South Grand Commerce Bank Development

debaliviere · PostJan 16, 2007#12007-01-16T14:34+00:00

Is this supposed to be some sort of mixed-use development?

The Planning Commission recently approved a rezoning of the Commerce Bank site on South Grand Avenue between Juniata and Hartford. The reconfigured zoning arrangement will facilitate the development of the property not currently occupied by the Bank as approximately fifty new homes and parking for the South Grand Business District.

Link

jeff707 · PostJan 16, 2007#22007-01-16T14:58+00:00

Good - I just drive behind the COmmerce bank yesterday and was thinking of how much wasted space there is there. That parking lot NEVER has cars in it. That will also really help stabilize the blocks of Arsenal, Hartfod, Juniata and Wyoming just east of Grand, and help bring them up to par with the blocks just west.

trent · PostJan 16, 2007#32007-01-16T17:51+00:00

It doesn't say anything about street level retail. That should be implemented into the plan as well. Continuing the retail corridor from arsenal should be a high priority.

stellar · PostJan 16, 2007#42007-01-16T17:53+00:00

trent wrote:It doesn't say anything about street level retail. That should be implemented into the plan as well. Continuing the retail corridor from arsenal should be a high priority.

Have you ever seen pictures of Arsenal and Grand before they put in the parking lot behind Sekasui and built the Bread Co. development? You would cry if you have. So much lost forever.

trent · PostJan 16, 2007#52007-01-16T18:08+00:00

Umm, I'm not sure why you're talking about that. Since it's sort of irrelevant. Shouldn't we push forward and demand better in the future? That's all I was asking.

stellar · PostJan 16, 2007#62007-01-16T18:26+00:00

If we didn't tear down in the first place we wouldn't have to be asking if there would be retail since it was there to begin with.

toastedravioli · PostJan 16, 2007#72007-01-16T18:56+00:00

stellar wrote:If we didn't tear down in the first place we wouldn't have to be asking if there would be retail since it was there to begin with.

If we didn't tear down half of our city last century, we would be in great shape. But we did. And that's why this forum exists.

tge-atw · PostJan 16, 2007#82007-01-16T21:17+00:00

Fifty new homes? THat sounds pretty dense. Does anyone know if they really meant houses, or 50 residential units in one or more large buildings? I agree that there is a lot of space there, but I don't think they could build 50 houses there without tearing out a significant number of extant homes.

debaliviere · PostJan 16, 2007#92007-01-16T21:40+00:00

TGE-ATW wrote:Fifty new homes? THat sounds pretty dense. Does anyone know if they really meant houses, or 50 residential units in one or more large buildings? I agree that there is a lot of space there, but I don't think they could build 50 houses there without tearing out a significant number of extant homes.

That's what I was thinking. I wonder if it's going to be some sort of mid-rise with a public garage built in.

tge-atw · PostJan 16, 2007#102007-01-16T21:46+00:00

Someone needs to find the proposal and post it. But I'm too busy at work right now. yup. very very busy. Incredibly busy.

stellar · PostJan 16, 2007#112007-01-16T22:02+00:00

I know I read about this development somewhere before, but I can't find it now. It must have been on another forum or in our neighborhood list serve. I believe there are supposed to be 2 25 unit buildings with a garage for residents and South Grand shoppers. There was talk about retail on the first floor of the garage, but I don't remember if that was speculation or not. I was kind of imagining it looking something like the downtown Kirkwood development around Johnny Rockets, Kaldi's and Sen Sai.

tge-atw · PostJan 16, 2007#122007-01-16T22:07+00:00

Your not thinking of the seemingly stillborn proposal for the demolition of the old YMCA building and the rehabilitation of Pelican's restaurant at Grand and Shenandoah are you? That is on the construction/building south side forum.

stellar · PostJan 16, 2007#132007-01-16T22:30+00:00

TGE-ATW wrote:You're not thinking of the seemingly stillborn proposal for the demolition of the old YMCA building and the rehabilitation of Pelican's restaurant at Grand and Shenandoah are you? That is on the construction/building south side forum.

Nope.

trent · PostJan 17, 2007#142007-01-17T14:25+00:00

TGE-ATW wrote:Someone needs to find the proposal and post it. But I'm too busy at work right now. yup. very very busy. Incredibly busy.

Why did I hear John Cleese's voice in my head when you said that?

tge-atw · PostJan 17, 2007#152007-01-17T21:33+00:00

trent wrote:
TGE-ATW wrote:Someone needs to find the proposal and post it. But I'm too busy at work right now. yup. very very busy. Incredibly busy.

