Ceylon Opus 6-Story Apts 25 N. Central

moorlander · PostJul 06, 2007#12007-07-06T21:56+00:00

per the Summer 2007 St. Louis Leasing guide

-Tom Bajardi of Sansone Group

RJ York is purchasing the Franke Building at the Southwest corner of central/maryland and has plans for retail, residential and a hotel.

Are they tearing down the building where Il Vicino is?

I've been impressed by many RJ York's projects.

They are currently building Clayton Park Place.

Alex Ihnen · PostJul 07, 2007#22007-07-07T05:14+00:00

The building appears to be quite dated - reminds me of the Doctor's Building in the CWE (whatever happened to that tower anyway?!?!). I wouldn't be surprised if this is on the chopping block. Clayton is growing in a big way. It won't be long until the old Centene block is the only underdeveloped area in the city.

jcity · PostJul 09, 2007#32007-07-09T02:59+00:00

That was the first building over 4 stories in Clayton. My pediatrician was in there into the early 90's. He built it with several other doctors after WWII.

framer · PostJul 09, 2007#42007-07-09T06:30+00:00

Sounds like a building that's probably worth saving. Pictures anyone?

bastiat · PostJul 09, 2007#52007-07-09T15:50+00:00

Framer wrote:Sounds like a building that's probably worth saving. Pictures anyone?

Not really. Typical butt-ugly orange brick doctor's building.

Why isn't there any development close to the Metrolink station? There is hardly anything down that way...

moorlander · PostJul 09, 2007#62007-07-09T17:58+00:00

I went by and snapped a pic of it to day but can't find the chord that goes to my camera. It's 5 stories of blah 50's architecture and really does nothing for me. An Edward Jones branch also has a street level retail location in the building next to Il Vicino. I wonder if they would be purchasing all the way south to Portobello?

stlgasm · PostJul 09, 2007#72007-07-09T19:54+00:00

NOOOOOOO!!!! That building is cool and very retro. There are so many vast surface parking lots in downtown Clayton that it seems foolish to tear down viable buildings.

moorlander · PostJul 09, 2007#82007-07-09T20:46+00:00

Minutes from Jan 07 state sometihng about a new building with parking structure North of Maryland.

jcity · PostJul 10, 2007#92007-07-10T02:18+00:00

that's Conrad's new project.

moorlander · PostJul 10, 2007#102007-07-10T04:11+00:00

No, That's farther west. this is at Central and Maryland

framer · PostJul 11, 2007#112007-07-11T04:39+00:00

I'm surprised by how many people on this forum are so eager to destroy our mid-century heritage. Sounds like history repeating itself again. Won't people ever learn?

stlgasm · PostJul 11, 2007#122007-07-11T12:32+00:00

^^No sh*t, Framer. It's the same mentality that resulted in countless losses across the city, large and small. Although the Franke building may be less of a landmark building, it is still a great example of the era, and serves a function. One only needs to read Jane Jacobs to understand the value of smaller, less remarkable "filler" buildings in an urban landscape.

I just think it's completely foolish to tear down existing buildings before building on vacant lots. There is a huge surface lot at the corner of Forsyth and Brentwood-- it's a very high-profile parcel and it's WASTED SPACE. Build the damn thing there with a big ass parking garage behind it, and everyone would be happy.

shadrach · PostJul 11, 2007#132007-07-11T12:44+00:00

Isn't that where Montgomery Bank is putting its new 30-stroy tower?

That old 'doctor building' isn't worth saving. Build up!

southslider · PostJul 11, 2007#142007-07-11T15:25+00:00

I think Montgomery Bank will be on the SE corner of Forsyth and Central.

But as for Jane Jacobs, that's what I never liked about Centenne's plans to clear-cut an entire block in Clayton. A variety of buildings, diverse in their age, size, style, ownership, and activities, all in a limited space, like one block, make for a more organic recipe for vibrant streetlife.

jcity · PostJul 13, 2007#152007-07-13T05:49+00:00

I'm a huge preservationist and I like a lot of mid-century buildings, but imo, this building is a piece, and is NOT attractive. Not every single building over 50 years old is worth saving, if something BETTER can replace it. Now, the bank building north of Maryland on Meramec IS definitely worth preserving. I'm a huge fan of that curve.

moorlander · PostJul 20, 2007#162007-07-20T23:31+00:00

Clayton development may include hotel, condos

By Riddhi Trivedi-St. Clair

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

07/20/2007

A developer has bought property in downtown Clayton that could be redeveloped into a hotel and condominium mixed-use project.

Details on the estimated $100 million development at 25-45 North Central Avenue haven’t been finalized, said Rob Kramer, managing partner of Clayton-based RJ York Development, and no timeline has been determined.

