Gills Projects in The Grove and FPSE Neighborhood

arch city · PostMay 04, 2005#12005-05-04T20:12+00:00

Rumors swirl that the Gills are shopping on Manchester

By Deb Peterson

Of the Post-Dispatch

05/04/2005

DEVELOPMENT BUZZ: Word on the street - the Manchester strip to be exact - is that Amy and Amrit Gill plan to buy lots of real estate along Manchester Avenue from Tower Grove Avenue to Sarah Street. (We heard up to 40 buildings, but someone in the know said that figure was a "pipe dream.")

No details, but some of the plans are rumored to be on an upcoming agenda of a city development board. The Gills are well-known in development circles, and count the Coronado and the Moolah Shrine Temple among their more recent successes.

beer city · PostMay 05, 2005#22005-05-05T17:24+00:00

Deb Peterson reported yesterday that the Gill's are trying to buy quite a few properties along Manchester in "The Grove" or Forest Park South East.

southcity · PostMay 27, 2005#32005-05-27T14:44+00:00

Interesting article from channel 5 news about developers Amy and Amrit Gill. The part I found most interesting "For their next big project, they'll take on an entire neighborhood, rehabbing everything from houses to shops and restaurants. That location, for now, remains a secret." These two are a great asset to the development of St. Louis. The entire article is at http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.a ... ryid=79965

thewayofthearch · PostMay 27, 2005#42005-05-27T15:04+00:00

I went to the grand opening at the Cloisters yesterday evening. THey did a great job. Had good conversations with a couple of Restoration St. Louis staffers. They praised the Gills, and talked about how rewarding it was working for someone with such vision.

I asked about the building in Cupples that the Gills had mentioned rehabbing after Downtown now planned on demolishing it. The question was deftly evaded by Charles, a RSTL rep, though I didn't get a no either.

Anyone know what building on skinker they're doing?

jmedwick · PostMay 27, 2005#52005-05-27T15:15+00:00

I don't remember the name of the building, but the article was in the post some time ago. The building on skinker is north of delmar in what i think are some low level industrial buildings.

markofucity · PostMay 27, 2005#62005-05-27T15:17+00:00

I believe they were planning to redevelope the old winery north of delmar. I thiknk its starts with a B

Expat · PostMay 27, 2005#72005-05-27T15:25+00:00

The Gills should be named the Patron Saints of Visionary Development. St. Louis seems to be filled with visionary people nowadays. I am old enough to remember the days when their type of vision was unheard of.

matt · PostMay 27, 2005#82005-05-27T15:30+00:00

And they're not native to St. Louis, is that right? I wonder how they wider, more traditional real estate development community them or accepts them?

I would bet that they are in the same class as the Drury's or even Richard Baron, operating at some distance, a little independent of the good old boy status quo.

thewayofthearch · PostMay 27, 2005#92005-05-27T15:31+00:00

Is the skinker deal the Bardenmeier or whatever that wellston seems to be blocking?

urbanstlouis · PostMay 27, 2005#102005-05-27T16:18+00:00

TheWayoftheArch wrote:Is the skinker deal the Bardenmeier or whatever that wellston seems to be blocking?

Redevelopment of former Bardenheier Winery

http://www.urbanstl.com/viewtopic.php?t=845

southcitygent · PostMay 27, 2005#112005-05-27T16:36+00:00

I bet the neighborhood they are referring to will be Forest Park Southeast, specifically the Manchester strip. I remember reading sonewhere (perhaps Deb Peterson's column) that this was where their focus would turn next.

MattnSTL · PostMay 27, 2005#122005-05-27T20:04+00:00

Yes, it was in Deb Petersons collumn. That's what I thought as soon as I read the first few lines.

jmedwick · PostAug 18, 2005#132005-08-18T14:47+00:00

From Martin Van Der Werf:

They have transformed fading hulks - the Coronado building, the Moolah Temple - into commercial gems and turned a former elementary school and a convent into whimsical multifamily housing.

Now, Amrit and Amy Gill are taking on an entire neighborhood.

The couple's company, Restoration St. Louis, quietly has bought 23 pieces of property in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood and has 10 more under contract. The properties include 10 commercial buildings, mostly along the broken sidewalks of Manchester Avenue.

It is a new approach to bringing an area back, says Amrit Gill.

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"We need to get the commercial strip back, we need to bring the neighborhood back, so people will want to come here," he said. "We didn't think we could do one and not the other."

The neighborhood, just south of U.S. Highway 40 (Interstate 64) and roughly between Kingshighway and Vandeventer Avenue, already has had about $15 million invested by Washington University Medical Center in buying and rehabilitating property, says executive director for business affairs Brian Phillips.

But crime has plagued the neighborhood. A 62-year-old grandmother was killed in her home in December. David Renard, who with two brothers owns Renard Paper Co., has been buying up houses and tearing them down or boarding them up to protect against drug dealers and vandals moving in.

The Gills bought possibly the most stable neighborhood fixture, La Dolce Via, a coffeehouse and bakery on Taylor Avenue. They also bought a bar on Taylor, two blocks north, and already are converting it into a restaurant with outdoor seating.

Crews are beginning to renovate the housing, and some of it will be on the market by year's end.

The Gills have committed $14 million to the project. Amy Gill says they will not ask for any public money, other than tax abatement on the renovated housing.

Renard is selling most of his property to the Gills. "After everything else I've seen that (they've) done, how can I complain?" he said. "It's not second-class, that's for sure."

