urbanSTL

chriss752 wrote: ↑

Mar 13, 2019

The construction fencing has been removed. I wonder if Hudson Holdings is calling it quits over the constant lawsuits and overdue debts. They are nearly impossible to get a hold of. If they did give up, I hope someone else comes along who has the money and ability to do a project of this magnitude.

Did you call the local people involved?

stlien wrote: ↑

Mar 14, 2019

Did you call the local people involved?

I tried and they didn't answer. I'll try again tomorrow.

Not sure if much to add but Biz Journals posted a story, updated on the RX with teaser that owner might start work in six months.

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... s_headline

I am really curious to learn more about this local partner. We shall see how this goes. I'd very much like to see this project rolling. (I have a very peripheral connection to it, being the new kid on the board of an organization dedicated to the history of one of the railroad tenants.) Anyway . . . I remain hopeful, one way or the other. That building is great and the location is fantastic.

^ I thought biz journals article on Bob Clark's move to establish opportunity zone fund and had a number of projects in mind sounds interesting. I could be mistaken but believe St. Louis Opportunity zone includes downtown along with central corridor & chunks of north city and county. So maybe RX maybe or maybe not one of his projects in mind (or even ATT building) or maybe another local partner looking for Opportunity Zone investment.

Either way, I wonder if Opportunity Zone might just be the tool in the finance tool box that gets a few more projects to happen like RX, Chemical and Shell building I would at least put more faith in it then the foreign visa payment scheme to raise financing

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... seeks.html

symphonicpoet wrote: ↑

Apr 09, 2019

I am really curious to learn more about this local partner.

What makes you think the potential partner is local?

My apologies. I misread the BJ article. I thought they said Hudson was bringing on a local partner. It simply said new. I suspect I was conflating it with something unrelated I read elsewhere.

I've had conversations with two people who are familiar with the plans. The co-developer, without naming names, has done projects in the very near vicinity. The parking garage is also going to go. They have spent, what I was told, $4 Million on trying to hold it up and it would cost even more to make it somewhat usable again. It is past it's prime and so demolition will be carried out and a new one will be built.

There are also other lawsuits that haven't become public yet that Hudson Holdings may have settled but I'm not 100% sure if they have. Some others have told me that Hudson Holdings will become a mouthpiece for the re-development while they take the backseat and the co-developer takes the driver's seat. We will see if it holds up. I'll consult with my sources again despite me being told this about two weeks ago.

One of the H.H. members supposedly went into Cannon Design's offices and had a fit after the lawsuit was filed so I think their bridge may have been burned there. So I wonder if a new architecture firm will be brought on board.

As for the starting within 6 months, I don't see it due to the lawsuits and the now additional cost of demolition and reconstruction of a parking garage. Plus, the new partner coming on board and potential new contractor and architecture firms add considerable amounts of pre-construction activities to the timeline.

Pardon my ignorance, but is The Gill Building still standing at 7th and Olive? It was the last remnant of the old Terra Cotta district.

http://preservationresearch.com/downtow ... s-its-due/

Yep. That's still there.

^ Wow. Can't believe I'd never noticed that one before, and more incredible that it has been saved. Literally surrounded by parking garages on all sides.

I guess a company called "Pivot Energy" is in there? Anything else cooking? Apartments or anything?

Just heard that Pharoah's donuts was given a notice to vacate last week. Looks like the garage will be coming down soon

Hope they find a new spot! Love that place. Is there a plan for the lot?

ImprovSTL wrote: Hope they find a new spot! Love that place. Is there a plan for the lot?

I've heard that they're moving to the Paul Brown building.

ImprovSTL wrote:Hope they find a new spot! Love that place. Is there a plan for the lot?

I was told a new parking garage.

Oh boy!

Like you said, I would like to think that they could make a much more sleek, attractive garage with some quality retail.

I'd like to see some of the other drab parking garages around downtown St. Louis spruced up as well. There are some ugly concrete ones, with no ground floor retail, that make you feel like you've stepped back into the '70s. 

KansasCitian wrote:Like you said, I would like to think that they could make a much more sleek, attractive garage with some quality retail.

I'd like to see some of the other drab parking garages around downtown St. Louis spruced up as well. There are some ugly concrete ones, with no ground floor retail, that make you feel like you've stepped back into the '70s. 

This garage, Kiener East and West, Tucker and Locust, Convention Center and US Bank garages are all past their prime. In fact, if a developer has a definite plan with funding, the company that owns Kiener West will hand off the garage to the developer to develop the site.

^stadium east/west are awful, and real estate wise have so much potential. The west garage being close to Cupples and along Clark. And east close to the arch, riverfront.

Also, new garage is a good sign for RRX. Hoping something comes along with the corner of 6th and Olive as well.

Yeah, I'd add the white stadium garages to that list. They're heinous. 

I'd do a flip for joy if the Kiener West garage was redeveloped.

Pharoah's is opening a place in north county (or north City?). Someone there told me so, and the location, but I can't recall... somewhere on Natural Bridge.

At the time she acted like it'd be a second location, but my guess is it'll end up as the sole location for a bit.

I understand having a big garage next to Busch is nice.

But both are ugly and offer zero retail.

I would like to see both go down eventually. The eastern garage needs to become something else.

The western can become a new garage, but better looking and with retail to complement the area it is in. If BPV goes the way of P&L in KC, there will be 4 residential towers.

There needs to be something in addition to parking there if that happens.