St. Louis: under construction!

By Rodney Crim For the St. Louis American

Thursday, March 3, 2005 2:49 PM CST



It is a building boom not seen in the city in generations. Major development projects are underway or planned for all across the city representing hundreds of millions of dollars. Last year, the city issued more building permits than in any year in St. Louis history.



There are too many projects to list, but here's a sampling of what's going on and what's to come in 2005:



Residential development:



New homes in the Ville. The area surrounding the former Homer G. Phillips Hospital will see additional housing development. The first 10 are already out of the ground.



Citirama. A cluster of new developments in the old Gaslight Square area, is moving into Phase II.



Old North St. Louis. This neighborhood is becoming the "Soulard of the 21st Century," with new homes selling for up to $280,000 around St. Louis Place Park and renovation transforming the historic homes east of West Florissant.



Blumeyer/Renaissance Place. Phase I family homes are complete and senior citizens will soon move from the old Blumeyer high-rise to Renaissance Place.



North of the Loop. New single-family homes are springing up throughout this area, some priced upward of $250,000 and some affordable.



Commercial development:



I-70 and Goodfellow. A Home Depot and several smaller stores are planned for the former St. Louis Army Ammunition Plant at I-70 and Goodfellow n , an estimated $18 million project.



MLK Plaza and Roberts Village. MLK Plaza at Page and Grand is expanding, and more retail stores are opening in Roberts Village on Euclid.



Walgreens. A new Walgreens at Natural Bridge and Kingshighway is nearly complete.



North Riverfront. United Fruit and Produce, Dial and Procter & Gamble are expanding their businesses.



Public improvements:



*Nearly $8 million in improvements will be made to Dr. Martin Luther King Drive from Tucker to the Wellston border. Phase I from Jefferson to Grand is already under construction.



*New streetlights and sidewalks are gracing Riverview Boulevard.



*The Kingshighway bridge over I-70 is ready to be rebuilt.



Elsewhere around the City, neighborhoods are continuing to see bustling construction activity with new and rehabilitated homes. The new two-story Target at Hampton and Chippewa will open just in time for holiday shopping (and Target is looking for new city locations), new apartments will open at The Highlands @ Forest Park, and more stores will open in the Southtown shopping center.



The city is positioning itself as a leader in the life science technology industry with the start of construction in the first Center for Research, Technology, and Entrepreneurial Expertise (CORTEX) building, a laboratory and office building at Forest Park and Boyle.



Downtown is continuing its boom as we anticipate the start of Pinnacle Entertainment's $250 million mixed-use gaming development on Laclede's Landing, the opening of more; new lofts and condos, the completion of; the historic restoration of the Old Post Office, and the construction start for the new Bottle District entertainment district in a seven-block area north of the Edward Jones Dome.



Last but certainly not least, we'll bid farewell to Busch Stadium as it get is demolished to make way for the new Cardinals Ballpark.



More homes. More shopping. More entertainment. More jobs. More excitement as the city returns to greatness n what an exciting time for the City of St. Louis!



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