AAA Building on Lindell Threatened

Presbyterian · PostFeb 25, 2013#512013-02-25T03:01+00:00

City records show that AAA has applied for a building permit for the parking lot at 3933 Lindell:

Owner Name: AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF MO
Type of Permit: Building
Application Date: 11/21/2012
Date Issue: [not yet]
Purpose: RETAIL SALES
Eatimated Value: $2,800,000.00
Description: CONSTRUCT COMMERCIAL BLDG. PER PLANS ( CVS PHARMACY )

Constructing the CVS on Gravois cost $1.9 million. Constructing this one —if approved—is estimated at $2.8 million. We've heard promises of two stories at the sidewalk. Anyone seen the actual plans?

Alex Ihnen · PostFeb 25, 2013#522013-02-25T14:26+00:00

^ I have, but am nearly positive they're old...or it's not going to be two stories, or near the sidewalk. I may post soon, but I'm not sure they show what's going to be built.

Presbyterian · PostMar 02, 2013#532013-03-02T18:09+00:00

$2,800,000 building permit was approved yesterday. Submitted last November, it took them 14 weeks to gain approval. I don't know anyone who has seen the plan in its final form.

Alex Ihnen · PostMar 03, 2013#542013-03-03T19:28+00:00

Right. I guess I'll post what I have in a bit, but I've seen two designs and don't know which, if either, is final.

Mark Groth · PostMar 04, 2013#552013-03-04T02:36+00:00

I don't get the love affair with this building. I've never been in it, only seen it driving by. It looks like it belongs on Lindbergh Blvd in SoCo or at Lady of the Snow Shrine in Belleville, IL. Why aren't people more pissed about Ittner schools on the chopping block, or north city being decimated?

Alex Ihnen · PostMar 04, 2013#562013-03-04T02:38+00:00

^ Neither of those are specific buildings. I think in this case, the AAA building kinds of goes along with the saucer. And there's the fact that it was going to be demo'd for a completely uneeded CVS.

Mark Groth · PostMar 04, 2013#572013-03-04T03:01+00:00

Alex Ihnen wrote:^ Neither of those are specific buildings. I think in this case, the AAA building kinds of goes along with the saucer. And there's the fact that it was going to be demo'd for a completely uneeded CVS.

Okay, Cleveland School would be a good example. I spend money at CVS's and Walgreens, not AAA. Just saying. Secondly, the Saucer is great and all that, I love it and am happy it's still here, but I feel sick every time I visit the north side. It's in shambles and the urban foot soldiers mobilize on these suburban style structures while our urban neighborhoods get raped by the brick rustlers and chumps who let it happen year over year.

geoffksu · PostMar 04, 2013#582013-03-04T13:47+00:00

Mark Groth wrote:
Alex Ihnen wrote:^ Neither of those are specific buildings. I think in this case, the AAA building kinds of goes along with the saucer. And there's the fact that it was going to be demo'd for a completely uneeded CVS.
Okay, Cleveland School would be a good example. I spend money at CVS's and Walgreens, not AAA. Just saying. Secondly, the Saucer is great and all that, I love it and am happy it's still here, but I feel sick every time I visit the north side. It's in shambles and the urban foot soldiers mobilize on these suburban style structures while our urban neighborhoods get raped by the brick rustlers and chumps who let it happen year over year.

The North Side demolition has been done on a large scale and mostly without notice. We would need an army to keep check on what demo is next and to lobby for its survival. The AAA Building is in a prominent location and Mid-Century Modern architecture/style is the rage right now so its survival was front and center.

Maybe if there was a dedicated effort/group to lobby for less North Side destruction that would bring that attention to light and make it a higher priority.

imran · PostApr 11, 2013#592013-04-11T23:20+00:00

Saw a 'coming soon' sign for CVS on the parking lot the other day but they had also torn up the asphalt on the circular drive around the AAA building. Has anyone seen the plans/renderings for this CVS?

Presbyterian · PostApr 11, 2013#602013-04-11T23:24+00:00

I was wondering the same thing. I tried contacting the construction folks at CVS directly and never heard back.

