There is already ample street parking.
A lot of the meters in the area are parking by permit only/reserved after 6pm for residents of the Ford Building or Park Pacific. So you might see open meters in the evening, but parking there will get you a $20 ticket.downtown2007 wrote:There is already ample street parking.
Plus any Scottrade or Peabody event takes everything left open in the area.
I don't see any problem with The Alumni offering garage parking as most good restaurants in Chicago do the same thing. (Yes: I'm aware of the difference) Anything a business can do to make it easier for their customers is usually a good thing.
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I agree with DT2007 as on-street parking in the area is plentiful. But you are correct to point out the limitations with parking on the street in that area at times. And, like you, I don't exactly see the harm in validated parking for Alumni customers.dweebe wrote:A lot of the meters in the area are parking by permit only/reserved after 6pm for residents of the Ford Building or Park Pacific. So you might see open meters in the evening, but parking there will get you a $20 ticket.downtown2007 wrote:There is already ample street parking.
Plus any Scottrade or Peabody event takes everything left open in the area.
I don't see any problem with The Alumni offering garage parking as most good restaurants in Chicago do the same thing. (Yes: I'm aware of the difference) Anything a business can do to make it easier for their customers is usually a good thing.
The whole "Parking for residents of XXX building by permit only" kind of grinds my gears.threeonefour wrote:I agree with DT2007 as on-street parking in the area is plentiful. But you are correct to point out the limitations with parking on the street in that area at times. And, like you, I don't exactly see the harm in validated parking for Alumni customers.dweebe wrote:A lot of the meters in the area are parking by permit only/reserved after 6pm for residents of the Ford Building or Park Pacific. So you might see open meters in the evening, but parking there will get you a $20 ticket.downtown2007 wrote:There is already ample street parking.
Plus any Scottrade or Peabody event takes everything left open in the area.
I don't see any problem with The Alumni offering garage parking as most good restaurants in Chicago do the same thing. (Yes: I'm aware of the difference) Anything a business can do to make it easier for their customers is usually a good thing.
First, the city is getting money from selling the spaces to the apartment/condo buildings. Then the city also gets the revenue from the tickets. Nice racket.
One time after a Blues game I was waiting by the park to the west of the Soldier's Memorial to get picked up . I watched all the people come out to their cars, see the tickets since the spots were "reserved" and get angry. One row of parking was all ticketed netting the city $400+.
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It is an absolute racket- and it's ridiculous. But I'd never expect on-street parking limits in that area to change with Mr. Four Terms in Room 200 and Ms. Virvus as the parking czar...er...city treasurer.dweebe wrote:The whole "Parking for residents of XXX building by permit only" kind of grinds my gears.
First, the city is getting money from selling the spaces to the apartment/condo buildings. Then the city also gets the revenue from the tickets. Nice racket.
One time after a Blues game I was waiting by the park to the west of the Soldier's Memorial to get picked up . I watched all the people come out to their cars, see the tickets since the spots were "reserved" and get angry. One row of parking was all ticketed netting the city $400+.
And I'm sure that's why Alumni Saint Louis feels compelled to offer validated parking in the adjacent garage. There's no dearth of on-street parking nearby, but take a close look at the signs before you leave your car.
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Wait, the city has sold street spaces to condo developers/residents?
You think they got those signs put up for free? Someone at city hall got paid: either front of house and/or off the books.Alex Ihnen wrote:Wait, the city has sold street spaces to condo developers/residents?
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I'd bet on this scenario as well. Downtown is coming back in spite of city government, not because of it.dweebe wrote:You think they got those signs put up for free? Someone at city hall got paid: either front of house and/or off the books.Alex Ihnen wrote:Wait, the city has sold street spaces to condo developers/residents?
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Per a blurb in the Business Journal yesterday, occupancy in the Park Pacific is at 90%, and they recently raised rents by 7%. Both good signs for the downtown residential market.
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Why is it good that rent is getting more expensive? That building is already pretty expensive.
It means demand is high, which in turn will encourage more supply (i.e. redevelopment).
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Does anyone know if a tower can be built on the Park Pacific garage? Can't recall if that was planned for as a possibility.
^Yes. It would be more like a low-rise added on UNLESS the plans/designs have changed.
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That's great news. It shows that demand is strong and Park Pacific is on the high end of the price range anyway. As the owner of a couple lofts down there I couldn't be happier.
I look forward to the day work starts on the Arcade and Chemical building. I'm also holding out hope that we will get some good corporate news down there this summer. That is the missing link at this point. There was talk of Kellwood moving downtown a couple years ago. I wonder what happened to that.
I look forward to the day work starts on the Arcade and Chemical building. I'm also holding out hope that we will get some good corporate news down there this summer. That is the missing link at this point. There was talk of Kellwood moving downtown a couple years ago. I wonder what happened to that.
