urbanSTL

I'll accept this compromise. The Famous-Barr warehouse is better suited for usage as a data center facility anyways. It's a large building with huge floor plates.

Reusing the Armory as office space isn't a bad choice either as that's what the building was intended for originally, but it's a bummer that there won't be some sort of entertainment component there. Nice to see them wanting to put residential next to Grand (I see the AI generated rendering for a building along Grand in that site plan screenshot that includes Iron Hill). The revamped Iron Hill layout is interesting to see. Focusing mixed-uses closer to Grand is how this should be since you put more people in walking distance to the MetroLink. 

JaneJacobsGhost wrote: ↑

7:45 PM - Jan 16

This is better than what has been floated. I’m behind the paywall so maybe I’m missing some context but Creative Tech Office sounds like buzzword slop that only AI is stupid enough to spit out. No one builds office in this town unless they have a tenant lined up already. Color me skeptical about the Armory portion.

The purchase and renovation of the office space is a rounding error for the project. A peace offering to get people on board. If it sits empty forever the developer won’t care.

As a college student getting a master's in architecture and actively using AI, it's a really hard tradeoff. It sucks for the environment and sucks for the people who will lose their jobs to it. However, it has changed how I learn and present data and visuals in a mostly positive way. Personally, I think this is a decent proposal. Do I believe the numbers they claim? Not really. It is a rapidly growing industry, and the city should capitalize on it even if it doesn't bring the returns promised. The location is good, and not turning the armoury into the data center is a win. No one wants to live right next to a highway anyway. The area has always been industrial. I don't know why they want it to look like an industrial building. Put lights on it or some cool screen for people driving by to get excited about the building. It wouldn't even be that expensive. It's not an antiquated thing, so why make it look old?    

Actually, it seems like the Famous Barr Warehouse will be demolished and replaced.

This is way better than the original proposal but it'll be really funny when the bubble pops and this becomes vacant again.

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Demolishing the Famous Barr warehouse sucks. I'm also dubious of this Creative Tech Office space, which surely seems like pandering just to get approval. How many offices/jobs are they truly promising? Can we get them to help fund a new Spring viaduct?

What's the $270M rehab then?

A small portion of the warehouse will remain, it appears. The tall section is proposed to be demolished. That rehab cost does seem high though. Maybe includes demo costs as well?

The renderings and site plan show a long 2-story building in place of the Famous Barr warehouse.

Rest of the deck

What's conveniently ommited in these new renderings (but present in previous ones) is the new substation south of the tracks that would be directly adjacent to their residential and retail ideas for those parcels.  

This is slightly better than what they proposed before.  Losing famous barr is a blow.  maybe theyre attempting to keep enough of it to garner some historic tax credits from the NRHP designation they got a couple years ago - when they thought it might be an apartment conversion before green street was this desperate.

As for the tax benefits,  the response to environmental and utility concerns, the brick facades, the office space, and any ancilliary development.  The city will only get what it demands specifically and contractually up front, the rest will disappear like a dream of course.  As this is an obvious gussying up of an industrial mill shed with tech utopia buzzwords.

But we def need that tax revenue, to ...you know.. try and reverse the material deprivation that has directly enriched the same tech-oligarch overlords shoving this down our throat.  

A little part of me says - fine, lets try to get some money for our crumbling schools.  The rest says - ***** these guys - the least we can do is have the spine to tell them - here but no further.  

dbInSouthCity wrote: ↑

9:08 PM - Jan 17

Rest of the deck

And what of the other renderings? I see it as 'phase II'.. which means.. almost unlikely that ever comes to fruition.

Who presented this?

TheWayoftheArch_V2.0 wrote: ↑

7:12 PM - Jan 18

Make em build it all at once I say.

This is what I come to as well. My first question as Mayor/SLDC/Alder would be "how can we help you deliver all of this now, no phases"

$0 zoning-only building permit applications submitted for data centers at 3728-46 and 3852-58 MARKET ST and office at 3660 MARKET ST.

Good lord, all of them? When do we say no to this madness? 3660 at least should be off the table.

Where are the building permits for all the other baseless ideas in the deck? Who's developing those? Why aren't there names named if this is a plan?

Just more lipstick on a pig

SLPS Teachers Union is backing the armory data center plan 

StlToday - Developers to formally pitch $3B data center near St. Louis Armory

he developers seeking to build a $3.1 billion data center just west of the historic Armory venue in Midtown will make their first official pitch to St. Louis City Hall on Thursday. 
Local investor Rod Thomas and Las Vegas-based real estate firm Contour are expected to present their project to the Zoning Section for a conditional use permit to build a 487,000-square-foot facility at the old Famous-Barr warehouse on Market Street at Vandeventer Avenue. The developers want to utilize the Armory, the prominent former munitions warehouse along Interstate 64, as luxury office space.
A conditional use permit would allow a land use not explicitly prohibited by city regulations. 

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/bus ... 59cc0.html

Will be very surprised if the office component is ever brought online/utilized.

Those speaking out against the data center are highly emotional. Starting to think hating data centers is 2026's plastic straws.

some people are straight up unhinged on the call