Last October a pair of big projects were announced for the northern section of the Forest Park Southeast (The Grove) neighborhood. One was to be developed by Jerry King of Citirama fame (Gaslight Square) and the other by Saaman. I was as excited as the next guy about these projects, but following the collapse of Saaman and the continual silence about the projects I just assumed they were dead like so many others. Turns out I was wrong.
Both of these developments centered along the 4400 block of Chouteau. The project that was to be built by Saaman on the former site of the Gasometer is, in fact, dead. It would have been located at the intersection of Newstead and Chouteau, and would have consisted of 28 market rate town homes starting in the 200’s. The land the project was to sit on is currently for sale.
However, Jerry King’s project, coined Station G, is very much alive. This project will be built at the corner of Taylor and Choueatu, just to the south of Highway 40 and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Jerry recently unveiled updated plans for this 200+ unit mixed-use development. Here are a few bullet points on the project:
* Units on the Chouteau side will be live/work units at the ground level. The first two stories along this section front close to the street, then step back to a third story, and finally step back to a fourth.
* This terried effect will also apply to the Taylor side, but the ground level will not be live/work.
* The remaing residential units will be market rate one, two and three bedroom apartments.
* An additional 5000-8000 sq ft will also be set aside as retail-only space.
* Parking will include a 350+ car garage specific to the development.
Construction materials are estimated to be 85% brick veneer with remaining percentage being EIFS or stucco. The residential and commercial elements of the project are designed in such a way that they act as a sort of cladding for the parking garage with it entrance off Chouteau (centered in that front). The exposed portion of the garage will be cast-in-place concrete with brick cladding and and brick cladded towers on the ends.
In addition to the larger Station G project, the pumphouse for the old Gasometer, which was recently added to the National Historic Register, will also be developed. It is set to be turned into five condos, but this segment of the project will have to wait until the sale market improves. There is also talk (just talk for the moment) of making Chouteau into a divided greenway throughout the neighborhood. This greenway would help beautify the area as well as better connect it to the new City Park going in at the corner of Newstead and Choueatu.
No word yet on when the project could break ground. Financing is tricky to get at the moment, but with their proximity to the hospital and Washington University they will hopefully find a backer. As for who is involved in this project, Jerry King will not be the developer for the apartment building, he will only be the developer of the old pumphouse. I assume he is involved in some sort of advisory role in the rest, but the apartment project will be designed by BGO Architects and developed by Hepfner, Smith, Airhart & Day Inc. (HSA&D) out of Dallas. You might know HSA&D locally from the other apartment project they just finished at 3949 Lindell in the CWE. That project was slowed by suspected arson at one point, which is said to be why they haven’t started on this project yet.
Station G Elevation Rendering (3MB)
