urbanSTL

I can't imagine their old space sitting long. Even though it's a block off, its a great space.

^Fantastic. Great addition to DT.

Is this the thing we were supposed to be really excited about?

Just wondering. It certainly sounds like an exciting concept.

^ yes, IMO. He a top chef in the Midwest and he's doing a new concept. This should bring people to downtown and WashAve that wouldn't have come before. Hopefully more good restaurants will follow

Does G Kraft come back in favor for those who felt disdain for his departure from Benton Park? Some of the people on this forum had some pretty strong feelings about that. Like, pitchforks, errant hand tools, and torches strong.

Pastatia was done very well. And I agree, Kraft is a top chef in the US. I'm happy to see his empire grow.

kbshapiro wrote:^ yes, IMO. He a top chef in the Midwest and he's doing a new concept. This should bring people to downtown and WashAve that wouldn't have come before. Hopefully more good restaurants will follow

Absolutely. My head naturally started wondering to something more "known," but that was of course ridiculous since it was also specified not to be a chain.

So my crazy imagination aside, I agree, this sounds great. It would be awesome if it's an impetus for even more.

I work just south of downtown, and it will be great to add this as a lunch option. Looking forward to it.

I added a little more detail on Porano, Gerard Craft's new restaurant coming to the M-X, here: http://www.stlmag.com/dining/Thoughts%2 ... %20Summer/

Disappointed to hear that Hofbrauhaus is coming to Belleville. Would've been good for downtown or elsewhere in the city.

Agree on Hofbrauhaus...would have been a great fit for Ballpark Village. The one in Vegas is a great time.

Anyways, while we wait to see if that project in Belleville really happens:

One of the best (and realistic) things that could happen to Wash Ave is a lot of chefs opening original and quality restaurants.

We've seen this in Benton Park and other areas of South City where there is cheap rent but the restaurants are spread out and usually in residential type areas.

With the turn over of restaurants spaces (with more on the way) and cheap rents on Wash Ave - I think a collection or incubation of quality, locally owned, original concept restaurants is a possibility and could create a large culinary destination for St Louis. Maybe this is the foodie in me but I think this is more attractive then a bunch of bars and clubs with restaurants sprinkled in.

Touche wrote:I added a little more detail on Porano, Gerard Craft's new restaurant coming to the M-X, here: http://www.stlmag.com/dining/Thoughts%2 ... %20Summer/

I really liked the quote on the goal of making that block a "critical mass"

There's a good piece on The MX and downtown retail in today's Business Journal. The article points out that retailers typically look for a minimum of 11,000 households with $75,000+ incomes within an eight-minute drive, and downtown currently has 6,500.

The retail vacancy rate downtown is 6.8%, up from 5.2 in 2013.

^ thanks, I should have looked at this thread before posting the link in state of downtown.

Don't 5.2% and 6.8% both seem ridiculously low in terms of retail vacancy? Especially considering all of the retail space in the Railway Exchange is closed?

Also, applying an "8-minute drive" metric to DT seems a bit inappropriate considering the day-time job population, visitor/tourist population, and level of Metrolink/Commuter activity. But, it's good to hear it has so many households above the $75K mark.

^ I do think the day time job population trending downward has hurt. Yes, residential population has grown (good demographics) and the SLU/Webster U expansion has helped (but poorer students) but I would imagine that getting a corporate client, preferably a financial or tech firm with higher wage rates, to start filling the ATT One Center again and having Apex Oil and or Bunge NA commit to downtown would help a lot on the retail front.

^ I'm sure the addition of more residents and stagnation of office workers also plays a role in what type of retail comes in.... probably fewer lunch spots and more evening spots and things that will be open on weekends. Maybe more home goods.

I also assume in general that a downtown resident has more downtown purchasing power than a downtown office worker.

Not with IKEA coming to down. In a no growth metropolitan area, I think we'll continue to see closings of furniture outlets in deference to the market share the new gorilla in the region will eat up.

arch city wrote:

vollum wrote:Not with IKEA coming to down. In a no growth metropolitan area, I think we'll continue to see closings of furniture outlets in deference to the market share the new gorilla in the region will eat up.

Not picking on you, but:

1. St. Louis a "slow-growth" market - not a "no-growth" market.

2. Everybody will not like the wares and furniture IKEA sells. The furniture industry has been struggling everywhere, but I believe a medium-sized market like St. Louis can withstand the impact of IKEA. Trust me, IKEA is bound to get a good percentage of its revenue from non-St. Louis residents.

Just about all of the increases in the Saint Louis Metropolitan area census population numbers for the past 4 or 5 census have come from expansions in the definition of the geographic area. Most of those "new residents" will satisfy just about all of their needs for dining, goods, and services out in the vicinity of the expanded metropolitan area where they reside.

The market will certainly withstand a new big player. And some IKEA patrons, maybe a hefty proportion, will come from outside of the Saint Louis Metropolitan Area. But, a goodly proportion will come from within the Metropolitan Area, and not all of those will be people who were previously patrons of the Chicago IKEA. Unless the per capita consumption of furniture increases, there will be some fall out....furniture outlets that go out of business. I think the anticipation of IKEA has factored in to the decision of some outlets that have already closed and/or have announced they are closing soon.

I think when it comes to a small high-end furniture shop, the entire region isn't really the question anyways. It's more localized than that.

And the central corridor and other neighborhoods here and there (maybe if not quite the full city itself—although MAYBE it will be) are slow growth. Maybe enough to support a shop like that. Maybe not.

Noticed that Dolnick's is closing after something like 60 years in business.

Whoa! Sugar Fire opening a location downtown. Another win for MX.

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/d ... 7b172.html