This project is looking more and more like a mishmash ill planned mess
I rarely have cause to drive down that stretch of Forest Park Ave., so don't know what the status is of the Fresh Thyme store. Why doesn't anyone ever take a pic of it? Did they stop working on it?
It doesn’t look like any work has taken place inside of it.urbanitas wrote:I rarely have cause to drive down that stretch of Forest Park Ave., so don't know what the status is of the Fresh Thyme store. Why doesn't anyone ever take a pic of it? Did they stop working on it?
That's not a good sign. It was supposed to open this fall. And I'd think a grocery store would be the easiest of the purported retail uses to get open here amidst the pandemic restrictions.chriss752 wrote: ↑Jun 29, 2020It doesn’t look like any work has taken place inside of it.urbanitas wrote:I rarely have cause to drive down that stretch of Forest Park Ave., so don't know what the status is of the Fresh Thyme store. Why doesn't anyone ever take a pic of it? Did they stop working on it?
^ Yeah, if a grocery store can't open now, what can? 
I wonder what the implications are for the phase 2/expansion of this whole thing. A few months ago I was at Twisted Roots and the bartender told me their building had been purchased and they weren't sure how long they had left in the place.
I wonder what the implications are for the phase 2/expansion of this whole thing. A few months ago I was at Twisted Roots and the bartender told me their building had been purchased and they weren't sure how long they had left in the place.Drove down to the Foundry today. I like how it came out. Sure, the parking garage is a buzzkill but honestly, we have to learn to live with it. Definitely a mural and some plants/trees would go a long way in making it better than it is.
The grocery store component is still happening according to many people, so that's good news. Overall, the project looks good to me despite the last minute design changes. This was a huge undertaking by the Lawrence Group and they did a great job. Can't wait to walk through the project when it's done and spend some time here with my friends.
Here are some pictures from today...
Office space entrance on Spring near 64.
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Foundry Way (Looking West from Spring). I don't know if you can walk in here since the construction fences are gone, so I stayed out of it. Some design features from renderings that weren't implemented here are a brick style sidewalk (now asphalt), plants and planters (no plants yet, planters could come later), and the overhead lights (similar to what is found on Boyle in Cortex or at the entrance to the Foundry). Maybe they'll be added later. The blank walls would make good art walls so I assume they'll eventually get art painted on them. I do wish there were trees in here so that there could be shade in the spring and summer.
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Spring Street sidewalks...
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The Byco Building: This will be Fresh Thyme Market.
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And here is a few from the Ikea parking lot. The future phases will fill in these parking lots, or at least that's the hope. I personally hope they ditch office for residential in future phases.
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The grocery store component is still happening according to many people, so that's good news. Overall, the project looks good to me despite the last minute design changes. This was a huge undertaking by the Lawrence Group and they did a great job. Can't wait to walk through the project when it's done and spend some time here with my friends.
Here are some pictures from today...
Office space entrance on Spring near 64.
Foundry Way (Looking West from Spring). I don't know if you can walk in here since the construction fences are gone, so I stayed out of it. Some design features from renderings that weren't implemented here are a brick style sidewalk (now asphalt), plants and planters (no plants yet, planters could come later), and the overhead lights (similar to what is found on Boyle in Cortex or at the entrance to the Foundry). Maybe they'll be added later. The blank walls would make good art walls so I assume they'll eventually get art painted on them. I do wish there were trees in here so that there could be shade in the spring and summer.
Spring Street sidewalks...
The Byco Building: This will be Fresh Thyme Market.
And here is a few from the Ikea parking lot. The future phases will fill in these parking lots, or at least that's the hope. I personally hope they ditch office for residential in future phases.
Well, yeah, I mean we will just have to live with it. I don't think it's fair to just throw up your hands as if everything is hunky dory though.chriss752 wrote: ↑Jul 04, 2020Sure, the parking garage is a buzzkill but honestly, we have to learn to live with it. Definitely a mural and some plants/trees would go a long way in making it better than it is.