Options include condos and a hotel, Kramer said. He wouldn’t disclose other details.

The property, three-quarters of an acre at the southwest corner of Central and Maryland avenues, has the five-story Frank Building. RJ York also has a parking lot on the northwest corner of the intersection under contract.

RJ York bought the Frank building from Esther Frank, said Barry Iken, vice president of Clayton-based Solon Gershman, who brokered the deal. The approximate purchase price was $7 million.

The building, which likely will be torn down, has retail on the first floor and offices on the upper floors.

RJ York has mainly been involved in building high-end condominium and custom single-family houses ranging from $1 million to $3.5 million. Among the company’s projects is the 14-unit, $25 million Clayton Park Place overlooking Shaw Park.

rtstclair@post-dispatch.com | 314-340-8206

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/busine ... enDocument

arch city · PostJul 21, 2007#172007-07-21T00:23+00:00

Here's a corner of the building I took a few years ago.

rbb · PostSep 18, 2007#182007-09-18T19:34+00:00

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/s ... enDocument

SUV hits Clayton eatery, hurts 2

By William C. Lhotka

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

09/18/2007

CLAYTON -- Two diners suffered serious injuries shortly before noon today when a Ford SUV plowed into a dining area of Il Vicino, a restaurant in Clayton.

Clayton Police Capt. Steve Grenier said the driver of a white Ford Ford Expedition had been making a left from westbound Maryland Avenue onto southbound Central Avenue when he lost control.

The Expedition crossed the sidewalk into a sunken outdoor dining area of the restaurant.

The SUV came down on top of the diners, described as an elderly man and his wife. A third diner suffered minor injuries, said Clayton Fire Chief Mark Thorp.

More at the link above.

-RBB

moorlander · PostSep 18, 2007#192007-09-18T19:39+00:00

Holy S

dweebe · PostSep 18, 2007#202007-09-18T20:18+00:00

Since when did Clayton move 3 or 4 miles east and merge with the Central West End?

http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.a ... yid=129820

Three Injured During Central West End Crash

Created: 9/18/2007 1:09:36 PM

Last updated: 9/18/2007 2:54:57 PM

(KSDK) - A car crashed into a Central West End restaurant Tuesday afternoon, injuring two people.

Authorities at the scene say the driver was heading west on Maryland around noon Tuesday and tried to turn left on North Central. They believe the driver was blinded by the glaring sun and lost control of his SUV.

When firefighters arrived, both victims, a husband and wife, were trapped beneath the wheels of the SUV. One was taken to the hospital in critical condition, the other had serious injuries. A third person has only minor injuries.

KSDK

trent · PostSep 19, 2007#212007-09-19T14:38+00:00

That would be fine with me.

doug · PostSep 19, 2007#222007-09-19T16:58+00:00

A lot of Victorian era architecture was hated and it seems similar hate today is being given towards mid century architecture.

rbb · PostSep 19, 2007#232007-09-19T17:20+00:00

dweebe wrote:Since when did Clayton move 3 or 4 miles east and merge with the Central West End?

http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.a ... yid=129820

Three Injured During Central West End Crash

Created: 9/18/2007 1:09:36 PM

Last updated: 9/18/2007 2:54:57 PM

(KSDK) - A car crashed into a Central West End restaurant Tuesday afternoon, injuring two people.

Authorities at the scene say the driver was heading west on Maryland around noon Tuesday and tried to turn left on North Central. They believe the driver was blinded by the glaring sun and lost control of his SUV.

When firefighters arrived, both victims, a husband and wife, were trapped beneath the wheels of the SUV. One was taken to the hospital in critical condition, the other had serious injuries. A third person has only minor injuries.

KSDK

I suppose if everything east of the city limits can be reffered to as "downtown", then Clayton can be the Central West End.

On a more serious note, KWMU reported this morning that 2 of the 3 patrons injured have been released from the hospital, and the third is in stable condition.

-RBB

hugh ferriss · PostSep 19, 2007#242007-09-19T21:37+00:00

I walked by the building yesterday evening and there's very little sign of damage from the crash other than a boarded up window on the side facing Maryland. The outdoor sunken area where the diners were injured is still blocked off with orange & white barrels, but there doesn't appear to be any structural damage at all.

I've always liked this building's appearance, though I think it's the eye-catching sign for Il Vicino that makes it stand out; take that away and I suppose the building itself would look fairly nondescript.

framer · PostSep 21, 2007#252007-09-21T04:53+00:00

Doug wrote:A lot of Victorian era architecture was hated and it seems similar hate today is being given towards mid century architecture.

Word! For those who wish to gain a greater appreciation for mid-century St. Louis architecture, I highly recommend Toby Wiess' blog, B.E.L.T. (Built Environment in Layman's Terms).