Lofts on North Broadway?

conurbation · PostFeb 01, 2005#262005-02-01T05:32+00:00

The trouble with riverside developments in St. Louis is that our riverfront is hideous. I was in Cincinnati last summer to see the Cardinals at the Great American Baseball Park. I was really cool because it was built literally right next to the Ohio River and steam boats, sailboats, and people on jetskis were constantly passing by. The other side of the river was lush and green with nice houses and commercial developments in the distance. It was really great. I kept thinking how much I would love to see something like that here.

Sadly that probably will never happen. Even if St. Louis would move all the big industry from the Missouri side of the river and make parks and trails along the shore we will always have that eyesore that is East St. Louis casting it's shadow over us. Not to mention all the industry and barge traffic along the Mississippi that makes recreational activity on the river and little less that glamourous and just a little dangerous. I have been out on that river before and it is scary.

But who knows, maybe the impossible will happen and all these issues will someday be remedied. Here's to hoping.

matt drops the h · PostFeb 01, 2005#272005-02-01T06:41+00:00

First of all, I don't know if the city of East St. Louis even borders this proposed loft development. It's probably closer to Brooklyn, IL...which, I know, is not glamorous either, but, come on people, have some compassion. I'm sure these cities would add some visual flair if they didn't have other problems to contend with (including their own police chief).

Secondly, the riverfront has never been developed with the purpose of tourism and beauty in mind. It's always been an area of commerce, and the Arch is the closest thing to any riverfront development St. Louis has seen, not including casinos, of course. The Arch is obviously pretty nice, but it doesn't have an intimate connection with the actual riverfront.

This doesn't mean St. Louis should never attempt beautification--just that there's no real precedent in this area. How hard would it be to get Missouri and Illinois to agree to put a matching greenway on both sides of the river for at least a couple miles, if not the length of the city connecting on up to Riverview? I know there'd be industrial buildings along the way, but large abandoned factories could eventually be demolished and warehouses converted into lofts, with trees separating the greenway from any residential or industrial area. Along the way there could be a history of the river with photos and such.

conurbation · PostFeb 02, 2005#282005-02-02T01:09+00:00

I don't look at the people in East St. Louis (or Brooklyn, IL) and blame them for the state their city is in. I feel sorry for those people, but the reality of their situation is that the IL side of river is not likely to see any major overhaul in the forseeable future. I hope I am wrong, but I really don't see where the money would come from. East St. Louis sure can't afford it. It would seem that IL perceives the city as unimportant compared to their tax cash-cow of Chicago. Its said but true.

Despite this I agree that St. Louis needs to worry about its own shores before pointing its finger at East St. Louis. I am sure some of those factories could be developed into lofts, but I really have to wonder if it is cost effective to turn a dirty industrial site into living space. Warehouses are ideal for these kinds of developments, but industrial buildings might not be the best for rehabbing. I could be wrong. I have never been very close, let alone inside any of those buildings.

matt drops the h · PostFeb 02, 2005#292005-02-02T03:24+00:00

Well, if you check the Illinois board, there's a MASSIVE East St. Louis riverfront project adjacent to downtown STL that will probably happen in some form or the other, whether or not it gets considerably scaled down is another issue. I don't remember who's funding it though--certainly not the city of East St. Louis in any large part!

Umm...hmm...how to get back on topic...let's see...

Umm...lofts will be...umm...great for North Broadway!

jmedwick · PostMar 03, 2005#302005-03-03T18:47+00:00

Those are great looking buildings. If you stray to far north along broadway it is clearly very industrial and i don't think the city would be inclined to lose the jobs in what is the strongest area for industry in the city. However, threre are some beautiful buildings along that stretch. Seems to me that the loft stuff could work if done close to the landing area. There are some massive warehouses in that area, such as the Cotton exchange, that could be redone and help create a nice link along the riverfront into the industrial area.

debaliviere · PostMar 03, 2005#312005-03-03T21:45+00:00

I was really upset when that building on the north end of the Landing (I can't remember the name, did it have something to do with eggs/poultry) burned down a few years ago. Tim Tucker had stepped up to rehab it, but a fire burned by a squatter ended up torching the whole thing. That building would have been a good bridge from the Landing to the North Broadway district.

stlgasm · PostMar 16, 2005#322005-03-16T13:43+00:00

It was the FRESH Building.

debaliviere · PostMar 16, 2005#332005-03-16T13:53+00:00

Ah, good memory. Who wouldn't want to live in the Fresh Building?

suburban lou · PostOct 06, 2005#342005-10-06T05:06+00:00

Rattling skeletons of the North Riverfront Corridor

By Tavia Evans

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

10/05/2005

A bustling industrial corridor, just north of St. Louis' central business district, may hold the next promise for redevelopment.

The North Riverfront Business Corridor extends north of downtown along the Mississippi River. The area has long been home to diverse industries and businesses, some rooted in the city's past.

They include metal-processing plants, scrap yards and fabrication companies, steel factories, food distributors and Produce Row.

The empty hulls of large warehouses and vacant lots are common here, too, remnants of companies that moved or went out of business.

But the city and some developers see the potential for adding residential and commercial development.

