urbanSTL

52 people!?! Hopefully they bring the store a lot of biz.

I went downtown yesterday during lunch to buy Mrs. ThreeOneFour a couple of Christmas gifts. The place was jumping...perhaps busier than it's ever been since it became a Macy's...and it almost seemed like the last of the glory days at Famous-Barr (which, I would say, was some time during the late 1980s since the opening of the Saint Louis Galleria and the decline of St. Louis Centre had a negative impact on the store for many years). I had to wait in line for each item I bought, and I was happy to wait since that usually isn't an issue there. Yes, the economy is slowly improving, but hopefully, this is a sign the store is getting more business after a couple of down years.

I still don't understand why Macy's didn't use animated displays in some of the windows this Christmas season. My son was disappointed, but at least there's still the train display at Seventh and Locust streets. And that side of the store looks so much better without the skybridge overhead.

Finally, I wonder what will become of floors 4-7 when Macy's shrinks. I realize Macy's cannot justify keeping all of those floors open, but I still think it's going to be a bit odd when the 4th floor is vacated since that is the link to the bridge that takes shoppers to and from the Macy's garage. That space could be used for events, like Breakfast with Santa which runs every Saturday and Sunday in December prior to Christmas. It would also be a good home store space (furniture/bedding/kitchen items). But, since Macy's is planning on vacating the space completely, what about a food court? A void of quick-service eateries could be filled, and at the same time, people would access the food court via Macy's. I don't think it would compete with Papa Fabarre's since it is a sit-down restaurant. And I expect the Saint Louis Room will close since it is on the 6th floor. I like this idea better than a gym, as there is no dearth of those downtown now, unless there is some insatiable demand for gyms that I am not aware of at this time...

The Fashion idea sounds good but the gym idea is dumb. Why don't they lease it out as office spacer promote another store. Noordstrom Rack on one of those floors would have been great.

Any news about this becoming anything? Fashion incubator?

If you didn't get the chance to see this on stltoday, I think it's got some relevance to what you are talking about RobbyD. At least it shows this is a question on some local designers minds.


http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/fash ... d539a.html

A change in discussion but maybe something to build upon, Wondering if their has been play, discussion or effort to get Macy's set up their online business as stand alone operation. I understand its going to be a big part of their the forthcoming expansion.

Downtown St. Louis would seem like an ideal fit for online business for established retailers like Macy's with its affordable lease rates, growing IT presence and infrastructure, and central location and time zone. A plus for Macy's is a building that they know well with lots of space available and credits lined up to do a decent rehab on it,

Danny wrote:If you didn't get the chance to see this on stltoday, I think it's got some relevance to what you are talking about RobbyD. At least it shows this is a question on some local designers minds.

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/fash ... d539a.html

I read that...The sentiments in there from local designers (including AJ!) further confirms to me my own feeling on the possible success of a fashion incubator...Those guys and girls are going to be the best barometer to use when determining whether investors are just chasing rabbits here IMO...

I like the idea of a fashion incubator. What do you think of the idea as a section of this building dedicated to nonprofits? Lease rates at a discount to nonprofit organizations, close together to provide for collaboration, but also having prominent nonprofits located together in a prominent location may bring them needed publicity, and then of course donations. I thought of this after reading this article about a local nonprofit that I'd never heard of being nominated for the Nobel prize. Being based in Chesterfield by itself brings it no publicity, but being located in a prominent center for nonprofits may? What do you think? Here are a few large nonprofits based in the area....

Wings of Hope
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news ... nobel.html

Mission Continues
http://www.missioncontinues.org/

Optimist International
http://www.optimist.org/

Of course, the urban league, united way, etc. would be great candidates as well.

stlmo314 wrote:having prominent nonprofits located together in a prominent location may bring them needed publicity, and then of course donations

Could you explain why having the non-profits located by each other would raise publicity? I'm not discounting the idea, I'm just not sure how it would work.

Also, which non-profit was nominated for a Nobel? I hadn't heard that, it sounds interesting.

Slightly off-topic, but the Optimist International building in the Central West End (Taylor and Lindell) is one of my favorite small buildings in the city.