It should be intersting to see how this project progresses.

Expat · PostAug 18, 2005#142005-08-18T16:08+00:00

I have been waiting to hear more on this. It will be interesting to watch this.

debaliviere · PostAug 18, 2005#152005-08-18T16:22+00:00

This is so good to hear. Having the Gills own 33 properties will really help the neighborhood and the business district - it seems like things were progressing there, but had stalled somewhat.

MattnSTL · PostAug 18, 2005#162005-08-18T19:40+00:00

This could be amazing. I wish other neighborhood type developers were as ambitious as the Gills, and actually understood urban development. Or we all just had more money.

loulou · PostOct 29, 2005#172005-10-29T21:01+00:00

has anyone heard any updates on this project? have the gills drawn up a masterplan, for example? thanks.

ecoabsence · PostNov 15, 2005#182005-11-15T17:24+00:00

As far as acceptance in the development community, the Gills have ran into nothing but trouble with Grand Center, Inc. and City Hall. Remember that the Gills wanted to rehab the Century Building but got slapped down by Slay big-time.

They truly are working outside the box. The Gills have many admirers -- just few within the government/nonprofit complex.

framer · PostNov 16, 2005#192005-11-16T06:24+00:00

The Gills just received one of the "Developer of the Year' awards at the city's recent downtown Business Luncheon. Maybe the City Hall types are starting to warm up to them.

matt drops the h · PostNov 24, 2005#202005-11-24T05:02+00:00

From MayorSlay.com

The Grove

In a new podcast on this site, spirited Laura Winter talked about the power of names ? specifically, the name of her neighborhood, Old North St. Louis. It is, she said, too much of a mouthful for some of its residents. We?re thinking about calling ourselves ?Oh No? or ?No Do? to help with the marketing, she said, tongue only half in cheek.

I thought about Laura and Will Winter when I heard about Amy Gill?s new campaign to re-brand part of Forest Park Southeast as ?the Grove.? Amy and her husband, Amrit Gill, own or control an important portfolio of residential and commercial properties along Manchester. Their ambitious plans are to transform Manchester?s old storefronts and the residential blocks behind them into an edgy, vibrant neighborhood. And their thought is that ?Forest Park Southeast? lacks the hip cachet that could make the effort easier. So, they have launched a campaign in which a long-neglected City neighborhood earns new life and a new name.

Does a name really matter? Ask Joe Edwards about ?The Loop.?

southslider · PostNov 25, 2005#212005-11-25T16:21+00:00

FPSE is really only used by the area's Housing Corporation/CDC headed by Irving Blue. The GLBT and older businesses prefer "Manchester Strip," while the residents have pocket areas, like "Gibson Heights" or "Adams Grove." It's the newer businesses like Atomic Cowboy and newer developers like the Gills, who are pushing for "The Grove."

Hizzoner's blog post is partly tongue-in-cheek back at Laura too, since she is skeptical of "The Grove," since it is largely supported by the gentrifying interests within FPSE. Laura's former block and surroundings in that neighborhood saw overlooked services, making one think that the City is intentionally dis-serving current poor residents to encourage their flight for the new gentry to pick up vacant properties.

To be fair, though, "Nodo" or "O'No" also sound a little too hip (sim to NYC's Sodo or Denver's Lodo) that such names ironically would seem supported by the rehabbing interests in Old North. So then, what's really the difference between rehabbers and gentrifiers? Presumably, the former is more organic and grassroots, while the latter are folks wanting move-in ready developed by bigger players. Still, the two can often look, if not actually evolve, one in the same.

urbanstlouis · PostDec 30, 2005#222005-12-30T20:56+00:00

There is an article in today's St. Louis Business Journal that summarizes what the Gill's efforts in the FPSE neighborhood... I am sure the link will be live on Monday as usual.

pminden · PostDec 30, 2005#232005-12-30T21:09+00:00

Happy to have them in the neighborhood.

FYI. This neighborhood is one of the City's best kept secrets. It is centrally located between Interstates 64 and 44, within walking distance of BJC/WUMC, Forest Park and the Central West End, 5 minutes from The Hill, 10 minutes from SLU and Downtown, 12 minutes from Clayton.

Although significant rehab has occured over the past 10 years, housing prices and rental rates remain affordable.

The Atomic Cowboy, Sweetie Pie's and El Mundo Latino are the latest additions to this vibrant community.

irocktheparty2000 · PostDec 31, 2005#242005-12-31T02:14+00:00

urbanstlouis wrote:There is an article in today's St. Louis Business Journal that summarizes what the Gill's efforts in the FPSE neighborhood... I am sure the link will be live on Monday as usual.

Can anyone give me the geographical boundries of FPSE as I would like to drive through the area but don't know where to go. Thanks.

urbanstlouis · PostDec 31, 2005#252005-12-31T14:26+00:00

irocktheparty2000 wrote:Can anyone give me the geographical boundries of FPSE as I would like to drive through the area but don't know where to go. Thanks.

The area the Gills are focusing on is sandwiched between I-64 and I-44, bounded by Kingshighway to the west and Vandeventer to the east. Manchester Road is the strip getting a lot of the attention.

According to the St. Louis CIN website, Forest Park Southeast is a "wedge" south of Forty (I-64), east of Kingshighway, and bounded on the east and south by Vandeventer and the railroad tracks just south of Hunt Avenue. It is one-half mile north of I-44. Kingshigway.

Here is the area <A HREF="http://stlouis.missouri.org/forestparks ... tm">map</A>.