That does surprise me that one hundred doesn’t have fobs for floor access on the elevator. Even if it lets you on any floor, I’m surprised you still don’t have to swipe.chriss752 wrote: ↑Jul 15, 2022I hardly consider City View a luxury complex.mikenewell48 wrote: ↑Jul 14, 2022curious regarding security at these 'luxury' projects. We have seen the violence e.g. city view
Numerous persons at times run rampant in these buildings What about Lux and similar projects? They have tempting candies pool sauna rooms entertainment rooms etc how is the security at these places? I can imagine persons are already eyeing/setting up mass entry into the 'fun' rooms of these places.
As for general safety, it probably applies anywhere that individuals have to make sure the door closes behind them before moving on. Overtime, I think, you get to know who lives in your building, so you know who belongs there or not. So, if you're coming in and someone say, "hold the door", at first you might say "on" but overtime, you might realize that person lives there, and you let them in. Building security might also be susceptible to power outages and automatic lock malfunctions.
In the case of a Lux property, like Hudson, since construction is finished, all doors in the building require you to have an app on your phone to unlock or the master code. That includes all amenity spaces. If you manage to get into the lobby of the building, it's unlikely you'll be able to go far without the codes. And even if you manage to get into an elevator, you still need the codes. I haven't been in any other complexes recently, so I don't know if that's the case everywhere, but it was at Hudson. It was not the case at One Hundred though when I worked there.
You needed your fob to get into the lobby and unit, but 7th floor amenities were just open to the residents without the need for a fob. Elevators were also readily open for all 36 floors with no fob access required. It's been almost 2 years, so maybe things have changed.
Things could’ve changed in the nearly two years since I was last year, but it used to be pretty straightforward. Press the bottom, get in, use the keypad to type what floor you were going to, and off you went.jshank83 wrote: ↑Jul 15, 2022That does surprise me that one hundred doesn’t have fobs for floor access on the elevator. Even if it lets you on any floor, I’m surprised you still don’t have to swipe.chriss752 wrote: ↑Jul 15, 2022I hardly consider City View a luxury complex.mikenewell48 wrote: ↑Jul 14, 2022curious regarding security at these 'luxury' projects. We have seen the violence e.g. city view
Numerous persons at times run rampant in these buildings What about Lux and similar projects? They have tempting candies pool sauna rooms entertainment rooms etc how is the security at these places? I can imagine persons are already eyeing/setting up mass entry into the 'fun' rooms of these places.
As for general safety, it probably applies anywhere that individuals have to make sure the door closes behind them before moving on. Overtime, I think, you get to know who lives in your building, so you know who belongs there or not. So, if you're coming in and someone say, "hold the door", at first you might say "on" but overtime, you might realize that person lives there, and you let them in. Building security might also be susceptible to power outages and automatic lock malfunctions.
In the case of a Lux property, like Hudson, since construction is finished, all doors in the building require you to have an app on your phone to unlock or the master code. That includes all amenity spaces. If you manage to get into the lobby of the building, it's unlikely you'll be able to go far without the codes. And even if you manage to get into an elevator, you still need the codes. I haven't been in any other complexes recently, so I don't know if that's the case everywhere, but it was at Hudson. It was not the case at One Hundred though when I worked there.
You needed your fob to get into the lobby and unit, but 7th floor amenities were just open to the residents without the need for a fob. Elevators were also readily open for all 36 floors with no fob access required. It's been almost 2 years, so maybe things have changed.
Hearsay isn’t always hearsay… stay tuned and you’ll learn something
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[Tense music playing in the background]
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St. Louis apartment project hindered after explosive allegations by ex-employee
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/gov ... b1cee.html
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Lotta juicy dirt Lux Living, in its statement, sought to cast doubt on Stritzel’s credibility
Maybe this essay defending the project was unwarranted?brianadler6545 wrote: ↑Jul 14, 2022Yeah I think it’s a problem when people take an obviously sh*tty company and then take something obviously bad and exaggerate it through the roof like this. Just don’t see how that helps.Aesir wrote:Lux has absolutely nobody to blame but themselves. Run absolutely roughshod over residents, engage in bullsh*t lawfare on tenants and competing projects, build with trash quality. Little to no maintenance on buildings leading to unsanitary conditions for residents and even partial building collapses. Do this for years and act shocked and hurt when people finally wise up to it.
