Hydraulic Brick Lofts - 3109 South Jefferson

brickandmortar · PostAug 24, 2005#262005-08-24T13:59+00:00

I'm not familiar with the area. However, I looked at some aerial photos and it looks like the parking lot in the back right corner of the rendering will take out some houses. A couple of the homes are LRA owned, but I wish developers would stop catering to cars.

That said, the project will be a vast improvement to what is there now. It's a good looking project and the views of Benton park will be phenomenal.

matt drops the h · PostNov 08, 2005#272005-11-08T03:23+00:00

I spoke with 9th Ward Alderman Kenneth Ortmann tonight at a Dutchtown South General Meeting. He mentioned this project briefly in a speech he made, so I went up to him after the meeting and asked when we can expect a groundbreaking.

He said that the developers have yet to secure financing, but are looking at a June 2006 groundbreaking at the earliest.

urbanstlouis · PostDec 30, 2005#282005-12-30T20:50+00:00

Matt Drops The H wrote:I spoke with 9th Ward Alderman Kenneth Ortmann tonight at a Dutchtown South General Meeting. He mentioned this project briefly in a speech he made, so I went up to him after the meeting and asked when we can expect a groundbreaking.

He said that the developers have yet to secure financing, but are looking at a June 2006 groundbreaking at the earliest.

There is an article in the St. Louis Business Journal today that mentioned five of the six parcels needed have been purchased and the project is moving forward with an expected groundbreaking of April 2006. Pre-sales on the condos have already begun.

MattnSTL · PostDec 31, 2005#292005-12-31T05:43+00:00

Good news.

urbanstlouis · PostJan 02, 2006#302006-01-02T06:45+00:00

urbanstlouis wrote:There is an article in the St. Louis Business Journal today that mentioned five of the six parcels needed have been purchased and the project is moving forward with an expected groundbreaking of April 2006. Pre-sales on the condos have already begun.

Here is the link to the story:

EXCLUSIVE REPORTS

From the December 30, 2005 print edition

<A HREF="http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/ ... Millennium snaps up parcels for Benton Park condo project</A>

Lisa R. Brown

A residential development in the Benton Park West neighborhood is moving forward.

Millennium Restoration & Development Corp. of St. Louis closed Dec. 22 on five of the six parcels it is purchasing from the city to build the $19 million Fleurs-De-Lis development at 3109 S. Jefferson. The developer expects to close on the final parcel after the Land Reutilization Authority meets in January.

<A HREF="http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/ ... tory4.html">>>> read more</A>

lilybleu · PostJan 05, 2006#312006-01-05T23:39+00:00

urbanstlouis wrote:It looks like the Fleur-de-Lis at Benton Park is finally underway. This commercial and residential development is at the southwest corner of Jefferson Avenue and Arsenal Street. I found this posted over at backpage.com

BENTON PARK, Starting at $85,000, 314-772-9200 The Fleurs-de-Lis - PRE-SELLING Condos & Commercial Space. Ranging from $85,000-$400,000 - Homer for Outstanding Site Plan. Call Claire Vogt, Millennium Restoration

It will be in Benton Park West. There is a difference, though few take note of it.

I live in BPW, so prefer it be recognized positively now and again.

PostJan 05, 2006#322006-01-05T23:41+00:00

brickandmortar wrote:I'm not familiar with the area. However, I looked at some aerial photos and it looks like the parking lot in the back right corner of the rendering will take out some houses. A couple of the homes are LRA owned, but I wish developers would stop catering to cars.

That said, the project will be a vast improvement to what is there now. It's a good looking project and the views of Benton park will be phenomenal.

I am on the Benton Park West Neighborhood Association Board. We have been informed about one home being removed. That's it.

I believe that the project will be a very good thing for Benton Park and Benton Park West - bringing commerce, community, and visitors to the neighborhoods. It is a very good thing that the project is not creating a mini mall or mini suburbia in the midst of such rich architecture and history.

I have spoken with Tim Vogt and have seen Millenium work before. This is destined to be a great work.

suburban lou · PostJan 18, 2006#332006-01-18T14:28+00:00

$15 million condominium development planned

Jim Merkel

Of the Suburban Journals

South City Journal

01/18/2006

A developer will spend $15 million to build 33 upscale condominiums and several stores on the southwest corner of Jefferson Avenue and Arsenal Street.