Alex Ihnen · PostApr 11, 2013#612013-04-11T23:41+00:00

imran wrote:Saw a 'coming soon' sign for CVS on the parking lot the other day but they had also torn up the asphalt on the circular drive around the AAA building. Has anyone seen the plans/renderings for this CVS?

Yes, I have two sets of plans. They're similar and I'm trying to confirm which is being built. I also lack a site plan that would really tell us where this thing will be built - though I think I understand that part.

wabash · PostApr 16, 2013#622013-04-16T00:17+00:00

The Post is reporting that site work has started. Unfortunately, true to P-D style, there is no rendering or illustration with THE ARTICLE. Any chance nextSTL can one-up them??

Alex Ihnen · PostApr 16, 2013#632013-04-16T00:48+00:00

^ I have two - have been trying to confirm which is being built. They're very similar so I may just post them tomorrow.

framer · PostApr 16, 2013#642013-04-16T04:48+00:00

I know what you mean, Wabash. Seems that whenever the Post runs a story about a new building, they print a picture of some construction worker putting up drywall or a bunch of suits holding golden shovels. Just show us the freaking building, already!

chaifetz10 · PostApr 16, 2013#652013-04-16T14:45+00:00

I have to believe that it will just be a large brick wall facing Lindell, if we're lucky we'll get some large windows...but I can't see CVS going truely modern or urban. I generally am not pesimisstic about things like this, but it's CVS. My personal expectations are that they'll do the basics to make it faux-urban with a sea of parking on one side of the site or the other (probably with some form of drive through pharmacy still too)

stldotage · PostApr 16, 2013#662013-04-16T15:14+00:00

If Family Dollar can build "urban" in Carondelet...

Presbyterian · PostApr 16, 2013#672013-04-16T15:46+00:00

I'm not holding my breath for CVS to to hire Zaha Hadid to design a pomo pharmacy here. I'm not even sure they use architects. But without too much trouble, CVS could go with their stock Williamburgy-looking 2-story historical model format, which is often used in the northeast. If that was pulled up to the sidewalk with parking to the side and in back, it wouldn't be bad. It would sort of match the apartment building next door.

chaifetz10 · PostApr 16, 2013#682013-04-16T16:00+00:00

^That would be great. I'm just thinking it will look more like the Walgreens down the street. Just closer to the sidewalk.

onecity · PostApr 16, 2013#692013-04-16T17:00+00:00

Building a city grocery/drugstore is not a shrouded mystery. See the downtown MPLS Lunds:

It's pretty basic stuff. Build to the sidewalk, make it look awesome, stock good merchandise, put it in a neighborhood people live in and limit the parking. Duh.

imran · PostJul 12, 2013#702013-07-12T02:10+00:00

chaifetz10 wrote:I have to believe that it will just be a large brick wall facing Lindell, if we're lucky we'll get some large windows...

Less horrible than it could have been. How about those fake windows on the fake second floor...

framer · PostJul 12, 2013#712013-07-12T02:30+00:00

I'm amazed how much this two-story wall adds to the fabric of Lindell, especially in context with the new apartments next door.

goat314 · PostJul 12, 2013#722013-07-12T03:16+00:00

^ right! It always surprises me how building up to the sidewalk makes a city feel that much more urban, larger, and cosmopolitan. Essentially STL needs citywide form based code, let's cut the crap with this district stuff....the Lou is only 61sq mi.

wabash · PostJul 12, 2013#732013-07-12T03:31+00:00

Thanks for the update! Based on the last photo it looks like there will only be three large windows facing Lindell (along with an entrance slightly recessed from the sidewalk) instead of the four windows that the inferior rendering showed. At least I hope that's the case.

(Image stolen from Alex's April 17, 2013 article)

Also, how's the apartment complex next door coming along?

imran · PostJul 12, 2013#742013-07-12T12:25+00:00

The apartments look all built up, atleast from the exterior standpoint. They look a tad better than before. There is also a square piece of land between the apartments and new cvs that could look interesting as a (dare I say it) pocket park. Something to hide the apartment parking garage.

Alex Ihnen · PostJul 12, 2013#752013-07-12T18:55+00:00

^ You can say "pharmacy drive-thru".

AAA Building on Lindell Threatened

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