Next step make all current parking lots institute 1 landscape island that includes a shade tree for every ohhh let’s say 5 parking spaces. Now that would be incredible.
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^We could be flexible and allow a solar canopy or a garage with a green roof, maybe. Here's a thought: how about we pass a per-space tax on all private parking spaces and use that to fund transit.
Good ideas. I'm going to use them as an excuse to advocate for my preferred tax policy, the Land Value Tax, which discourages all forms of low-value land use (surface parking lots and speculative real estate investment especially) and would provide a higher, more stable revenue base to support basic gov't functions like infrastructure than the current real estate tax scheme.symphonicpoet wrote: ↑Jul 29, 2022^We could be flexible and allow a solar canopy or a garage with a green roof, maybe. Here's a thought: how about we pass a per-space tax on all private parking spaces and use that to fund transit.
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^Please do! I do have two private spaces on my own property, so in the short term it could raise my taxes. But if it encourages development it should increase revenue simply by making land more productive, which could well lower real estates taxes on developed square feet just by making the pool of taxable square feet that much bigger. (And increasing sales taxes, income taxes, and decreasing per-person spending.) So in the long run . . . it a well constructed system might actually make taxes lower for the average individual. (Or it would give you better services and a better environment for the same money. Either way, and preferably the latter, really.)
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A San Francisco-based startup that provides technology to help companies and organizations use artificial intelligence, or AI, has opened a new office in Downtown West that will house 215 employees, a figure expected to more than double in coming years.
The startup, Scale AI Inc., has started to operate out of its new office, at 1227 Washington Ave. The building's owner is 1227 Washington LLC, whose registered agent is Sean McGowan of McGowan Brothers Development, according to city records. The size of Scale’s Downtown West office and the length of its lease there were not immediately known.
Employees began moving into the space last week and Scale AI on Tuesday held a ribbon cutting event to officially open the new office. The company isn't receiving any subsidies for opening the office, officials said.
Founded in 2016, Scale AI has developed a data platform that it says helps customers incorporate artificial intelligence into their operations. Its customers include major brands like Toyota, General Motors and Samsung, as well as federal agencies and research institutions. Scale AI is led by 25-year-old founder and CEO Alexandr Wang, who dropped out of Massachusetts Institute of Technology to create the company.
Since its founding, Scale AI has raised $603 million from investors and grown to a team of more than 650 employees. It says its most recent funding round, a $325 million Series E financing in April 2021, valued the startup at $7.3 billion. Its investors include high-profile venture funds, including Founders Fund, Tiger Global and Accel.
With its new Downtown West office, Scale AI becomes the second high-profile Silicon Valley company this year to open a hub in St. Louis, following cybersecurity firm Netskope’s expansion in Clayton.
Scale AI said its decision to open an office in St. Louis stems from its pursuit to grow its customer base in the geospatial technology field, with plans to expand its roster of clients in the government, private and academic sectors. In St. Louis, Scale AI says its St. Louis employees will work with customers that include the U.S. Department of Defense Joint AI Center, U.S. Army Research Lab and U.S. Air Force Research Lab.
Mark Valentine, head of federal at Scale AI, said the startup's decision to open its office in Downtown West was influenced by the area’s proximity to nearby anchor institutions in the region’s burgeoning geospatial industry. The new office will give Scale AI nearby access to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's new western headquarters, and to Downtown's T-REX entrepreneurship center and Globe Building, both of which have become home to a cluster of geospatial entities. Scale AI said it expects to open up an office in the Globe Building, which includes a 75,000-square-foot sensitive compartmented information facility.
Scale AI initially began operating in the St. Louis region more than a year ago when it opened a temporary office near St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Valentine said. He added the startup’s local team has steadily grown since establishing operations in the region and that he expects the expansion to continue.
“My goal would be to get us to around 500 (employees) over the course of the next couple years,” he said.
As it expands, Scale AI says it plans to place an emphasis on hiring "local talent who come from different career paths."
Civic leaders lauded Scale AI’s expansion in St. Louis, with Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis Inc., saying at Tuesday's ribbon cutting that the move marks a victory for the downtown and geospatial field. In a statement, Mayor Tishaura Jones said Scale’s new office “strengthens our city's position as a leader in the technology industry.”
"These jobs and future positions will help keep our downtown neighborhoods active while creating better opportunities for residents," Jones said.
The startup, Scale AI Inc., has started to operate out of its new office, at 1227 Washington Ave. The building's owner is 1227 Washington LLC, whose registered agent is Sean McGowan of McGowan Brothers Development, according to city records. The size of Scale’s Downtown West office and the length of its lease there were not immediately known.
