PLEASE tell me they're not planning on plopping one of their hideously inappropriate green roofs on this building!
^ Okay, they're not planning on ploppin one of those green roofs on this building...lol
Well be left with the Brutalist line, angle and concrete building block structure that's there now...
Well be left with the Brutalist line, angle and concrete building block structure that's there now...
No, but they are* planning on buying every building in the immediate vicinity with plans to tear them down and give the building some much-needed# green space.dmmonty1 wrote:PLEASE tell me they're not planning on plopping one of their hideously inappropriate green roofs on this building!
-RBB
*(not, at least not currently - modifier subject to change)
#(no, not really)
Beauty is in the eye of the biased observer...dmmonty1 wrote:^ As opposed to a concrete block with a green dunce cap
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For the record, it's blond brick and not concrete block. Not what one would consider a traditional beauty, but it can look good with a little love.
I've never minded this building, really. It's plain, yes, but it's clean and it doesn't have that ugly/unnecessary street level recess which is common in many of our mid-century buildings. The Post Office building to its immediate north is better though.Alex Ihnen wrote:For the record, it's blond brick and not concrete block. Not what one would consider a traditional beauty, but it can look good with a little love.
The problem is that Tucker is an uninspiring street. That's one of my unforgivable offenses from the city that they didn't utilize this central section of a strong north-south street. The sidewalks are barren and inhospitable. Street-level business is hard to sustain because the traffic is fast and loud along Tucker (which really should be called Gravois).
1) Tucker was perfectly well "utilized" in the past. The soon-SLU building was crowded with SWBT employees. The adjacent building with the Post Office in it now was also well-occupied. There was plenty of street-level business to cater to those occupants; it was simply on the east-west streets immediately adjacent (including lots of stuff where Citygarden and Twain now stand.Kevin B wrote:I've never minded this building, really. It's plain, yes, but it's clean and it doesn't have that ugly/unnecessary street level recess which is common in many of our mid-century buildings. The Post Office building to its immediate north is better though.Alex Ihnen wrote:For the record, it's blond brick and not concrete block. Not what one would consider a traditional beauty, but it can look good with a little love.
The problem is that Tucker is an uninspiring street. That's one of my unforgivable offenses from the city that they didn't utilize this central section of a strong north-south street. The sidewalks are barren and inhospitable. Street-level business is hard to sustain because the traffic is fast and loud along Tucker (which really should be called Gravois).
The bigger question, though, is utilize it with what? Tucker started deteriorating badly at least 25 years ago, losing the Globe then Sverdrup (which pretty much isolated the area above Wash Ave) then the Days Inn or whatever the hotel was. Somewhere in there SWBT blew town as well. The Jefferson Hotel became the Jefferson Arms and then our genius city government threw everyone out without a viable replacement landlord (also screwing the street-level stuff there).
The problem isn't lack of planning; it's a lack of demand generated by a city that lost more than half of its population.
2) Tucker should actually be called 12th if you want to call it something else, because that's what it was (and, if you go into Soulard, that's what it continued into, before he artificial bend into Gravois supplanted a five-way (I think) signal down there.
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In the building that now houses the St. Patrick's Center, if I'm not mistaken.the central scrutinizer wrote:Where was Sverdrup?
Walked back from the Culinaria yesterday and I must say again what a step up for SLU law in terms of location...the dreaded open green spaces actually provide an impressive view of city institutions and icons from many different points to include SLU...let's hope there are some good ideas for the school to engage the street...better lighting and some lit signs would be a start...there is no doubt letting residents and visitors know a big league law school is there will help solidify a good impression of the area...
Yes, and also in at least one and maybe three or four of the lovely suburban-campus lowrises behind St. Patrick's and going over to Cole. (Said campus may have actually been built for Sverdrup -- which was bought out by Jacobs -- but I'll have to check on that.)debaliviere wrote:In the building that now houses the St. Patrick's Center, if I'm not mistaken.the central scrutinizer wrote:Where was Sverdrup?
Did the Park Pacific project say that they will consider adding more units on top of their garage if their was a demand?
Could this have a big impact on that? NOt this alone but with the new bridge and the emerging data centers in the area?
Could this have a big impact on that? NOt this alone but with the new bridge and the emerging data centers in the area?
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The original proposal for the Park Pacific did include a condo portion on top of the garage. I am not aware them stating that this could be built upon at a later point after they changed from the original project.
I am not an engineer by any means, but in watching the construction of the garage, I do not see how the structure could potentially support an addition above. The entire structure appeared to consist of pre-fab concrete segments, and did not appear to contain the support or bracing necessary to be built upon. Once again, these were just observations.
I agree that they could seriously regret this in the near future, as this is becoming an increasingly more attractive location as of late. Might have better odds at this point of a developer purchasing the lot currently housing the US Bank and building there. The US Bank could become retail space on the first floor fronting Tucker just as it is now. You could build a couple floors of garage (That could be used for the US Bank as well) and then go apartments/condos up from there. IMO a very attractive location if we can get some money to fund streetscape improvements on Tucker (MUCH wider sidewalks on both sides of the street, larger boulevard in the middle, trees, etc).
I am not an engineer by any means, but in watching the construction of the garage, I do not see how the structure could potentially support an addition above. The entire structure appeared to consist of pre-fab concrete segments, and did not appear to contain the support or bracing necessary to be built upon. Once again, these were just observations.
I agree that they could seriously regret this in the near future, as this is becoming an increasingly more attractive location as of late. Might have better odds at this point of a developer purchasing the lot currently housing the US Bank and building there. The US Bank could become retail space on the first floor fronting Tucker just as it is now. You could build a couple floors of garage (That could be used for the US Bank as well) and then go apartments/condos up from there. IMO a very attractive location if we can get some money to fund streetscape improvements on Tucker (MUCH wider sidewalks on both sides of the street, larger boulevard in the middle, trees, etc).