The only disappointing thing here is "urbanists" willing to shove it, all of it, under the rug just to get something - anything built on a stretch of Kingshighway.
Good for the Neighborhood Association and residents for absolutely nailing it. Urbanist desires to see a cookie cutter plywood box on Kingshighway do not trump the physical safety and peace of mind of Lux's residents. Both KC and STL officials have now gotten firsthand touring of Lux's properties and interviews with Lux residents. The result - overwhelming negative reviews and warnings to stay away.
You talk about structural collapses in the plural, but so far as I know, that was an isolated incident with no injuries that was resolved.
I have lived in one of their old buildings and toured a couple of new ones. Frankly, our neighbors were totally fine with our building and I’ve seen and spoken with happy residents at other ones. I also know from experience that when something breaks, like a microwave, you might not get prompt responses. I’m also not a shill for the a**holes who own the place - I wrote a lengthy article detailing their sh*tty business practices.
But your framing exists seemingly to justify further behavior on the part of neighborhood associations that probably goes way past what their duties should be, based on a premise of some extraordinarily evil company. But that’s not the role of these orgs. If the company is doing something illegal, that’s a matter for ordinance and for law enforcement.
You are calling for orgs to deny otherwise completely compliant buildings, like the first edition of this project that would call for no variances. The only reason it ended up asking for variances was to satisfy neighborhood concerns.
There was also another resident of one of their buildings at the meeting who spoke quite a bit about how he enjoyed the amenities and likes his apartment. He was then called a shill by Michael.
But we have to stop being so crazy as to assume that nearly fully occupied buildings probably summing thousands of tenants don’t have any happy residents.
And at some point, there has to be some agency for the renters too. They are entering a contract on their own free will. You are advocating for an organization that has a handful of votes at best to choose it’s leaders to deny people of their choices in housing.
That’s a bad precedent, I think. If you think they have shoddy practices, then call for the accountability elsewhere, with orgs and individuals that are more accountable.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So clearly I spoke to the FPSE neighborhood last fall knowing that there was the potential my comments could get out and cause quite the stir. I knew the risk I was taking and knew what tactics Lux would use against me if and when these came out. Whether you believe I quit or was fired from Lux, one thing is certain and that's I don't make claims that I can't back up.
I appreciate Jacob Barker contacting me a few days ago to get my side of the story and giving me opportunities to respond to the false allegations being made by Lux's lawyer, and Clayton alderman, Ira Berkowitz. I know Sid and Vic had a say in the statement as well and it was nothing short of bullsh*t the moment I was sent to respond to it. Item by item, I shot down claims and later provided a piece of evidence to back up my claims (in particular, that I was hired as an "Entitlement and Development Associate" and not a "Consultant" like was foolishly claimed) but that bit of information was not included in the story.
I will be hated by several employees at Lux Living. for a very long time for doing what I did, especially Sid and Vic. It took courage to do this and then stick around for so long even though family, friends, and my conscience, were telling me to leave as early as mid-November 2021. Even before I got the job there last August, when I was consulting my potential employment with trusted people, they told me to stay away due to the company's past, yet I pushed ahead believing it would be a good learning opportunity.
And it was a good learning opportunity. Learning about the entitlement process, interviewing architects, exchanging new ideas, and so on were all extremely beneficial, but I learned other things that will stick with me for a very long time and likely not in a positive way. They can slander and lie about the person I am. It's to be expected. What I care about is seeing St. Louis better off and with that comes tough fights. My tough fight was considering, and later, becoming a whistleblower.
There are things that others I know heard me complain about during my time there and some of them weigh on me a bit. Even though this article was published, there's so much more to the story than what is seen here. A "they said, he said" sort of thing isn't what people want to read all the time, and that's fine. You can take their word or my word. What matters is being straightforward and honest.
Towards the end, I kept to myself more often, kept new ideas mostly to myself, and only pitched development sites that were likely to never have anything built on them. Regardless if the FPSE letter came out or not, I intended on quitting Lux on July 6th because I didn't feel at "home", welcomed or valued there anymore. I feel like I whored myself out on the quest for something greater and doing so did not make me feel genuine or happy.
As for what I do next, it's unclear at this time. One thing is clear though - I will not be in the large-scale multi-family game for a longtime. There are more important things to focus on right now. The mission continues.