Employees began moving into the space last week and Scale AI on Tuesday held a ribbon cutting event to officially open the new office. The company isn't receiving any subsidies for opening the office, officials said.
Founded in 2016, Scale AI has developed a data platform that it says helps customers incorporate artificial intelligence into their operations. Its customers include major brands like Toyota, General Motors and Samsung, as well as federal agencies and research institutions. Scale AI is led by 25-year-old founder and CEO Alexandr Wang, who dropped out of Massachusetts Institute of Technology to create the company.
Since its founding, Scale AI has raised $603 million from investors and grown to a team of more than 650 employees. It says its most recent funding round, a $325 million Series E financing in April 2021, valued the startup at $7.3 billion. Its investors include high-profile venture funds, including Founders Fund, Tiger Global and Accel.
With its new Downtown West office, Scale AI becomes the second high-profile Silicon Valley company this year to open a hub in St. Louis, following cybersecurity firm Netskope’s expansion in Clayton.
Scale AI said its decision to open an office in St. Louis stems from its pursuit to grow its customer base in the geospatial technology field, with plans to expand its roster of clients in the government, private and academic sectors. In St. Louis, Scale AI says its St. Louis employees will work with customers that include the U.S. Department of Defense Joint AI Center, U.S. Army Research Lab and U.S. Air Force Research Lab.
Mark Valentine, head of federal at Scale AI, said the startup's decision to open its office in Downtown West was influenced by the area’s proximity to nearby anchor institutions in the region’s burgeoning geospatial industry. The new office will give Scale AI nearby access to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's new western headquarters, and to Downtown's T-REX entrepreneurship center and Globe Building, both of which have become home to a cluster of geospatial entities. Scale AI said it expects to open up an office in the Globe Building, which includes a 75,000-square-foot sensitive compartmented information facility.
Scale AI initially began operating in the St. Louis region more than a year ago when it opened a temporary office near St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Valentine said. He added the startup’s local team has steadily grown since establishing operations in the region and that he expects the expansion to continue.
“My goal would be to get us to around 500 (employees) over the course of the next couple years,” he said.
As it expands, Scale AI says it plans to place an emphasis on hiring "local talent who come from different career paths."
Civic leaders lauded Scale AI’s expansion in St. Louis, with Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis Inc., saying at Tuesday's ribbon cutting that the move marks a victory for the downtown and geospatial field. In a statement, Mayor Tishaura Jones said Scale’s new office “strengthens our city's position as a leader in the technology industry.”
"These jobs and future positions will help keep our downtown neighborhoods active while creating better opportunities for residents," Jones said.
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It really does seem that our investment into geospatial science is about to really pay off.
Always happy to hear about wins like this for downtown St. Louis.
Always happy to hear about wins like this for downtown St. Louis.
Great news and thank you for sharing all the detail. Important win for DT.
1227 Washington was once a club called Evolution in the early 90's. Fast forward 30 years and it's now an office for AI developers. How appropriate. Boatloads of touring DJ's and bands have played that space going back to the late 80's when the first club, "1227" opened. IMHO it was this particular space which started the Washington Ave renaissance almost 35 years ago. Viva 1227 Washington!
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It’s actually a burlesque bar now and on the uppers floor an AI company and also Balto another AI start up that’s raised a lot of money, it’s service listens to calls between you and customer service agent and in real time tells the agent how to respondSTLinCHI wrote: ↑Aug 04, 20221227 Washington was once a club called Evolution in the early 90's. Fast forward 30 years and it's now an office for AI developers. How appropriate. Boatloads of touring DJ's and bands have played that space going back to the late 80's when the first club, "1227" opened. IMHO it was this particular space which started the Washington Ave renaissance almost 35 years ago. Viva 1227 Washington!
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my guess for 215 people they need 25,000 SF of net space (and if they're planning on steady growth they probably got more) my guess each floor plate in that building is 30,000 SF, building is 170 by 210 on exteriorGoHarvOrGoHome wrote: ↑Aug 04, 2022Is the office space just the 2nd floor?
Looks like the city is trying to revoke the conditional use permit for the Shell gas station at 721 N Tucker. It's on the agenda of the Aug 17 meeting of the Board of Adjustment. Anyone know more?
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/d ... -17-22.pdf
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/d ... -17-22.pdf
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what a fun way to say that downtown stl has the 2nd lowest crime rate amongst 10 comparable downtowns.St. Louis' main business group is calling on the city to increase investment in things it says will make downtown safer, including additional cameras, upgrades to street lighting and traffic calming measures on key thoroughfares.
