Main & Main and The Fountains (Hotels + Retail)

the curmudgeon · PostAug 10, 2006#12006-08-10T03:33+00:00

City Council advances development plan

08/08/2006

RICHMOND HEIGHTS

The City Council began on Monday night the final approval process for the eight-acre Mullenix Corp. and Lionstone Development plan that calls for two hotels, a restaurant, retail space and parking garages across from the Galleria.

Bounded by Galleria Parkway, Clayton Road, Brentwood Boulevard and I-170, the project is to be completed within three years and be coordinated with the 23-story University Tower, developed in 1973. The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the proposal earlier. Council members noted that the plan includes no tax subsidy or abatement and no use of eminent domain. Its name has not been announced.

No one opposed the plan at a public hearing before the council took action.

On another matter, the council voted to allow a St. Louis-based film crew to shoot "Street Ballers" on the city's basketball court at Highway 40 at Boland Avenue. An overnight shooting will be necessary; normally the lights are out at the court at 9 p.m.

The council approved a property-tax rate of 76.9 cents on residential property. It covers the general fund, library and public safety pensions. The rate is a half-cent above last year's rate.

PostAug 10, 2006#22006-08-10T03:45+00:00

New development across from Galleria will include two hotels

St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO)

September 10, 2004

Author: ERIC HEISLER

Of the Post-Dispatch

Estimated printed pages: 2

* Project could be sign that hospitality construction is rising.

A local developer plans to build two properties - a Westin Hotel and Hilton Homestead Suites - across Brentwood Boulevard from the St. Louis Galleria in Richmond Heights.

Mullenix Cos. of Brentwood originally planned to build a single hotel at the site, on the southeast corner of Brentwood Boulevard and Clayton Road.

But after working out an arrangement to lease space for parking nearby, Mullenix found a way to fit two hotels on the site.

The developer hopes the project, at the doorstep of one of the region's top shopping malls and close to the office towers of downtown Clayton, will draw business travelers and tourists.

"We call this site Main and Main," said Gregory Mullenix, president of Dominion Construction, a Mullenix subsidiary working on the deal. "You're sort of in between the Chesterfield and downtown markets, and you're playing off Clayton."

Along with other developments, the project - called the Fountains - could be a sign that hotel construction is starting to pick up again after a few dismal years.

The project is part of a flurry of commercial redevelopment that's reshaping the older communities around Highway 40 (Interstate 64) in central St. Louis County.

Just to the south of the site, Pace Properties is building Boulevard-St. Louis, which will mix retail, office and apartment space into a town-center setting. A planned MetroLink stop will bring shoppers and other visitors to the projects.

The Fountains will rise on a corner that today is a hodgepodge of older commercial development and abandoned space. The project is scheduled for completion in 2006.

Richmond Heights picked Mullenix to redevelop the property in late 2002 after asking developers to submit proposals. Mullenix beat out a plan proposed by Pace.

The project also had to survive a court challenge in which two property owners at the site sought to prevent the power of eminent domain from being used to acquire land for the Fountains.

An initial plan would have built a Courtyard by Marriott hotel at the site. Mullenix, however, later negotiated with the nearby University Club tower to lease land for a parking garage. The developer also proposed extending Francis Place through the property.

That allowed Mullenix to fit two hotels - the 119-room Hilton and the 209-room Westin - on the site, Gregory Mullenix said.

Transportation improvements at the site will probably be funded through a transportation development district.

A preliminary development plan for the project was approved by the Richmond Heights City Council this week. The developer needs only to get the go-ahead from the city's planning commission on its final plan.

Caption:

Post-Dispatch Graphic / map - PLANNED WESTIN HOTEL AND HILTON HOMESTEAD SUITES

Caption:

graphic and map

Memo: REAL ESTATE

Edition: Five Star Late Lift

Section: Business

Page: C06

Index Terms: commercial real estate;hotel construction plans;Richmond Heights commercial development

Copyright (c) 2004 St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Record Number: 1000088265

Orignal post by ChesterfieldKid03

jmedwick · PostAug 10, 2006#32006-08-10T14:02+00:00

Sounds like a nice addtion to the area. Though once again, this brings up the importance of major improvements to both Galleria Parkway and Brentwood to make the access between this development, Metrolink, The Boulvard, and The Galleria more pedestrian friendly. Brentwood carries so much traffic that improvements might be better off in the form of pedestrian bridges linking to an internal roadway east of and parallel to Brentwood to the Galleria.

