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PostApr 01, 2008#601

leeharveyawesome wrote:A coupla things...I guess there is a place called Senor Julios in/near Union Station. I had a couple of beers there on Opening Day and watched drunk people fall off the mechanical bull. It's kind of Cancun-y. They have big garage doors which make it a very open type of place and it's huge which was kinda weird considering the relative lack of people. I don't know if it's technically a "Union Station" place or not. I had no idea it was there. And I find ALL the bars. I just happened past it going to meet some folk at that Maggie O'briens place.





Also, there's no reason US couldn't be a "real" mall. I can just imagine how terribly disappointing it must be to, say, be an out of town teen or young person and they go there and realize it's not really a "mall". Ouch.


In answer to the question is Julio's part of Union Station and the answer is yes. The pay their rent to the same people. And is definitely too big for the amount of daily traffic it will receive. I was very surprised to see an investment like this at Union Station when they could have easily been part of the downtown seen for the same investment. Your guess is as good as mine. Probably got free rent and if not they should have. But seriously, free rent would not have been enough incentive for the lack of business.



As for a real mall, never will happen. Trust me.
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PostApr 01, 2008#602

lamiaposta wrote:
leeharveyawesome wrote:A coupla things...I guess there is a place called Senor Julios in/near Union Station. I had a couple of beers there on Opening Day and watched drunk people fall off the mechanical bull. It's kind of Cancun-y. They have big garage doors which make it a very open type of place and it's huge which was kinda weird considering the relative lack of people. I don't know if it's technically a "Union Station" place or not. I had no idea it was there. And I find ALL the bars. I just happened past it going to meet some folk at that Maggie O'briens place.





Also, there's no reason US couldn't be a "real" mall. I can just imagine how terribly disappointing it must be to, say, be an out of town teen or young person and they go there and realize it's not really a "mall". Ouch.


In answer to the question is Julio's part of Union Station and the answer is yes. The pay their rent to the same people. And is definitely too big for the amount of daily traffic it will receive. I was very surprised to see an investment like this at Union Station when they could have easily been part of the downtown seen for the same investment. Your guess is as good as mine. Probably got free rent and if not they should have. But seriously, free rent would not have been enough incentive for the lack of business.



As for a real mall, never will happen. Trust me.


Where is this place? On the end by Maggie O'Briens?
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PostApr 01, 2008#603

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:Where is this place? On the end by Maggie O'Briens?


Yeah, it's right at the corner - it's been many things over the years (Have a Nice Day Cafe, etc.) and I'm sure it will be something else in a few months.
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PostApr 01, 2008#604

I mean, there is nothing wrong with the place I don't think. It's just that it is big and meat market-y and will really depend on gameday. It's a tough business. And it's in a kind of a spot where you really might not notice it. But it's a perfectly fine place. Once again, tough business. Hell, we've got it shut down and it just opened!!!
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PostApr 01, 2008#605

Another merchant bit the dust and closed on March 31, 2008. Inspirations was the card store at Union Station, like a Hallmark store. They had been at Union Station a long time and like other merchants, as the lease comes up for renewal they do not renew. Don't blame them...no customers means no money. But don't despair. I am sure the management at Union station already has a tourist trap or ghetto store already lined up to fill the space. Next to leave will be Houlihans at the end of the summer and Cioccolato in October.
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PostApr 01, 2008#606

DeBaliviere wrote:
The Central Scrutinizer wrote:Where is this place? On the end by Maggie O'Briens?


Yeah, it's right at the corner - it's been many things over the years (Have a Nice Day Cafe, etc.) and I'm sure it will be something else in a few months.


Yeah, when it hasn't been boarded up, I can't recall anything lasting in there more than a year or two.



This place will probably be closed by the end of the year.
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PostApr 01, 2008#607

lamiaposta wrote:Another merchant bit the dust and closed on March 31, 2008. Inspirations was the card store at Union Station, like a Hallmark store. They had been at Union Station a long time and like other merchants, as the lease comes up for renewal they do not renew. Don't blame them...no customers means no money. But don't despair. I am sure the management at Union station already has a tourist trap or ghetto store already lined up to fill the space. Next to leave will be Houlihans at the end of the summer and Cioccolato in October.


You can tell by the fact they haven't fixed their gate.
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PostApr 01, 2008#608

As for a real mall, never will happen. Trust me.


Thank Goodness!



I don't think STL Union Station positions themselves as a mall over an attraction really.
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PostApr 04, 2008#609

As rumor goes, which eventually turns into fact at Union Station, the troubled mall is now loosing tourist (trap) style stores. The following stores which work the tourist have made it know they will be closing soon.



Signs and Names - sells, well just like the name implies

Medieval Legends - Sells swords and dungeon and dragon type of stuff.

Gold & Diamonds - Sells cheap jewelry, mainly hip hop and Ghetto stuff

Choices Galore II - sells new stuff you would find at a flea market and air guns and rifles.



Believe it or not the ads for Union Station still boast of having 85 stores, which is not true and their web site continues to list (Boast) stores that have been gone for months.



Certainly, if ball park village had been on track and close to completion, more (A) stores would be bailing. One has to wonder, if what I call the B and C stores are now leaving, who will take their place? How low can you go!



But then you see a place like Senor Julios open and you got to wonder, what were they thinking? Talk about a good job of selling swamp land.
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PostApr 04, 2008#610

^

Is there any kind of plan for redevelopment in place?? This is crazy.
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PostApr 04, 2008#611

DeBaliviere wrote:^

Is there any kind of plan for redevelopment in place?? This is crazy.


If there is, they are not sharing it with anyone. Several years ago, they drew up a master plan and currently it sits in the management office with lots of dust on it.



Hard to believe, that nothing is going on. But honestly, I think the only plan they have right now is someone will buy it and everyone else can run away.