I appreciate Jacob Barker contacting me a few days ago to get my side of the story and giving me opportunities to respond to the false allegations being made by Lux's lawyer, and Clayton alderman, Ira Berkowitz. I know Sid and Vic had a say in the statement as well and it was nothing short of bullsh*t the moment I was sent to respond to it. Item by item, I shot down claims and later provided a piece of evidence to back up my claims (in particular, that I was hired as an "Entitlement and Development Associate" and not a "Consultant" like was foolishly claimed) but that bit of information was not included in the story.
I will be hated by several employees at Lux Living. for a very long time for doing what I did, especially Sid and Vic. It took courage to do this and then stick around for so long even though family, friends, and my conscience, were telling me to leave as early as mid-November 2021. Even before I got the job there last August, when I was consulting my potential employment with trusted people, they told me to stay away due to the company's past, yet I pushed ahead believing it would be a good learning opportunity.
And it was a good learning opportunity. Learning about the entitlement process, interviewing architects, exchanging new ideas, and so on were all extremely beneficial, but I learned other things that will stick with me for a very long time and likely not in a positive way. They can slander and lie about the person I am. It's to be expected. What I care about is seeing St. Louis better off and with that comes tough fights. My tough fight was considering, and later, becoming a whistleblower.
There are things that others I know heard me complain about during my time there and some of them weigh on me a bit. Even though this article was published, there's so much more to the story than what is seen here. A "they said, he said" sort of thing isn't what people want to read all the time, and that's fine. You can take their word or my word. What matters is being straightforward and honest.
Towards the end, I kept to myself more often, kept new ideas mostly to myself, and only pitched development sites that were likely to never have anything built on them. Regardless if the FPSE letter came out or not, I intended on quitting Lux on July 6th because I didn't feel at "home", welcomed or valued there anymore. I feel like I whored myself out on the quest for something greater and doing so did not make me feel genuine or happy.
As for what I do next, it's unclear at this time. One thing is clear though - I will not be in the large-scale multi-family game for a longtime. There are more important things to focus on right now. The mission continues.
Congratulations on being a winner, Chris. You made the right decision and you'll have zero regrets about it going forward.
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going forward: Where do those clump of buildings and the land stand now as far as re-development?
I regret leaving people behind I care about and leaving behind the unfinished work of trying to make things better. I also regret being easily manipulated to post inflammatory comments on behalf of the company that only damaged myself and no one else. But beyond those, I don’t have other regrets about leaving. I’m probably the last person people expected to do this one especially after the most recent posts on this forum.Aesir wrote: ↑Jul 22, 2022Congratulations on being a winner, Chris. You made the right decision and you'll have zero regrets about it going forward.
Lux owns the land. They could still push ahead and go through the rest of the process if they feel they have a shot at getting approval. If they don’t get approval, they could just continue to hold onto the land and wait until the tide changes or they could sell the properties. I rather see them sell and cut back on the pipeline a bit and refocus efforts on things that matter more.mikenewell48 wrote: ↑Jul 22, 2022going forward: Where do those clump of buildings and the land stand now as far as re-development?
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Surprise, surprise, surprise. Lux Living continues to impress.
I wanted to link the famous scene from The Wire, can't find it, where the cops figure out Stringer Bell has moved into real estate, and they posit that he's now something far worse than a drug kingpin: a developer.
I wanted to link the famous scene from The Wire, can't find it, where the cops figure out Stringer Bell has moved into real estate, and they posit that he's now something far worse than a drug kingpin: a developer.
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mikenewell48 wrote: ↑Jul 22, 2022far worse than a drug kingpin: a developer.
https://youtu.be/zKk1eoYALlM
Thank youChris, it's really amazing how much you've learned about the development business at such a young age; the good, the bad, and the ugly. The level of maturity in your posts has skyrocketed in the last year or so. Whatever you choose to do from here on out, you've got a solid foundation to build on.
lol you're all over the place. Were you defending them on here so much because of a guilty conscience or for them to not suspect you until you were ready to quit? Not trying to shame you but figure out your thought process.
