urbanSTL

I am very excited that this project is coming to Benton Park West, Tim Vogt and Millennium is already doing great things in the neighborhood. Two years ago, when my partner and I brought our home in one of the worst blocks in Saint Louis as far as drug sales go. After calling 911, 50 - 60 times a night, we are very proud to say that we have homes selling on our block for over $ 150,000.00. Millennium is rehabbing two town-homes next door and will be selling them for over $300,000.00. The ?Fleurs-de-Lis at Benton Park? is a great addition to the revitalization that is already occurring in BPW. Benton Park West consists of the dreaded ?state streets?, which over the past years we all have been told to avoid the ?state streets?.



Well, the times are changing. You need to come to Benton Park West and check it out for yourself. Just ask any resident of the neighborhood.



The residents that I have talked to about this project are very excited. Millennium came to a neighborhood meeting and presented the project. It was evident by the reception of the presentation that the neighborhood is ready for this project.



What I like best about the whole plan is that Tim has asked residents what they wanted to see as far as retail.



But I am warning you. Get Ready, Benton Park West is about to ?explode? and will be ?the neighborhood? to live in. If you have any questions about the development, please feel free to call Millennium at 314.772.9200.

First of all, welcome and thanks for posting!



I totally agree with you that BPW is about to explode. In my opinion, your neighborhood has some of the most interesting and diverse housing stock of all the south side neighborhoods, and many of them are especially ornate, even by St. Louis standards.



Please keep us posted on any new developments taking place in your neighborhood, large or small!

bpwnapres, thanks for the report on BPW. Getting the state streets online is making a huge difference for all of South City.

bpwnapres,



Welcome and thanks for sharing. This project is truly exciting for a vacant lot in an already great neighborhood.

My family moved to Benton Park West from South County in December 2005 and it has been a wonderful experience. We are excited about the abundant rehab activities and continue to see positive community development.



Millennium's quality projects have been one of the major catalysts in the revitalization of BPW and the Fleur-de-Lis development will give it another huge push forward.



Exciting times!

An update finally, good to see it's moving along.





Meanwhile, the long-delayed Fleurs de Lis development in the Benton Park West neighborhood, announced in 2003, may be close to getting under way. The proposal could go before the Tax Increment Financing Board as soon as next month, says Karen Heet, director of development for Millennium Restoration & Development, the builder.



Plans for the site, at the southwest corner of Jefferson Avenue and Arsenal Street, have changed several times. At first, it was going to become five custom houses. Then it changed to a condo building. Now it will be three separate buildings, joined by glass-enclosed hallways, with 34 units on top of about 19,000 square feet of retail space.



Story

^ Is it just me, or is this really taking forever to get started?



I like the work Millenium has done elsewhere, and I'm excited about their plans for projects like this and Val Place in Dutchtown, but I'm anxious to see some tangible progress at the corner of Arsenal and Jefferson. This project will be a nice anchor for the area and I can't wait to see it underway.

All:



The Benton Park West Neighborhood Board of Directors, has asked Tom Vogt of Millennium Restoration and Development Corp. to attend one of the upcoming neighborhood meetings to give us an update on the project. As soon as I hear when he will be giving the update, I will let you all know, and you are more then welcome to attend..



Chad Johnson

President, BPWNA

ThreeOneFour wrote:^ Is it just me, or is this really taking forever to get started?



I like the work Millenium has done elsewhere, and I'm excited about their plans for projects like this and Val Place in Dutchtown, but I'm anxious to see some tangible progress at the corner of Arsenal and Jefferson. This project will be a nice anchor for the area and I can't wait to see it underway.

Alderman, Neighborhood leaders, residents, politicians are so happy to announce a project like this that they probably jumped the gun. Millenium is not a huge corporation. 5 years ago Tim was just getting started rehabbing. It takes time to get everything in order. With this and the Dutchtown South project and other projects going on things get spread thin. There are not enough skilled carpenters, etc. in this city. The only issue with this project is that it was heavily promoted too early. If you can find a good construction firm you get put at the end of a list that can easily be years long. Patience is difficult but necessary.

