urbanSTL

ahhh...woopdie doo

It is a huge "woopdie-doo" if you had ever actually spent time is the area before the renovation. What should have been located here? Apple's headquarters? No sh*t.

This is a MASSIVE improvement over what was there and something that I would say would be taken in a heart beat in virtually any city in the world that has a parking garage. I applaud this development, the entire thing is total class and is bringing an unthinkable amount of vibrancy to this area if you had any experience with it prior to this renovation.

StL Center redevelopment combined with the Laurel and new Embassy Suites (technically a part of this project) and the investments Stifel is making in its building and the surrounding streetscape are transforming this from the largest dead spot in downtown to one of the most likely areas for new infill construction once things get moving in the economy again or (wishfull thinking) Ed Jones and Scottrade pull their heads out of the asses and realize they should be located in downtown.

Thanks for the shitheaded comments though, we are surely running short on those in St. Louis.

newstl2020 wrote:It is a huge "woopdie-doo" if you had ever actually spent time is the area before the renovation. What should have been located here? Apple's headquarters? No sh*t.

This is a MASSIVE improvement over what was there and something that I would say would be taken in a heart beat in virtually any city in the world that has a parking garage. I applaud this development, the entire thing is total class and is bringing an unthinkable amount of vibrancy to this area if you had any experience with it prior to this renovation.

StL Center redevelopment combined with the Laurel and new Embassy Suites (technically a part of this project) and the investments Stifel is making in its building and the surrounding streetscape are transforming this from the largest dead spot in downtown to one of the most likely areas for new infill construction once things get moving in the economy again or (wishfull thinking) Ed Jones and Scottrade pull their heads out of the asses and realize they should be located in downtown.

Thanks for the shitheaded comments though, we are surely running short on those in St. Louis.

I was with you until "shitheaded comments". Show someone they are wrong and move on. No need to alienate people that come post on the board, even if they are cynical. Having said that, yeah, once the movie theatre and black box theatre go in, I think this area will be the first stop for many traveling and living downtown.

^You are right. Shouldn't alienate. I am just sick of the crap that (it seems) everyone throws in this city regardless of the outcome or situation.

Half the time I think there is literally nothing that can be done in this city to change the way people think about it. I was making a joke before but honestly Apple could move to a gleaming new tower downtown bringing thousands of highly compensated employees who could all choose to live and build in the city and the response of 2.8 million people in the metro would be "Yeah but we aren't/don't have X" or "it should have been company Y instead."

It's extremely taxing thinking about what we could be doing in this city RIGHT NOW if even a tenth of the people just lightened up a bit and looked at the good for once. I have been a member of this forum because when things that are positive are accomplished, there is genuine recognition and excitement here.

Personally, I am not going to sit here and listen to this sh*t on this forum as well without calling it out. But once again, you are correct above, I should have done it differently.

the only reason that I'm upset about the development is that what's being put into the place seems fickle (restaurants come and go...retail comes and go). I know the plans had originally called for residential (right?).

I just had higher expectations for residential and business space...which to me is just slightly more "permanent" (rather than a restaurant busting in a few months businesses signing leases for extended stays)...

that's all I meant... (and i will not comment on the rudeness...maybe it would be a horrible idea to bring city decision makers to this forum is that's the kind of response they would get).

^That makes sense.

Look it was rude but I just didn't understand the need to "whoopdie-doo" a bright, modern, business filled, $100M plus investment in downtown. This seems to be EXACTLY the type of development we need.

(Residential is always great, but we have the Park Pacific leasing huge amounts of apartments right now, Robert's Tower (potentially) available in the near future, and the Chemical Building and Arcade building right around the block. I would MUCH rather see a reno of the Chemical over turning this into more apartments (and once again, there was a large apartment component to this project (150-ish I think?) Add this to the fact that the parking spaces are key to leasing and retaining tenants at 600 Washington AND the fact that you cannot even tell it is a parking garage and to me this is about as perfect an outcome as we could have hoped for this project.)

Let's hope this creates momentum that leads to the completion of the entire MX project and movement on some of those other development fronts that I listed.

