University Village Loft Apts / Warehouse of Fixtures

steve · PostDec 30, 2004#12004-12-30T01:43+00:00

As a once and future SLU alumnus, this site interests me exceedingly. I had heard there were plans for turning it into lofts. Anyone know about the status?

I've never liked this building. But its location is key. I had always thought replacing it would be the best option, but renovation is better than nothing. It's unfortunate that whatever DOES crop up here will be attractive to virtually no one but students. Nestled between Laclede's and Humphrey's, this strip of Laclede gets pretty raucus, esp. on weekends and Wednesdays (SLU's unoffical night out).

urbanstlouis · PostDec 30, 2004#22004-12-30T02:15+00:00

<A HREF="http://www.stlouislofts.com/3720laclede.html">Warehouse of Fixtures</A>

a.k.a. Singer Warehouse of Fixtures

<A HREF="http://maps.yahoo.com//maps_result?csz= ... ag=2">3720 Laclede Avenue (map)</A>

St. Louis, Missouri 63108

$30 million loft development, surrounded by St. Louis University. The complex includes three buildings and about six acres of building space. Developers Rick Yackey, Bill Bruce and broker Rick Zimmerman, partners on the Welsh baby-carriage factory redevelopment in Soulard, beat out the McGowan Brothers Development Company in bidding on the property.

steve · PostDec 30, 2004#32004-12-30T02:19+00:00

soooo, do you know what they have in mind for the project?

apts, condos, loft-style or traditional, office space, hotel, retail?

urbanstlouis · PostDec 30, 2004#42004-12-30T02:41+00:00

I am not sure, but the developer has created a Limited Partnership called, "University Village Apartments" and there is a "Warehouse of Fixtures TIF Redevelopment Plan".

University Village Apartments, L.P.

1227 Fern Ridge Parkway, Suite 202

St. Louis, MO 63141

Attention: Bill Bruce

All I can do is assume that there are going to be apartments marketed to SLU students.

steve · PostDec 30, 2004#52004-12-30T02:50+00:00

Thanks.

That's pretty much what I expected. I just wish that they would market it to the community at large as well. I love SLU, but they sometimes have a tendency to simply comandeer the neighborhood around them and pull it in, instead of creating a viable, independent neighborhood. For example, they replaced all of the standard street signs immediately around the campus with these ludicrous "SLU" street signs. They look like those street signs you'd find in an amusement park. Wrote a letter to the editor about that when I was a student there, but that, of course, fell on deaf ears.

urbanstlouis · PostDec 30, 2004#62004-12-30T10:18+00:00

I just emailed Alderman Joseph D. Roddy in the 17th Ward to find out where I can learn more about the Warehouse of Fixtures redevelopment. Last time I emailed an Alderman, they returned the message via a phone call the very next day!

olvidarte · PostDec 30, 2004#72004-12-30T14:04+00:00

From what I know they want to make lofts and have some retail/restruants along the alley in the back, kind of with a New Orleans feel.

If you walk down or know the alley i'm talking about, you can totally see the intimate, closed in feeling they want to go for.

But things may have changed

debaliviere · PostDec 30, 2004#82004-12-30T14:30+00:00

WofF really needs street level retail, preferably with a bar/restaurant/coffee shop. That strip of Laclede could be really cool if all the bars were connected. Is the old Billiken Bench Club currently open as a functioning bar? Last I saw, it was called Fat Freddie's (lame name). Someone should reopen it as BBC.

Steve, I hear that SLU is going to be acquiring the old Fifth House Building, if you're familiar with that one. I would expect them to tear it down and build something new in its place. That would be a shame, because it's a really cool building and it fits in perfectly with its surroundings. When I was a student at SLU, a bunch of us broke into the building to check it out, and it seems like it was once a cool place.

steve · PostDec 30, 2004#92004-12-30T15:13+00:00

You're right, that stretch of Laclede could be really cool.

DeBaliviere: not sure what the Fifth House Bldg. is (surprisingly). And yes, the old BBC is still open, but running well below its potential. The owner also owns Laclede's next door, and operates it at a loss so he can write it off. So what is, in my opinion, the best SLU bar is left to languish.