I wonder how tall the new development will be and wonder why there is no proposed residential component? I hope they do work with the Boulvard folks to tie together the internal street grid that is being created.

moorlander · PostAug 21, 2006#42006-08-21T14:56+00:00

I drove by this morning and they have a giant crane on the lot...

dweebe · PostAug 21, 2006#52006-08-21T15:20+00:00

That area is actaully pretty small IMHO. I wonder if they'll do like the Drury Inn at Olive/I-270? Front desk on the first level, a couple levels of parking garage above that and then the hotel on the top levels.

moorlander · PostAug 21, 2006#62006-08-21T15:25+00:00

There are some renderings on the tallest proposed buildings thread... There's some kind of electrical substation there too. I wonder how they'll deal with that?

http://www.urbanstl.com/viewtopic.php?t=115

jcity · PostAug 23, 2006#72006-08-23T03:36+00:00

How I wish we could still have some type of regional focus on helping downtown stl. This is just a sea of S--- if you ask me. It looks like Houston, or some other sprawl junk- anywhere USA. I guess that's what our country has become. Imagine if downtown stl could have all this quality retail, steps away from our most famous symbol, new bridge (RIP), CBD, historic hotels/ buildings. A real city. A city that people go out of their way to visit (New York, San Francisco). But no, we're building strip malls, sorry lifestyle centers, and hotels on surface parking lots. I'm not opposed to this happening by any means, but how depressing. Let me show my friends from out of town our new "strip"! At least it's a step up from Chesterfield valley/floodplain.

framer · PostAug 23, 2006#82006-08-23T04:09+00:00

dweebe wrote:That area is actaully pretty small IMHO. I wonder if they'll do like the Drury Inn at Olive/I-270? Front desk on the first level, a couple levels of parking garage above that and then the hotel on the top levels.

Or the new hotel at Forest Park Parkway and Euclid. It amazes me how they squeezed a hotel onto that site.

chesterfieldkid03 · PostAug 23, 2006#92006-08-23T21:33+00:00

Hotel development plan nears approval

Ryan Heinz

Of the Suburban Journals

Citizen Journal,Mid-County Journal

08/16/2006

Developers could break ground on a two-hotel development by this fall at the southeast corner of Brentwood Boulevard and Clayton Road, Richmond Heights officials said.

The development was stalled last year when the developer, Mullenix, lost access to a private right-of-way belonging to the owner of the adjacent, 23-story University Club Tower. Mullenix reportedly had signed a letter of intent with the high-rise's former owner to use the road. After Lionstone Group, a Houston-based pension fund adviser, later purchased the building, Mullenix initially was denied access to the small street.

The city intervened by filing a condemnation to make the roadway public.

Now, Lionstone and Mullenix have resolved the issue without a lawsuit and have opted to develop the area together.

The City Council gave initial approval to a revised development agreement at its Aug. 7 meeting. The agreement still includes a Hilton Homewood Suites extended-stay hotel and a Westin hotel. City officials said the Hilton likely would be nine stories tall with 130 rooms, and the Westin likely would be 12 stories high with 220 rooms. All figures are tentative.

Along with Mullenix's hotel redevelopments, Lionstone would redevelop the front of its property to include an 8,000 square-foot restaurant and a two-story, 28,000-square-foot retail building at the corner of Galleria Parkway and Brentwood Boulevard.

Two four-story garages also would be built on the properties for hotel, restaurant and retail-store patrons. The private right-of-way previously in question would remain private, although hotel inhabitants and those visiting the restaurant and store would have access to it.

The main change to the Westin hotel is the removal of six floors of parking from the building's original plans. The Hilton hotel was not changed from the last city-approved plans.

