urbanSTL

STLgasm wrote:I've said it many times and I'll restate it again-- someone needs to court Wawa! It's PERFECT for the East Loop:



http://www.wawa.com/

Or White Hen Pantry (which I believe was recently purchased by 7-11).

crbswiss wrote:In my opinion (I used to live and drive in the area) there are plenty of gas stations around there already.

I've seen Wawas and White Hen Pantrys that don't sell gas. Just go to Chicago and see how many W-H-P don't sell gas. The one's that do are in further out suburbs.

I live in Chicago and am familiar with White Hen, however I do not know anything about Wawas save for what I just learned on their website and saw that they were a gas station/convenience store. That being said a White Hen or Wawas (without gas) does make sense to me as long as they can incorporate it into a storefront instead of building a stadalone structure with parking!

Wawas are great but it's a regional chain. Don't know that they have national ambitions. If so, it might be a while until they hit the Midwest.



The concept--good food, reasonable prices, upbeat buying experience in a convenience store format--would be a nice addition to the neighborhood though. It would probably add a lot of customer traffic too, getting more people to the East Loop.

dweebe wrote:

jlblues wrote:

stlmike wrote:I would like to see some of these things acquire space in the new buildings of the loop:



-a late night diner or pancake house

-a dine-in Imo's

-a deli

-a real sports bar

-billiards bar

-a nice, clean, and urban convenience store



I can't stress this enough, the loop needs to market the immediate area to housing, apartments, highrises, etc.

I'd add a Walgreen's to that list, or a CVS if they ever decide to enter the market. It has always mystified me that there is no Walgreen's within walking distance of the north side of campus, especially considering the population density and pedestrian activity of the area. I think they'd make a killing in grocery items and cigarettes alone.

As much as I hate how many Walgreens there are in St. Louis: it would be a good addition to the area. They could do some killer business there.

I need to add a qualifier...



I would like to see a Walgreen's there ONLY if it is an urban-scaled building, matching the setbacks of the majority of buildings in the Loop, and with parking either above or behind the store...unlike the nastiness at the corner of Big Bend and Clayton.

STLgasm wrote:There are MANY urban-styled Wawa stores. The one next to U. Penn in Philadelphia is the perfect model. Gas stations? Who said anything about gas stations?

The main page for the link to Wawa you gave a page back shows a gas station.

^I agree with that!! If they don't do more residential above, where are the patrons going to come from? Relying on 'communters' is a big step backward from the urban trend, is it not?

At first when I saw the renderings of the Loop Center, I thought they were okay except for the lack of a couple more floors, but this 'infill' thing (e.g. this and the Villas of St. Louis) is getting a little trite in St. Louis and should be left to places like Lafayette Square, Soulard, ONSL, etc. Have our developers gotten in a big fat rut, or what?

I heard that there has been a snag in this project due to the financing.

stlgasm, I completely agree with you. The loop center design is "ok" but that rendering above is FAR more impressive. 4 stories, to match the apartment buildings farther west on Delmar.

^ The grass is coming in nicely.

The pond's looking good too.

I like the white, pipe-like sculptures. Nice touch.

Soooothing . . .



Anyone have news about this area? And why, why are things always torn down without $$'s to build anything in its place? The old taxi depot had a lot of character and would have been a very cool coffee shop/diner.

STLgasm wrote:How cool would it be to get a Trader Joe's here. The neighborhood needs a grocery store/supermarket badly. It's the only element lacking in this otherwise cohesive urban district.



It's too bad they are going for a historic replica design-- I think a modern design would be so refreshing.

I don't see historic replica there, just generic. That said, It's nice that it's TOD/pedestrian oriented. Agreed that a modern design would be preferred, but not sure how different you can get with street-facing two-story retail shops.

Regardless, bring on the cranes!

++



-RBB

Original Cast Lighting is moving out of the city. The Shapiros are apparently going to sell both that property (next to the RAC) and the "Loop Center" property across the street. This at least was the informal word at the Skinker-Debaliviere neighborhood council meeting this week.

It's too bad they could not find another space in the city. Today's P-D article says they're moving to Westport.