Downtown STL has great and a lot of hotels.
NCAA wrestling championships are this weekend. There also could be some conventions.
NCAA wrestling championships are this weekend. There also could be some conventions.
From Mayor Slays FB page
Downtown has come a long way in the last decade. Since I became mayor, nearly $5 billion has been invested downtown. Hundreds of long vacant buildings have found new life, new uses, and new residents. A grocery store and a movie theater serve a loft population of young people and empty nesters. The Peabody Opera House, Citygarden, the Old Post Office, and the Central Branch sparkle. Cranes and scaffolding surround the beautiful Arcade Building. The public-private City/Arch/River project is already changing visitors’ relationship to Downtown, the national monument, and the waterway on which our early prosperity was based. This season's baseball crowds will be enhanced by the crowds at Ballpark Village.
But, Downtown certainly is not "finished."
I was approached recently by a group of Downtown business leaders who worried that the downtown Central Business District was no longer the region’s priority – and that there seemed to be fewer projects to start when the 25 or so developments currently under way are completed.
Well, Downtown may or may not be the region’s priority, but it is one of mine.
Downtown STL, Inc., will organize and oversee two working groups: one on safety and one on development. I have assigned senior staffers to both groups. I expect the two reports to make a convincing case to Downtown’s agnostics that greater regional investment in Downtown will benefit everyone.
Downtown has come a long way in the last decade. Since I became mayor, nearly $5 billion has been invested downtown. Hundreds of long vacant buildings have found new life, new uses, and new residents. A grocery store and a movie theater serve a loft population of young people and empty nesters. The Peabody Opera House, Citygarden, the Old Post Office, and the Central Branch sparkle. Cranes and scaffolding surround the beautiful Arcade Building. The public-private City/Arch/River project is already changing visitors’ relationship to Downtown, the national monument, and the waterway on which our early prosperity was based. This season's baseball crowds will be enhanced by the crowds at Ballpark Village.
But, Downtown certainly is not "finished."
I was approached recently by a group of Downtown business leaders who worried that the downtown Central Business District was no longer the region’s priority – and that there seemed to be fewer projects to start when the 25 or so developments currently under way are completed.
Well, Downtown may or may not be the region’s priority, but it is one of mine.
Downtown STL, Inc., will organize and oversee two working groups: one on safety and one on development. I have assigned senior staffers to both groups. I expect the two reports to make a convincing case to Downtown’s agnostics that greater regional investment in Downtown will benefit everyone.
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^ here is a link to Slay's statement, Downtown Matters....
https://www.mayorslay.com/from-fgs/downtown-matters
good to see him getting some grief from downtown business interests. But we need a relentless focus on jobs... downtown can't simply be the cultural center of the region with a couple thousand residents, it needs to be the business center. Hustle harder!
https://www.mayorslay.com/from-fgs/downtown-matters
good to see him getting some grief from downtown business interests. But we need a relentless focus on jobs... downtown can't simply be the cultural center of the region with a couple thousand residents, it needs to be the business center. Hustle harder!
Yeah, wrestling was last weekend. All there is this weekend is a motorcycle race or something, and it seems to only be one day. And checking the ticket sales for that online, it only seems to be half-sold out at the Jones Dome. And it's a touring thing that goes from city to city, so there's no reason to expect that it is drawing a ton of out-of-towners.matguy70 wrote:Downtown STL has great and a lot of hotels.
NCAA wrestling championships are this weekend. There also could be some conventions.
No Cardinals, no Rams, I suppose the Blues have a game, but it's only against Columbus, which can't bring in a huge out of town crowd either.
Maybe the first BPV tower should be the proposed hotel.
^ Yep, it would sure help if the family of one of the most profitable MLB's franchises was also willing to bet some of those profits on a new BPV hotel and or a high rise residential tower.
They didn't even put one of their family restaurants (Dewey's) in BPV and you guys expect them to do something substantial there? Shows you how much they believe in the project.
My opinion-- Phase I was done because they were required to by the City and State and to save some face with the fan base. They won't do anything more until they're required to.
My opinion-- Phase I was done because they were required to by the City and State and to save some face with the fan base. They won't do anything more until they're required to.
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I don't believe this. Most comments about BPV is that it has been more successful than projections. Gauging confidence on a pizza place is a bit unfair.kbshapiro wrote:They didn't even put one of their family restaurants (Dewey's) in BPV and you guys expect them to do something substantial there? Shows you how much they believe in the project.
My opinion-- Phase I was done because they were required to by the City and State and to save some face with the fan base. They won't do anything more until they're required to.
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yep...not much private investment taking shape in downtown STL right now....
I believe you.kbshapiro wrote:My opinion-- Phase I was done because they were required to by the City and State and to save some face with the fan base. They won't do anything more until they're required to.
