If it is for sure Lux, I’m 99.99% sure they’re going to demolish the existing buildings, vacate alleys, and combine lots for a large project.
Well, then I have to hope to heck either you or Quincunx is wrong. Quincunx did his homework on this one. And you know Lux. So I don't hold out a lot of hope. But their new-build stuff doesn't hold a candle to what's already there. Creative reuse would be a much much better solution than yet another five over two.
If it is for sure Lux, I’m 99.99% sure they’re going to demolish the existing buildings, vacate alleys, and combine lots for a large project.
It’s Lux. If the early proposal is as large as what I’ve read, demo is absolutely required.
Sweet-T can deny any possible project before it sees the light of day, and while it’s up to her if and what an engagement process will be that will lead to a final recommendation, we’ll likely plan a process and begin early stages of community engagement. But TBD ultimately.
So, I’ve a good foundation on what such a process within (specifically) the FPSE neighborhood would entail based on what I’ve heard from residents and my own research, but I’d love to hear from anybody about good examples or resources that I can incorporate, consider, or modify to make sure that such a process includes the appropriate community outreach to meeting formats to abatement considerations.
That area of the city is so visible and has been such an eyesore for so long.
With it located in one of the city's hottest neighborhoods, I can only hope that the community will want something truly significant for those parcels. Anything less would be truly disappointing.
It would take very little time for somebody living there to walk to the footbridge over I-64 and go into the Central West End. Same goes for the Manchester strip and Forest Park. Employment centers and recreation abound near this potential development.
For whatever reason, the one area where The Grove seems to not yet be thriving is right along Kingshighway, even at Manchester where you have auto-oriented shops and blighted buildings.
I want St. Louis' change to be visible and apparent to anyone who drives through. This spot is important, and I believe it may be the kind of development that could spark dramatic change for the surrounding area. Imagine a Kinghighway and Manchester that doesn't have a gas station, grass lot, Jiffy Lube, and parking lot at all four corners.
We can have that if we dare to dream a little bigger than we have over the last half-century or longer.
I don't know if it is for sale or not, but I do know that the building at the southeast corner of Kingshighway and Arsenal is for sale. I wouldn't mind demo and new construction there.
Hopefully at some point in the somewhat near future, we can also replace the little car dealership at Arsenal and Morganford.
This will probably be an unpopular opinion, but I like this proposed project. Adds more density, residents to the area, and will also help shut down future proposals for gas stations or a strip mall.
Yeah I like it too, except the two curb cuts on Kingshighway. Leaves a lot of space for something bigger closer to the highway too. I was worried that Lux would go with some large full sized block building, but the large apartment building on Kingshighway with the more neighborhood scaled walk-ups behind it are fairly nice.
Edit: Well, now I'm having some second thoughts. The large apartment building on Kingshighway is fine and all, but why not just renovate the existing historical buildings along Arco and Oakland as the walkups instead of building the faux ones? Well maybe just Arco, looks like the biggest one on Oakland has already been brought down.
The design of the big building on Kingshighway is boring. Not ugly, but feels cookie cutter. That said it’s a great improvement from what’s currently there, so I’d give this project an A- overall.
Wish it had ground level retail, but it's kinda on an island walking-wise so I understand why that part of Kingshighway by the highway ramps wouldn't have retail.
Love the project overall and it's about time those crumbling homes were replaced with something better for the neighborhood. The single family homes in the back are a welcome surprise as well.
Thanks for posting. I got a bit busy this morning, so didn't get to post this project here. A few things to note...
The project you see is dated March 22nd 2021, so it's a few months old. It's also "conceptual" so expect the design to change as it goes through the neighborhood approval process.
Lux reviewed the options for resting the multi-family buildings on Oakland and Arco, and the cost to renovate exceeded what they wanted it to be. Plus, the new small buildings have integrated amenity facilities to make everything work back there.
I wasn't told if they plan to seek incentives or not.
Like the Optimist site project, this too will go before the neighborhood a few times to get feedback from neighbors and answer their questions. The hope is to create something neighbors will be glad to have.
I'd particularly hate to see 4559 Oakland go, as it's a handsome building with nice density and a somewhat unique design/layout from the standard 4-flats or duplexes, and it's in the far southeast corner of the development site. But yeah, 100+ net new units within 1/2 mile of a major employment center, transit, and pedestrian retail strip, despite the demolition (which Drury seems more to blame for at this point than Lux Living), this seems like a net gain.
Some of the higher floor units would have nice, sweeping park views to the NW.
^4559 is already gone. Two of the buildings on Arco look to have new roofs...
Either way, I still like this one overall and the replacements don't look bad...but Arco still seems to have some decent buildings (that look to have been marginally maintained) that could be incorporated into the amenity deck and what not.
