urbanSTL

I am excited about this, too. I like the picture and eager to see how it looks finished and landscaped.

I just got this e-mail for anyone interested...



http://ecourbanhomes.createsend.com/vie ... 5A1CE688CE



EcoUrban Homes' Grand Opening Event

Please join EcoUrban Homes, the Mayor of St. Louis, the Honorable Francis G. Slay, Alderman Kenneth Ortmann, and Alderwoman Kacie Tripplett as we usher in a new era of green construction in St. Louis.



Help us celebrate the completion of Missouri’s first precision built, LEED-registered home at our Grand Opening Celebration to be held this Thrusday June 7, 2007 from 5:00pm – 8:00pm at 3140 Pennsylvania Avenue in the Benton Park West Neighborhood of South St. Louis.



After only 27 days of onsite construction, we are proud to offer a first look at the results of the EcoUrban philosophy -- green homes that combine great design with an unparalleled commitment to health and sustainable construction. At EcoUrban Homes, we incorporate an environmental program that is among the most comprehensive in new construction. The result: unique, healthy homes that are 80% more efficient than similar conventional residences.



Come explore our 3 bedroom / 2.5 bath Solstice model with beautiful, renewable bamboo floors, large Anderson high-performance windows, ultra-efficient heating and cooling equipment, and budget-friendly EnergyStar lights and appliances. After touring Solstice's open floor plan, see what other EcoUrban styles and floors plans are available from $199,900 to $299,900. Free Valet Parking will be available with food and drink provided by Pestalozzi Place and Erato Wine Bar.



PLEASE RSVP BY 7 PM on JUNE 6TH TO jay@ecourbanhomes.com

stellar wrote:I just got this e-mail for anyone interested...



http://ecourbanhomes.createsend.com/vie ... 5A1CE688CE



EcoUrban Homes' Grand Opening Event

Please join EcoUrban Homes, the Mayor of St. Louis, the Honorable Francis G. Slay, Alderman Kenneth Ortmann, and Alderwoman Kacie Tripplett as we usher in a new era of green construction in St. Louis.



Help us celebrate the completion of Missouri’s first precision built, LEED-registered home at our Grand Opening Celebration to be held this Thrusday June 7, 2007 from 5:00pm – 8:00pm at 3140 Pennsylvania Avenue in the Benton Park West Neighborhood of South St. Louis.



After only 27 days of onsite construction, we are proud to offer a first look at the results of the EcoUrban philosophy -- green homes that combine great design with an unparalleled commitment to health and sustainable construction. At EcoUrban Homes, we incorporate an environmental program that is among the most comprehensive in new construction. The result: unique, healthy homes that are 80% more efficient than similar conventional residences.



Come explore our 3 bedroom / 2.5 bath Solstice model with beautiful, renewable bamboo floors, large Anderson high-performance windows, ultra-efficient heating and cooling equipment, and budget-friendly EnergyStar lights and appliances. After touring Solstice's open floor plan, see what other EcoUrban styles and floors plans are available from $199,900 to $299,900. Free Valet Parking will be available with food and drink provided by Pestalozzi Place and Erato Wine Bar.



PLEASE RSVP BY 7 PM on JUNE 6TH TO jay@ecourbanhomes.com

I sent an RSVP email right after you posted and haven't heard back from this Jay dude. I'm wondering if I still should swing by?

dweebe wrote:I sent an RSVP email right after you posted and haven't heard back from this Jay dude. I'm wondering if I still should swing by?

Update:



From: Jay Swoboda at EcoUrban <jay>

Date: Jun 7, 2007 7:39 AM

Subject: EcoUrban's LEED-registered home to remain open over weekend



EcoUrban Homes' Grand Opening Event UPDATE!

We have had such a tremendous response to the grand opening announcement of EcoUrban Homes in Benton Park West that we are concerned about crowding in our super-efficient house. So, if you are interested in seeing our green home, but not the crowd, we plan to have the model home at 3140 Pennsylvania open this Friday from 4 PM - 6 PM, Saturday from 10AM - 2PM and Sunday from 12 PM- 3 PM and all next week from 4 - 6 PM, or for more details visit our NEWLY updated website at www.ecourbanhomes.com .

^ Maybe the website has the open hours: www.ecourbanhomes.com



I know they own a number of lots in south city and they have a list of city owned lots that are for sale, but from talking to them at the grand opening, I think they would be willing to build on any lot in the city where they could get a building permit (some areas have restrictions that make everything look historic).

Hola Folks --



Just wanted to drop in and let you know that EcoUrban Homes recently received notice from the USGBC that our first home at 3140 Pennsylvania in Benton Park West has received LEED Platinum Certification – the highest level of LEED Certification awarded. This is the first home to achieve this designation in Missouri, and we are only the 9th builder to do so in the country.



Our home is also, without a doubt, the most inexpensive LEED for Homes Platinum Residence in the Country.