So, I guess, sorry for calling your comment shitheaded . Just irked me a bit based on my personal assesment above.

dlpoep wrote:the only reason that I'm upset about the development is that what's being put into the place seems fickle (restaurants come and go...retail comes and go). I know the plans had originally called for residential (right?).

I just had higher expectations for residential and business space...which to me is just slightly more "permanent" (rather than a restaurant busting in a few months businesses signing leases for extended stays)...

that's all I meant... (and i will not comment on the rudeness...maybe it would be a horrible idea to bring city decision makers to this forum is that's the kind of response they would get).

The Laurel on the north side of Wash ave is part to of the Mercantile Exchange (MX) development. That reuse features apartments, a hotel, and the National Blues Museum. Those are all "permanant."

http://laurelstl.com/

Now we just need the developers to get started on the final piece of the MX: the old Mercantile Library complex...

I can't wait for the movie theater to open. The fact that there's a single movie screen (The Moolah) operating between Euclid and the River is tragic.

wabash wrote:I can't wait for the move theater to open. The fact that there's a single movie screen (The Moolah) operating between Euclid and the River is tragic.

I was always surprised at the lack of decent movie theaters downtown Chicago as well though. Besides the new Kerasotes high end one in the South Loop, there were only the two (not counting the Siskel). I guess movie theaters are kinda made for the suburban environment these days.

dlpoep wrote:I just had higher expectations for residential and business space...which to me is just slightly more "permanent"

The Laurel has 200 apts and 600 Washington has about 100k sq ft of available office space. Downtown office space is running about a 20% vacancy rate, we dont need anymore office space.

is that office space or retail/food space?

^ the 120k sqft is street level. Main tenant is the National Blues Museum.

http://www.nationalbluesmuseum.org/

Im talking about office space at 600 Washington.

Here: http://looplink.cassidyturley.com/xNet/ ... 2730463152

thanks for the clarification...I was not clear about this component of the project. based on my past argument for what should be there, I guess I'm feeling a little better about the more long-term utility of this development

Aw jeez, I feel a group hug coming on...

I was always surprised at the lack of decent movie theaters downtown Chicago as well though. Besides the new Kerasotes high end one in the South Loop, there were only the two (not counting the Siskel). I guess movie theaters are kinda made for the suburban environment these days.

The only other city I've lived in, New Orleans, only had two theaters I can think of in the city proper. One was a multiplex in a mall on Canal Street, and the other was a local landmark neighborhood theater on Prytania. I guess the most profitable setup is 15+ screen multiplex, and like you said it seems like the 'burbs is the best place for that.

framer wrote:Aw jeez, I feel a group hug coming on...

I have been dying with hope that one day soon STL city downtown would get a 20 screen theater (or some roughly substantial number), preferably AMC. I would definitely go there instead of the Wehrenberg hell holes I visit now.

^Voice of reason here...

Where are you going to put a 20 screen theater in downtown? That's basically putting a Ronnie's downtown. No thanks.

pat wrote:^Voice of reason here...

Where are you going to put a 20 screen theater in downtown? That's basically putting a Ronnie's downtown. No thanks.

Also: OMG WHERE WOULD EVERYONE PARK AND ITS TOO DANGEROUS AND THE CITY IS DEAD AND I DONT GO PAST I270.

My humble proposal would be a Cinemascraper - 14 theaters stacked vertically in a newly-constructed tower in the downtown area. A dedicated parking garage (because you know every building in downtown St. Louis needs one) could be incorporated in the base of the tower, allowing it to reach even higher. Each screen would be made of Switchable Glass, affording spectacular views of the city before and after the movie begins. They would also be equipped with Dolby's Atmos Audio sound system.

On the outside, A jumbotron can be fitted to the tower, playing paid advertisements and movie previews that can be viewed for some distance - perhaps even within the line of site of Busch III if possible. Smaller flatscreens and tickers can be placed at ground level advertising specific movies and displaying Hollywood/Celebrity news bites.

Hey, a guy can at least dream big, can't he?

-RBB