According to an article posted in the Construction Forum, AMJ Investment Group is spearheading an $81 Million redevelopment of 10 blocks in the O'Fallon Park Neighborhood.

A series of new construction and redevelopment initiatives will reimagine 610,000 square feet across 128 parcels into retail spaces, single and multi-family homes and community greenspace. The City District will preserve and capture the area’s rich history and architecture and honor the cultural uniqueness of the community. The project is scheduled to complete in Spring 2025.

Kwame Building Group is the contractor. Jackson Design Group is the architect. The project is split into two phases...

Phase 1...

During the $34 million Phase One, 66 parcels will be demolished and the land will be reallocated for new construction of retail, homes and community greenspaces. More than 50 percent of these properties are currently vacant. The construction team is working on master plan and design development and bidding. Demolition will begin in March. Kwame Building Group is serving as the construction manager and program manager. The architect is Jackson Design Group.

In Phase One, the construction team also will build City Plaza, which will create vibrant shopping and recreational opportunities and a thriving local labor force. The commercial center will feature extensive retail and office space, including a grocery store and bowling alley.

Phase 2...

The O’ Fallon Neighborhood is home to some of St. Louis’ largest and most historical homes rivaling the size and stylings found in the Central West End and surrounding Tower Grove Park and Forest Park. In Phase Two, $1 million will be invested in rehabilitating 26 existing homes. Large single-family homes will be converted into multi-use rental properties while retaining their architectural history. A $24 million project will construct new single and multi-family homes.

Culturally competent and equitable redevelopment practices will be central throughout the five-year project. The KWAME team is committed to maximizing MBE/WBE and local firm participation. The project team has established a partnership with the City of St. Louis to increase community safety and security focused on community competent policing. Existing infrastructure will be reimagined to improve and promote public transit and pedestrian accessibility.

Link: https://www.constructforstl.org/81m-the ... ouis-city/ 

Renovate 26 existing homes for $1,000,000?  $40 K per house isn't realistic.  Demo 66 structures of which around half are occupied?  How bad could the occupied structures be?  And anything with Plaza in the name just scares the daylights out of me.  Let's see where this goes.  Any mention of financing?

Hope this investment happens. 66 demos makes me nervous that the new stuff will be wealth destroying auto-oriented wide-lot crap. And rehabbing 26 homes could cost $5-$10M. Can't wait for more info.

Is the NGA the driving force behind these recent north city announcements?

I predict it will get some/much credit whether it is the case or not.

Whatever the case, I like it. I'm a little worried about 60 demos in a neighborhood with pretty strong housing stock. There needs to be vigilant oversight

Yeah by my count the first phase demolishes ~30 occupied homes, and then second phase rehabs 25. Don't really get the enthusiasm for this, lots of developments die out by the 2nd phase and even if so that seems like a net loss? 

And the fact that the developer is saying some of the parcels will be for greenspace sounds like a ready made excuse to tear down and then do nothing. Maybe some more details will improve but this sounds bad to me. O'fallon is one of the most intact North City neighborhoods. 

Kwame is the real deal, but anything connected with John Collins-Muhammad makes me suspicious. 

Stl American - $81 million revitalization project to target O’Fallon Park Neighborhood

http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_n ... 66ed4.html

Between O'Fallon Park and Fairground Park, there is plenty of "community greenspace" in the O'Fallon Park neighborhood.

Doesn't this seem like it's just a racket for the demolition market?

Glad to hear about the various North St. Louis investment plans. As is the case for all developments, I'll feel more confident once rendering are produced, building permits are pulled and construction progresses. I'm concerned with the demolition movement across the City of St. Louis especially in North St. Louis and Northwest St. Louis. Such demolition eliminates the potential for the character of the communities to be revived. The new construction of homes, etc. in North St. Louis, The Hill (McBride homes), West End (Vatterott homes) have been extraordinarily lacking of character and cheap models of what is being built in the County. 

