Green Street sent out the press release. I does sound different from Rec Hall.
ST. LOUIS – (August 16, 2022) – Expanding their mission to make more possible, Green
Street Real Estate Ventures (“Green Street”) has partnered with food and beverage
entertainment experts, Jacob Miller and Chris Honstain, on the creation of Brick + Bev, a
Green Street affiliate that will provide a super suite of services for the entertainment
and hospitality industry.
Brick + Bev is an innovative new business model that will create incredible experiences
by combining industry-altering entertainment and exceptional hospitality. Services
include but are not limited to hospitality design, brand development, menu engineering,
operations & systems development, strategic & event marketing, project management,
event programming, activation planning, F&B development, talent sourcing, and more.
The Brick + Bev team is currently developing a regional, entertainment destination with
six unique entertainment venues, all located within the Armory, an historical landmark
in Midtown St. Louis. The first phase of the project will open in late 2022.
According to Miller, “Brick + Bev is here to do something different. The Armory is an
incredible part of the history of St. Louis, and we are approaching it with a sincere
commitment to the community. It will be the ultimate gathering and celebratory spot
for all St. Louisans. We also have an ambitious expansion strategy for additional
concepts in the region. Wait until you see what we have planned.”
“The Armory has a special place in my heart,” said Phil Hulse, Green Street CEO and
founder. “We purchased the building because of its historic significance and location.
After several different directions and a global pandemic, we are thrilled to have found
Jake, Chris, and their team to execute on what is the right path. We can’t wait for
people to experience the transformation made by Brick + Bev.”
I wonder if the investors or banks weren't liking the Rec Hall STL idea.
I will need to see more to make an informed judgement, but the creation of an entertainment hall with different venues has me a lot more nervous for the success of this than the last concept.
The plans on SLDC plan room show the project listed as "Armory Rec Hall". I skimmed through the plans and it looks like the have some interesting stuff planned. The basement it shows plans for a lounge/night club and a roller disco rink, among other things. it looks like they are still planning to go with a massive game room with a stage on the main level. https://www.sldcplanroom.com/jobs/3689/ ... iew=126303
How does this concept work without bringing Bernard to at grade intersection with Grand. Access seems severely limiting. You would have to sacrifice east bound 64/40 traffic getting to Benard but that seems like a small price for this developemnt to have access to Grand Ave.
Even better if Greenstreet buy MERS goodwill building and expands the developemnt west to connect to Vandeventer.
How does this concept work without bringing Bernard to at grade intersection with Grand. Access seems severely limiting. You would have to sacrifice east bound 64/40 traffic getting to Benard but that seems like a small price for this developemnt to have access to Grand Ave.
Even better if Greenstreet buy MERS goodwill building and expands the developemnt west to connect to Vandeventer.
That pedestrian bridge to the Foundry is supposed to one day and be built, and the high-rise residential buildings at the Armory is supposed to, at least to my understanding, connect the development up to Grand. But we'll see if that holds true but time those are done. I think with those two new connections + MetroLink + Market Street, it'll be easy enough to get down there.
Ugh. Sounds very risky. To me the Foundry is basically what they are proposing to build here except the Foundry is on FPP and next to IKEA on Vandeventer which has and off ramp from the highway and is closer to SLU and more accessible to CWE and the Grove.
SO who picks this place over the Foundry..
-the car off the highway that has to navigate under grand back toward the tracks, under grand again, by the metrolink and then oh where do i park.
-the car that turns toward the shuttered looking MERS goodwill building and knows enough to drive around it to get to armory and oh where do i park
-the pedestrian who parks at Foundry walks past all those offering, across as yet non existent pedestrian bridge
-the pedestrian off Grand
-the local residents
-Metro link traffic
I don't see that as enough. They better have a REALLY compelling draw.
Consider these two developments - Foundry and Armory - symbiotic. They will be one large draw, part of the further development of midtown as an entertainment district. You will have Grand Center and these two, flanked by two colleges. The idea is one of clustering. Businesses that share certain drivers and aspects often group together to form not only critical mass, but an ever increasing expansion of concentric circles. The TopGolf will be another circle.
You see this clustering behavior from everywhere - from Vegas (entertainment), Silicon Valley (tech) to your major intersection or interstate off/on ramps with a gas station on every corner. One will not die because of the other. They will thrive because they are together.