Word of advice Chris...be very careful about what you decide to put out publicly on social and in forums. Be mindful of how you phrase things and what you admit to. Remember once it's posted, it can be used by anyone. I'd hate to see you caught in a defamation suit where you end up getting sued. Tread lightly.chriss752 wrote: ↑Jul 22, 2022So clearly I spoke to the FPSE neighborhood last fall knowing that there was the potential my comments could get out and cause quite the stir. I knew the risk I was taking and knew what tactics Lux would use against me if and when these came out. Whether you believe I quit or was fired from Lux, one thing is certain and that's I don't make claims that I can't back up.
I appreciate Jacob Barker contacting me a few days ago to get my side of the story and giving me opportunities to respond to the false allegations being made by Lux's lawyer, and Clayton alderman, Ira Berkowitz. I know Sid and Vic had a say in the statement as well and it was nothing short of bullsh*t the moment I was sent to respond to it. Item by item, I shot down claims and later provided a piece of evidence to back up my claims (in particular, that I was hired as an "Entitlement and Development Associate" and not a "Consultant" like was foolishly claimed) but that bit of information was not included in the story.
I will be hated by several employees at Lux Living. for a very long time for doing what I did, especially Sid and Vic. It took courage to do this and then stick around for so long even though family, friends, and my conscience, were telling me to leave as early as mid-November 2021. Even before I got the job there last August, when I was consulting my potential employment with trusted people, they told me to stay away due to the company's past, yet I pushed ahead believing it would be a good learning opportunity.
And it was a good learning opportunity. Learning about the entitlement process, interviewing architects, exchanging new ideas, and so on were all extremely beneficial, but I learned other things that will stick with me for a very long time and likely not in a positive way. They can slander and lie about the person I am. It's to be expected. What I care about is seeing St. Louis better off and with that comes tough fights. My tough fight was considering, and later, becoming a whistleblower.
There are things that others I know heard me complain about during my time there and some of them weigh on me a bit. Even though this article was published, there's so much more to the story than what is seen here. A "they said, he said" sort of thing isn't what people want to read all the time, and that's fine. You can take their word or my word. What matters is being straightforward and honest.
Towards the end, I kept to myself more often, kept new ideas mostly to myself, and only pitched development sites that were likely to never have anything built on them. Regardless if the FPSE letter came out or not, I intended on quitting Lux on July 6th because I didn't feel at "home", welcomed or valued there anymore. I feel like I whored myself out on the quest for something greater and doing so did not make me feel genuine or happy.
As for what I do next, it's unclear at this time. One thing is clear though - I will not be in the large-scale multi-family game for a longtime. There are more important things to focus on right now. The mission continues.
Does anyone know if Lux Living has a record of holding properties after a project dies or do they typically look to sell once it looks like their plans can't go forward? This can't be their first project that doesn't come to fruition (assuming this building is dead in the water or at least dead with this company at the helm), just curious if anyone knows what they've done in the past.
"Or for them to not suspect you until you were ready to quit?" - ding ding ding. Had to go with the flow and play the game. Feeling intimidated was and is a hell of a thing. The amount of times I refused to post big things on my CityScene, and got a little bit of heat for, is wild. I did such things on venues with smaller reaches.flipz wrote: ↑Jul 22, 2022lol you're all over the place. Were you defending them on here so much because of a guilty conscience or for them to not suspect you until you were ready to quit? Not trying to shame you but figure out your thought process.
Thank you for the concern. I'm aware what I'm getting myself into with this. I've seen and heard how they've reacted to things in the past and the methods they wanted to take. I know their game and can think of 5 possibilities that they could pursue with this one in particular and I'm ready for each of them. It's all predictable if you've been on the inside.SRQ2STL wrote: ↑Jul 22, 2022Word of advice Chris...be very careful about what you decide to put out publicly on social and in forums. Be mindful of how you phrase things and what you admit to. Remember once it's posted, it can be used by anyone. I'd hate to see you caught in a defamation suit where you end up getting sued. Tread lightly.
For anyone still blissfully unaware of this company, or just wanting to continue sweeping things under the rug:
https://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/re ... g-38192745
https://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/re ... g-38192745
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We need a glassdoor-type website for renters where you can review your landlord.
It's terrible how many apartment buildings they've bought. They now own 10 buildings in the Central West End alone, as far as I can tell their business model seems to be to buy up affordable apartment buildings and then continue collecting rent while doing almost no maintenance.