urbanSTL

Crews have begun to install drywall. Tile in some of the apartment bathrooms has been laid. And the historic plaster adorning hallways is under restoration.

Jefferson Arms, the 14-story, 120-year-old historic hotel near Tucker Boulevard and Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis, is slated to open next April with over 400 apartments and hotel rooms after sitting vacant for nearly 20 years. It's been a major undertaking, said Tim Wooten, who's overseeing the project for owner and developer Alterra Worldwide. But the more than 120 construction workers who arrive every day have tackled the 500,000-square-foot building like how one would eat an elephant, he said: One bite at a time. 

"We've got the heavy lifting done," Wooten said.
On Wednesday, Wooten led a tour of the historic property, known for its gray Roman brick and white terra cotta exterior, offering the first look inside since construction began at 415 Tucker a year ago. By next year, Jefferson Arms will host a 225-room AC Hotel by Marriott, plus 235 apartments and restaurant and commercial space. It's one of the largest construction projects underway in the St. Louis region.

And it nearly didn't happen. Jefferson Arms opened in 1904 as Hotel Jefferson, luxury housing to accommodate visitors to the World's Fair. It twice hosted the Democratic National Convention, the latter of which saw the election of Woodrow Wilson as president, as well as celebrities and dignities like Judy Garland and President Harry S. Truman. And it became a destination for St. Louis' high society, where it hosted the annual Veiled Prophet secret society event.



But by the 1970s, like much of St. Louis, Hotel Jefferson's heyday was over. By the end of the decade, it had become a senior living facility, and changed its name to Jefferson Arms. It closed in the early 2000s.

lgcallahan wrote: ↑

Apr 24, 2024

did anyone attend the tour today? anxious for updates and comments

1. The ground floor retail will include a restaurant, a bar, and a Starbucks.
2. The granite on the exterior of the bottom two floors (already removed and currently exposed brick) will be replaced with lighter-colored materials matching how it looked in 1904.
3. I realize that they have to comply with historic tax credit requirements, but I was impressed by how deep the historic preservation/re-creation efforts go, right down to where they can place the elevator call button.
4. Every part of the building is being used.  There will be a gym and theater room in the basement (gym is for hotel guests only).
5. The tour guide didn't have an answer for what price point the apartments would be at, but judging by the tile already being installed in the bathrooms, I would guess mid-market to upscale.
6. Alterra is very interested in doing other projects in STL and downtown specifically.  They shared some specifics with the group but told the press attending that it was off the record, so I'll honor that here too.

DJJD wrote: ↑

Apr 29, 2024

lgcallahan wrote: ↑

Apr 24, 2024

did anyone attend the tour today? anxious for updates and comments

I did and am kind of shocked no one else from this forum took them up on the offer (thanks for letting me tag along, Alterra!).

RockChalkSTL wrote:Is Corner Cafe the chain that is in 17 states and D.C.? The one with a location on the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro, but none in the state of Missouri -- at least yet? 

Taco Turko -- I presume this is Turkish in some way? A doner restaurant? Fusion? The name intrigues me. 

Clandestino's looks very nice. Love what you're doing with this building and very impressed with your lineup of retail and food/drink. Hope you consider more projects in St. Louis.