Why did I hear John Cleese's voice in my head when you said that?

I think I had John Cleese's voice in my head when I wrote it!

suburban lou · PostJan 24, 2007#162007-01-24T18:43+00:00

50 condos proposed for area near South Grand Boulevard

Planning Commission endorses plan to build behind Commerce Bank

By Jim Merkel

Tuesday, January 23, 2007 4:22 PM CST

More parking and more housing soon may be coming to the area behind the Commerce Bank at 3134-42 S. Grand Blvd.

The Board of Aldermen is now considering rezoning legislation that would allow the constructions of 50 condominiums in the area now used for parking spaces behind Commerce Bank in the Grand South Grand shopping area.

Thirty-six units would front on Hartford Street and the balance on Juniata Street. They would be three stories in height.

There would be 80 parking spaces reserved for the condominiums and 90 additional off-street parking spaces for shoppers visiting stores on South Grand.

Alderman Stephen Conway, D-8th Ward, who represents the area of the proposed condominiums, recently introduced the zoning for the 1.62-acre tract behind Commerce Bank. The Board of Aldermen's Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee will hold a hearing on the proposal at 10 a.m. today in Room 208 of City Hall.

The St. Louis Planning Commission approved the plan Jan. 3.

Grace Associates LLC, a Chicago-based development firm, is the builder. The firm has five parcels under a contract with Commerce Bank, NA, and Mid-America Financial Corp. Commerce Bank NA will continue to own the parcel occupied by its new building on South Grand Boulevard.

Conway said the extra parking provided in the development will provide much-needed public parking on South Grand. Residents of nearby neighborhoods will notice fewer shoppers parking on the side streets, he said.

Read More

tge-atw · PostJan 24, 2007#172007-01-24T22:12+00:00

Once again, I wonder if they are planning demolition....it seems that they must be, but I can't imagine they would get permission to bulldoze any of those occupied, early 20th century brick houses back there. 50 condos and 170 parking spaces is a serious development, especially if they are leaving the bank standing.

markofucity · PostJan 24, 2007#182007-01-24T22:37+00:00

this confuses me as well - if they're not planning a parking GARAGE then how are they going to ADD parking and condos without destroying somethig else.

tge-atw · PostJan 24, 2007#192007-01-24T22:58+00:00

Don't know, but I am a little worried. I keep seeing compton gate in my head, which I am actually relatively pleased with, but the fact that they got away with a partial brick facade (on Grand) and crappy siding everywhere else is troublesome. I don't think that the proposed commerce bank development is in an historic district either (I am pretty sure the Tower Grove Heights East District has Arsenal as its southern boundary) so they might be able to get away with a really crappy design.

PostJan 24, 2007#202007-01-24T23:20+00:00

I take it back, the tower grove heights east national register district goes south to Gravois and Cherokee so demolition must be reviewed by the city cultural resources office. That is somewhat reassuring.

jivecitystl · PostJan 25, 2007#212007-01-25T11:42+00:00

Well the lot behind Commerce is HUGE, so I'm sure there's plenty of room for a modest condo development as well as public parking. I wouldn't be surprised if the condos only take up a small portion of the lot and include their own underground or ground-level parking, leaving the remaining surface lot to the public. It's a Chicago developer, so I'm sure they aren't new at this game.

rbb · PostJan 25, 2007#222007-01-25T12:45+00:00

JivecitySTL wrote:Well the lot behind Commerce is HUGE, so I'm sure there's plenty of room for a modest condo development as well as public parking. I wouldn't be surprised if the condos only take up a small portion of the lot and include their own underground or ground-level parking, leaving the remaining surface lot to the public. It's a Chicago developer, so I'm sure they aren't new at this game.

For reference:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q ... iwloc=addr

-RBB

tge-atw · PostJan 25, 2007#232007-01-25T15:34+00:00

I just counted approximately 162 extant parking spaces in the lot by looking at the aerial.......they are talking about putting in 170 spaces AND 50 condos. They are either going into a subterranean lot, a garage, or they are planning on knocking something down. Looking at the picture, I wonder if they are planning on taking the southeast quarter of the lot where there are three extant houses and three garages?

markofucity · PostJan 25, 2007#242007-01-25T16:03+00:00

maybe they're adding 170 parking spots for really small cars ....

jivecitystl · PostJan 25, 2007#252007-01-25T16:20+00:00

I'm betting that half the spaces will be underground. TGE is not going to let them take down more buildings, especially occupied buildings. They caught some serious flak over the Bread Co. deal several years ago.