SLCC- Forest Park Campus

roger wyoming II · PostJul 30, 2014#12014-07-30T20:58+00:00

With the expected continued growth in the Central Corridor, I really hope the powers-to-be are looking at moving Forest Park Community College closer to downtown.... seems like a no brainer to sell the current campus which sits on land that would appear to be a prime redevelopment property and relocate downtown to state-of-the-art facilities.

It would be great to be equally creative and have SLCC follow Webster's lead and re-utilize suitable downtown building(s) for a great 21st century educational experience.

And while not moving downtown, Austin's Community College system has taken the adaptive re-use route by taking over a once-thriving mall. The first phase of what will be an innovative campus will open this fall;
http://www.austincc.edu/highland-campus ... c-highland

shadrach · PostJul 30, 2014#22014-07-30T21:15+00:00

My oldest daughter just finished enrolling at SLCC-Forest Park. In dealing with the inefficient, bureaucratic zombies whose neither hand knows what's going on—"no brainer" is the operative word.

Rather than moving, spend that money training the staff.

framer · PostJul 30, 2014#32014-07-30T21:41+00:00

I see no reason to relocate the campus; it's centrally located and highly visible, with plenty of parking lots in back that they could use for expansion.

Either way, I consider the existing buildings to be architecturally significant, and would absolutely hate to see them torn down. I realize that Brutalism isn't for everyone, but they are one of the few examples we have in the area of a very distinct style, and future generations would kill us if we destroyed them.

STLEnginerd · PostJul 30, 2014#42014-07-30T22:59+00:00

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Chouteau's Landing! Chouteau's Landing could be AMAZING! Especially if they converted the Crunden Martin Warehouses into on campus dormitories. This could save South Broadway and really start stitching downtown back together.

As for what to do with the current Campus. A continuation of the Highlands development would be awesome. High density midrise residential seems like a no brainer with the tunnel ender 40 to Forest Park being a 1/4 mile away.

As for preserving the buildings i could take it or leave it. If a conversion to offices, or even better research labs (kinda close to CORTEX...) then that'd be a great reuse. BUT There is enough brutalism in St. Louis to spare and if it was a higher density more walkable use then bring on the wrecking ball IMHO.

roger wyoming II · PostJul 31, 2014#52014-07-31T03:45+00:00

framer wrote:I see no reason to relocate the campus; it's centrally located and highly visible, with plenty of parking lots in back that they could use for expansion.

Either way, I consider the existing buildings to be architecturally significant, and would absolutely hate to see them torn down. I realize that Brutalism isn't for everyone, but they are one of the few examples we have in the area of a very distinct style, and future generations would kill us if we destroyed them.

^ Terminator?

I'd be fine with a major infusion of rehab and new construction on the Forest Park campus, but a sale and move downtown presents better opportunities on a number of fronts... It would create more density and momentum for downtown and

- free up valuable land for mixed-use redevelopment that could easily land several hundred more residents and new office jobs in an in-demand sub-market.
- place students in a more stimulating environment with better transit and car-free options
- provide a catalyst for creating a truly innovative campus

I think foremost is that our students deserve, and our city/region needs, our community college to be top-notch and I just don't think the existing campus with what appear to be dated facilities provides that opportunity. In contrast, a new downtown campus with state-of-the-art tech and classrooms would allow for more partnerships/internships with businesses and really inject positive energy into the system. (Shadrach, there isn't anything better than the demands/expectations of a major change to improve staff capacity/responsiveness.)

Of course, this would take a lot of money, but the proceeds of the land sale would go a long way and help leverage and secure other sources of funding, including from the state. Webster says its part of the project for Arcade-Wright is about $6 million for some 53,000 sq. ft.... let's say a downtown SLCC campus was 10x that, taking up about 500,000 sq. ft. and costing $60-$75 million. I think that's feasible... based on IKEA's reported land acquisition costs for less acreage, sale proceeds potentially could fetch more than half the cost.

Anyway, I think it is something that should be explored.

PostJul 31, 2014#62014-07-31T13:53+00:00

STLEnginerd wrote: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Chouteau's Landing! Chouteau's Landing could be AMAZING! Especially if they converted the Crunden Martin Warehouses into on campus dormitories. This could save South Broadway and really start stitching downtown back together.

I hope something happens there.... GRG has some kind of plan to knit some better access to CL fro downtown but don't know details. Do you know what the impact was of that fire at one of the C-D buildings a few years ago?

TheNewSaintLouis · PostJul 31, 2014#72014-07-31T18:28+00:00

Not to be a debbie frowner but do you all really think that FPCC would actually consider moving downtown? When downtown can't seemingly get any jobs to move in? As much as I'm optimistic about downtown & all of Saint.Louis this might be a little laughable or make me want to scratch my head & say what are they smoking...
Don't get me wrong it's a plausible idea however i don't think they'll take downtown into consideration

roger wyoming II · PostJul 31, 2014#82014-07-31T18:46+00:00

^ I don't know if they'd be so forward-thinking (or nuts) as to move their entire FP campus downtown, but if they are not at least looking at starting a downtown campus they are pretty foolish. They could develop a strong program there that could be very beneficial for students. There is a reason Webster double-downed on its presence -- downtown offers certain opportunities that aren't readily available elsewhere. (SLU Law is a little bit different as the impetus was the donation of a building.)

debaliviere · PostAug 13, 2014#92014-08-13T15:24+00:00

Restoration St. Louis is working on an interesting project incorporating a community college in downtown Davenport, Iowa: http://qctimes.com/news/local/eicc-rest ... 078ab.html

dweebe · PostAug 13, 2014#102014-08-13T16:36+00:00

At least to me it seems like the Forest Park CC campus isn't that busy any more. I remember back in the 80s and early 90's the traffic jams when school was in session and the lack of parking. I know people that parked in Forest Park and walked over (via the pedestrian bridge or SLUH sports tunnel) instead of messing with the campus traffic.

