urbanSTL

^ that would be awesome.... they'll need to get going with more space to get there though. Anyone recall what the jobs projection was for the US Metals site? I know it was part of the TIGER application but I can't remember off-hand.

^ they all look like young geeks to me; but whadda I know?

arch city wrote:Landing a permanent, bricks-and-mortar office of Square is another feather in St. Louis' tech quest cap.

I agree and we've long been awaiting such an endorsement of our tech scene from a company like Square. And while a good part of me wished they had selected downtown (like Amazon just chose to do today in announcing its significant downtown Detroit expansion) I think it probably was good for the STL tech scene as a whole for Cortex to get this as it solidifies the district as a significant national player that should help deliver additional companies to both Cortex and downtown in the future.

^ they all look like young geeks to me; but whadda I know?

Well... geek is the new jock. They're the one's making money.

arch city wrote:In regards to Detroit, WOW.

Although I feel CORTEX has been a great STEM jobs generator for St. Louis City, St. Louis City needs to do a better job at landing (relocating) big corporations downtown - like Detroit, Chicago and others.

Nonetheless, I don't think Detroit's innovation district has a leg up on St. Louis' yet.

And while Detroit's downtown is seeing lots of good news lately i.e. streetcar, retail, Amazon, Lear, numerous great rehabs etc. etc. I still just don't think it slays downtown St. Louis with overall success stories.

How is it that cities like Cleveland and Detroit get the label of "comeback cities", but St. Louis doesn't? When in fact, last time I checked, St. Louis - overall - is gentrifying at a much faster rate than both cities? Hell, IKEA is plopped down the city's center.

Does St. Louis not toot its own horn enough?

Part of it indeed is not telling our story effectively.... but I do believe Detroit and Cleveland have a lot more momentum downtown than we do, and that helps drive perceptions as that is what a lot of people/media think of the most when it comes to cities. Also, in the case of Detroit, the amount of progress the last few years for a city, including downtown, left for dead makes for a great storyline. Maybe we need to go bankrupt!

^Agree. The marketing angle of Detroit's epic drop from existence creates a context in which any positive news will seem amplified. Think about Detroit and Cleveland's presence in the mass media over the last decade. Eminem showcased to the world during the Superbowl that Detroit "had seen hell" and was heroically making a comeback worth supporting. The auto industry is something that cannot be separated from Detroit and with products so tied to the average American's identity and woven into its history, that message will have a level of power we can't really touch.

On a smaller level, Cleveland's "mistake" identity has a kind of playfulness to it that can easily be overturned (temporarily, perhaps) when two major athletes land there- I think Cleveland was on the cover of multiple magazines and papers when Johnny Football and LeBron were en route last summer. Cleveland was heralded as a new "it" place. Pair that with a rehab or two and people across the country starting raising eyebrows.

In STL, our corporate image includes major players, but will less pizzazz. Our beer heritage and identity is likely met with cynicism now due to InBev, and our other media worthy issues are serious problems that can't be easily debunked with a few companies choosing to invest (although if that trend picks up steam, I think it will help).

In short, we do need to do a better job of not necessarily tooting our own horn, but changing the rhetoric surrounding STL. There is no reason why a commercial like Eminem's superbowl ad can't be made to help plant a seed of change....we have certainly seen our own versions of hell and are living to talk about it.

The building to house Tech Shop will be called 4260:

http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/blog ... -4260.html

Should be completed next summer. But the big news is it looks Cortex has landed a major tenant for the building.... I can't wait to hear details!

TechShop, which announced its St. Louis office in January, will take up 18,000 square feet on the first floor of the 60,000-square-foot facility. Lower said he’s received a letter of intent for a second tenant to take up the rest of the building, though he declined to name or detail the company. He said he hopes to announce the deal by mid-November.

^ Pure speculation on my part as well, but I don't think it would be for Square as it doesn't seem to make sense to move from CIC@CET to @4240 for a few months and then over to 4260 which will be done next summer. But I also find it tight for Square to take up only around 20K sq. ft. for 200 people.... regardless, I think we're nearing Wexford making a go of the US Metals site.

roger wyoming II wrote:Part of it indeed is not telling our story effectively.... but I do believe Detroit and Cleveland have a lot more momentum downtown than we do, and that helps drive perceptions as that is what a lot of people/media think of the most when it comes to cities. Also, in the case of Detroit, the amount of progress the last few years for a city, including downtown, left for dead makes for a great storyline. Maybe we need to go bankrupt!

I think you make some great points. I'll add that while St. Louis is known for its decay, it's not known for being financially-troubled or broke.

Nonetheless, in the early-to-mid 2000's, downtown St. Louis and the city were on fire. Downtown St. Louis made some national headlines - including the New York Times - but the city was never labeled the "Comeback City" even though neighborhoods all across the city were popping off new and reuse development left-and-right. Cupples Station, The Four Seasons, the convention center hotels, nearly every building on Washington Avenue - including the street itself - were getting makeovers into new and modern uses. Buildings like the Syndicate Trust and Paul Brown building were brought back to life.

And I won't get into the neighborhoods like the CWE, Midtown, Lafayette Square, Soulard etc. because so much was happening in the city, and although there was so much happening across the city - it was never labeled "The Comeback City" nationally.

In my opinion, St. Louis was putting other Midwest cities to shame with the level of adaptive reuse development. Plus, TIF development in St. Louis City and County helped to push the St. Louis area to unprecedented development levels.

Still no one ever labeled St. Louis "The Comeback City" or region.

So yes, to witness the rebirth of downtown Detroit is amazing. I am happy for Detroit. However, much of what is happening in downtown Detroit - including the street car line - were planned BEFORE the bankruptcy. On a side note, although I am sure investors did become more willing to invest with new people at the helm, people now believe the new administration is largely responsible for all the new development, which simply isn't the case.

Downtown Detroit and its Midtown area, for sure, were coming back before the bankruptcy.

With that said, I've ALWAYS said that St. Louis needed to put ads (tourism, business, living) in the national media - print and TV. Don't put ads only in Chicago, Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Memphis.

Also, I think tooting the local horn and changing the rhetoric are good ideas, but in light of Ferguson, time might have to pass a little now. For the last year, St. Louis hasn't looked too good nationally.

When time passes, perhaps John Hamm, Cedric The Entertainer, Jack Dorsey or Ellie Kemper might be willing to plug St. Louis in national ads.

^ packed in like sardines! I'd assume if its a tech company 40.000 sq. ft. would be a couple hundred more workers.

Also, just thinking of some of the other projects recently announced like Bull Moose in Grand Center and Avatara on Market. we're closing in on 1.000 new workers from companies new to downtown/midtown/cwe area if things all work out as planned. Keep 'em coming!