btw I think you mentioned recently on some other thread BJC may be scaling back ambitions on its building expansion plans but wasn't clear on how that might impact the Queeny tower... could you elaborate?
btw I think you mentioned recently on some other thread BJC may be scaling back ambitions on its building expansion plans but wasn't clear on how that might impact the Queeny tower... could you elaborate?
Queeny is coming down next year as planned, whats going up is on hold for now.
I'm not 100% certain when it was added, but WashU now has a fairly tall and appealing Medical Campus sign in the median of FPP at Newstead. It's simple, modern, but effective at peacemaking the medical campus. I assume we'll see other's added along Kingshighway and maybe smaller ones along the other boundary roads?
I left WUSTL in Jan of this year so a lot could have changed but at that time it was postponed with no planned date. money is getting tight at BJC/WUSTL
Looks like Wash U made real estate move in midtown as reported by Biz Journals. Behind paywall so not sure if Wash U medical and or part of their for profit development arm. Looks like a long term play
It would be a shame to loose that Goodwill Industries sign. If they are forced to remove the sign, I'd love to see a Washington University in St. Louis sign in a similar style. Or whatever donor they end up naming the building after.
Even if they demo the buildings (which I almost always lean towards creative adaptation), this yet another sign of how much better WashU is for the city than SLU. If SLU were half as good as WashU at this urbanism thing, SLU enrollment would be higher and midtown would be another CWE.
It would be a shame to lose that sign, yes, but I have been thinking for a while that with Armory next door, and Foundry across the street, that the Goodwill Building could be used for something that would much better match the changing neighborhood.
I hope, if Goodwill moves, that they find a sweet spot.
Note that this will be a Cortex-related development more than a BJC/WUMC medical center development. The article credits the head of Goodwill stating that Cortex is now a biotechnology center more than it is a thrift store center, and that their support of Cortex's continued growth prompted their sale.
What will this site be in Cortex? I'd think either residential (as it abuts the West End Lofts already) or office space targeted for developing companies, those that outgrow incubator space. Perhaps it'd include wet lab space, but that's for Wash U developers to decide.
The large building will definitely stay - the damn thing's 7 stories tall already, no worries of them demo'ing it (just get rid of that brick mesh in the front). But, the smaller buildings, the little one-story guys? Those can be replaced without any significant loss to STL's build history; and with the form-based code operating in the CWE to include this site, whatever new goes in there will be tall. There's certainly the market for it, and when Goodwill moves out completely in a couple years, I'd think market demand will only have increased.
Awesome news; really looking forward to this building becoming a Cortex building.
^^ KC, just to clarify the goodwill warehouse building on Market right next to the Armory is not part of this purchase... just the two buildings on Forest Park and rear lot on Duncan are involved.
It's a far different place than it was when it was a thrift store center. (Which wasn't really that long ago.) I for one would miss the brick mesh, but I expect they'll want windows, and the "windmills" probably need replacing. For reasons. As to signs, well, it used to be Ford Tool. I'm not too hung up on the Goodwill sign. I'm sure they'll put something appropriate up there. Maybe Ford Lofts in a similar style. Or Tool Lofts. Or Tech Tool. Or something like that. All the tech tools need a place to stay too.
. . . wait. Maybe that's not the right pitch.
And yes, Goodwill will find a new home. Maybe down on Grand somewhere between Gravois and Chippewa. Near the new ReStoreIt and the little Rise Together thrift store. Might be a good fit for the neighborhood and it would be good to fill some of the vacant space.
^The suggestive pattern on the blocks. The airport has some new seating arranged in that pattern. They called it "windmills." Someone on the forum called it something else.