Now any time I drive by it doesn't seem anywhere near as busy. I'd be very interested to see how the enrollment numbers have trended at the Forest park campus over the years.

Ebsy · PostAug 16, 2014#112014-08-16T07:26+00:00

I take classes at Meramec, and from the snippets I have heard from professors, things are not well in the Junior College District. They just dissolved the humanities department at Meramec so they wouldn't have to replace the retiring dean. And a few semester back, there was a gigantic culling of classes, mostly the evening ones. Enrollment is down, funding is down. I don't hear much about FoPo, but I can't imaginr things are better there.

nickfindley · PostAug 21, 2014#122014-08-21T22:17+00:00

^ I wonder how much things slowed down at Meramec once the Wildwood campus opened.

dweebe · PostAug 22, 2014#132014-08-22T00:39+00:00

Ebsy wrote:I take classes at Meramec, and from the snippets I have heard from professors, things are not well in the Junior College District. They just dissolved the humanities department at Meramec so they wouldn't have to replace the retiring dean. And a few semester back, there was a gigantic culling of classes, mostly the evening ones. Enrollment is down, funding is down. I don't hear much about FoPo, but I can't imaginr things are better there.

I'm guessing they're also taking a hit from all the for-profit 4 year schools.

moorlander · PostAug 22, 2014#142014-08-22T14:45+00:00

With the skyrocketing cost of 4yr college I would have thought juco was a viable cost savings approach. It's also much easier to get into an elite school as a transfer.

Mark Groth · PostJun 07, 2018#152018-06-07T19:11+00:00

Man, the steel frames are going up fast on the new center for nursing and health sciences building.

https://nextstl.com/2017/10/plans-unvei ... es-center/

pattimagee · PostJun 07, 2018#162018-06-07T22:06+00:00

So they aren't demoing any of the current building? Just building in front of it?

Mark Groth · PostJun 08, 2018#172018-06-08T12:49+00:00

I found that odd as well. As of today, the lights are still on in the building.

shadrach · PostJun 08, 2018#182018-06-08T15:27+00:00

Was tempted to post this a while ago but it was hearsay.

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine who's a student counselor for SLCC (Florissant) told me the Forest Park buildings aren't coming down and the new ones were being built next to them.

We went back and forth—
'They are!'

'No, they're not.'

'They are!!!'

'Nope.'

'THEY ARE!!!'

Okay, it wasn't like that but I though we was full of crap. I guess he was right. Hopefully.

symphonicpoet · PostJun 08, 2018#192018-06-08T18:05+00:00

shadrach wrote: ↑
Jun 08, 2018

We went back and forth—
'They are!'
'No, they're not.'
'They are!!!'
'Nope.'
'THEY ARE!!!'

Okay, it wasn't like that but I though we was full of crap. I guess he was right. Hopefully.

Are you sure that wasn't a conversation we had about logos?

I hope your friend is right, but I'm also glad to see FPCC providing students the best possible education at the lowest possible price.

pattimagee · PostJun 08, 2018#202018-06-08T20:46+00:00

I'm going to say that unless they plan on taking down the old building one brick at a time... it's going to be kind of risky to bulldoze that thing because the new steel construction isn't very far from the current new construction... like a maybe just short of 10 yards?

Mark Groth · PostJun 14, 2018#212018-06-14T23:53+00:00

I think the brutalist towers are coming down...just later. Per Greg Johnson's Oct, 2017 article on NextSTL: "Construction will begin in March 2018. The school will demolish Wesse’s towers in 2019. While the new facility will front Oakland Avenue, its design makes no visible reference Weese and Kiley’s design. It remains unclear why the A and B towers will be demolished, and why surface parking could not be sacrificed instead of a collaborative work by three great midcentury architects."

https://nextstl.com/2017/10/plans-unvei ... es-center/

Then, in an April, 2018 article in STLCC student paper: "STLCC plans to demolish A and B towers on the Forest Park campus and build a $39 million, 96,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art building with four stories of steel and glass."

http://thescenefp.com/2018/04/06/colleg ... -building/

Looks like the towers will be gone...just a bit later. Get your photos now, history and architecture friends.

framer · PostJun 15, 2018#222018-06-15T01:55+00:00

Worst "groundbreaking" ceremony ever!

pattimagee · PostOct 25, 2019#232019-10-25T14:59+00:00

As of Monday this week there were people officially officing and having meetings in that corner conference room as I drove by. 3rd floor up still looked to be having some work done.

dredger · PostOct 30, 2019#242019-10-30T00:39+00:00

Can't help but think of the possibilities if city and SLCC-Forest Park could find the will and financial means to reconnect Wise Ave on the respective south side of Highland and the campus, rebuild some street grid and maybe turn over some of the campus footprint for future development even if it means some structure parking has to be incorporated. Maybe with a long term plan to move the truck school to another location within the city and make the lot on the south side of Wise available for development in long term.

framer · PostApr 28, 2020#252020-04-28T21:11+00:00

Speaking of giant, ugly video screens, is this one still in the works?