That looks like apartments right?
Seems small, but actually a rather strategic commitment from Washington University and Saint Louis University to workforce development in St. Louis. Projects like these remind me how extremely lucky we are to have two great universities so willing to work together.
https://source.wustl.edu/2019/05/washin ... s-economy/
https://source.wustl.edu/2019/05/washin ... s-economy/
CORTEX quiet lately or maybe just anxious for some news with everything being floated and rendered out there as of late. Understand that they got full on construction of the Aloft hotel, parking garage and Crescent building rehab but thought their would be some more rumblings by now on next phase with hints of next Wexford building (I think Chris posted drill rig pics in front of new garage if not mistaken) and mixed use infill next to Cortex I (CORTEX getting the demo permit on a smallish nearby one story - short term parking replacement if a mixed use project takes up space?)
I pay attention to the business journals out here in the bay area and a lot of articles about how so and so Bay area tech companies and startups expanding in Chicago (Uber looking at a big time lease), Dallas, Austin and Nashville. Would be nice if Microsoft says screw the trendy, hip places and going bigger in St Louis because Feds are making a huge investment in geospatial intelligence and we want to be next door. I believe Microsoft is also making a bid for big DoD cloud contract. They could pull a Boeing and maybe look at St Louis as defecto defense base if they get the contract. Wishful thinking maybe and we can always bring up that their is not enough workforce to fill a 2-3 building campus. But Wexford developable footprint within CORTEX is screaming for Microsoft to go big.
I pay attention to the business journals out here in the bay area and a lot of articles about how so and so Bay area tech companies and startups expanding in Chicago (Uber looking at a big time lease), Dallas, Austin and Nashville. Would be nice if Microsoft says screw the trendy, hip places and going bigger in St Louis because Feds are making a huge investment in geospatial intelligence and we want to be next door. I believe Microsoft is also making a bid for big DoD cloud contract. They could pull a Boeing and maybe look at St Louis as defecto defense base if they get the contract. Wishful thinking maybe and we can always bring up that their is not enough workforce to fill a 2-3 building campus. But Wexford developable footprint within CORTEX is screaming for Microsoft to go big.
There’s a big expansion in the works I am hearing. Not sure when it will be unveiled but it should be significant. Granted, the hotel, 4220 and the unbuilt apartments Phase was a big announcement at the time. Will this announcement be that big? Not quite sure yet but an expansion is coming. I think it relates to the soil testing drills that I shared on this thread recently.
Can confirm that the announcement does relate to the soil testers and I can also confirm that it relates to the planned residential building behind Cortex 1. Sounds like it will be sizable.chriss752 wrote: There’s a big expansion in the works I am hearing. Not sure when it will be unveiled but it should be significant. Granted, the hotel, 4220 and the unbuilt apartments Phase was a big announcement at the time. Will this announcement be that big? Not quite sure yet but an expansion is coming. I think it relates to the soil testing drills that I shared on this thread recently.
^ Thanks Chris, rough idea when they might announce next phase? soon, late summer, by end of year, etc....
The one thing about CORTEX that has seems consistent is that any announcement generally results in such happening even thought the roll out has not been as quick as hoped. That what gets me more excited when they announce something versus some of the other developments
The one thing about CORTEX that has seems consistent is that any announcement generally results in such happening even thought the roll out has not been as quick as hoped. That what gets me more excited when they announce something versus some of the other developments
I think it will be announced before the end of July. That’s two months away of course but things such as contractors and final designs are being made. Supposedly the size and scope has been determined.dredger wrote:^ Thanks Chris, rough idea when they might announce next phase? soon, late summer, by end of year, etc....
The one thing about CORTEX that has seems consistent is that any announcement generally results in such happening even thought the roll out has not been as quick as hoped. That what gets me more excited when they announce something versus some of the other developments
It would have to be sizable, because the block is huge. I wonder if it will have some height. Even a 4-6 story tall building would have major street presence, because the block is so big.chriss752 wrote:Can confirm that the announcement does relate to the soil testers and I can also confirm that it relates to the planned residential building behind Cortex 1. Sounds like it will be sizable.chriss752 wrote: There’s a big expansion in the works I am hearing. Not sure when it will be unveiled but it should be significant. Granted, the hotel, 4220 and the unbuilt apartments Phase was a big announcement at the time. Will this announcement be that big? Not quite sure yet but an expansion is coming. I think it relates to the soil testing drills that I shared on this thread recently.