I am in TOTAL agree with you. Francis is weak and the reason nothing is being done is because the city isn't putting heat on them to do ANYTHING further. Junior keeps talking about his "tall skinny building", but nothing has materialized - even on paper.kbshapiro wrote:They didn't even put one of their family restaurants (Dewey's) in BPV and you guys expect them to do something substantial there? Shows you how much they believe in the project.
My opinion-- Phase I was done because they were required to by the City and State and to save some face with the fan base. They won't do anything more until they're required to.
The only reason KC is getting new residential near/in P&L is because the mayor and city council turned up the heat on CORDISH - especially since KC and P&L were bleeding money.
Since BPV isn't bleeding dollars like P&L, everyone (Cardinals, Cordish and the City) is complacent and lazy. The city and Cardinals should be ASHAMED of themselves. Ashamed. Francis needs to stop being scared of the Cardinals and CORDISH and put some fire on their asses. What will the Cardinals do? Pack up Busch III and Phase I then moved to Illinois or San Antonio? Hell, no.
It makes NO SENSE to me that downtown business people had to go to Slay. Couldn't he see? He's talking about projects done 2,3,4,5 years ago. Despite all of the recent developments, downtown needs work. Slay did not even challenge the KC-based GSA when it moved jobs from downtown to Overland. He is being a regional player, when other parts of the region aren't giving two shits about downtown or the city. St. Clair County is trying to steal the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
Where's the drive/initiative for jobs downtown? A push for 5-10,000 downtown jobs by 2020/2025 or something? Slay needs to play harder or go the hell home.
Also, with recent hotel closures in downtown St. Louis (The Millennium, Crown Plaza, etc.), there's no reason why a new hotel/apartment building couldn't rise and be viable at BPV. Ray Charles is dead, but could see that opportunity.
With that said, in my opinion, the Millennium needs to come down (I've changed my mind) and in its place should be a luxury apartment tower. overlooking the Arch grounds and river. Perfect opportunity for contemporary riverfront residential.
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The only opportunity that would lead me to support felling the Millenium for would be a Fortune 500 corporate relocation to a downtown tower.In my opinion, the Millennium needs to come down (I've changed my mind) and in its place should be a luxury apartment tower.
Now if BPV was built out, Drury built their tower, and a handful of the more confounding vacancies (Chemical, Jefferson Arms, Railway Exchange, Laclede Gas, AT&T etc.) were re-purposed then I could see letting a perfectly viable and unique to downtown (round with rotating top) albeit aesthetically bland building be demolished.
A re-skinning however is something I could get on board with.
I believe this, too. Their TIF should be taken away, because that property is not providing a public good at this point.kbshapiro wrote:They didn't even put one of their family restaurants (Dewey's) in BPV and you guys expect them to do something substantial there? Shows you how much they believe in the project.
My opinion-- Phase I was done because they were required to by the City and State and to save some face with the fan base. They won't do anything more until they're required to.
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Looking to Live in Downtown St. Louis? Good Luck
93 percent of all the housing units downtown are occupied, up one percent from the year before, say the latest stats from Downtown STL Inc.
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2015/03/27/ ... good-luck/
93 percent of all the housing units downtown are occupied, up one percent from the year before, say the latest stats from Downtown STL Inc.
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2015/03/27/ ... good-luck/
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^ & ^^,
I really don't know what to make of downtown residential to tell you the truth. One the one hand, we are seeing increased rental production and apparently occupancy, but on the other hand we don't seem to be making progress on key buildings that seem quite attractive for residential rehab and relatively little is at the higher end.
The guy who is proceeding with the Laclede Gas conversion and the Alverne, etc. without any public subsidies said last year you can't build units fast enough downtown, but for whatever reason market rate production is in fact behind where you'd think it would be,
Anyway, we seem to be falling behind even places like Detroit when it comes to higher end projects.... that is a place that truly can't build them fast enough even though things are getting pretty pricey.
I really don't know what to make of downtown residential to tell you the truth. One the one hand, we are seeing increased rental production and apparently occupancy, but on the other hand we don't seem to be making progress on key buildings that seem quite attractive for residential rehab and relatively little is at the higher end.
The guy who is proceeding with the Laclede Gas conversion and the Alverne, etc. without any public subsidies said last year you can't build units fast enough downtown, but for whatever reason market rate production is in fact behind where you'd think it would be,
Anyway, we seem to be falling behind even places like Detroit when it comes to higher end projects.... that is a place that truly can't build them fast enough even though things are getting pretty pricey.
So how many states and cities and economic development entities are making calls today? Note sure if anyone is following closely but it will be interesting to see if businesses call out Indiana or simply making noise to appease their own employees and investors who did not like what Indiana governor signed into law yesterday.
