urbanSTL

Interesting have things changed? WUSTL was left with the impression TJs was not interested in such after courting them for Lofts in the Loop.

quincunx wrote: ↑

Sep 10, 2020

Interesting have things changed? WUSTL was left with the impression TJs was not interested in such after courting them for Lofts in the Loop.

I don't believe so.  These sound more like wishful thinking / ideal fits versus sourced rumors.

I agree. Also I wasn't aware they had some very urban locations but it sounds like that isn't really the reason it probably isn't coming here anyway.

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They absolutely do, but only in major cities that have true urban density / can support a store without a large parking lot. When we lived in DC we LOVED going to the TJ's in Georgetown. And when we lived in Chicago it was a 3 min walk to the TJ's at Roosevelt & Wabash. But there's not a single neighborhood in St. Louis that has that level of density & population to support it. Well, at least without the need for it to have a large parking lot at least.

Laife Fulk wrote:They absolutely do, but only in major cities that have true urban density / can support a store without a large parking lot. When we lived in DC we LOVED going to the TJ's in Georgetown. And when we lived in Chicago it was a 3 min walk to the TJ's at Roosevelt & Wabash. But there's not a single neighborhood in St. Louis that has that level of density & population to support it. Well, at least without the need for it to have a large parking lot at least.

Most of the locations in Seattle have parking garages similar to the Whole Foods in the CWE. Think it’s a given a TJs would have one here.


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Right.  But even then, the only neighborhood that TJ would probably be interested in is the CWE. And there's no developments in the pipeline that would have have the space and parking required.  All I'm saying is that I don't see TJ's going into Expo and it's definitely not going into 100.

Laife Fulk wrote:Right.  But even then, the only neighborhood that TJ would probably be interested in is the CWE. And there's no developments in the pipeline that would have have the space and parking required.  All I'm saying is that I don't see TJ's going into Expo and it's definitely not going into 100.

Yeah. Agreed it’s not going into 100. I don’t think TJs at Expo is even a 50% chance, but still a better chance than anywhere else in the city over the next 5 years. Skinker DeBaliviere has fair density, Pershing is a dense street, and DeBaliviere is going to add 500 units. Plus it’s on top of a station making it more accessible, will have the built in parking garage (to much anger), and is right next to a huge attraction like Forest Park. The Brentwood location consistently has a line past the pet store, so there’s demand. Demographics in the area also seem to be in line with where they like to open up shop.


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SeattleNative wrote:

Laife Fulk wrote:Right.  But even then, the only neighborhood that TJ would probably be interested in is the CWE. And there's no developments in the pipeline that would have have the space and parking required.  All I'm saying is that I don't see TJ's going into Expo and it's definitely not going into 100.

Yeah. Agreed it’s not going into 100. I don’t think TJs at Expo is even a 50% chance, but still a better chance than anywhere else in the city over the next 5 years. Skinker DeBaliviere has fair density, Pershing is a dense street, and DeBaliviere is going to add 500 units. Plus it’s on top of a station making it more accessible, will have the built in parking garage (to much anger), and is right next to a huge attraction like Forest Park. The Brentwood location consistently has a line past the pet store, so there’s demand. Demographics in the area also seem to be in line with where they like to open up shop.


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Honestly I’d love a TJs in the new Pearl Co development there. They already confirmed a grocery store is going in the retail space there so it could make sense. I heard a few names pitched for that spot but never Trader Joes.


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TJs has many urban locations in NYC but then again they have no other option there...

SeattleNative wrote: ↑

Sep 10, 2020

 @brianadler6545 , TJs does love urban settings, though. I can think of at least 4 in Seattle. And they tend to follow Whole Foods around and locate within a mile or so of them. 

Well, we've had this discussion multiple times on this forum, but: Trader Joe's was on the West Coast for decades before they started expanding nationally. They pretty much saturated all the high-traffic areas there in the interim. 

They have been much more timid about urban locations in the rest of the country, presumably because of their experiences with urban vs. suburban stores on the West Coast. Or maybe just because the latter is where the low fruit usually hangs.

The most likely spot for a TJ's in the city is a free-standing store with surface parking at either Sarah/Lindell or Sarah/FPA. 

Just about anywhere in the central corridor would capture the increasingly wealthy city shoppers from Brentwood. Hate having to drive out there or to west county for some TJs

It looks like leasing is picking up a bit. 

The move-in ready units (floors 7-14) and the balcony units throughout the entire building are over 50% leased. Overall the building is over 30% leased. 

I toured this building today. Still working on some thoughts and things, but I hope to have a full write up about this on CityScene sooner rather than later. It definitely has the feel of an apartment building in Chicago or New York, that's for sure.

Can't wait to share more to everyone on here and my followers elsewhere. 

It looks pretty stellar at dusk

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^I do hope they plan on uplighting at the base of each of those metal panels. Seems like a no-brainer, but the lights would have to be placed on, or more likely inset into, residents' balconies. 

We've never seen a nighttime rendering of this, so no idea what this building is going to look like at night...

chriss752 wrote: ↑

Sep 14, 2020

Can't wait to share more to everyone on here and my followers elsewhere. 

