urbanSTL

DogtownBnR wrote:The view from Nashville.....

Why wouldn't Hardees want to leave a dormant city for a vibrant city?

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2 ... /26219127/

I'll note Nashville did the Super Mega Merger 50 years ago.

^^ That sounds like, "they are gone, but we will go through the motions and try to keep them".

Since when does it matter if they move to a 'neighboring state' or Timbuktu? A loss is a loss, move a move. Not to mention, these days, a move to a Nashville, KC, Indy, etc, is a big loss, considering we are now competing with those cities and they are now peer cities, where as Minneapolis, Denver and Tampa are moving into a higher tier.

Count the most recent losses, to add to the many others:

-Sigma-Aldrich
-Ralcorp
-Hardees?

While none of these companies is a MAJOR employer, we've lost several major employers over the years. Now we are losing companies in the second and third tier. I understand the sky is not falling, but any loss of corporations, is a negative in my book, unless you are like a Chicago and can absorb it.

St. Louis needs to get it's portraits straight our region's economy is stagnant at best and we are thinking about using tax dollars to build a Stadium for a billionaire while letting N/s metro-link study's collect dust. That is crazy
Downtown needs to get ride off all of its one way streets that is probably the cheapest thing the city can do right now to help downtown also Tucker and market street ( specifically east of tucker) really need a street diet and new streetscapes. As of right now Market and Tucker really cut downtown in to isolated sections.
Also Get rid of NLEC

Sure hardees is not a large employer downtown but how could city hall not know they are thinking about moving. What dose Slay do all day watch chips and emergency box sets
Any way hopefully the new dome would have nice views of empty office buildings

Slay concerns himself with a Civil War statue in Forest Park....You can't make this schitt up. You just can't.

DogtownBnR wrote:^^ That sounds like, "they are gone, but we will go through the motions and try to keep them".

Since when does it matter if they move to a 'neighboring state' or Timbuktu? A loss is a loss, move a move. Not to mention, these days, a move to a Nashville, KC, Indy, etc, is a big loss, considering we are now competing with those cities and they are now peer cities, where as Minneapolis, Denver and Tampa are moving into a higher tier.

Slay didn't really say that. RW2 was joking. Ref. The VA move to overland comment.

^In any event, joking or not, we are in a lull right now economically and our stock is down so far nationally, due to the unrest and the bashing we've taken in the national media, since August. I envy the momentum in cities like Nashville and Austin. I want that to happen here, but major changes need to take place with government and the status quo, city/county BS first. This region is so stuck in this mindset that holds us back. It is frustrating! I don't see this changing. If anything, at least Slay & Dooley had that right, but now Stenger seems to have taken us several steps back, in the push for an absorption ( as I call it).

DogtownBnR wrote:^^ That sounds like, "they are gone, but we will go through the motions and try to keep them".

Since when does it matter if they move to a 'neighboring state' or Timbuktu? A loss is a loss, move a move. Not to mention, these days, a move to a Nashville, KC, Indy, etc, is a big loss, considering we are now competing with those cities and they are now peer cities, where as Minneapolis, Denver and Tampa are moving into a higher tier.

Count the most recent losses, to add to the many others:

-Sigma-Aldrich
-Ralcorp
-Hardees?

While none of these companies is a MAJOR employer, we've lost several major employers over the years. Now we are losing companies in the second and third tier. I understand the sky is not falling, but any loss of corporations, is a negative in my book, unless you are like a Chicago and can absorb it.

Sigma IS a MAJOR employer and a critical component of our burgeoning life science industry. I've spoken to several people with them internally and it looks like the acquisition by Merck Europe (not to be confused with Merck USA) could result in positive growth for them eventually. Technically, they won't be headquartered here but it would be similar to the Purina or Wells Fargo deal. Sigma is highly specialized and they can't just strip jobs for a brand name.

Secondly, the Ralcorp deal was not a total loss. We do have the Post spin-off. Post is an acquisition or 2 away from being a fortune 500 company. Now if we could just lure them from Brentwood to Downtown.

^That is great to hear about Sigma. I have not heard anything. While I'd rather have them be based here and grow, the Purina model is not a bad one at all. I didn't mean to downplay their size or importance, only comparing this 'potential' loss to bigger losses in the past, like May Co. , AB and other larger painful HQ losses.

Regarding Post, I see them being acquired at some point. That is what Stiritz does. While I hope to see Post stay, I just have a feeling that they will be acquired at some point.

^I was happy with the Sigma news as well. I have several friends in higher-level positions there and they were understandably nervous after the news. In their mind they were always in the buying mode. They were truly shocked by the acquisition. Since the initial news though they feel like there will be significant research investment in St Louis and any losses would be administrative.

I agree about Post although I believe Stiritz has stepped away to focus on Herbalife of all things. Long-term I'm sure they will shop themselves, but with all their acquisitions since their inception they will have to shed a lot of debt and messy management structures before they are attractive to potential suitors.

The recent run down by the Business Journal (http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news ... gging.html) basically states that the market for commercial real estate is strengthening throughout the region, and that Downtown is lagging that trend, and Clayton is leading it.

They throw in an anecdotal account of Anders being happy with their move to B of A Plaza (nice bit of boosterism there). It sounds like Clayton could be approaching the spec development threshold (although there's no mention of Centene Phase 2 or anything else on the pipeline).

On a separate but related note, McGladrey CPAs (housed in the US Bank building) just bought a 40 person accounting firm out in Des Peres. Hopefully they follow in Anders footsteps and consolidate eastward.

roger wyoming II wrote:Hardees, which occupies about 50,000 square feet in the 100 N Broadway Building, may relocate out of the region.

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/ ... c3bb3.html

The article says the building currently is about 2/3 occupied.

"“I know for sure he’s looking for states that don’t have an income tax,” Slay says, “and he’s looking at Right-to-Work states...”In addition to what the mayor says, more evidence against St. Louis – the Nashville Business Journal says Puzder just bought 52 acres of rural land in Tennessee.
Slay says he’s asked for, and will have, another meeting with Puzder."

read the entire article here
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2015/04/29/ ... departure/

I take this as a good sign. Not only is the WF campus adding employees but they are investing more into the campus which shows a continued long term investment in the StL region.

At the same time I wish the streetcar was further along

^ would take it as a good sign also

Wonder if Wells Fargo Security would entertain taking over One Center for the exec and brokerage functions with a new Wells Fargo IT center taking over the existing campus.

Better yet, a new tower bookending the west end of Gateway mall with a IT center at their existing campus. I think it would be great symbolism for the company with their tower in the background of the Arch (looking from the East facing west) considering their history in the west.

I didn't say it was perfect!

wonder how this will effect downtown
http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/ ... d261d.html

.@downtownstlbiz @wwt_inc We are definitely staying downtown.