From the San Fran Biz journals
Why Salesforce CEO's stand against Indiana law has huge financial stakes
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco ... ation.html
Largely as a result of that deal, Salesforce now has between 2,000 and 3,000 employees in the state, Benioff told Re/Code Thursday. Benioff threatened the state with a “slow rolling of economic sanctions” if the law, which allows people and corporations to cite religious beliefs as a defense when sued by a private party, is not thrown out.
Benioff also called upon other tech CEOs to speak out as well.
The organizers of Gen Con gaming convention, the largest in terms of attendance and economic impact in Indianapolis, have threatened to move their event elsewhere. The National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, has also hinted at repercussions. Next week the men's basketball Final Four will be held in Indianapolis.
From the San Fran Biz journals
Why Salesforce CEO's stand against Indiana law has huge financial stakes
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco ... ation.html
Largely as a result of that deal, Salesforce now has between 2,000 and 3,000 employees in the state, Benioff told Re/Code Thursday. Benioff threatened the state with a “slow rolling of economic sanctions” if the law, which allows people and corporations to cite religious beliefs as a defense when sued by a private party, is not thrown out.
Benioff also called upon other tech CEOs to speak out as well.
The organizers of Gen Con gaming convention, the largest in terms of attendance and economic impact in Indianapolis, have threatened to move their event elsewhere. The National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, has also hinted at repercussions. Next week the men's basketball Final Four will be held in Indianapolis.
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^ I was wondering if there is any local efforts to reach out to said companies and organizations locally. Though the concern is the state legislature here would be very apt to pass similar if not stronger legislation like this and other legislation that might make companies and people being here due to tolerance issues.
I wonder how long it will take for the wise men in Jefferson City to pass similar legislation.
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They already did, last year. Something called Religous Restoraction Act or something like that
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^ There was a bill passed last year that dealt with the exercise of religious freedom of kids in schools but it did not apply to private business owners like Indiana's did.
There was a wider statute enacted in 2003 but I don't know the details of how it might differ in strength from Indiana's with respect to how how it protects business owners refusing to serve others because of religious belief... sounds like Hoosier bill may be more far-reaching.
There was a wider statute enacted in 2003 but I don't know the details of how it might differ in strength from Indiana's with respect to how how it protects business owners refusing to serve others because of religious belief... sounds like Hoosier bill may be more far-reaching.
Detroit has a couple interesting downtown projects moving forward that hope to build on top of existing parking garages...debaliviere wrote:Yeah, I've always heard the same thing about the garages being designed to serve as the base for larger structures.rbb wrote:If I recall, weren't the Kiener garages built as pedestals with the intent of adding a tower at some later point? I know this is pie-in-the-sky but I'd love to see them actually used for their intended purpose of supporting a tower, even if it's a shorter one. As part of the process perhaps the garage could be reclad as something more modern/complimentory of whatever'd been built on top of it.
It won't happen, but I can dream.
-RBB
If Kiener Plaza is going to be redeveloped, it would make so much sense to do SOMETHING to spruce up those garages. Maybe hold a design competition and choose the best idea.
5 story, 80 unit apartment building to be built on top of parking garage completed in 2008 (recession delayed the apartment portion)
Massive Gilbert-owned mixed-use development including 250 apartments and commercial and entertainment space on top on existing underground garage built after clearance of former department store building.
The Keiner garages are probably too old, and certainly are too dreary, for anything to be built on top of them today, but I really do think some exciting things could happen as part of a major revisioning... it is such a great, and critical location.
The Keiner garages are a disgrace and so are many other old garages downtown. Why the cities let these blighted structures stand downtown is beyond me.
^ Wasn't the Pacific apartments on Tucker originally designed and rendered with a tower on top of the new garage but they decided the market wasn't ready yet. Understandable; However, I believe they went with cheaper tilt up construction for the garage and essentially removed any chance of adding a tower later. Somewhere their is quote from the developer stating that they regretted that decision.
Also, the muni courts development would be spot on with the proposed garage and a residential tower on top even though I believe the developers only proposed additional ground floor commercial with the garage. To bad their wasn't a stronger developer behind that project. Right next the Scott/Peabody with an easy walk to Busch stadium/Cupples Warehouse District/BPV. That seems like a win win project of rehab and infill if some one would put some money behind it.
Also, the muni courts development would be spot on with the proposed garage and a residential tower on top even though I believe the developers only proposed additional ground floor commercial with the garage. To bad their wasn't a stronger developer behind that project. Right next the Scott/Peabody with an easy walk to Busch stadium/Cupples Warehouse District/BPV. That seems like a win win project of rehab and infill if some one would put some money behind it.