The move, with a 10:30 a.m. press conference planned Thursday, comes amid high-profile reports of violence and an increase in vacant office space with increased work-from-home habits, along with more businesses, like law firm Brown & Crouppen, leaving for other parts of the region.
It's also being pushed with a study commissioned by Greater St. Louis Inc., and completed by economic development researcher Development Strategies, saying that downtown generates $102 million, or 20%, of the city's general revenue fund, while the government spends just $26 million annually on the neighborhood, or 5% of citywide expenses. It also said downtown contains 27% of of the city's total employment.
While Greater CEO Jason Hall said "we applaud" Mayor Tishaura Jones for working on several downtown issues during her tenure, "there is much more that needs to be done to make downtown what we all know it can become."
Hall was likely referencing a ban on e-scooters in the neighborhood, efforts to get Airbnb to crack down on loft parties that have caused problems and the closure of nightclub Reign, where numerous shootings took place. Jones last fall also launched a downtown public safety task force, in which the city deployed 30 police officers to downtown on weekend nights around the time of the task force's formation, but later scaled that back. The city hasn't said how many extra officers, if any, are still patrolling downtown. KSDK reported this month that the city is forcing a depleted police force to work 12-hour shifts, while 102 officers have left the force this year.
Spokespeople for Jones had no immediate comment.
Greater said that the theoretical investments could be used on elements mentioned in a 2020 plan for downtown developed by predecessor organization Downtown STL Inc. Some street lights have already been redone, and there are plans to construct a protected bicycle path on Tucker Boulevard and infrastructure improvements along Seventh Street between Ballpark Village and Washington Avenue. Former Mayor Lyda Krewson installed some temporary barriers downtown to calm traffic. And downtown has cameras accessed through the Real Time Crime Center, opened in 2015.
Greater said downtown businesses support more investment. That includes architecture and planning firm PGAV, located at 200 N. Broadway.
"Putting additional investment behind those efforts would build confidence and help make downtown a safe, family friendly neighborhood, and is likely to secure additional private investment that will increase density and activity in the heart of the city," its chairman and principal, Mike Konzen, said in a statement.
While the study from Greater and Development Strategies highlighted downtown's importance, it also recognized its diminished status as a business hub. It said there are about 57,000 workers downtown, down by 24% since 2010.
But downtown still counts significant employers.
Thirty-four percent of private sector city jobs are located downtown, as well as 70% of city jobs in the high-wage and high-growth sector of professional, scientific and technology services, according to the study. A San Francisco tech startup, Scale AI Inc., said Tuesday it is adding a downtown office with 215 jobs.
And there is significant investment for residential development planned, especially in Downtown West, near the new soccer stadium. The Development Strategies study said the number of downtown residents increased more than 30% since 2010, to about 10,000, while 1,700 multifamily units were added. The neighborhood also has 78% of the city's hotel rooms, with 570 added since 2010, the study said.
Still, downtown in 2018 had the eighth-highest crime rate of 10 comparable downtowns, the Business Journal found, and periodic headlines still harm the area's reputation
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Not sure, but I think a lot of people would be happy if it could somehow be shut down.
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RE: Shell
That has been a nuisance property for a decade plus. With Square and other entities filling up at the Globe and other nearby properties recently I imagine the complaints have reached a critical mass for action.
That has been a nuisance property for a decade plus. With Square and other entities filling up at the Globe and other nearby properties recently I imagine the complaints have reached a critical mass for action.
Shell on Tucker has always been a nuisance property. I can verify issues dating back to the late 80's. Very similar to the Delmar@Skinker shell. City finally doing something to address this is BLTN.
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Take care of the BP at 4th and Broadway while we are at it
Seems like some reasonable ideas and requests considering city flush with some pandemic funds and trying to secure a bigger slice of the Ram's settlement. Throw in some more greenery, tree canopy plantings
https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... spend.html
St. Louis' primary business group is calling on the city to up investment in things it says will make downtown safer, including additional cameras, upgrades to street lighting and traffic calming measures on key thoroughfares.
https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... spend.html
St. Louis' primary business group is calling on the city to up investment in things it says will make downtown safer, including additional cameras, upgrades to street lighting and traffic calming measures on key thoroughfares.
That Shell Station needs to go! I’ve seen drug transactions like if it was selling girl scout cookies! Not even growing up in Chicago have I seen free dealing like that.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Definitely a shame it didn't burn during the unpleasantness in Summer of 2020,
ShipWorks, who’s sign you could see on Gateway Tower from Busch Stadium (before One Cardinal Way blocked) moved WFH during covid and stayed that way, they’ll have a small co-working space presence but no permanent physical office.