Looking forward to it.

Alright, so I took a tour of 100 Above the Park this past Sunday and am happy to share with you all the numerous photos I took (81 photos and 1 video in this post). It's a truly special building and doesn't feel like one you'd find in St. Louis, yet here it is! I would like to say that the retail space will be occupied by a pilates studio with that scheduled to open in the first half of 2021. A lease has been signed for that FYI.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to go up to 36. We were limited up to 13 because we didn't have access to the other floors, but that's ok, I'll try to get back another time. The views are still great (as you'll see). I'll start in the lobby.

LOBBY
When you come in off of Kingshighway, there's a small vestibule with black marble on the walls. Upon going into the lobby, you're greeted with the front desk on the right as well as the leasing office. Straight ahead is the door to the elevators and parking garage. To the right is a sitting area and the mail boxes. I get an Art Deco vibe from the lobby, probably because of the angled walls, distorted/fogged glass, brown metallic paint, and bronze mail boxes. The floors are terrazzo in the lobby, with the exception of the sitting area.

Now, the lobby isn't 100% done yet. There still is painting to do as well as installing trim and what not. Beyond that though, the lobby is mostly complete (maybe about 98% complete). Classical music is played lightly over the speakers in the lobby. Also, the lobby is quite narrow, but not too narrow. The building is narrow overall so this is to be expected. Space was used well here.
















LEASING OFFICE
The leasing office, as I said, is to the right of the front desk. When you walk in, there will be a sitting area. The space also includes storage closets, a bathroom and two rooms where leases are signed. I do like the curved corner in here too.








AMENITIES
The 7th Floor is the amenity floor. During my tour, some amenities were not complete, so I didn't get to see them. Those are: the pool, game room, lounge, and more that I forgot the names to. So far, only the business lounge and fitness center are open. The fitness center includes all the basics that you would expect in a luxury building (treadmills, stair steppers, rower, stationary bike, weights, etc). The business lounge is quite empty right now, but I would expect it to fill up with more furniture over time. This space includes a conference room and a semi-private study area. The pool won't open for a few weeks due to the West Pine parking garage screen not being up yet, but the lady showing me around said that the other amenities should be available by this weekend.

The terrace is not yet open either.















HALLWAY+SIGN




UNIT 1311
1311 is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit overlooking Forest Park. When walking in, you immediately notice the windows. The kitchen is right there too and is a nice size with plenty of counter space and cabinets. Straight ahead is a dining table and sitting area. I was thrown off by the view because when you look straight, you see the high-rises on Skinker instead of Clayton. I'm so used to the East-West view points that thus Southwest view point is strange to me. To the right of the sitting area/kitchen area is a hallway with a bedroom, bathroom, and closet with full washer and dryer. At the end of the hallway is the main bedroom with a closet and bathroom.















UNIT 1307
Unit 1307 is a one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit and is perhaps my most favorite unit. Reason for this: it has a view of both the Park and the City. The best of both worlds. The bedroom and sitting area look out over the City, and even though this is the 13th floor, you can still see the Arch, and many buildings in Downtown, Midtown and the Central West End. Where the dining area, at least in the model unit, is, you can see the Park. This unit, like 1311, has plenty of counter and cabinet space. This unit also features a washer and dryer, just like 1311.













VIDEO
Here's a video I made highlighting the units, lobby, and views from outside of the building.


ELEVATOR
The elevator system is a bit different (at least to me). There are not 36 floor buttons in the elevator. Instead, it's just 1-9 and you type in the floor you want to go to. Star takes you to the first floor. The elevators are quick, but smooth. You don't really feel like you're moving. They were built by Kone.



PARKING GARAGE
The Garage is quite compact but they made it work. Employees and residents enter off of West Pine and exit that way too. The entrance/exit to the alley is available, but not used much for now. The garage also features storage units for residents, but I didn't get a picture of that. There is no public parking allowed here.



Here are some pictures of the building from multiple angles...










To end this post, here are pictures of the building from Rock Hill along Manchester and from near Spring and Lindell...

Love the first pic from multiple angles with the Whole Foods sign showing. Thanks for sharing!

I realize it's not finished yet, but the lobby strikes me as rather cold and sterile. I'm sure plants and artwork will liven it up. 

And gosh darn it; I sure wish the entire facade had been wrapped in glass. Those metal panels are pretty distracting. Hopefully weathering will tone them down.  

Thanks for the tour, Chris. 

That corner of 1307 would be a great place to sit and play the piano.

symphonicpoet wrote: ↑

Sep 17, 2020

That corner of 1307 would be a great place to sit and play the piano.

Maybe, if you ask the occupant politely...

^If that's going to be your place I would be happy to help throw you a housewarming party. Could even try to write you something special for the occasion. I'm not the equal of Haydn, of course, but I can hold my own.

17th floor views. Pictures by me.

Great work Chris! Only complaints would be that the hallways look depressing as hell, like a public college dorm. And the pool deck seems pretty sad as well, considering the cost of the building and wealth of future residents. 

Any word on monthly rates? Considering a move back to STL and this would be target #1A for an apartment.