It's sad that a dev like Lawrence needs an internet forum to tell them how to design sh*t. Or to add trees. This is like, pure pavement, brick, and steel as it stands right now.
its boring ugly uninviting
persons from out of town that did not know specifically what it was would think its and office/factory and an ugly one at that
persons from out of town that did not know specifically what it was would think its and office/factory and an ugly one at that
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It would be really cheap and easy to hang up some of these above the corridor
Well, it was actually the National Park Service that was telling Lawrence group what "sh*t" they could and couldn't do.bwcrow1s wrote: ↑Jul 05, 2020Well, yeah, I mean we will just have to live with it. I don't think it's fair to just throw up your hands as if everything is hunky dory though.chriss752 wrote: ↑Jul 04, 2020Sure, the parking garage is a buzzkill but honestly, we have to learn to live with it. Definitely a mural and some plants/trees would go a long way in making it better than it is.
It's sad that a dev like Lawrence needs an internet forum to tell them how to design sh*t. Or to add trees. This is like, pure pavement, brick, and steel as it stands right now.
See the dead Armory project just across the highway that bucked the NPS and then lost most of their funding for a good example as to why Lawrence Group made some of the decisions that folks here can't seem to move on from. Now they're tied up in some lawsuits and that project isn't going anywhere. For the record, I don't like the garage either and I also know when GRG builds out the trail connections there will be significantly more landscaping, but it's probably time to stop repeatedly beating this horse here.
I must be in the minority but I would think two hulking partially built but failed developments directly across from each other with a major highway passing between them would be a lot worse to "persons from out of town" than what Lawrence Group is doing here.
I'm with Chris on this one. In 5 years when the NPS legal requirements expire, if the project is a success, then some of these things can be rectified, like the world's most evil parking structure. I'm not "throwing my hands up" but I'm not gonna sit here and bit*h anymore either.
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^100% agree, with adamant recognition that it's the NPS that mandated the garage's design, and not the developers.
Excited for this to open, and glad that some of the historic elements made it through. I bet it will be awesome inside.
The Forest Park ave elevation is horrible though, drove by it yesterday and what you see should only be exposed to an alley, not a street.
The Forest Park ave elevation is horrible though, drove by it yesterday and what you see should only be exposed to an alley, not a street.
I feel like this is the general sentiment with all the projects around here. Are there things a lot of people wish were different? Yeah. Is it better than what was there before? Yeah. If we're ever short on grassy fields, surface level parking, and dilapidated buildings then hopefully that means more urban and striking projects will come. I don't mean to give off a "just be grateful for anything" vibe, but I have a feeling if better options existed they'd come to fruition. I get in this case there were also some other factors in play, but I mean generally speaking.
I'm rooting for this to be success. Any word on what will replace Punchbowl Social? I think they went bankrupt. I wouldn't mind a similar concept...Westport Social can be a good time, but I'd rather not travel 20+ minutes to Maryland Heights. I guess Sports & Social just opened in BPV, but I'm not ready to go into that environment yet.
I'm rooting for this to be success. Any word on what will replace Punchbowl Social? I think they went bankrupt. I wouldn't mind a similar concept...Westport Social can be a good time, but I'd rather not travel 20+ minutes to Maryland Heights. I guess Sports & Social just opened in BPV, but I'm not ready to go into that environment yet.
Drove by Foundry today and saw that the garage has been painted black... I don't know if that means they are going to apply a different facade or keep it black.
When is anything/something going to OPEN at whatever this place is?
Is there an anchor store at this place?
And who is the target consumer that will go to this roadside bizarre?
Is there an anchor store at this place?
And who is the target consumer that will go to this roadside bizarre?
It could be in preparation of an art wall or something like that. I'll get more info later this week on that and if there will be any landscaping done on Forest Park.2020STL wrote: ↑Jul 14, 2020Drove by Foundry today and saw that the garage has been painted black... I don't know if that means they are going to apply a different facade or keep it black.