Millennium Restoration and Development Corp. of St. Louis hopes to break ground on the Fleur-de-Lis development this summer.

This is the biggest project thus far for Millennium, a partnership of Tim Vogt and his mother, Claire Vogt.

Millennium has done about 30 single family homes, mostly historical restorations, in the Tower Grove East, Benton Park West, Benton Park, Soulard, McKinley Heights and Fox Park neighborhoods. It plans to sell this year in the Shaw, Gravois Park and Marine Villa neighborhoods.

"This'll be nicer than anything that's been built in the whole area," said Tim Vogt.

"I think it's going to be hugely successful and no doubt is going to stimulate the development of Jefferson from I-44 to Cherokee," Tim Vogt said. "All the people that come to this location will help to market all the businesses on Cherokee west of Jefferson and east of Jefferson."

Most of the buildings will be four stories while a corner of one building will be five stories.

The first floor is to be stores, including an upscale grocery, a coffee shop, a dry cleaner, a restaurant and fitness center.

The Vogts chose the stores after surveying residents of the neighborhood. "There's definitely a need for a gourmet grocer," Tim Vogt said. The closest grocery store is at South Grand Boulevard and Gravois Avenue, he said.

The condominium units will range from 1,100 to 2,600 square feet and from two bedrooms to four bedrooms. The price range will be $180,000 to $600,000.

Read More

marmar · PostJan 18, 2006#342006-01-18T22:59+00:00

I do wish instead of a parking lot in back, they had put parking under the structure...really, my only negative observance with the project.

urbanstlouis · PostJan 19, 2006#352006-01-19T00:14+00:00

Marmar wrote:I do wish instead of a parking lot in back, they had put parking under the structure...really, my only negative observance with the project.

They did put residential parking under the structure... the lot in back is supposed to be for commercial/retail use. I wonder if it would have all fit beneath or not...

marmar · PostJan 19, 2006#362006-01-19T01:41+00:00

I guess there has to be parking for several businesses so there likely wasn't room for that underneath. I cringe when I see parking lots...such a waste of space. In this instance, I wish they could have put something above the lot, or maybe even conceal it a little better. However, still a very nice project.

urbanstlouis · PostJan 19, 2006#372006-01-19T02:44+00:00

Marmar wrote:I guess there has to be parking for several businesses so there likely wasn't room for that underneath. I cringe when I see parking lots...such a waste of space. In this instance, I wish they could have put something above the lot, or maybe even conceal it a little better. However, still a very nice project.

I know what you mean... but instead of putting something above the lot, maybe put the lot above something else.... why not add more retail space at ground level and then put the parking above. I am sure it is all about convenience, but I am sure there is still a way to make it work and be convenient at the same time. Anyway, like you said, all-in-all a good project, this would have to be the only negative.

mattonarsenal · PostFeb 07, 2006#382006-02-07T00:18+00:00

I am sure it is all about convenience...

More likely it is all about the money.

Underground parking is astronomically expensive, and it is just not feasable for almost any project in the St. Louis area. Land values have to be EXTREMELY high to make an underground garage feasible. Think about it, how many projects in downtown St. Louis or Clayton have underground parking? I can think of Gateway One downtown and the Bank of America Building on Lindell in the CWE.

Garages are not quite as bad, but still very expensive especially when you want to make them attractive. Economically this area doesn't demand land prices that make this a good option. The Loop and CWE are areas where it makes sense, and South Grand is only now getting to the point where it can realistically be discussed.

In both cases the developer would need to charge for parking to offset the increased cost. And that would limit the appeal of the development to retail customers (e.g. St. Louis Centre and Union Station).

In this case the land is cheap, so building a hidden surface lot is the best option and leaves all of the buildings available for revenue generating space. For example, why spend money building a parking garage, if you know you could sell condos that would fill the same space?

I think most urban developers would very much prefer to do a garage, because including parking in these designs is a pain. But they just can't make the numbers work.

urbanstlouis · PostFeb 07, 2006#392006-02-07T01:01+00:00

MattonArsenal wrote:More likely it is all about the money.

True...

suburban lou · PostFeb 11, 2006#402006-02-11T00:41+00:00

view down Jefferson.

