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PostMar 25, 2017#76

Here's an early concept to redevelop the Cupple's Station area. It would have included renovation and new construction. The main feature was an arched, glass-enclosed arcade connecting four of the buildings:






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PostMar 25, 2017#77

STLrainbow wrote:
Mar 24, 2017
bwcrow1s wrote:
Mar 18, 2017
Would be great to eventually tear out the Kiener garages and replace with some new buildings with underground parking. Jesus those are such eyesores. What was torn down to build them?
Ms. Krewson, tear down those garages! Good q on what was there before... anyone?
http://collections.mohistory.org/resource/152307.html
http://collections.mohistory.org/resource/146518.html

Best I could find left side of the picture would be the north side of the garages. Looks like the old Globe democrat was the most significant loss. Of course I don't know if it was still there when they started construction on the garages.

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PostMar 25, 2017#78

framer wrote:
Mar 25, 2017
Here's an early concept to redevelop the Cupple's Station area. It would have included renovation and new construction. The main feature was an arched, glass-enclosed arcade connecting four of the buildings:





When was this proposed?

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PostMar 25, 2017#79

chriss752 wrote:
When was this proposed?
Not too long ago. Mid 2000s maybe?

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PostMar 25, 2017#80

^That was a great proposal. I'm pretty sure I remember Clarence Harmon announcing it and having a big press conference and lots of hoopla. That actually did start to get the ball rolling on Cupples Station, although most of it never happened (which I'm actually okay with in the instance if the big glass atrium which also looked a bit too similar to the St. Louis Centre design).

PostMar 25, 2017#81

Those were some of the earliest days of the Downtown renaissance.

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PostMar 25, 2017#82

wabash wrote:
Mar 25, 2017
although most of it never happened (which I'm actually okay with in the instance if the big glass atrium which also looked a bit too similar to the St. Louis Centre design).
I actually liked the glass thingy. Kind of a poor man's version of Milan's Galerie Vittorio Emanuele.


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PostMar 25, 2017#83

I would still like to see the triangle of land in Cupples between the highway ramps developed as a pocket park.

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PostMar 28, 2017#84

The original design for the Stan Musial Bridge called for dramatically leaning towers and a more refined, artistic treatment of the cables. Also, the piers would have been on the shoreline, rather than in the water, creating a much longer central span. It would have been the longest clear span across the Mississippi, and the longest cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

Budget concerns resulted in a much more standard design.


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PostMar 28, 2017#85

That's sad that we never got the original bridge design


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PostMar 28, 2017#86

I want to say the difference in price was pretty impressive too: a cool billion ten years ago vs. 300 million, as I recall. The original design would have had more lanes, as well, I believe. But only one more in each direction. It's lovely, but that's a lot of money. It's a shame, but I can understand the compromise. That said . . . yeah, it's pretty.

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PostMar 28, 2017#87

Does anyone have a rendering of the high-rise that Opus proposed on Skinker just south of 801? I believe it was around 2004 or something. Needless to say, the NIMBYS shot that one down.

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PostMar 28, 2017#88

stlgasm wrote:
Mar 28, 2017
Does anyone have a rendering of the high-rise that Opus proposed on Skinker just south of 801? I believe it was around 2004 or something. Needless to say, the NIMBYS shot that one down.





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PostMar 28, 2017#89

Moorlander- the rendering you posted was the original proposal for Lindell & Euclid, but Opus also proposed a tower (about 15 stories if I remember correctly) on Skinker just south of 801 S. Skinker. Residents of the single family homes killed it because they flipped out about traffic and shadows.

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PostMar 28, 2017#90

I've searched for that rendering myself, and haven't been able to find it. I'm pretty sure the West End Word featured it back when it was proposed. I don't remember the year, though.

Sure would have been a great addition to the Forest Park Skyline.

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PostMar 28, 2017#91

framer wrote:
Mar 28, 2017
I've searched for that rendering myself, and haven't been able to find it. I'm pretty sure the West End Word featured it back when it was proposed. I don't remember the year, though.

Sure would have been a great addition to the Forest Park Skyline.
Thanks! I'll try to dig through the West End Word archives. I agree it would've been great to see a new tower rising on Skinker.

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PostMar 28, 2017#92

^A bit more info on the high rise proposed for 901 S. Skinker: According to The Days and NIghts of the Central West End, architect John Cohen proposed a 15-story, 15-unit building at Skinker and San Bonita. This was in 1983. Neighborhood opposition led him to reduce the building to 6 units on 3 floors.

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PostMar 29, 2017#93

stlgasm wrote:Moorlander- the rendering you posted was the original proposal for Lindell & Euclid, but Opus also proposed a tower (about 15 stories if I remember correctly) on Skinker just south of 801 S. Skinker. Residents of the single family homes killed it because they flipped out about traffic and shadows.

Whooooops



Was it called CornerStone Forest Park?
https://urbanstl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=72


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PostMar 29, 2017#94

^Interesting reading that CornerStone thread; must have been just a couple of months before I joined the Forum.

I'm still confused about which project is which; were there two proposals along Skinker? The one I remember was proposed in 1983 (see above). Perhaps this other CornerStone project (2005) was proposed for the grassy lot next to 801 S. Skinker. This Street View shows the 3-story Cohen building (which was scaled down from it's original 15), and a vacant lot between it and 801. I guess that's where Cornerstone tore down the house and wanted to build their tower.


https://www.google.com/maps/@38.6353484 ... 312!8i6656

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PostMar 29, 2017#95

moorlander wrote:
Mar 29, 2017
Whooooops
Was it called CornerStone Forest Park?
https://urbanstl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=72
That's it, moorlander! Good sleuthing! I guess I was mistaken-- Cornerstone was the developer, not Opus. Is Cornerstone even around anymore? Man, it's so cool reading my own posts from 12 years ago!

Framer- I believe the 1983 proposal was slated for the south side of San Bonita at Skinker, where the deliciously '80s Nine Zero One 4-story building currently stands. The Cornerstone tower was to be on the vacant lot on the north side of San Bonita, just south of 801. Still vacant today, surprise surprise.

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PostMar 29, 2017#96

So if things had worked out differently, we'd have two more modern high rises on Skinker right now. Sigh.

PostMar 29, 2017#97

The southwest corner of Forsyth and Hanley (where Centene is now). A half-million sq. ft. of office space facing Forsyth, and a 250 room all-suite hotel facing Carondelet, all on top of a massive parking garage:


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PostMar 30, 2017#98

My personal favorite:


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PostMar 30, 2017#99

^Why was that cancelled


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PostMar 30, 2017#100

Yeah, that was a cool one. It was designed by a well-known Mexican architect, IIRC. I don't think it was ever a serious proposal, though; just SLU playing a game of "what if".

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