Developer Kevin McGowan said his company, McGowan/Walsh, owns several groupings of old warehouses, just north of the site where Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. plans to build a $400 million casino, hotel and mixed-use complex on Laclede's Landing.

"Our plans are to put residential there," McGowan said. "But for now, we're taking a wait and see what happens with the area and the buildings along Broadway and east down to the river."

Stan Meoli said he almost sold his building at 2000 North Broadway last year. He runs American Warehouse, a shipping and receiving company that also leases storage and selling space in its 160,000-square-foot building to other companies. He's waiting now to cash in on the area's potential growth.

Read More

Expat · PostOct 06, 2005#352005-10-06T11:56+00:00

Interesting to read about development moving north.

debaliviere · PostOct 06, 2005#362005-10-06T12:05+00:00

Let's hope the speculators don't jump on N. Broadway like they did Washington Avenue.

MattnSTL · PostOct 06, 2005#372005-10-06T17:08+00:00

I know Mcgowan/Walsh won't be speculating, but the other owners up there definately could speculate, as referenced in a quote. This could be a really cool area, as long as it does not stall out and die after a little work is done.

arch city · PostOct 17, 2005#382005-10-17T13:39+00:00

Here's an aerial of the N. Broadway area taken by Flash of SSP. Notice Bottle District land (bottom, center).

southslider · PostOct 17, 2005#392005-10-17T13:55+00:00

Close to a potential Broadway Loft District indeed. But here's a potential barrier.

Expat · PostOct 17, 2005#402005-10-17T14:08+00:00

Thanks AC. I really like that pic. It shows how pretty the Miss. River can be. It is curvy, with sandbars, and islands. People that move into Bottle District high-rises will be able to see the river in a way most of us don't. Those sandbars are really cool. Wish people had better access to them. They should set up chair and umbrella rentals, concession stands, and bathrooms, so they could be used as beaches. Good place to feel the breeze, read a book, get some sun, and people watch.

The Broadway Loft District could be very cool. It looks like the street curves, which would be appealing. I would think that the Bottle District reaching north will give this area more exposure.

jmedwick · PostOct 17, 2005#412005-10-17T14:08+00:00

I don't know how much of a barrier that bridge will be. In fact, it could be a great thing for a potental loft district and heres why. The picture posted by arch city shows most of the broadway industrial coridor, but really the properties that McGowan and others have bought up are just to the east of the picture. Moreover, I get the impression that the area shown is an area the city wants to keep as a thriving industrial coridor. Therefore the bridge might act as a much needed barrier between the industrial section and the potenal loft section along broadway, with the brige providing both excelent transportation access for the industries and residents, but keeping each area seperate and keeping conflicts from arising.

Expat · PostOct 17, 2005#422005-10-17T14:14+00:00

Could the bridge give more exposure to the neighborhood? Also, becoming a landmark for the neighborhood?

PostOct 17, 2005#432005-10-17T14:15+00:00

Looks like an opportunity to me.

brickandmortar · PostOct 17, 2005#442005-10-17T14:26+00:00

The new bridge rears its ugly head again!!

There was some talk about the bridge at the start of the thread...

bastiat · PostOct 17, 2005#452005-10-17T15:40+00:00

Do you think the New Bridge will help Old North St. Louis due to the increased traffic or destroy it because it is cut off from the rest of downtown?

debaliviere · PostOct 17, 2005#462005-10-17T19:46+00:00

^

That was one of my concerns, that ONSL would be isolated.

matt drops the h · PostOct 17, 2005#472005-10-17T20:09+00:00

Most people tend to think that the new bridge will be too large and involve too many interchanges to interact with the surrounding neighborhood. As such, it will likely serve as another physical and psychological barrier between downtown and ONSL, or so the story goes.

warwickland · PostNov 25, 2005#482005-11-25T07:24+00:00

oh sh*t, that area has gritty, underground artistic area ala crossroads written all over it, though it looks more like the west bottoms in kc. with the taller wearhouses. but it just needs the right people to jump start it, and it doesnt neccesarily involve traditional developers. it helps to have edgy industrial artists and university art professors with vision to get areas like that jumpstarted, but i can totally see that. oh my.

i think trying to polish this area up too much would be a mistake and i think this area could play a different vibe than washington, with spectacular results. this area could have funky eateries and coffee shops, massive artist lofts and galleries, edgy underground indie venues, etc...get some of those "too hip for missouri now" MU grads from the st. louis area to come back to st. louis instead of going to brooklyn or some other currently cool and hyped locale. theres a noticable culture drain from st. louis through colleges (or not) and then off to wherever.

stlgasm · PostNov 25, 2005#492005-11-25T17:53+00:00

I've been exploring this area since I was in high school and I've always felt that North Broadway is the next "it" hood in STL. The gritty industrial character by the river is what defines it. Lure some clubs here, some raw artist space, music studios...

North Broadway is tough old St. Louis in all its might.

marmar · PostNov 25, 2005#502005-11-25T21:06+00:00

I thought I read somewhere a few months back that this area had already starting to attract a few artists and creative loft dwellers who have left Washington Ave...? And it seems Bob Cassily was involved, or was I wrong about that, or both ideas for that matter?

Lofts on North Broadway?

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