Given the recent posts in other areas of this forum about the dismal ridership numbers for all of Metro, I'm not sure why you, or anyone, would be counting on Metro to pour people in. This is an auto-centric development. Foundry, is too, IMO, given that brutal stretch of FPA. Yes, the college kids will walk over. But you only have to look at Foundry's garage to realize these were never meant to engage the street for pedestrians.
It will get spillover from a variety of other nodes in the area, but I think given the proximity of the Foundry and Armory, they will create enough gravity to get the people in from the greater region. "Oh, there's no bays at TopGolf, lets go to the Armory." Yes, we will need to see what they actually end up putting in there to confidently say it adds critical mass to the new-but-established retail gravity of Foundry, but unless they are way off the mark this becomes a twin star.
Brick & Bev guys have already worked with Cordish developments at BPV as well as Light KC and other bar malls in Louisville, Dallas and Baltimore (home base). The concepts at the Armory will not duplicate what's seen at those facilities. Can't say more at this time. More details in September.
I am pretty excited about this. The concepts sound interesting and well worth repeat visits. Hopefully they aren't locked into selling only AB products like Union Station an BPV. Crappy beer selection is the worst part of both locations IMO.
I recognize that entertainment hotspots are fickle and tend to move around, but the impact they leave on the area is almost always worth it. Wash Ave saw all the lofts develop and the Grove went absolutely nuts with development. This location is even better because there aren't any existing residents that would be gentrified out. If things go OK economically, 5 years of peak popularity around here should do the trick of filling out the Armory District, Steelcote, Iron Hill, and the rest of the area around the Foundry.
Edgy nightlife is usually the precursor for future development. Wash Ave, Grove, East Loop and S. Broadway all have followed this path. Midtown and N. Broadway happening now. At a more granular level, areas with multiple gay bars are sure fire bet to eventually morph. Same in Chicago. Boystown years ago. Andersonville now. Uptown in sight. LGBTQ bars lead the charge sometimes for years before retail and residential follow.
^ Thanks for the link. At some point there was talk about a pedestrian bridge over/between 64, I believe. But I don't recall hearing anything about that in years.
The St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame is a nice touch too considering the history of the building. The Foundry and the Armory will be connected by a new Spring Street pedestrian bridge that is part of the Brickline.
This was one rendering from some time ago...I wouldn't assume it will look like this.
Last night, the hourly news updates on 550 KTRS included an excerpt from an interview with Alderwoman Tina Pihl, I think from an interview with Ray Hartman a couple nights ago. It seems that a TIF bill was brought up to the Board of Aldermen - sponsored by Alderwoman Marlene Davis. Apparently, people are tired of delays getting things approved in the 18th Ward and are now bypassing "aldermanic courtesy".
This board bill is being introduced for purposes related to the redevelopment project being undertaken by Green Street Armory Investors, LLC ("Green Street") as the developer at the historic Armory building (the "Armory Project"). To facilitate the Armory Project, the City has previously designated the Armory Project site as a Redevelopment Area for Tax Increment Financing ("TIF") purposes pursuant to Ordinance Number 70496 and authorized entering into a Redevelopment Agreement with Green Street pursuant to Ordinance Number 70497.
This board bill is being introduced for purposes related to the redevelopment project being undertaken by Green Street Development Group, LLC ("Green Street") at the historic Armory building (the "Armory Project"). To facilitate the Armory Project, the City has previously designated the Armory Project site as a Redevelopment Area for Tax Increment Financing purposes pursuant to Ordinance Number 70496 and authorized entering into a Redevelopment Agreement with Green Street pursuant to Ordinance Number 70496. The parties entered into a Redevelopment Agreement related to the Armory Project in early 2019 (the "Redevelopment Agreement").
The Armory is in the 17th ward. The two new apt buildings are in the 19th. It's tough to figure out what is in the TIF district because there is no map shown in the bill. it says "an area consisting of approximately eight acres located at 3660 Market Street" The Armory is 2.7 acres. But I think it is referencing the redevelopment plan which was for the bigger area RPA 1. I'm confused if the TIF is just for the Armory and solely in the 17th or includes the apt buildings which would mean it bridges the two wards.