I think the $220 mil may include the Laurel as well.
- 8,912
developers and financing in place to begin a $220 million overhaul after a three-year delay. On tap is a movie theater, up to 100,000 square feet of retail space, 750 parking spaces, 205 apartments, an Embassy Suites hotel and several new office tenants, including law firm Lewis, Rice & Fingersh and accounting firm LarsonAllen.
http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/ ... tory1.html
http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/ ... tory1.html
I have seen the plans for the project. To say that it is just a parking garage does not do it justice. It should completely change this area for the better.
Hopefully renderings and plans of the proposed development will circulate and answer some of the key questions. While I doubt downtown needs the additional parking that is proposed, if the parking is in the center of the mall and screened from all street frontages (yes even 6th street) with retail on the ground floor and other uses wrapping the parking on the upper floors, the development could be a real improvement for downtown.
That said, without more detailed plans, many questions remain unanswered.
Would the 100,000 square feet of retail be along all street frontages?
Will some of the retail square footage be incorporated on two levels (e.g. two level stores)?
How does the location of the proposed retail uses fit within the long-term plan for the retail development of downtown?
As a side question, how does the proposal for more parking play into any long term plans for the Railroad Exchange Building? As others have noted, consolidating the downtown Macy's onto three floors will not correspond with the current skybridge access to the Famous Garage on Olive. Is part of the plan with St. Louis Centre to keep the Skybridge over Locust, allowing Macy's customers parking access to the consolidated 3 floor store? Would this increase the possibility of tearing down the Famous Garage at some point for a new development on the block due south of the Railroad Exchange?
That said, without more detailed plans, many questions remain unanswered.
Would the 100,000 square feet of retail be along all street frontages?
Will some of the retail square footage be incorporated on two levels (e.g. two level stores)?
How does the location of the proposed retail uses fit within the long-term plan for the retail development of downtown?
As a side question, how does the proposal for more parking play into any long term plans for the Railroad Exchange Building? As others have noted, consolidating the downtown Macy's onto three floors will not correspond with the current skybridge access to the Famous Garage on Olive. Is part of the plan with St. Louis Centre to keep the Skybridge over Locust, allowing Macy's customers parking access to the consolidated 3 floor store? Would this increase the possibility of tearing down the Famous Garage at some point for a new development on the block due south of the Railroad Exchange?
- 10K
I hope the Locust bridge is torn down as well. From the article:
Still under negotiation is whether a skybridge across Locust Street linking the Railway Exchange building at 611 Olive St. to the planned parking at the former St. Louis Centre mall will also be torn down.
Moorlander wrote:developers and financing in place to begin a $220 million overhaul after a three-year delay. On tap is a movie theater, up to 100,000 square feet of retail space, 750 parking spaces, 205 apartments, an Embassy Suites hotel and several new office tenants, including law firm Lewis, Rice & Fingersh and accounting firm LarsonAllen.
http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/ ... tory1.html
Movie theater! YES YES YES YES. I know, ridiculous, but that's very exciting for me.
...now if someone would open the one at Union Station we'd be in business.
I'm not as negative on this entire development as I was. If this is all really going to happen, that's great.
The movie theater in that location has been planned for a long time. Glad the project is back on.
The problem with converting a parking garage is that the designs don't usually work for conversion due to short ceilings or angled floors. In the case of St. Louis Centre, I think a garage as one component is OK. Certainly, the current plan is not quite as exciting as the original plan, but in general it is OK. We need to see some renderings and layout plans.
- 5,433
Doug wrote:^How is the garage component OK?
I'm like you- doubtful- at least until I see some renderings.
This is the Show-Me State after all, right?
One thing that makes the garage component OK is the fact that it is helping to get this project moving again.
- 39
It will be interesting to see what type of retail they are looking to put in these spots. I know when Mercantile Exchange was full throttle, the hopes (at least mine) were around getting some good local/national stores...I hope we can get some quality retail in this area that somewhat resembles what they were planning to do with Mercantile Exchange. I'm also hoping the development continues South on Broadway...there are a couple great and abondoned buildings that are prime for rehab and I'm sick of looking at cracked out buildings outside my living room window!
- 2,386
I am beginning to think it's time for stltoday to remove the comments portion of it's website. Mindless drawl is just taking up their bandwidth. It's seriously like listening in to a creative writing session for character dialogue in the movie "Idiocracy."
^ Or they could do what CNN does. Real names and faces -> Accountability -> More civil behavior
The PD published a rendering of this development on their Building Blocks blog this afternoon:
![]()
For more information, go to http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/buildi ... is-centre/
For more information, go to http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/buildi ... is-centre/
Could be a lot worse than that. Nothing groundbreaking, but decent enough. What really disappoints me is the sidewalk will still be covered. I know the columns are structural, but I really wish they were getting tucked back into the proper building line.
- 10K
MattnSTL wrote:Could be a lot worse than that. Nothing groundbreaking, but decent enough. What really disappoints me is the sidewalk will still be covered. I know the columns are structural, but I really wish they were getting tucked back into the proper building line.
True. The Washington side will be much improved though. It looks like the entry at 7th Street will be built out toward the sidewalk, which will definitely be better.
You know Matt, some street narrowing could provide an expanded sidewalk with non-covered strolling space.
