urbanSTL

^Oh, there should be some stars in the walk of fame on that list eventually. Several. And if you want to talk Leon Strauss, don't forget Mary. The only problem is that the chief memorializer is unlikely to memorialize himself, so you may have to wait a little while for at least one of them. But yes, I can fully agree with you. You list some mammoth contributions there.

Isn't there a bust of Leon Strauss across the street from The Fox? And Mary was just honored a couple weeks ago at the Annual Landmarks Assn Fundraiser. I don't think anyone will ever forget that Mary saved The Fox.

Steve was just recently recognized for his efforts in Grand Center in late September.

https://www.stltoday.com/pr/entertainme ... bff18.html

My cousin with PGAV is down in Atlanta right now. One of the things she visited there is a food hall in a redeveloped Sears warehouse called Ponce City Market. Reminds me a lot of what's going on at Foundry. Exciting stuff.

^There are some significant differences, of course, most notably being that warehouse just seems enormous and it would probably take a lot of construction to make up the square footage difference. But I feel like that's what Foundry is aiming for with the food court and some of the public amenities, at least. And it gives me quite a lot of hope that Foundry will be a success and a real benefit to the area.

(It also gives you an appreciation for just how much Amazon lifted a business model pioneered by Sears in the late 19th century. More's the pity that Sears abandoned it. Good lord their catalog business was huge. Does Amazon sell houses yet?)

^ before the Foundry project came about my hope for a Ponce City Market type project was the Lemp Brewery complex.

^ I'm really surprised nothing more has come for Lemp aside from creative office spaces, and from what I remember, not even full. Not that the owner has called me back over the last year regarding renting a space.

So much potential at Lemp, same as there is at Armory, for something really beautiful inside and out with some creative demo choices, though I'm no structural engineer. From apartments, to dining. Maybe retail, or maker space incubators, but it feels as though it's an island of itself.

^Oh, there's no question that there's a whole heap of potential in Lemp, but the neighborhoods are very different in many ways. Different demographics. Different mixes of businesses. Probably even at least slightly different zoning. (Certainly adjacent zoning.) When Federal Mogul first closed I'd have said that would be the harder site to redevelop, but . . . things changed fast around there. It's just a different world than it was twenty years ago. Mostly better, even.But Lemp would be a trickier project, I think, and would probably need a different mix to make it work. I'm not too worried Lemp will fall through the cracks anymore. (Much more worried about Consumers/Falstaff off Gravois.) But this is an exciting project anywhere you put it and I think it will be a good fit for the growing tech corridor.

The City Foundry project along with the recently opened Lawrence Group development of the old Missouri Theater Building (Angad Arts Hotel) are huge anchors to facilitate Central Core continuity from Downtown West through Grand Center, Cortex and on to the CWE. Lawrence Group is the most progressive development team in the Saint Louis region and without their efforts on these projects our Central Core renaissance wouldn't be nearly as comprehensive as it is. The momentum created is already bringing additional development into the Central Spine which will fill in the blanks between Vandeventer and Jefferson.

In 10-15 years (barring another recession), the Grand Center/Midtown neighborhood will be a very desirable address in which to live. GC/Midtown can be a true 24-hour active lifestyle neighborhood with a dense "bigger city" vibe than the Grove, Cherokee, Soulard, CWE, The Loop or Downtown proper. The spaghetti mess involving Market Street, 40/64 and FP Parkway must be untangled to bring full impact to the development possibilities. Let's keep the momentum rolling! .

^ a major recession is likely in early 2020.

dbInSouthCity wrote: ↑

Nov 24, 2018

^ a major recession is likely in early 2020.

I don't think it will be major like 2008, maybe smaller. It could just be a correction and not a recession, but who knows for sure. Different people say different things so who knows.

But to go off of STLtoCHI's point, I can see the Lawrence Group doing more in Midtown-Grand Center in the future. What that may be, I don't know but I hope it's great!

symphonicpoet wrote: ↑

Nov 22, 2018

(It also gives you an appreciation for just how much Amazon lifted a business model pioneered by Sears in the late 19th century. More's the pity that Sears abandoned it. Good lord their catalog business was huge. Does Amazon sell houses yet?)

If you count tiny homes then yes.

-RBB

chriss752 wrote: ↑

Nov 25, 2018

But to go off of STLtoCHI's point, I can see the Lawrence Group doing more in Midtown-Grand Center in the future. What that may be, I don't know but I hope it's great!