"They could break ground on the Hilton today," said David Reary, Richmond Heights building and zoning commissioner. "The Hilton was not affected by this (advised agreement). We actually hope and anticipate by fall they'll be breaking ground."

Under the plan, the developers would have up to three years to complete their project. The developers asked for no tax assistance for the development, and there seems to be no opposition to it.

The City Council likely will cast a final vote on the preliminary development plan at its Aug. 21 meeting.

You can contact Ryan Heinz at rheinz@yourjournal.com.

moorlander · PostAug 23, 2006#102006-08-23T22:15+00:00

JCity wrote:How I wish we could still have some type of regional focus on helping downtown stl. This is just a sea of S--- if you ask me. It looks like Houston, or some other sprawl junk- anywhere USA. I guess that's what our country has become. Imagine if downtown stl could have all this quality retail, steps away from our most famous symbol, new bridge (RIP), CBD, historic hotels/ buildings. A real city. A city that people go out of their way to visit (New York, San Francisco). But no, we're building strip malls, sorry lifestyle centers, and hotels on surface parking lots. I'm not opposed to this happening by any means, but how depressing. Let me show my friends from out of town our new "strip"! At least it's a step up from Chesterfield valley/floodplain.

I happen agree with your statement about having this type of retail nearer (in walking distance to downtown)... But i completely disagree about it looking like a sea of sh%t...imo brentwood from 40-maryland is (or soon will be when finished) one of our best streets in the entire region...I mean for crying out loud...this is a huge huge HUGE improvement over peice of S buildings that were there B4...I really happen to like the boulevard. alot in fact...it might not be as "urban design" enough for some of you on this site...But there is no comparison to the boulevard and your typical strip mall...With so many people shouting DENSITY DENSITY DENSITY all the time...this is about as dense as you'll find in our metro...

framer · PostAug 24, 2006#112006-08-24T03:24+00:00

IMO, the only nice thing about this stretch of Brentwood is the cool view of Clayton as you leave the Galleria area and head North.

stlmizzoutiger · PostAug 24, 2006#122006-08-24T04:13+00:00

Framer wrote:IMO, the only nice thing about this stretch of Brentwood is the cool view of Clayton as you leave the Galleria area and head North.

The best view I've found of downtown Clayton can be found at the Northeastern corner on the top of the Galleria parking garage. No one is usually parked there and it made a great makeout spot for me and the girl I was on a date with

jlblues · PostAug 24, 2006#132006-08-24T05:03+00:00

Lionstone would redevelop the front of its property to include an 8,000 square-foot restaurant and a two-story, 28,000-square-foot retail building at the corner of Galleria Parkway and Brentwood Boulevard.

Hmm...wonder what that last building is going to be? Barnes & Noble perhaps?

jmedwick · PostAug 24, 2006#142006-08-24T14:12+00:00

Would it be great if downtown were the retail mecca of the region? Sure. But that isn't the case. So if we are going to have one area that is the tip top shopping area for the Metro, I would rather have it evolving into a dense, center based deisgn that takes advantage of transit. That is what this project and the BLVD project help address, and therefore I love to see this development. Remember, everytime suburban residents use these types of dense areas, they become more accustomed to an urban life-style, which in the end is postive for the city and the region as a whole.

Now all we need is for General Growth's new Galleria addtion to follow suit.

framer · PostAug 26, 2006#152006-08-26T04:58+00:00

I've got no problem with The Boulevard, all things considered. But Brentwood is just a horribly ugly street. Now, if they had built Boulevard-style buildings on either side of Brentwood, then we'd have something nice.

Are these new hotels going to be built right up to the sidewalk, or will they be hidden behind a sea of parking?

stlbiggestfan · PostAug 27, 2006#162006-08-27T02:32+00:00

City officials said the Hilton likely would be nine stories tall with 130 rooms, and the Westin likely would be 12 stories high with 220 rooms. All figures are tentative.

Maybe these hotels will improve the look of University Tower by providing some context instead of it looking like an island.

the curmudgeon · PostAug 27, 2006#172006-08-27T18:20+00:00

Also need to watch for Clayton to announce the project plan for the Clayton Rd, Hyway 170, Brentwood Blvd Triangle.

nickfindley · PostAug 27, 2006#182006-08-27T19:52+00:00

I was under the impression for a while that this was supposed to be south of the Boulevard, where the old Blockbuster is. Am I confusing projects -- are there official plans for that site yet?