Anyone know about that warehouse on the intersection of Vandeventer and Forest Park? Is it occuppied. Such a prominent intersection is wasted, as it currently stands.

debaliviere · PostDec 30, 2004#102004-12-30T15:52+00:00

If you picture the south side of Laclede, going east to west, there is the Warehouse of Fixtures, then a small parking lot, an electrical generator, and then the Fifth House, before you get to Laclede St. Bar & Grill. I've heard that it used to be a nightclub, but it's been vacant for as long as I can remember. It's a neat old building.

That sucks about BBC. Man, I drank a lot of beers at that joint. It could be such a great bar! Unfortunately my old favorite bar, Bullfeathers, is no longer with us as well.

I've always wondered about that building at Forest Park and Vandeventer myself. I like the decorative wrought-iron fixture at the corner of the building.

It's too bad that SLU hasn't bought that ugly self-storage building at Laclede and Vandeventer. It would be cool to have a retail strip there that mirrors the one where Mag's is.

archmadness · PostDec 30, 2004#112004-12-30T15:55+00:00

I had thought that the building on Vandeventer and Forest was going to be part of the bioscience strip that is being developed all along Forest Park. This is only what I'm assuming though.

steve · PostDec 30, 2004#122004-12-30T16:58+00:00

OK, thanks, I know exactly what the Fifth House is now. (Why is it called that?) I, too, always thought it would make a great bar/lounge/coffee house. Not exactly like a bar, but a place to chill that just happened to serve alcohol, you know? Live music and whatnot. It would make a killing, and it seems strange that no one snatched that little baby up. Probably wouldn't cost much to fix up.

As for the U-Store-It place, they probably just don't want to move. Or the owners are simply sitting on the property, knowing its value will skyrocket within the decade. What I presume is the deal with that little chemical factory on Laclede too.

debaliviere · PostDec 30, 2004#132004-12-30T17:04+00:00

The Fifth House was the name of the bar that used to be there. I was at SLU from 93-97 and then 98-01 for grad school, and the building had a sign on it back then. I believe the owners are Fifth House Partnership or something like that.

I had the same thoughts about a coffeeshop there. It would be the perfet place to unwind on a cold day, read or study and enjoy a cup of coffee or lunch. Or a place kind of like the Chocolate Bar in Lafayette Square - a place with a laid back vibe to it.

MattnSTL · PostDec 30, 2004#142004-12-30T18:34+00:00

Hopefully all the buildings talked about in this thread can be developed. That is the one spot around campus that really doesn't look too great, and I think that area of Laclede can leave a bad impression on prospective students, and especially parents.

suburban lou · PostDec 30, 2004#152004-12-30T18:51+00:00

Hopefully SLU won't get there hands on any of them.

steve · PostJan 03, 2005#162005-01-03T04:54+00:00

Yeah, SLU can be pretty bad when it comes to urban development, at least their record to date. I think Biondi wants the best of both worlds--a traditional campus with green space, etc., and a vibrant urban neighborhood. He has achieved the former, and now I think is working on the latter. Remember that it was SLU that gave a substantial--$1million--loan to the developers of the Continental, and I know they are holding out on the Lindell/Grand lot for something of quality and genuine urbanity.

debaliviere · PostJan 03, 2005#172005-01-03T16:51+00:00

I don't think SLU has expressed any interest in the Warehouse of Fixtures property, but they have stated that they would like to see it redeveloped in a manner that will serve the SLU community. I'm not too optimistic about the Fifth House though.

I'm also surprised that SLU hasn't redeveloped the strip of houses (about four or so) on the north side of Laclede, between Forest Pharmaceuticals and the old Pasta House. They bought those houses several years ago, but it doesn't look like they've put any money into them.

At least Laclede looks a lot better than it did when I was in school. Back then, there were old one-story warehouses that stretched from Vandeventer all the way to the Pasta House (the student village apartments were under construction when I was a senior). The warehouses were really run-down and were partially occupied. Just to show my age, occasionally students would rent them out and hold raves there.

urbanstlouis · PostJan 07, 2005#182005-01-07T18:23+00:00

I just emailed Alderman Joseph D. Roddy in the 17th Ward to find out where I can learn more about the Warehouse of Fixtures redevelopment. Last time I emailed an Alderman, they returned the message via a phone call the very next day!