It would seem logical for Lawrence Group to pursue a more residential/mixed use development as part of their Midtown-Grand Center hotel that is now open and Bull Moose is not going to move into the area. Add the fact that Lawrence Group/Foundry Development future phases have pivoted to more office development.

Which gets to another question. Will Foundry be breaking ground soon on the office space along Vande in the near future? Will Bull Moose take up a lease in Foundry development? Curious is they still plan on moving into the city.

Steve Smith said the next phase for Foundry would be residential so maybe plans changed. This was in a video on HEC media recently released.

STLrainbow wrote: ↑

Nov 26, 2018

Steve Smith said the next phase for Foundry would be residential so maybe plans changed. This was in a video on HEC media recently released.

https://hecmedia.org/posts/city-foundry ... n-st-louis

^ The video is on that page. The section you're referring to starts at about 3:10. He says (paraphrasing): 'Early in the morning we've got people working here. Midday we've got the food hall. Throughout the afternoon we've got shopping. In the evening we've got Punchbowl Social and the Alamo Drafthouse so people can come and entertain themselves. And then we have residential for overnight in our next phase'

He says he wouldn't be surprised if there are 10,000 more people living in midtown in the next ten years, and City Foundry is part of providing the support to the neighborhood of midtown that is growing dramatically and rapidly.

-RBB

^ very intriguing. I think Midtown would have to be defined pretty broadly but I could see 10k more folks in the next decade. I think that would require a ton of new construction as conversion opportunities are becoming rather scarce. So they better get a move on!

Residential was initially a part of the Phase 1 plan of the Foundry if you can remember that rendering of the high rise residential tower. Historic nixed that idea because the building it would replace was a 1 story warehouse, and was considered a "contributing structure," hence the new design for the Alamo Draft house "1 story warehouse." Residential will absolutely a part of the overall development. It might come in phase 2, or maybe if there is a phase 3. I know phase 2 initially was proposed as build to suit office space, with that nice tower directly adjacent to the highway, but that might of changed to be residential. Or maybe instead of that 4 or 5 story office building north of that office tower, would become some kind of residential.

Another option I see happening is the buyout of the Crescent electric site. Phase 2 stays office, phase 2.5 or 3 becomes residential on that plot. That would be ideal. Also, there is the Falstaff Brewery site right to the east of spring that I believe is currently for sale. That could easily turn into a mini development of its own.


Another note, I highly believe the south wall of the Foundry, directly adjacent to 64/40 is coming down as early as tonight/this weekend. Seems like a lot of action happening in that area of the site, and the temporary windows have been removed.

Does anyone know what the walkway across 64/40 to the Armory is going to look like? I've seen references to it on several occasions but haven't been able to find a rendering.

Is the plan to take up and over the highway?

midwest_best wrote: ↑

Dec 07, 2018

Does anyone know what the walkway across 64/40 to the Armory is going to look like? I've seen references to it on several occasions but haven't been able to find a rendering.

Is the plan to take up and over the highway?

aprice wrote: ↑

Dec 07, 2018

midwest_best wrote: ↑

Dec 07, 2018

Does anyone know what the walkway across 64/40 to the Armory is going to look like? I've seen references to it on several occasions but haven't been able to find a rendering.

Is the plan to take up and over the highway?

This is a pretty old rendering and I believe it was just a concept. They do plan to rebuild the old viaduct linking the Armory and Foundry, but maybe not in the exact location as it once was. I'd check out the winning Stoss submission for the Arch to Park Chouteau Greenway plan. I think the design of it will ultimately be up to that team and not Lawrence Group or Arcturis (Armory).

https://greatriversgreenway.org/chouteau/

So has anyone heard if there is still going to be national retailers as part of this project or is it all entertainment and eats? iirc things like West Elm, Anthropologie, etc. were targets that would bring some higher end retailers to the city of even region.

stlnative wrote: ↑

Dec 07, 2018

Another note, I highly believe the south wall of the Foundry, directly adjacent to 64/40 is coming down as early as tonight/this weekend. Seems like a lot of action happening in that area of the site, and the temporary windows have been removed.

I'm not familiar enough with the plan- will the wall of windows that is up against 40 be gone? Hope not, that is/was pretty cool...

The wall is already gone but will be rebuilt in the sae form. According to their Instagram they said there was a problem with the stability of the existing masonry.