urbanSTL

Lafayette Square is just as close if not closer to those 'projects' and look how successful it is. It is closer to the project looking part. The apartments that border the georgian look pretty nice, it's a psychological thing that keeps the negative comments coming. There are market rate houses going up along tucker as well. Hopefully bohemian hill will get its act together and that'll get this thing over the hump. I'd love to live in the Georgian, personally. The units are beautiful and the next phases of development are supposed to have some cool stuff. Hopefully others will agree.

Yeah, King Louis Square isn't really "projects." I think the physical location has become so enmeshed with that word that almost anything built there would be saddled with stigma. It's my understanding that King Louis is a mixed development, with some market-rate units. Although I will say I think it's ugly. And don't even get me started on "La Saison". . . . .



The Georgian's location is both a blessing and a curse. It's good in that it's got "access"--to downtown, Lafayette Square, interstates. But it does have the albatross of King Louis, which will always be called the "projects" no matter what. It's also just outside of Lafayette Square proper, so it can't quite harness the cachet of that name. It's sort of in this nebulous zone.



Anyhow. I hope the Georgian succeeds. It's just too important as a symbol to fail. I wonder how this will affect the rest of the property. I think it's hard to sell units also when some of them will overlook derelict buildings. Perhaps sales would pick up with the development of the rest of the complex? It could become the centerpiece of a really interesting neighborhood if development in its immediate vicinity picks up.



Did they even finish what they planned on doing? It looks like the new cornice isn't completely installed.[/i]

Development of the Bohemian Hill area/neighborhood south of the Georgian is LONG overdue, and frankly I'm amazed that so little has happened there in the nearly ten years that have passed since the original BH plans were unveiled. The vacant lots, run-down houses and huge weeds are huge detriments.

I drove through "bohemian hill" last night and frankly its kind of scary. Especially when you go through the dillapated parts. Its essentially a green field with a few ruins strewn about ... sad to think of what it once was. gotta love the splicin and dicin highway system.

It looks like they are installing historic street lamps along South Tucker right in front of Bohemian Hill. Think an improved streetscape could help attract developers? At least it would improve walkability, which the Georgian could use.

JMedwick wrote:Frankly, what the area probably needs is an intrepid developer like the Gills, willing to buy up large sums of property and then work with the city to get support for larger improvements for the area, such as streetscapes and even reworking of the highway ramps. Ambitious I know, but given how the area is wedged with so much development around it, it is in some ways akin to FPSE.

I guess it's like FPSE. FPSE, however, isn't located right in the middle of Lafayette Square, Soulard, and Downtown. It's amazing that this piece of land (bohemian hill), dead center in all that development, is mainly untouched. Even if it were in the suburbs it'd be completely developed since it has access to 40, 44, 55, and 70 all within 1/4 mile.

SoulardD wrote:It's amazing that this piece of land (bohemian hill), dead center in all that development, is mainly untouched. Even if it were in the suburbs it'd be completely developed since it has access to 40, 44, 55, and 70 all within 1/4 mile.

I'm surprised too. Especially with the Georgian redevelopment, but maybe potential developers are taking a wait-and-see approach to see how well it does. At this particular point in time, it is a bit isolated.

I wonder if this is a case of 'how many of these neighborhoods can turn the corner'?



Benton Park

Tower Grove

Soulard

Lafayette Square

ONSL

Downtown

North of Delmar @ Kingshighway

FPSE

Others?



If demand to live in the city continues its upward trend all of these could become neighborhoods serviced by small grocery stores, cafes, restaurants, etc., but I don't believe that all of these will succeed. My thought is that Behemian Hill can/will succeed while parts of Benton Park and maybe even part of Tower Grove and further south may come up short because they lack definable boundaries - something that is necessary to a degree. There's a lot more to it, but that's a start.

I bet its due to the ownership. It'd be interesting to do some online digging to see who owns the properties.

Matt wrote:I bet its due to the ownership. It'd be interesting to do some online digging to see who owns the properties.

I think you're right. I seem to remember there being difficulties in assembling the land for the original Bohemian Hill project.

Matt wrote:I bet its due to the ownership. It'd be interesting to do some online digging to see who owns the properties.

A couple of years ago the agent at the Georgian told me that Gilded Age was planning on office and retail directly across Lafayette from the Georgian.

^ If they would start the development across the street, it would help sales in the Georgian.

Agreed. The lack of retail in the immediate vicinity really hurts the area in my opinion. It's one of the great failures of the "King Louis" and "LaSaison" developments--building residential exlusively in an area already underserved by retail.

I remember when the modern euro versions of the "flounder" style appeared back in 1999? or so. It would be great to return this area back to its original form, and there are still a number of structures there that could make very nice rehab projects...BUT... perhaps this is one area that we just need to bite the bullet and let go of the past for the sake of the future.



Because BH is so "sliced and diced" by interstates, I really doubt that a primarily residential project would ever be successful. Any chance of trying to take advantage of its strategic location and highway access by turning it into some sort of "Frenchtown Square"? Sort of a small town main street concept where all of the retail amenities, that the L.S, L.P., and Soulard areas are lacking, are brought together. This doesn't have to a strip mall. I think it could still be built in an old world style to comport with its surroundings, and some of the structures could probably even be converted to new purposes.



I guess I'm just thinking out loud, here, but I just don't see this area ever getting back to straight residential.

Expat wrote:^ If they would start the development across the street, it would help sales in the Georgian.

If they'd start developing the rest of the City Hospital complex it would help sales too.

LaSalle wrote: comport

Impressive. Not a word you hear everyday.

Are there any plans to illuminnate this building at night? I swung by on my way downtown Saturday night to see how it looked at night. Frankly, it still looks a little scary, or at least like an unloved building. It kind of had a retirement home look to it.



Some accents on the cupolas and at the base of the building would make it look exponentially better at night.

steve wrote:Are there any plans to illuminnate this building at night? I swung by on my way downtown Saturday night to see how it looked at night. Frankly, it still looks a little scary, or at least like an unloved building. It kind of had a retirement home look to it.



Some accents on the cupolas and at the base of the building would make it look exponentially better at night.

If they could just get some more people living there, some of the illumination would take care of itself. Seriously, though, I think some accents on the cuppolas would be a nice touch as long as it doesn't highlight how cheap they look.

South Compton wrote:If they could just get some more people living there, some of the illumination would take care of itself. Seriously, though, I think some accents on the cuppolas would be a nice touch as long as it doesn't highlight how cheap they look.

I don't know, there were pretty many lights on, but like I said, it kind of looked like a forlorn retirement home. They should seriously consider adding exterior lighting--it seems like a given with big urban projects like this.

On a smaller scale, just drive down Washington Ave. at night. Even though they're occupied, the Vanguard Lofts really look dreary since they're the only building that's not illuminated.



I hope that more lighting is added to the Georgian - it could serve as a beacon to the neighborhood and would look great from the highway.

South Compton wrote:If they'd start developing the rest of the City Hospital complex it would help sales too.

No kidding. Despite the great location, in its current status, The Georgian is still an island unto itself. And although the renovation looks great, some lighting and a few other subtle improvements would make the place shine.



So, has anyone heard anything about development of the remainder of the complex? It seems like a chicken vs. egg argument- I could see the developer not proceeding with subsequent phases until more condos at The Georgian are sold, but then, I'm sure at least some potential buyers are passing until concrete plans (and better yet, progress) can be seen for the rest of the site.

Lighting and professional landscaping would be nice. When are they ever going to get the cornice moulding up?