It definitely seems that way. I've heard that STL has one of the highest concentrations in very specific bio/life sciences (plant and animal) with Monsanto/Danforth/Novus/MoBot/NestlePurina etc.
So while we may not have the most jobs, perhaps we have the most niche jobs?
Cortex Innovation Community to Unveil Phase 3
Growth Plan: Cortex 3.0
ST. LOUIS – As St. Louis’ innovation economy continues its fast-paced growth, on Thursday, October, 20 at 1:30pm, the Cortex Innovation Community in the Central West End will unveil its Phase III expansion plans – Cortex 3.0.
Recognized by the Brookings Institute as a model Urban Innovation District, the 200-acre urban innovation and entrepreneurship community is home to more than 250 growth companies, including some of the most recognizable information technology, engineering and bioscience organizations.
On Thursday, Cortex leadership and its four national development partners will outline new expansion plans slated to begin in spring 2017 and complete in fall 2018.
WHAT: The unveiling of Cortex 3.0 expansion plans by Cortex President Dennis Lower and senior leaders of the district’s four national development partners.
WHEN: Thursday, October 20, 1:30pm.
WHERE: Lobby of Cortex 1 building, 4320 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108.
^ don't forget the parking garage! iirc, it's expected to be about a $200M phase in all. I suppose we'll also be hearing who the anchor tenant will be for the office, which I believe is thought to be Microsoft.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll see some decent building height as part of this phase. I asked Alex if he knew of anything since the latest rendering I've seen was posted on this forum:
Alex Ihnen wrote:I'd guess that with ownership change and other turnover, any announcement is just taking time to line up. Here's what we know/expect:
Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic to see this phase announced. I'm just hoping for a strong design.
^^ It will be interesting to see who all show up at the party. Cortex and its four national development partners. So you got Wexford (#1). As noted by STLrainbow, everyone expecting Microsoft (#2). So who else is being called national development partner? Hotel partner (#3). I figured a local developer for residential/mixed use but just a guess on my part. Maybe a residential developer not already in CWE like Opus but downtown such as the Arcade building - Dominium out of Minneapolis if I spelled that right
Drury has no hotels in the Central Corridor - except downtown. Remember the proposal Drury had planned for Kingshighway@ I-64?
It would be nice if the hotelier is Drury and a big plus if they built something comparable to the new tower they are doing in Nashville.
Have to wonder who it will be but makes a lot of sense for Drury vs. the push back that might be expected at Kingshighway & not having to go through the incentive process of asking for tax abatements, etc (developers already treat it as a given). Also opens up the question, does Drury plan to hang onto the Kingshighway property for residential development or even land bank with the idea that CORTEX is a signature tower while Kingshighway location is their standard format?
I also think that Drury must have also explored the same with the Zoo and its proposed development/vision for the old Forest Park Hospital site. Believe the current vision calls for a hotel also.
Sooo I see that the Biz Journal is using the site layout rendering for the US Metals site whereas I think we here on UrbanSTL are expecting it to be the buildings across from @4240 along Duncan. Do we know which area is the main target for Phase 3? Is it possibly both?
I think Wexford's project (including Microsoft) is on a portion of the US Metals site, while the hotel and apartments (Cortex) are going on the north side of Duncan.
^ Would explain the number of development partners involved but not named in the media announcement. Someone can correct me but isn't US Metals site exclusive to Wexford as the developer just as the site that Koman bought within CORTEX exclusive to them where as the property along FPP is CORTEX owned property. Just not sure what CORTEX and Wexford have signed onto altogether.
..
Framer, that also brings up another question. Could we see two parking garages/structures announced as both sites involve or include a garage in the respective renderings?
So business journal subscription content was working for me this morning. Must be a bug in their system. It did mention that a source said Microsoft told their landlord at Cityplace that it was vacating so they must be moving everything to Cortex
joelo wrote:So business journal subscription content was working for me this morning. Must be a bug in their system. It did mention that a source said Microsoft told their landlord at Cityplace that it was vacating so they must be moving everything to Cortex
^ tomorrow should be an exciting day! I assume if they get shovels into ground in the next couple months we're looking at a 2018 opening for most of the phase. As for Microsoft, hopefully they'll bring new jobs to the region in addition to relocating the Creve Couer folks.
I wouldn't call it a "model" innovation district. The activity and speed of development in this area is spectacular, and any time you get that in St. Louis (rapid, positive development), you have to be excited. But I walked through it the other day, and it has more of the feel of a suburban office park in the city. A lot of buildings are not pedestrian-friendly. Giant, stone/fiberboard walls with little to no windows, no street-level use, and even no pedestrian stylistic scaling make this a pretty useless neighborhood in which to walk. The new STLCOP buildings are awful in this regard, and the BJC building @ the Commons is almost as bad. As many have mentioned, it's cool to have an IKEA, but the IKEA is the same way. I'd have made the sacrifice to get the IKEA, but the development market around Cortex is now hot enough to start requesting some legitimate, mixed use out of the stuff that is subsequently erected.
I hope this next phase is a lot more focused on livening up the streetscape from a pedestrian perspective, rather than expanding what is currently an auto-commuter suburban office park.