Just wanted to let everyone know who can attend the Benton Park West neighborhood meeting tonight. Tim Vogt from Millennium will be the gust speaker tonight to talk about the projects that he will be in Benton Park West.



We meet at the Five Star Senior Center on Arsenal and Oregon @ 7:00pm.



Hope to see you guys there.



Chad

I noticed a small bulldozer digging up the site just a few days ago!!! Can it be that the fleur project will finally come to fruition? My hope is that it is built and becomes a great success!!





:hyper:

I spoke to Tim. They are breaking ground in the Fall. They are lining up retailers now. They have a martini bar and a title company. Should be a great combination. Close on a house and celebrate with a tasty beverage.

I hope they've got their job-site security lined up too!

I'm getting so anxious to see this start! They keep taunting me by pushing mounds of dirt around and putting up yellow caution tape.

stellar wrote:I spoke to Tim. They are breaking ground in the Fall. They are lining up retailers now. They have a martini bar and a title company. Should be a great combination. Close on a house and celebrate with a tasty beverage.

I could've used that clever combination a few days ago, since my wife and I just closed on the refinancing of our home!



I drove by the site for the first time in weeks, and when I noticed no progress, I wondered if there was any news. Anyway, it's good to hear that they'll break ground before year's end. It's a great development for a great corner- and I'm anxious to see construction begin!

Citylover wrote:so...

Been wondering about this one myself, i guess the market is probably not ready for something this bold yet.

I don't know if this is the case with Millenium, but I know of a few small developers who have put future projects on hold until they sell off some of their inventory. The Fleur-de-lis development financing may be contingent on Millenium selling that Dairy they redeveloped in Benton Park or some other project. Houses aren't selling which makes it difficult to get financing for more houses.



I've found that a number of contractors are readily available instead of putting you on a 6 month waiting list which was the norm. There's no reason to think that this will last much further than the Spring, but it's possible. This may be how the war in Iraq affects us here at home. People are feeling uneasy about the future which affects large purchases which affects development.

Well, I guess the aforementioned martini bar and title company are in no hurry to set up shop here.

TheWayoftheArch wrote:What does the war have to do with a mixed use development in Benton Park West? Wait, who is that on the grassy knoll!?



Sorry, but that seemed like a totally random and unneccessary injection of politics into a seemingly unrelated issue.

Sorry. It kind of felt that way to me to as I was writing it. I was just saying that real estate development is affected by the economy. The economy is affected by world politics. Therefore real estate development is affected by world politics. I'm the last one in the world to believe in conspiracy theories so the grassy knoll comment is off the mark.



I'm not saying that we shouldn't go to war because we need a new housing complex or anything politically controversial. I'm just making an observation that these things are intertwined.

TheWayoftheArch wrote:gotcha...connected by the Force or something...

If your intention was to anger me you have succeeded. Thanks for that. Do I sound like a crackpot? Do I sound like a hippy? Do I sound like an idiot? I'm asking so I guess I am looking for an answer.



I am a real estate developer by trade. Many of my friends are not working on new projects because the economy is in the toilet right now. Look at any street in the city and you'll see a backlog of properties for sale. Why do you think that is? Why is the economy sagging right now TheWayoftheArch?

TheWayoftheArch wrote:Bush bent Contract with america over and had a rodeo.



Gingrich rolls over in his future grave.



All time deficit highs.



100 billion spent on someone elses country's infrastructure and defense a year.



Slow job growth.



High Energy costs.



A soft housing market that is scaring the crap out of everyone who pu their money into their houses or other real estate after they were scared away from the stock market in 2001.



I got your point, I was just making a joke.



It just seemes like you stretched past the obvious intermediate explanations: Soft housing market, Waiting completion of S. Jefferson Redevelopment plan, slower than expected gentrification of BP and BPW...etc. You went stright to the war, and I found it funny. No offense intended.

We're saying the same thing. Yes I chose to skip a couple of steps for brevity. Please remember that we don't know each other and that snarky comments can be disconcerting among strangers. We're cool now.