urbanSTL

I think there's room for street trees. I think the construction fencing is hiding 4-5 feet of extra depth from the street. I hope they redo the sidewalk complete with trees, rather than putting in a small strip of sod.

Here are some more photos to facilitate discussion:



Please note the security sign in lower center.







Looking South:







Looking Southeast:







Looking Northwest:







Enjoy!

I love the real balconies on the street side. This fits great with the rest of South Grand!!!

Regarding the building line: I don't really have a preferance of close to the street vs set back from the street; I just think it should be consistent.

That block certainly looks different, in a great way. The construction's buzzing along now.

Some of the brick is already going up now too.

Some pics;

I am glad that new housing is being built on a previously underused lot, however I can't help but be less than enthusiastic over their design. This development would have been better suited for a residential area and not an important commercial corridor.

This stretch of Grand between Shaw and Shenandoah is mostly residential. Plus, the added density will have more people walking along Grand to nearby commercial and parks.

southslider wrote:This stretch of Grand between Shaw and Shenandoah is mostly residential.

I beg to differ. Other than a couple of highrise apartments to the North, it's nearly all commercial, plus some second floor residential. This would have been a great site for first floor retail/commercial, with the condos above. That could have built on the strength of South Grand, and helped link it to the medical complex to the North.

Now if only someone would buy and tear down the Jack in the Box next door for a smaller urban infill project.

Framer wrote:This would have been a great site for first floor retail/commercial, with the condos above. That could have built on the strength of South Grand, and helped link it to the medical complex to the North.

If it's any consolation the project planned for across the street in place of the old YMCA will be just this.

stellar wrote:

Framer wrote:This would have been a great site for first floor retail/commercial, with the condos above. That could have built on the strength of South Grand, and helped link it to the medical complex to the North.

If it's any consolation the project planned for across the street in place of the old YMCA will be just this.

Yep, I'm looking forward to it. I'd also love to see something like the newly-unveiled Villas of St. Louis (the old Salad Bowl site on Lindell) built on this stretch of Grand.

What is going on with the Y tear down? It was approved but I haven't hears anything new in months. Also, I couldn't agree more, the Compton Gate development, despite its lack of ground floor commercial, is really adding nice density, and the residents should increase traffic on Grand and hopefully spur more commercial development. Maybe they'll even create a market for a NEW SHONEYS!!!

^36 units? That's probably around 70 something residents at the most. I'm not sure how much "density" this project is really going to add. It will however, make a definite impact on restoring the streetscape along that section of Grand. I just wish they had gone with an architectural style other than Suburblah...



BTW, I noticed the drawings on the website show the back of the townhome portion to be covered with siding on most of all three sides. Please tell me this is not of the vinyl variety...



Does anyone on here know anyone moving into this project?

Condos rise from ashes of devastating fire

$10 million project opens May 31



By Jim Merkel

Tuesday, May 22, 2007 6:01 PM CDT



Michelle Duffe never will forget April 27, 2006. Nor will she forget next Thursday, May 31.



The first date was when an arsonist set fire to the construction site of the Compton Gate Condominium development at 2201 S. Grand Blvd.



Duffe is a partner in the $10 million project to build 30 condominiums and six townhouses on the site of a closed Shoney's restaurant.



[snip]



The condominiums are in two three-story buildings of 15 units each, one along Grand and one along Cleveland Avenue. Both are above a basement garage.



The two condominium buildings, along with a six-unit townhouse building on the north yet to be built and a fence to the west will form a courtyard.



Priced at $250,000 to nearly $400,000, the condominiums will range from 1,250 square feet to 1,935 square feet. All will have two bedrooms and two bathrooms.



Construction of the townhouses should start in August or September and take about seven months to complete



Link to Article

More good quality housing options for people to live in St. Louis City - projects like this are making the City a success again. I'm always somewhat surprised when more $400K condos go on the market, from the conventional wisdom I receive at work and from others I'd think that there was no one in the City that could afford it!

I'm so glad the developers were able to rebuild after the awful arson incident. The new project looks great. It really makes that Jack-in-the-Box look out of place!

Walking by these yesterday I think they look good and definitely add some great density to this block of S. Grand - I just wish they had pushed them back a few more feet to give more room on the sidewalk. I felt like the building was pushing me out into the street.

DeB,



I'm not sure I agree that it looks great. The design seems like it's awfully unfriendly to Grand, and its really not all that great to look at. Granted, I agree that it makes the Jack In The Box look out of place, but I'm just not a big fan of this building.