Wings of Hope was the nobel nominated one (click on the link in the post above to see info about).
Was thinking of a building along the lines of this, this doesn't speak to raising publicity but rather to cost incentives to developers to bring in nonprofits....

http://www.silversteinproperties.com/pr ... all-street

"In cooperation with the City's Economic Development Corporation, Silverstein Properties obtained the designation of 120 Wall Street as New York City's first and only Association Center. The designation creates special real estate tax advantages enabling qualified not-for-profit tenants to benefit from cost-effective office space, thereby helping the City to encourage growth of this vital economic sector.

120 Wall Street has attracted more than 30 of the finest national not-for-profit organizations, including the world headquarter location of the National Urban League, The United Way of America, and The United Negro College Fund."

^the Railway Exchange Building is in a TIF. It is not in the Developer's financial interest to lease or sell portions of the building to tax-exempt tenants that could take portions of the building off the tax rolls (thereby reducing the amount of TIF Revenues generated).

Here is a recent article on Non-Profits.

Nonprofits lead development boom in Webster Groves

Ask a St. Louisan to describe Webster Groves, and you are likely to hear about historic homes and tree-lined streets. But $147 million in construction projects — primarily planned by the city’s nonprofit institutions — highlights one of the ways the suburb has found economic strength and an ability to remain relatively stable during the recession.

“I was talking with a government official from another area about a freestanding department store they had planned and how excited they were because it was economic development,” said Webster Groves Mayor Gerry Welch. “It struck me that Webster Groves has a very large amount of construction going on, but it doesn’t get a lot of fanfare because it’s mostly being done by nonprofits.”

Because of their tax-exempt status, nonprofits can be viewed as less than desirable by community leaders who are concerned with generating sales and property tax revenue.

Webster Groves’ director of planning and development, Roger Grow, reports that four of the five top employers in Webster Groves are nonprofit institutions, and that 10.5 percent of the city’s total assessed property value is tax-exempt. The two largest land owners, Webster University and Eden Seminary, collectively own 25 pieces of property assessed at $13 million.

These institutions “pay no property taxes but do pay taxes on utilities, such as their water, electric and gas,” Grow said.

Welch, who is a trained economist with several published books, said she thinks governments need to appreciate what nonprofits bring to a community’s economy.



Read more: Nonprofits lead development boom in Webster Groves | St. Louis Business Journal http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/prin ... om-in.html

moorlander wrote:Here is a recent article on Non-Profits.

Nonprofits lead development boom in Webster Groves

Ask a St. Louisan to describe Webster Groves, and you are likely to hear about historic homes and tree-lined streets. But $147 million in construction projects — primarily planned by the city’s nonprofit institutions — highlights one of the ways the suburb has found economic strength and an ability to remain relatively stable during the recession.

“I was talking with a government official from another area about a freestanding department store they had planned and how excited they were because it was economic development,” said Webster Groves Mayor Gerry Welch. “It struck me that Webster Groves has a very large amount of construction going on, but it doesn’t get a lot of fanfare because it’s mostly being done by nonprofits.”

Because of their tax-exempt status, nonprofits can be viewed as less than desirable by community leaders who are concerned with generating sales and property tax revenue.

Webster Groves’ director of planning and development, Roger Grow, reports that four of the five top employers in Webster Groves are nonprofit institutions, and that 10.5 percent of the city’s total assessed property value is tax-exempt. The two largest land owners, Webster University and Eden Seminary, collectively own 25 pieces of property assessed at $13 million.

These institutions “pay no property taxes but do pay taxes on utilities, such as their water, electric and gas,” Grow said.

Welch, who is a trained economist with several published books, said she thinks governments need to appreciate what nonprofits bring to a community’s economy.



Read more: Nonprofits lead development boom in Webster Groves | St. Louis Business Journal http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/prin ... om-in.html

In part, The big dollars has to do a lot with Webster University and private schools in the immediate vicinity of the university. In other words, two different types of activity.

I think more relative comparison and question, do you continue to support the varied non-profit development in Grand Center _ like the Big Brothers/Big Sisters @ old Woolworths or the new KWMU studio, etc. I don't think Railway Exchange for nonprofits is a bad idea. I just think the idea is late considering the progress has been made at Grand Center

How sad. This place had a crap load of history and character. Macy's lied to us last year when they said it would remain open.

Last Christmas was the last Christmas.
Can someone make this for me? I'll bring the wine or ice tea.
http://bit.ly/ef3J9C

^ was Papa Fabarre's the one with the awesome belted ceiling fans?