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^ just to clarify, adding residential to the garage is something apparently they have designed for, but I have no idea if they are actual plans/time frame to do so.
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I believe they had a change in leadership at Kellwood. Haven't heard anything about them relocating in quite a while.robertn42 wrote:There was talk of Kellwood moving downtown a couple years ago. I wonder what happened to that.
Roger, Understand that they went cheap on the garage tilt up construction and therefore don't believe they can make the proposed tower happen as originally envisioned.
Can't recall where I read it, PD or the biz journals, but too paraphrase the developer it sounds like he was giving himself a big kick in the ass for going down the route after the success they have had in leasing. It's a shame considering the development would have been so much better with the additional tower facing Tucker and a pool topping the garage between the two towers as per the early renderings.
The plus side, maybe it will give the developer an incentive to buy out and bulldoze the bank next door for a new tower or maybe take on the Arms building. Both would be a plus for Tucker
Can't recall where I read it, PD or the biz journals, but too paraphrase the developer it sounds like he was giving himself a big kick in the ass for going down the route after the success they have had in leasing. It's a shame considering the development would have been so much better with the additional tower facing Tucker and a pool topping the garage between the two towers as per the early renderings.
The plus side, maybe it will give the developer an incentive to buy out and bulldoze the bank next door for a new tower or maybe take on the Arms building. Both would be a plus for Tucker
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^ thanks.... yeah, I remember that now; Smith's comments were something like, "leasing is going great and I freaking forgot that the new bridge will mean Tucker will be the city's front door.... Imma gonna smack myself in the head for not doing better with the garage."
Anyways, yes to clearance of the bank for mixed-use infill!
Anyways, yes to clearance of the bank for mixed-use infill!
I wondered about that.dredger wrote:Roger, Understand that they went cheap on the garage tilt up construction and therefore don't believe they can make the proposed tower happen as originally envisioned.
The bank probably isn't going anywhere soon, it is wrapping up recent renovations.
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Here is that article about the prospects for Tucker and other related development from 2011:
http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/ ... 895d5.html
Its a pretty interesting read and at least at this point it is hard to discern if the bridge/Tucker project has made any impact; it doesn't look like anything concrete has moved forward, but perhaps it is leading to some quiet discussions.
Once the entire $34 million project is completed, Tucker will be a four-lane, landscaped thoroughfare between Washington and the bridge construction area.
That will make all of Tucker more attractive to redevelopment, said real estate experts, adding that the most feasible spots for large towers are the southwest and northeast corners of Tucker and Locust Street. Small structures and parking lots occupy those locations now.
Richard Ward, vice president of Zimmer Real Estate Services, said Tucker "in some ways will be a new front door to downtown."
"Tucker will be the only way to get in and out of downtown from the new bridge," he said. "I wish I'd invested in some property around there."
and the Park Pacific:
Among those who already own property on Tucker is Steve Smith, whose Lawrence Group is redoing the old Missouri Pacific railroad headquarters as the Park Pacific apartments, offices and retail space. Behind the building, at Tucker and Olive Street, Lawrence Group is putting up a parking garage to serve Park Pacific and areas nearby.
When the for-sale housing market collapsed during the recession, Lawrence Group substituted the garage for a condo tower the company had planned at the Tucker and Olive site. Smith said he didn't think about the new bridge when planning the Park Pacific project. But he added that he now realized that the street project and bridge meant more development potential for the Tucker corridor.
http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/ ... 895d5.html
Its a pretty interesting read and at least at this point it is hard to discern if the bridge/Tucker project has made any impact; it doesn't look like anything concrete has moved forward, but perhaps it is leading to some quiet discussions.
Once the entire $34 million project is completed, Tucker will be a four-lane, landscaped thoroughfare between Washington and the bridge construction area.
That will make all of Tucker more attractive to redevelopment, said real estate experts, adding that the most feasible spots for large towers are the southwest and northeast corners of Tucker and Locust Street. Small structures and parking lots occupy those locations now.
Richard Ward, vice president of Zimmer Real Estate Services, said Tucker "in some ways will be a new front door to downtown."
"Tucker will be the only way to get in and out of downtown from the new bridge," he said. "I wish I'd invested in some property around there."
and the Park Pacific:
Among those who already own property on Tucker is Steve Smith, whose Lawrence Group is redoing the old Missouri Pacific railroad headquarters as the Park Pacific apartments, offices and retail space. Behind the building, at Tucker and Olive Street, Lawrence Group is putting up a parking garage to serve Park Pacific and areas nearby.
When the for-sale housing market collapsed during the recession, Lawrence Group substituted the garage for a condo tower the company had planned at the Tucker and Olive site. Smith said he didn't think about the new bridge when planning the Park Pacific project. But he added that he now realized that the street project and bridge meant more development potential for the Tucker corridor.