But swamp land is not always easy to sell. Who knows, someone bought Crestwood Plaza and Northland Plaza. So crazy people do have money.
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PostApr 04, 2008#612

^

Unfortunate. I'm kind of surprised that the mayor's office has not addressed the situation.
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PostApr 04, 2008#613

DeBaliviere wrote:^

Unfortunate. I'm kind of surprised that the mayor's office has not addressed the situation.


The mayor has his sites on downtown proper and can't even resolve the problem with Ball Park Village, much less Union Station.
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PostApr 05, 2008#614

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PostApr 06, 2008#615

Wait a minute. Did that say Señior Julio's?



Oh, dear.
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PostApr 08, 2008#616

arguably one of the most impressive historic rehabs in the country and its succumbed to this... :cry: how in the F did the owners let this happen... they should have enacted the same ban that saved the Galleria.
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PostApr 08, 2008#617

Yeah the present mayor’s administration really dropped the ball on dealing with the dilemma of union station. I wouldn't be surprised if Union Station next lost Hard Rock soon to be followed by Emmis Communications leaving for another location downtown.



Walking by Union Station is a humiliation over the weekend numerous tourist visited it and without doubt walked away feeling sickened. It’s by now turned into STL-Center redux.
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PostApr 08, 2008#618

Prophett wrote:Yeah the present mayor’s administration really dropped the ball on dealing with the dilemma of union station. I wouldn't be surprised if Union Station next lost Hard Rock soon to be followed by Emmis Communications leaving for another location downtown.



Walking by Union Station is a humiliation over the weekend numerous tourist visited it and without doubt walked away feeling sickened. It’s by now turned into STL-Center redux.
I don't think they''ve dropped the ball so much as they have their hands full in the main part of DT.
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PostApr 08, 2008#619

Come on: Union Station has been in and out of bank receivership for well over the past 6 years.



The current administration has seen the problem decaying and has unsuccessfully acted.



You literally have one of the regions top three tourist attractions plainly routing at the vine. When was the last time you paid a visit to Union Station?



Attention should have been dealt on the problem yet hasn’t. For this I hold responsible the current administration.



The place is a literal train wreck!!!
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PostApr 08, 2008#620

Monday, June 13, 2005



Union Station is a landmark — the Grand Hall, the Head House, and the Train Shed are marvels of architecture and important artifacts of the golden age of American railroading.



And, they’re economic opportunities.



When the current incarnation of Union Station first opened in 1987, it was one of the Midwest’s retail and entertainment wonders. Think Galleria meets St. Louis Mills – but with historic charm. In the past decade, however, the complex has fallen on some hard times, notwithstanding the continuing success of the excellent Hyatt Regency Hotel.



Today, there is much better news for Union Station.



The new owner of the property, St. Louis Station Holdings, has engaged Jones Lang LaSalle to improve and operate the property. And Jones Lang showed me some great plans for Union Station at the ICSC conference last month in Las Vegas.



They have good plans for the existing retail area.



Even more exciting, their plans call for the development of new retail and other elements on the property comprising the complex:

• a new cinema in a parking garage—the development of the parking garage will allow more intensive development of retail on the property

• four new retail anchors, each at 20-30,000 sq. ft.

• three or four new restaurants

• ten to fifteen additional retail stores

• a “terrace event lawn”



It’s always a hard journey from plan to completion, but we already have the right Station.


http://www.mayorslay.com/desk/display.asp?deskID=64
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PostApr 08, 2008#621

In what parallel universe did this redevelopment take place, and why did it fail on the particular universe that we inhabit?
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PostApr 08, 2008#622

publiceye wrote:
Monday, June 13, 2005



Union Station is a landmark — the Grand Hall, the Head House, and the Train Shed are marvels of architecture and important artifacts of the golden age of American railroading.



And, they’re economic opportunities.



When the current incarnation of Union Station first opened in 1987, it was one of the Midwest’s retail and entertainment wonders. Think Galleria meets St. Louis Mills – but with historic charm. In the past decade, however, the complex has fallen on some hard times, notwithstanding the continuing success of the excellent Hyatt Regency Hotel.



Today, there is much better news for Union Station.



The new owner of the property, St. Louis Station Holdings, has engaged Jones Lang LaSalle to improve and operate the property. And Jones Lang showed me some great plans for Union Station at the ICSC conference last month in Las Vegas.



They have good plans for the existing retail area.



Even more exciting, their plans call for the development of new retail and other elements on the property comprising the complex:

• a new cinema in a parking garage—the development of the parking garage will allow more intensive development of retail on the property

• four new retail anchors, each at 20-30,000 sq. ft.

• three or four new restaurants

• ten to fifteen additional retail stores

• a “terrace event lawn”



It’s always a hard journey from plan to completion, but we already have the right Station.


http://www.mayorslay.com/desk/display.asp?deskID=64


If this is true and a good plan comes to fruition, this could be huge for downtown. Union Station is a major tourist attraction that sports fans, convention goers, families, etc all visit, and are all let down immensely.



I like the idea of a movie theatre and 4 BIG RETAILERS... Ikea anyone?
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PostApr 08, 2008#623

^

If that plan would have been announced now, as opposed to almost three years ago, I'd be a little more optimistic about Union Station's future.
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PostApr 08, 2008#624

DeBaliviere wrote:^

If that plan would have been announced now, as opposed to almost three years ago, I'd be a little more optimistic about Union Station's future.


Oh yeah... I didn't notice the date. Well that sucks
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PostApr 08, 2008#625

Does anyone trust Mayor Slay's pre-emptive announcements anymore?



-Borders in the Ely Walker Building

-Centene in Ballpark Village

-The above Union Station Plan

-etc. etc.



Do you think he might be announcing plans before they are certain?
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