10-intuition · PostAug 27, 2006#192006-08-27T22:26+00:00

nickfindley wrote:I was under the impression for a while that this was supposed to be south of the Boulevard, where the old Blockbuster is. Am I confusing projects -- are there official plans for that site yet?

the building going on the old blockbuster is this project:

http://www.valenciaattheboulevard.com/index.php

I am also wondering what the official plans are too.

jlblues · PostAug 28, 2006#202006-08-28T00:12+00:00

Phase 2 of the Boulevard will be very similar to Phase 1, with an extension of "Main Street" with similar retail stores. I believe there will also be a small plaza for concerts and events. Phase 2 will take up all the space down to the Burger King. The only big difference will be the mid-rise condo building, The Valencia, and a boutique hotel, probably of the same name.

stlmizzoutiger · PostAug 28, 2006#212006-08-28T03:46+00:00

How about building a "twin" to the University Tower? I think that would look really cool

STL could have it's own version of identical towers

nickfindley · PostAug 28, 2006#222006-08-28T08:30+00:00

stlmizzoutiger wrote:How about building a "twin" to the University Tower? I think that would look really cool STL could have it's own version of identical towers

Them's some ugly twins.

It'd be nice if either of these projects would put a nice face out onto Brentwood. Maybe it's made worse by its surroundings, but I think the Boulevard is extremely uninviting from Brentwood, just a bunch of blank walls for the most part -- not that a lot of people walk on Brentwood, but maybe if there were doors and windows they would. Hopefully Valencia and the other place will try it.

jmedwick · PostAug 28, 2006#232006-08-28T12:58+00:00

^ I thought about this the other day and belive it or not, I would argue against either the BLVD, the new hotels, or any Galleria expansion facing out onto Brentwood. Since the BLVD and the new hotel development seem to be creating a parallel pedestrian friendly street east of Brentwood, maybe Richmond Heights should focus on having the buildings all face this street and creat a great link to the Galleria using bridges.

moorlander · PostAug 28, 2006#242006-08-28T19:14+00:00

nickfindley wrote:
stlmizzoutiger wrote:How about building a "twin" to the University Tower? I think that would look really cool STL could have it's own version of identical towers

Them's some ugly twins.

It'd be nice if either of these projects would put a nice face out onto Brentwood. Maybe it's made worse by its surroundings, but I think the Boulevard is extremely uninviting from Brentwood, just a bunch of blank walls for the most part -- not that a lot of people walk on Brentwood, but maybe if there were doors and windows they would. Hopefully Valencia and the other place will try it.

I went to PF changs on sunday for lunch... I guess it was the good weather and new metro link station...but there were tons of people walking along there... mainly from the link station to the galleria...It was really something...

dweebe · PostAug 28, 2006#252006-08-28T19:22+00:00

bpe235 wrote:
nickfindley wrote:
stlmizzoutiger wrote:How about building a "twin" to the University Tower? I think that would look really cool STL could have it's own version of identical towers

Them's some ugly twins.

It'd be nice if either of these projects would put a nice face out onto Brentwood. Maybe it's made worse by its surroundings, but I think the Boulevard is extremely uninviting from Brentwood, just a bunch of blank walls for the most part -- not that a lot of people walk on Brentwood, but maybe if there were doors and windows they would. Hopefully Valencia and the other place will try it.

I went to PF changs on sunday for lunch... I guess it was the good weather and new metro link station...but there were tons of people walking along there... mainly from the link station to the galleria...It was really something...

Some of the Accenture contractors here at work (who fly in from out of town on Monday and fly out on Friday) are excited. Since they stay and work downtown they don't get a full allowance for a rental car: if they want to rent a car to drive somewhere, part must come out of pocket.

With the new line they'll have Clayton and Richmond Heights as options for dinner. One gal specifically mentioned her love of PF Changs and the new Metrolink line as an option.