urbanSTL

Blzhrpmd2 wrote:For what it's worth, I was down furniture shopping today at the McGuire building on the BD property. It was the first time I have really been on site and had time to take it in. With the hotel tower in view now, the Vess bottle, the Dome right in your face, and great view of Arch and city, this land really does have immense potential for entertainment/residential. Hope all the plans get worked out and it succeeds.

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:I would advise the McGuire boys (not that they would ever ask me) not to rush.

The Bottle District is likely to remain a mixed-use project with residential, retail, office and even hotel and entertainment uses, Chapman said, adding that construction would have to start soon.



"It would have to be very quick. Clearly the renaissance in downtown is happening now, not five years from now," he said. "We would want to put something on the ground now. We want to make it fit with the things going on in the city so they don't cannibalize each other."

"Right now it is more about making the district a viable project as opposed to just putting it up," Bernsen said.

But he would not discuss details on the companies involved or what role each would play.

Plans for the beleaguered $290 million Bottle District development north of downtown may be back on track with Clayco Inc. playing a prominent, but as yet undefined, role.



Officials from Clayco and the development arm of McGuire Moving & Storage, which has long sought to develop the site, said Monday that they are looking at a very "aggressive" development schedule, with work possibly beginning within a year.



(snip)



"(Afshin Ghazi) is doing a major project called the EpiCentre in Charlotte, and his timelines for that were established before he got involved with Bottle District. We required a more hands-on joint venture partner."



While Chapman didn't provide details, he said the Bottle District team would "look at all the great ideas accumulated over the last couple of years and pick and choose the best ones. … What we need is to look at what meets the needs of downtown right now."



The Bottle District is likely to remain a mixed-use project with residential, retail, office and even hotel and entertainment uses, Chapman said, adding that construction would have to start soon.



"It would have to be very quick. Clearly the renaissance in downtown is happening now, not five years from now," he said. "We would want to put something on the ground now. We want to make it fit with the things going on in the city so they don't cannibalize each other."



The development team, along with several tenants, will be announced within the next month or two, he said.



"Right now it is more about making the district a viable project as opposed to just putting it up," Bernsen said.

bonwich wrote:Let us parse. (Article abridged for fair use.)

Plans for the beleaguered $290 million Bottle District development north of downtown may be back on track with Clayco Inc. playing a prominent, but as yet undefined, role.



Officials from Clayco and the development arm of McGuire Moving & Storage, which has long sought to develop the site, said Monday that they are looking at a very "aggressive" development schedule, with work possibly beginning within a year.



(snip)



"(Afshin Ghazi) is doing a major project called the EpiCentre in Charlotte, and his timelines for that were established before he got involved with Bottle District. We required a more hands-on joint venture partner."



While Chapman didn't provide details, he said the Bottle District team would "look at all the great ideas accumulated over the last couple of years and pick and choose the best ones. … What we need is to look at what meets the needs of downtown right now."



The Bottle District is likely to remain a mixed-use project with residential, retail, office and even hotel and entertainment uses, Chapman said, adding that construction would have to start soon.



"It would have to be very quick. Clearly the renaissance in downtown is happening now, not five years from now," he said. "We would want to put something on the ground now. We want to make it fit with the things going on in the city so they don't cannibalize each other."



The development team, along with several tenants, will be announced within the next month or two, he said.



"Right now it is more about making the district a viable project as opposed to just putting it up," Bernsen said.

A potential interpretation: The Mayor has been walking around publicly saying the thing is stalled, so the developer needed to generate the impression that it isn't.



I haven't seen that much use of the subjunctive voice since my French 4 final exam.

RBB wrote:The subjunctives don't mean that they're not charging full-steam with the project, just that it's being rejiggered after a false start (appropriate considering the neigbors)

I also see great potential for a repeat of the 1980s downtown retail scenario.

Arch City wrote:


"Clayco defines getting deals done, efficiently, fairly and in a creative win/win environment for our business partners."