to back office use. Grabbing at straws but believe that most would agree that single corporate tenant is a pipe dream at this point.
However, at the end of the day it is easy to say that Elon will simply pickup and move Telsa to Texas. My two cents, I'd rather step on the court and be chased off as a wannabe instead of never stepping on the court. The City and the region needs to make a legit economic development effort beyond a few renderings somehow, someway with 909 Chestnut. Not sure what, but start with the fact that downtown is not Manhattan and come up with a parking plan. Heck, even if it securing an existing garage a couple blocks away instead of saying we will help with parking later. Second, identify incentives for creative uses. Say an incentive to add residential if x number or percentage is affordable housing or say incentive to convert so many floors for data farm if such and such company commits x square footage or floors to back office use. Grabbing at straws but believe that most would agree that single corporate tenant is a pipe dream at this point.
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Seems like redevelopment potential could be addressed by building an underground parking garage on the Serra Sculpture park. Landscape the top to restore it to public use and if you just have to (although i would vote no on this) reinstall the Serra sculpture back to it original location on top the garage. Ultimately no reduction in park/green space to fight.
The city could fund it based on and identified lessee, and lease the parking back to 909 Chestnut and use as public garage on weekends for additional revenue or something like that. Obviously expensive but not crazy and it addresses the glaring deficiency that is holding back the buildings reuse.
Ideally The south facing part of the AT&T garage would be turned into residential or office space, since they def should not need that much parking for their remaining building. And it would overlook City Garden and Serra so it should be marketable in that regard.
All around win IMO. Although the outlays from the city to move utilities and build garage would be substantial.
Without parking solution i think 909 Chestnut will stay vacant for foreseeable future. We just aren't the kind of city that develops buildings without a parking solution in place, yet as much as i wish we could be.
The city could fund it based on and identified lessee, and lease the parking back to 909 Chestnut and use as public garage on weekends for additional revenue or something like that. Obviously expensive but not crazy and it addresses the glaring deficiency that is holding back the buildings reuse.
Ideally The south facing part of the AT&T garage would be turned into residential or office space, since they def should not need that much parking for their remaining building. And it would overlook City Garden and Serra so it should be marketable in that regard.
All around win IMO. Although the outlays from the city to move utilities and build garage would be substantial.
Without parking solution i think 909 Chestnut will stay vacant for foreseeable future. We just aren't the kind of city that develops buildings without a parking solution in place, yet as much as i wish we could be.
As has been stated before, the AT&T parking garage is now administered by StL parking and even has payment kiosks installed by the elevators, so it's not like there isn't the possibility of using that garage for anything that goes into 909. Maybe I missed it, but has someone said definitively that AT&T is not willing to lease the garage to a nearby building? Moreso, why would anyone turn a parking garage with slanted floors into residential or retail, only to require expensive underground parking across the street? The garage is 7 levels deep already and AT&T uses about 1/3 of one level (if that) on a busy day. How deep would this Serra underground parking be?