^I am guessing the cost of building the garage for the potential of a future addition probably didn't make sense considering the cost of accquiring another site. With land cheap, the absence of a condo market, and the fact that people probably didn't want to park across the street, made this probably the best decision for them.
How effective have transportation development districts been in Saint Louis City? It appears, as expected, the majority of them haven't been used for anything urban in nature. What kind of money can we get from them or other economic development tools? If improvements are going to be made to Tucker where can we get the money for it?
Personally, I think these types of improvements should be tied to parking. I don't understand why we use parking revenue to fund the construction of more parking when the only growth market in Saint Louis uses the car less than anyone else. Moreover, these people aren't coming downtown for parking but rather the kind of streetscape improvements done on Washington Avenue. We need to invest in the public realm above anything else.
How effective have transportation development districts been in Saint Louis City? It appears, as expected, the majority of them haven't been used for anything urban in nature. What kind of money can we get from them or other economic development tools? If improvements are going to be made to Tucker where can we get the money for it?
Personally, I think these types of improvements should be tied to parking. I don't understand why we use parking revenue to fund the construction of more parking when the only growth market in Saint Louis uses the car less than anyone else. Moreover, these people aren't coming downtown for parking but rather the kind of streetscape improvements done on Washington Avenue. We need to invest in the public realm above anything else.
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I don't think one can really tell by watching construction if a building/structure can be built upon at a later date. With the Park Pacific, I haven't heard either way. However, with the new SLU Law building, I've been told it was originally designed to have several floors added to it. My guess is that SLU's examining that option now.
New owner putting apartments in former Roberts building
I see that Saint Louis University's law school move downtown is already having a positive impact on the area. I expect this to be an early sign of many. The law school will be great for downtown....But Hayden said a more basic reason for undertaking the project is to profit from St. Louis University’s decision to relocate its law school to downtown from the main campus in midtown. Hayden, who has a SLU degree in aerospace administration, already has two apartment projects near the university’s main or medical school campuses...
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Curious to know if the developer knows that the SLU move has been put off a year. No reason to open April 2012 and market to students who will be downtown August 2013. Besides, this will be about as far from the Law School as one can get in an downtown apartment. I think I'm missing something.
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SLU is planning on adding at least one floor for a large courtroom.Alex Ihnen wrote:I don't think one can really tell by watching construction if a building/structure can be built upon at a later date. With the Park Pacific, I haven't heard either way. However, with the new SLU Law building, I've been told it was originally designed to have several floors added to it. My guess is that SLU's examining that option now.
Following the bouncing ball...it's as close as a SLU law student can get to living on Laclede's Landing...Alex Ihnen wrote:Curious to know if the developer knows that the SLU move has been put off a year. No reason to open April 2012 and market to students who will be downtown August 2013. Besides, this will be about as far from the Law School as one can get in an downtown apartment. I think I'm missing something.
"Hey, random drunk girl at bar. I'm studying law at SLU. And I live (points past I-70) right there."
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Random Drunk Girl: "What? You couldn't get into a good law school?"Kevin B wrote:Following the bouncing ball...it's as close as a SLU law student can get to living on Laclede's Landing...Alex Ihnen wrote:Curious to know if the developer knows that the SLU move has been put off a year. No reason to open April 2012 and market to students who will be downtown August 2013. Besides, this will be about as far from the Law School as one can get in an downtown apartment. I think I'm missing something.
"Hey, random drunk girl at bar. I'm studying law at SLU. And I live (points past I-70) right there."
Rim-shot.
Kidding. Relax.
Ouch! Come on, nownewstl2020 wrote:Random Drunk Girl: "What? You couldn't get into a good law school?"Kevin B wrote:Following the bouncing ball...it's as close as a SLU law student can get to living on Laclede's Landing...Alex Ihnen wrote:Curious to know if the developer knows that the SLU move has been put off a year. No reason to open April 2012 and market to students who will be downtown August 2013. Besides, this will be about as far from the Law School as one can get in an downtown apartment. I think I'm missing something.
"Hey, random drunk girl at bar. I'm studying law at SLU. And I live (points past I-70) right there."
Rim-shot.
Kidding. Relax.
Nope, youre not missing anything. I believe the developer just said the first thing in his mind. I wonder if he has secured any parking. Like maybe at 500 N Broadway. Im sure they could lease some spaces. Also, im surprised we didnt hear about the sale in Feb. Seems pretty quiet. The Roberts should be liquidating their real estate assets anytime now.Alex Ihnen wrote:Curious to know if the developer knows that the SLU move has been put off a year. No reason to open April 2012 and market to students who will be downtown August 2013. Besides, this will be about as far from the Law School as one can get in an downtown apartment. I think I'm missing something.
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They've signed some new tenants recently, and need those spaces to help them attract more.stlien wrote:I wonder if he has secured any parking. Like maybe at 500 N Broadway. Im sure they could lease some spaces.
No. New. Garages. You've got the Metrolink right there, plus the downtown circulator. I don't know if the Olive bus travels all the way down to 4th (probably not), but if it does, you've got your Midtown connection. Like you said, with the uber-ugly 500 Washington next door and One Financial Plaza just west, there should be some available spaces.debaliviere wrote:They've signed some new tenants recently, and need those spaces to help them attract more.stlien wrote:I wonder if he has secured any parking. Like maybe at 500 N Broadway. Im sure they could lease some spaces.