Chicago-based Orchard Development Group plans to build 37 townhomes and vintage style row houses at the corner of Mississippi and Chouteau Avenues in Lafayette Square. The $10 development will be modeled after the Federal-style homes seen throughout Lafayette Square.

Here are a couple rendering of the six new buildings containing a total of 37 townhouses to be constructed on the large vacant lot at the corner of Mississippi and Chouteau Avenues. Two of the buildings containing 25 units will not have street frontage, but will have access coming from semi-private walkways.



Here is a PDF from the city's preservation board for Lafayette Square Town Houses.

http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/pla ... ssippi.pdf

I noticed a crew was grading the site, and I was wondering what was going to be built there. Now I know. Thanks. Looks pretty good too.

Ya, I feel kind of bad for not knowing about it before all of you. I guess it happens once in a while. My sources failed me.

I agree - Chouteau could use a median with trees to block out the industrial area.



I tried to view the Lafayette Square master plan on www.lafayettesquare.org to see what the plans are for Chouteau, but the link wasn't working.

Chouteau's width is expected to accommodate a future southside Metrolink extension. The final planning for such extension will be occurring over the next two years, but unless the state of Misery finally pays anything close to an average state share for transit and the County finally passes its second quarter-cent sales tax, any extensions beyond the delayed Cross-County will be at least ten, if not twenty, years.



So, in the meantime (really a generation of time's passing), it would be nice if street trees were added on the south side of Chouteau. But given the far-off expectations of MetroLink needing to run down the middle of Chouteau, a median could be built soon, even if ultimately ripped out years (if not decades) later.



The only twist of irony is that federal money, if used for Chouteau enhancements, would require any improvements to have a 25-year life span. So, do you build the median gambling that a southside Metro line is 25-plus years off? Better yet, doesn't Lafayette Square have a CID or SBD to pay for area capital improvements? Maybe the City and aldermanic funds could match local tax district funds, and thereby forget federal rules altogether.

DeBaliviere wrote:I tried to view the Lafayette Square master plan on www.lafayettesquare.org to see what the plans are for Chouteau, but the link wasn't working.

I have a jpeg of the master plan, but it is to large to post to the board... and if you resize it, you would lose any of the details. Here is a section of the masterplan showing Chouteau. Looks like a median and lots of trees are planned.

I tried to view the Lafayette Square master plan on www.lafayettesquare.org to see what the plans are for Chouteau, but the link wasn't working.

Half the pages for the urban plan on lafayettesquare.org aren't working. Try the following site instead.

http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/pla ... /plan.html



I'm extremely excited about everything happening in Lafayette square, especially since I will be moving there within the next month!

Great... the link to "Chapter 7 - Chouteau Avenue" offered the following:



7.5 New Land Use Guidelines



The Plan recommends the following for the Chouteau Redevelopment

area:



* Re-zone current industrial land uses to neighborhood

commercial or residential, as required east of McKay Place.



*Over time, work with the Alderman and City to find alternative

sites for commercial uses that are not compatible with a

residential neighborhood.



*The demolition of non-historic buildings will be allowed.



*Encourage high-tech businesses to relocate to this area.



*Improve pedestrian and vehicular connectivity along and

through Chouteau Avenue.



*Chouteau Avenue should be redesigned to include landscape

medians.



*Encourage the development of an entrance from Chouteau to

the loft projects.



*Provide methods to reduce or eliminate sound intrusions by

businesses.



*Business signage should reflect the historical character of the

neighborhood.



*All new construction, lot configurations, block configurations,

building guidelines to follow the Dolman Redevelopment

and Park Avenue Business District guidelines as well as

the Historic Code.

Should Lafayette Square be reserved as a unique urban neighborhood that is alive for events and lunch/dinner times only? or Should it be a Grenwich Village? i.e. more happening



I mean the population is hovering around less than 2,000 and may at best hinge up to 3,000 if we include these new townhomes, single family homes (Vail), and lofts to be built this year and next. The King's Square or whatever is bridging the gap between Lafayette Square and LaSalle, but there will still be public housing between King's thing and Chouteau that needs replacing in several years.

You are right, the gap won't be complete untill all the public housing over there is fixed. No one in either neighborhood is that comfortable going back and forth with a baby ghetto right there.

I always wonder how great the Old Frenchtown area would be had the projects never been built. A truly cohesive neighborhood consisting of LaSalle Park, Lafayette Square and Soulard would be truly remarkable.



Is anything ever going to happen with Bohemian Hill? With City Hospital coming back to life, that area holds more potential than ever.

MattSTL wrote:I noticed a crew was grading the site, and I was wondering what was going to be built there. Now I know. Thanks. Looks pretty good too.

I went by here today on my way downtown this afternoon and it looks like construction is already underway as you had said. You can tell it is summer time again in the city... a lot of activity along Chouteau from Lafayette Walk all the way to 14th Street. Work moving along on Lafayette Walk, something going on at the building across the street from the Gausthaus, there were crews working on the exterior of the Eden Lofts as well as something going on across Chouteau from the Eden Lofts.



ps - The website for Lafayette Walk is no longer "under construction" and they have floorplans, etc... online at: http://www.lafayettewalk.com/

How are these coming along?

I've been wondering the same thing and was meaning to check them out - I'll try to get over there on Sunday to take some pics.

Great attention to long run maintance, I give them an A

Quality Building Details

25-year, 3-tab architectural asphalt composite shingle roof

Brick front and side facades with cast stone and Fypon? architectural details (per plan)

Low maintenance Hardiplank? siding on rear and/or side elevations and garages (per plan)

Energy efficient, thermal windows

Steel single-lite glass rear doors

Solid-core steel residence entry door with deadbolt and viewer

Concrete rear patio and walkway, per plan

Professionally landscaped front yards

Steel overhead garage door with electric opener

The second group of townhomes, to the rear of the site, have been framed, and brickwork has started on the ones at the front corner. Overall, really not much of a differance from the photos Citylover posted back in September.



This is a great looking project, and I really hope they are successful. Anyone know how sales are going?

The renderings look great. I just hope the brickwork is as good as the renderings imply.