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From the article framer posted:framer wrote: Wash U's take on the 4340 Duncan building:
https://source.wustl.edu/2019/05/reimag ... 40-duncan/
Two more building projects will be announced soon... Let's assume one of these will be residential, perhaps a high rise, behind Cortex One as chriss752 has written about. The other could be new office space that hasn't been discussed before, i.e. neither the Wash U neuroscience building nor Koman's Cortex K project, as neither developer is officially "Cortex" (Wexford). If new office space, I'd think they'd build closer to Sarah and Duncan to capitalize on the soon-to-open garage, further clustering professional services buildings in the district's footprint.Founded in 2002, 5,800 people work at Cortex, and it’s currently home to more than 400 tech companies. Cortex continues to grow at a rapid pace: 4220 Duncan, a new five-story tech office building, opened in May 2018. A parking garage and the Aloft Hotel are under construction, and two more building projects will be announced soon. Cortex’ goal is to increase the City’s tax base to support essential services, attract and create high-tech jobs, become the most inclusive urban innovation district in America, and be nationally and internationally recognized as a technology hub.
Dennis Lower, CEO of Cortex, has stated that - before he steps down at the end of the year - he anticipates a new announcement from Wexford Science & Technology, Cortex's primary developer, which he stated they are collectively working on as of last February:
Source: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... r-his.html"I’d like to get that approved before I leave, and get it as close as possible to the beginning of construction,” he said.
The next office building will be situated along Duncan in front of the new parking garage. They were doing soil testing there a few weeks ago and it has been confirmed to me that that is the site. Residential is also in the makeup of the two new buildings, at least that’s what I last heard. They want to do an office building over 6 floors here, so not too big but will be a change over the typical 3-5 floor buildings you have there.
On another note, Cortex is going to ramp up office space construction over the next several years to where it will become denser than Clayton (in terms of floor to area ratios) and will become built out within 10-12 years.
On another note, Cortex is going to ramp up office space construction over the next several years to where it will become denser than Clayton (in terms of floor to area ratios) and will become built out within 10-12 years.
Chris, do you think Cortex K is still on track for a June ground breaking with lease or no leases in hand? That would make it possibly three buildings, two office and one residential, within the CORTEX footprint in the near future.
Last I heard, they were in negotiations with a tenant or two. They may be waiting on that. In addition to this, some final design changes are being made. Right now, I would say a late July/Early August groundbreaking would be a better shot. I'll message my contacts to see if all is in working order.dredger wrote:Chris, do you think Cortex K is still on track for a June ground breaking with lease or no leases in hand? That would make it possibly three buildings, two office and one residential, within the CORTEX footprint in the near future.
PD Article about 100 Kingshighway from Dec. 2016Another Mac Properties project in St. Louis is the 220-unit apartment building planned as part of the latest expansion at the Cortex tech district in the Central West End.
Which project is / was this?
I think it has been cancelled or else it could be the upcoming apartment building to be announced.urbanitas wrote:PD Article about 100 Kingshighway from Dec. 2016Another Mac Properties project in St. Louis is the 220-unit apartment building planned as part of the latest expansion at the Cortex tech district in the Central West End.
Which project is / was this?
^ Was that the one adjacent to Cortex 1?
I would be surprised if Mac Properties would extend themselves that much by having two large apartment buildings under construction in more or less the same area, but different target markets I suppose.
I would be surprised if Mac Properties would extend themselves that much by having two large apartment buildings under construction in more or less the same area, but different target markets I suppose.
On Duncan behind Tech Shop.urbanitas wrote:^ Was that the one adjacent to Cortex 1?
I'd say it must be canceled, as that rendered building would be on the site of Vicia restaurant, and the Aloft hotel under construction...chriss752 wrote: I think it has been cancelled or else it could be the upcoming apartment building to be announced.
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Edit: Yeah, that rendering is the original, "scrapped" apartment proposal. The latest apartment proposal is / was closer to the NW corner of Sarah and Duncan, both according to this October 2016 PD article. I can't find any rendering of that proposal though.
And this follow up article from Jan. 2017 was the last news about it, apparently.
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^ Now THAT is how you screen a parking garage. Absolutely gorgeous, got a little more height to it as well. Damn, that is good looking. Would love to see this and Koman's building going up at the same time.
10 floors! And it gets rid of that horrendous concrete wall on Duncan. I can’t seem to find who the architect is on the project.
Here's a larger rendering.
Reason #73 the world needs Form Based Codes: Utilizing the street corner. Having density at street corners is extremely important in urban form. Cortex keeps screwing that up.
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I would agree if the grain silo wasn't directly across the street. And we know that CORTEX isn't going to be a super dense true urban environment. At least there's enough room for a building to potentially be built on this corner lot in the future.