The NGA project has triggered significant speculative interest. We will see in the next 3-7 years if the various proposed plans actually have legs or are they a representation of the Paul McKee playbook of announce, demo/neglect and do nothing. I'm worried there are a number of real estate/"developer" novice in this market currently as money is cheap and real estate appears to be a no lose proposition. However, I caution those who aren't familiar with this work to proceed with prudence. 

Stltoday - North city neighborhoods plan tax to supplement police, save homes

https://www.stltoday.com/business/local ... 7ddf7.html

^How do we create a special property tax in the Central West End to pay for housing preservation and policing on the north side?

symphonicpoet wrote: ↑

Dec 31, 2020

^How do we create a special property tax in the Central West End to pay for housing preservation and policing on the north side?

We already did a citywide version of that, Prop N/S that will spend $40,000,000 doing just that

^I think I'm mostly being snarky because I'm tired of all the special tax deals for rich folks to renovate their mansions while I pay full retail to keep up my own. I did vote in favor of N/S for precisely that reason. But man, I'd love to see certain fancy people paying their fair share for the peace and prosperity a healthy city buys them.

I'd been curious about which streets were being designated for redevelopment in O'Fallon Park.

I apologize if this has already been posted in the thread, but this Northsider article answers my question.

https://metrostl.com/2020/12/29/81-mill ... mmad-says/

"The six-block area set for the makeover is bounded by West Florissant Avenue on the southwest, Harris Avenue on the northwest, Algernon Street on the northeast and Alice Avenue on the southeast. Work is set to start next year and finish in 2025."

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KansasCitian wrote: ↑

Jan 01, 2021

I'd been curious about which streets were being designated for redevelopment in O'Fallon Park.

I apologize if this has already been posted in the thread, but this Northsider article answers my question.

https://metrostl.com/2020/12/29/81-mill ... mmad-says/

"The six-block area set for the makeover is bounded by West Florissant Avenue on the southwest, Harris Avenue on the northwest, Algernon Street on the northeast and Alice Avenue on the southeast. Work is set to start next year and finish in 2025."

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

One thing I find interesting in this is that the Alderman says this...

However, Muhammad put the number of new single-family units at 200, plus 105 rehabbed buildings and about 22 businesses.

I sure hope this is the spark that gets other great things going. A vision is in place, they seem to have a will to get it done, now lets get dirt moving. 

I wouldn't put much stock into anything that alderman says.  

More questions then answers on this one, seems like a lot of demo, hope they can make it work.

I can't help to think that City District in some ways is pursuing a New Town like development but with a twist or maybe an approach not typically associated with an urban development.  Maybe putting to much thought into it or maybe is really not doing anything different as far as urban development goes but can't help to think of the following comparisons, good or bad or however someone wants to take it.   

- New Town starts with a clean slate of farmland.   City District is essentially clearing a large number of structures/demo along with current empty lots to get the same clean slate to work off.   Land acquisition costs on acre basis are probably not that different between the two but utter speculation on my part in making that comment.
- New Town has semblance of street grid with some centrally proposed density but all new build.   City District development has some cost benefit utilizing existing grid and existing infrastructure/pipes in ground for its development
- New Town for all intents and purposes is a large single family residential development.   City District is maybe not on same scale or can't expand with plenty of empty farmland nearby.   But I also see it as a single family residential development.   Maybe not row houses or urban density of the housing stock that some desire but none the less this is a single family housing development in my eyes.

So the question,  City District going to be a good thing if it essentially ends up as a mini New Town for north side with a little bit of density and less then ideal urban format for single family residential?   I say yes considering how land rich and tax poor the City of St. Louis is.   A few more New Town like developments on north side that might put some density along corridor but for the most part putting less then ideal single family residential back is a good thing IMO.

I don't understand the level of demo going on here, especially of occupied structures. It's not like North St. Louis, or even the area immediately surrounding the project site is lacking open space .

Although they might seem out of place here, I'd love to see some form of Vinyl Victorians like those attached. I think it could be a lot more cost effective than brick while being a lot better looking than the suburban junk in other areas of North City. In the end, I think the appearance comes down to density. Fingers crossed that any infill is not more than 6 feet apart.