Millennium has redone their website. The Fleurs-de-Lis

loulou · PostFeb 11, 2006#412006-02-11T22:29+00:00

Thanks for the link. What a wonderful, wonderful website. These people obviously care about the heritage of St. Louis' neighborhoods. I'm embarrassed to say I know relatively little about this part of the south side, but projects like this will definitely make me consider it when I move back to St. Louis.

smsplanstu · PostFeb 12, 2006#422006-02-12T07:38+00:00

Great!!! This will truely establish Benton Park (West & first) as a focal point of the refound St. Louis. Plus, the return to semi-historic French architecture is quintessential with our French name. Even the Germans who settled much of St. Louis built in French styles to honor the original European settlers.

I wonder what a new style of architecture that would blend French historic architecture with either post-modernist/international/ or whatever is the new wave of architecture would look like. Mansard roofs, brick, glass, metal something, green roofs, solar panels, and some kind of ornamentation

threeonefour · PostFeb 12, 2006#432006-02-12T08:29+00:00

It seems like forever since this project was first announced. I'm glad this project will finally move forward in a few months- and the latest renderings look impressive.

I share Gasm and Jive's reservations about recreating the past en masse throughout the city, but I feel like it's somewhat appropriate in this case. That said, I think SMS brings up a good point about taking classic French architectural features and combining them with a new vision. I also wonder what that could look like...

And it's easy to kvetch about the surface parking lot, but it's far from being the focal point of the property, which has been the case with TOO MANY recent South City developments. This is the type of urban development that many of us have clamored for on other abandoned and/or neglected intersections in the city.

Can you imagine what Southtown would look like now if something similar this was there, with current tenants like Starbucks and Cold Stone Creamery side-by-side with local businesses, fronting the KingChip intersection instead of the cluster**** that's there now???

Guest · PostFeb 13, 2006#442006-02-13T00:33+00:00

Hello,

I am happy to announce that after some discussions with Tim Vogt of millenium, my family has decided to sell our dental office on the corner of Jefferson and Arsenal to Millennium. This property will be be wrapped into the whole Fleur di Lis Development. It will be great. Also, because of this addition to the project they will be constructing an aesthetically pleasing four level car garage where the parking lot would have been. the parking garage is being planned to match the facade of the rest of the development. my family is quite pleased to be able to contribute to this development, and Tim has promised to dedicate the additional four story building to my father Dr. Joseph Erondu, DMD, who past away in the summer of 2005.

- This is all I have for now, but i will keep you informed as more comes about.

Expat · PostFeb 13, 2006#452006-02-13T01:21+00:00

This project gets better and better. A beautiful building will be a wonderful tribute to your father. Thanks for telling us about this.

MattnSTL · PostFeb 13, 2006#462006-02-13T02:22+00:00

Thanks for sharing. This will be a great addition to the project

trent · PostFeb 13, 2006#472006-02-13T03:10+00:00

cue232s wrote:Hello,

I am happy to announce that after some discussions with Tim Vogt of millenium, my family has decided to sell our dental office on the corner of Jefferson and Arsenal to Millennium. This property will be be wrapped into the whole Fleur di Lis Development. It will be great. Also, because of this addition to the project they will be constructing an aesthetically pleasing four level car garage where the parking lot would have been. the parking garage is being planned to match the facade of the rest of the development. my family is quite pleased to be able to contribute to this development, and Tim has promised to dedicate the additional four story building to my father Dr. Joseph Erondu, DMD, who past away in the summer of 2005.

- This is all I have for now, but i will keep you informed as more comes about.

That is wonderful news. I hope that your family finds another great St. Louis City location to relocate to. And I think we're all happy to see such city enthusiasts taking part in the rejuvination.

smsplanstu · PostFeb 13, 2006#482006-02-13T07:42+00:00

Wow! So, the small dentist building at the Northwest intersection will be apart of the Fleur di Lis? Will there be another five story building to match the currently planned one? This is exciting that your family would be so willing to work with Millenium to expand the development. Huzzah to you! Huzzah! Huzzah!

marmar · PostFeb 13, 2006#492006-02-13T10:59+00:00

cue232s, that is fantastic! Now your family's name will be a part of St. Louis history, and deservedly so! Thanks to your family, the greatness of this project and our city continues. Stories like this warm my heart...I can only hope there will be more such stories, more such developments.

(I love it when people work together like this!!)

buckethead · PostFeb 13, 2006#502006-02-13T15:54+00:00

Congrats cue232s!

Hydraulic Brick Lofts - 3109 South Jefferson

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