This is a great honor for us, and wonderful news for St. Louis – we have a Platinum Home before NYC, Chicago, SanFran, Denver, and a number of of cities generally considered "greener" than the Lou.

Wow! Congradulations! I hope that that the interest in owning these homes is as high as the accolades. I can imagine that there will be a huge market for your product in the future if there isn't already.

Congratulations, you guys are doing great things and I wish you the best. By the way, I saw a finished property that looked like one of your homes in Carondelet the other day, but I wasn't aware that you had done any work down there. Whats the deal with that house?

Thanks for the encouragement guys...



TGE -- I wasn't aware of anything similar to ours near Carondelet. What's the address?

Don't recall, I just remember seeing a home that was new, and very similar to the designs of yours that I have seen somewhere between Grand, Holly Hills, Bates, and I-55. I could have sworn that it had an Eco-urban sign, or some other kind of advertisement about it being green construction. It was definitely new infill within an old neighborhood, and like I said, very similar in design to your houses. I will check it out next time I am down there. I'm not making this up, though I am not sure about the sign. Not sure when I'll be down there next.

Hey all --



We're currently putting the finishing touches on two townhomes at 3103 and 3105 Magnolia in Tower Grove East. The new units feature a historical design and a green, fiber-cement brick exterior that is new to St. Louis.



Swing by and check them out as construction winds down.

Nice comments in McClellen's column today, Eco!



When I read it I though, oh hey, I know that guy from the UrbanSTL boards.

^ Yes, very cool, but it did remind me of why I can't stand McClellan. Even when he pokes a little fun at himself or the St. Louis mentality he can't quite buy into it.

Some seem a little on the rundown side, but that's to my unpracticed eye. To the eye of a preservationist, the older buildings are surely quite nice.

What a dickhead.



[edit] Whoa - I love that Dick's Sporting Goods gets edited though! [/edit]

We're really excited about how that piece turned out.



Bill did a great job of conveying what we're trying to do with EcoUrban and really shed light on the burgeoning green movement here in STL.



Exciting times...

^

That was glowing, effusive praise coming from a curmudgeon like McClellan.

He was actually really great to work with. And the guy knows the pulse of this town as well as anyone, I think.

^I'd echo that. I find McClellan to be curmudgeonly. But when he does "praise" efforts I get the feeling it's much more honest than just mindless cheerleading.

EcoUrban wrote:He was actually really great to work with. And the guy knows the pulse of this town as well as anyone, I think.

IMO - he knows the "pulse" of Ladue regarding "The City". To me he exemplifies the flaggelate ourselves St. Louis club. Even when he writes something about such a worthwhile topic. I just don't like the way he pokes fun at the St. Louis mindset while being the vanguard of said set. I love what you guys are doing with your homes and can't wait until the movement and Eco-Urban receives the notice that it deserves - such as a real news story about how much freakin sense it makes to build the way you are! Of course I know that the exposure from Bill's column is still a big plus for you guys.

Grover -- You hit on a really good point. While we've actually had some solid news coverage, it just hasn't really been targeted the right way.



Bill's column went a long way towards remedying that. He has a good way of communicating a lot of information without overdoing it.



Plus, he really got how important it is for the Lou to be proud of getting a LEED Platinum house before most major cities.

Nice story in the Business Journal: (any chance you guys are scoping out lots in Forest Park Southeast?)

Friday, October 26, 2007

EcoUrban brings 'green' new homes to vacant lotsSt. Louis Business Journal - by Julia M. Johnson



BRIAN CASSIDY

EcoUrban project manager Jay Swoboda (left) and project developer Nate Forst are bringing prefabricated green housing to St. Louis.

View Larger EcoUrban is projecting about $500,000 in revenue next year, and Swoboda said he hopes to step it up at least 10 percent each year after that. He said Harris put up several thousand dollars of his own money to launch the home building company, and EcoUrban has spent about $700,000 building the first three homes.



The LEED home on Pennsylvania Avenue in Benton Park West is serving as a design model, but Swoboda said it may be sold; the other two homes, both in Tower Grove East, are receiving finishing touches and will go on the market shortly. EcoUrban also is interested in building in neighborhoods like north St. Louis.



The company can deliver houses within a 250-mile radius of St. Louis. There are one- and two-story models, ranging from 1,100 square feet to more than 2,000 square feet.



Swoboda said he already has several potential buyers for the existing homes.

I met the guy in the foreground. I was driving by the site a couple months ago and decided to get out for a closer look. He invited me in and showed me around. The place is awesome. I loved it.



And, on a side note, he's nearly as sexy as the homes he builds.



Also, Grover, I have seen site plans for some awesome FPSE infill. (It helped having a roommate who worked for Wash U Redevelopment Corp.) So don't be too jealous...

Have any of these homes sold as of yet? Just curious how the market is going for this type of thing.

It's finished. The plywood threw me off at first too. I still think they should paint those strips, but I do like the structure.