I did get an email reply from Joseph Roddy the day after emailing him... he had said that this project shouldn't be impacted by the Grand Center TIF lawsuit. Dan Krasnoff would be the person to contact for more information about the project. Though I haven't called him yet, he can be reached at 314-535-5311.

PostJan 07, 2005#192005-01-07T18:31+00:00

The St. Louis Business Journal reported today that the developers of the Warehouse of Fixtures redevelopment have purchased three more buildings for nearly $6 million to be incorportated into the project. The redevelopment of the area calls for around 250 apartments, retail and commercial space with construction beginning in about a month.

MattnSTL · PostJan 07, 2005#202005-01-07T18:34+00:00

Sounds good.

debaliviere · PostJan 07, 2005#212005-01-07T20:17+00:00

That's great! I noticed the other day that part of the siding on the warehouse directly behind Humphrey's had been removed. It looks pretty good underneath - I wonder if that's one of the buildings that the developers bought. If so, they probably wanted to see what they were buying beforehand.

Guest · PostJan 08, 2005#222005-01-08T05:28+00:00

I too would like to know about the Fifth House's fate. I can only assume that the name referred to a "fifth" of whiskey as the measure of 1/5th of a gallon or about 750 mL.

There was, for a short time, a decent coffee house in the space that used to be "Clark's" bar across from Humphrey's. SLU demoed the building for something bronze I believe. IMHO, Humphrey's has atmosphere, but it's primarily "college sh*thole", not any urban greatness. The best thing in there is the newel post on the staircase.

The BBC is no longer operating (and neither is Fat Freddie's.) The place is vacant. The big hangout down there now (other than Humphrey's) is Laclede St. Bar & Grill. Excellent Happy Hour and free shuttle to the Cards games.

As long as we're on the bar/lounge/entertainment angle here, let's not forget that SLU also leveled hippie hangout "20 North" in an ugly buyout to build a sculpture park which has been torn down this year and replaced by a simple grassy knoll.

Someone mentioned Pasta House. That's now vacant too! I think that Tucci (founder and SLU Board) "sold" SLU a franchise and SLU failed to make it profitable. I'll make that a music club if anyone's up for working late nights with me.

MattnSTL · PostJan 08, 2005#232005-01-08T05:56+00:00

The grassy knoll that you speak of is actually an intramural field, but no big deal. I would like to see some development on all of the surface lots at the west end of SLU's campus. I drive by them everyday going to class, and they drive me crazy.

debaliviere · PostMar 17, 2005#242005-03-17T16:00+00:00

From Martin Van Der Werf:

Aquinas Institute of Theology, an independent graduate institution with 200 students on the campus of St. Louis University, is moving.

A 38,000-square-foot building under renovation at the former Warehouse of Fixtures at Spring Avenue and Forest Park Avenue will be the institute's new home, developer Rick Zimmerman says. He and two partners are renovating five other buildings at the site into a complex of 254 loft-style apartments and a 375-car parking garage.

The institute's new home should be ready by December.

PostApr 24, 2005#252005-04-24T16:19+00:00

First the Century Building, now Humphrey's?? NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

<A HREF="http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/c ... 03254B7">A SLU classic faces squeeze from developers</A>

By Bill McClellan

Of the Post-Dispatch

04/24/2005

THERE IS A SENSE of timelessness, alums will tell you, at Humphrey's Restaurant and Tavern just south of the St. Louis University campus on Laclede Avenue. The saloon looks much as it did when it first opened 29 years ago.

It was then, and is now, a place to get a beer and a sandwich, but as the lunch hour turns into afternoon and then into night, and the crowd morphs from middle-aged workers into grad students and upperclassmen, the beer becomes ever more important. That has been the nature of the place since Bob "Humphrey" Mangelsdorf decided to open an "upscale" campus bar in 1976.

But now redevelopment has come to Laclede, and the future of the landmark saloon is in jeopardy.

<A HREF="http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/c ... EC003254B7">>>> read more</A>