1. Some office tenants are moved in but I don't remember who exactly. Maybe Bull Horn? The Food Hall should open this Fall in addition to additional office tenants moving in. The Alamo Cinema will open in the Spring. Phase 2 will begin construction next year.hebeters2 wrote: ↑Jul 14, 2020When is anything/something going to OPEN at whatever this place is?
Is there an anchor store at this place?
And who is the target consumer that will go to this roadside bizarre?
2. Publicly, Fresh Thyme Market is the anchor retail tenant. There will be announcements regarding other retail tenants (both big and small) relatively soon.
3. Regarding the target consumer, I think they'll be targeting college students, nearby residents, tourists, and just interested people more than anything. The Food Hall will be the biggest draw for this development.
Webcam views. The Food Hall and Foundry Way are featured here. I really want to know how they're going to spruce up Foundry Way some. The lack of overhead lights and plants is a bit concerning to me. Needs some color and they can't rely on tenants to bring that color.
I think some basic planters with colorful plants (flowers and little trees) and overhead lights would do the trick here. Preferably, I would like some larger trees and some shady areas. Add some colorful umbrellas or those sheet things that hang from poles. It may be against historic rules, but some awnings would look nice too.
I think some basic planters with colorful plants (flowers and little trees) and overhead lights would do the trick here. Preferably, I would like some larger trees and some shady areas. Add some colorful umbrellas or those sheet things that hang from poles. It may be against historic rules, but some awnings would look nice too.
^ Chris, any chance phase 2 gets delayed/cancelled at all? You said next year it would begin, which would be great, but didn't know if the current landscape changes anything.
I'm a little concerned about the lack color/trees/"inviting-ness" myself, but I'll hold off true judgement until this whole thing is done. It's still pretty incredible what's become of this scorched eyesore, so I'd hate to be too harsh. I remember hearing about them wanting artists for some of the walls, so that's good.
How close is that one building to the top of parking garage? Could make an easy rooftop pavilion area.
I'm a little concerned about the lack color/trees/"inviting-ness" myself, but I'll hold off true judgement until this whole thing is done. It's still pretty incredible what's become of this scorched eyesore, so I'd hate to be too harsh. I remember hearing about them wanting artists for some of the walls, so that's good.
How close is that one building to the top of parking garage? Could make an easy rooftop pavilion area.
They’re currently raising money for Phase 2. I found these renderings online one night and shows that Phase 2 will be two more office buildings, a parking garage and retail space. It sort of explains why that one lot near the entrance isn’t paved yet. The high-rise was scrapped for now.EssTeeEll wrote:^ Chris, any chance phase 2 gets delayed/cancelled at all? You said next year it would begin, which would be great, but didn't know if the current landscape changes anything.
I'm a little concerned about the lack color/trees/"inviting-ness" myself, but I'll hold off true judgement until this whole thing is done. It's still pretty incredible what's become of this scorched eyesore, so I'd hate to be too harsh. I remember hearing about them wanting artists for some of the walls, so that's good.
How close is that one building to the top of parking garage? Could make an easy rooftop pavilion area.
They say that Phase 1’s office space is 90% leased, so that’s why they’re moving ahead with an additional 139,000SF of office space. Additional retail space will be interesting to see who they can get.
On an honest note, I expect the high-rise office building to become apartments just because I think they’d like to have that component here. If they can build a residential building as tall as the office building they wanted to do here, they could get a decent amount of units on this site.
And yes, I’ll hold off further judgement until this is open. I expect there will be color and landscaping added.
The building near the parking garage has a small gap between the two
I understand it's "a thing" right now, but personally, I'm not a fan of Industrial Chic. I wish they'd go full contemporary with the new construction (or is that against the NPS rules too?).
I mean, of course the high rise is put aside for now.
This is kind of the same sh*t different day for phased developments. I wish we weren't leaving the future of our city fabric to singular developers.
Lastly, I thought we established the trestle wasn't being used for anything anymore? Or is that not the case?
This is kind of the same sh*t different day for phased developments. I wish we weren't leaving the future of our city fabric to singular developers.
Lastly, I thought we established the trestle wasn't being used for anything anymore? Or is that not the case?