Anyone have any insight with Wash U on Goodwill on Forest Park?
Hopefully removing the facade, which already appears to be missing a few chunks.WELCOR wrote: ↑Apr 13, 2021Anyone have any insight with Wash U on Goodwill on Forest Park?
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^Agreed. The majority of the site is about as prime real estate as possible along the Cortex border. The big building (the one in the tweet above) needs the facade ripped off, but otherwise it's a big ass warehouse ready to be redeveloped like the old Crescent Building was. I believe it's currently used as office space, whether for Wash U or Goodwill. If they were looking for a tear-down, there are plenty of other spots along Forest Park Parkway that'd be cheaper and faster to get done - especially the one-story buildings that Wash U already owns and wouldn't have had to buy off of Goodwill. Parking lots and a storage building, too. Also, I live very close to it, and I haven't seen any signs of an imminent Grim Reaper visit to that building. Tearing that building down, rather than redeveloping it, would also be risky to the West End Lofts condos building that is physically connected to the Goodwill building. Considerable liability risks. Finally, I'm pretty sure Wash U said they intend to redevelop that building, not destroy it for something else.
Looking forward to what they're going to do with it (office vs residential) and seeing redevelopment construction get underway, the sooner the better.
Of course, I'm talking about the large building with the ugly facade in the picture above, which is not the only part of the Goodwill site. The modern extension connecting it to the old one-story building on the west side of the site footprint? The black glass mess on the right side of the tweeted photo? I can see that getting a fast death, and I'd cheer it on. That addition is butt ugly and needs to be redeveloped. The parking lot right in front of it, too. While it'd be nice to see the small old building on the west side of the site retained, I'm at a loss to think of what it could be versus what could be built there instead.
Looking forward to what they're going to do with it (office vs residential) and seeing redevelopment construction get underway, the sooner the better.
Of course, I'm talking about the large building with the ugly facade in the picture above, which is not the only part of the Goodwill site. The modern extension connecting it to the old one-story building on the west side of the site footprint? The black glass mess on the right side of the tweeted photo? I can see that getting a fast death, and I'd cheer it on. That addition is butt ugly and needs to be redeveloped. The parking lot right in front of it, too. While it'd be nice to see the small old building on the west side of the site retained, I'm at a loss to think of what it could be versus what could be built there instead.
From STL Biz Journal:
Hank Webber, Wash U's executive vice chancellor for civic affairs and strategic planning, said the university is currently working on redevelopment plans for the three buildings, which encompass some 150,000 square feet and date to 1919.
He said Wash U considers the redevelopment of the Crescent Building, now known as the BioSTL building, and @4240 Building as "models" for the Goodwill buildings, the last needing redevelopment in the heart of the district. Wash U, with a $3.5 billion annual budget, was also involved in the Crescent redevelopment.
The Goodwill buildings "are very important because they're very visible and face Forest Park Parkway, so we want to do something pretty special with it," Webber said. He said it's a "terrific opportunity for redevelopment," though potential cost isn't yet known.
Hank Webber, Wash U's executive vice chancellor for civic affairs and strategic planning, said the university is currently working on redevelopment plans for the three buildings, which encompass some 150,000 square feet and date to 1919.
He said Wash U considers the redevelopment of the Crescent Building, now known as the BioSTL building, and @4240 Building as "models" for the Goodwill buildings, the last needing redevelopment in the heart of the district. Wash U, with a $3.5 billion annual budget, was also involved in the Crescent redevelopment.
The Goodwill buildings "are very important because they're very visible and face Forest Park Parkway, so we want to do something pretty special with it," Webber said. He said it's a "terrific opportunity for redevelopment," though potential cost isn't yet known.
Well Hank, I'd say that also applies to all those perfectly fine apartment buildings which you are about to level on the 4300 block...Tim wrote: ↑Apr 13, 2021From STL Biz Journal:
Hank Webber, Wash U's executive vice chancellor for civic affairs and strategic planning, said the university is currently working on redevelopment plans for the three buildings, which encompass some 150,000 square feet and date to 1919.
The Goodwill buildings "are very important because they're very visible and face Forest Park Parkway, so we want to do something pretty special with it," Webber said. He said it's a "terrific opportunity for redevelopment," though potential cost isn't yet known.
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Is the Goodwill building's original facade still intact under the modern brickwork?
Another question for anyone who might have some good insight, is CORTEX about to endeavor upon a number of construction projects and or is the dem along with Goodwill purchase being finalized simply posturing for later down the road?
Or another way to expand upon Debaliviere post, does CORTEX have some possible tenants available to go forward with Goodwill building rehabs? or simply making sure they own the property now instead of missing out on owning the property later type deal?
Or another way to expand upon Debaliviere post, does CORTEX have some possible tenants available to go forward with Goodwill building rehabs? or simply making sure they own the property now instead of missing out on owning the property later type deal?
Bizjournal article on Cambridge Innovation Center announcing new general manager on the website. Behind paywall so not sure if any tidbits and or nuggets of interest added
https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... nager.html
https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... nager.html
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^No big surprises for new developments. Good overview of John Land, the new CIC General Manager.
Well, this sure could be cool...
STL Biz Journal: New Cortex-backed 'global center for cybersecurity' launches (no paywall)
STL Biz Journal: New Cortex-backed 'global center for cybersecurity' launches (no paywall)
Very cool to see Amazon and Dell participating in a new industry initiative that Cortex is founding and leading. This is how we get more jobs here.A new St. Louis-based cybersecurity initiative, backed by the Cortex Innovation Community and aimed fostering collaboration globally within the cyber industry, has launched.
The Global Center for Cybersecurity @ Cortex (GCC) officially began operations Thursday, kicking off its launch by hosting its inaugural Net Measure conference. The nonprofit GCC is structured to place a focus on helping the cybersecurity industry solve its most pressing challenges through initiatives focused on collaboration, workforce development and innovation. The GCC’s membership includes large companies, startups, academic institutions and government organizations...
Cortex has served as the founding benefactor of the GCC. The center is funded through membership dues, donations, grants and sponsorships. Its membership includes major St. Louis firms such as Cortex, Emerson Electric and Washington University. It also includes major technology firms, including Seattle-based Amazon and Round Rock, Texas-based Dell Technologies....
“That brand glow will be incredibly powerful,” Fiorello said. “This is developing a St. Louis brand as being on the edge for technology, on the edge for having an inclusion lens in everything we do, an ability to convene the best and the brightest and the ability to launch something because we see a problem and we’re not going to wait. That’s the brand we want and this kind of thing will develop that brand."
There's a paywall nowgone corporate wrote: ↑May 06, 2021Well, this sure could be cool...
STL Biz Journal: New Cortex-backed 'global center for cybersecurity' launches (no paywall)
Very cool to see Amazon and Dell participating in a new industry initiative that Cortex is founding and leading. This is how we get more jobs here.A new St. Louis-based cybersecurity initiative, backed by the Cortex Innovation Community and aimed fostering collaboration globally within the cyber industry, has launched.
The Global Center for Cybersecurity @ Cortex (GCC) officially began operations Thursday, kicking off its launch by hosting its inaugural Net Measure conference. The nonprofit GCC is structured to place a focus on helping the cybersecurity industry solve its most pressing challenges through initiatives focused on collaboration, workforce development and innovation. The GCC’s membership includes large companies, startups, academic institutions and government organizations...
Cortex has served as the founding benefactor of the GCC. The center is funded through membership dues, donations, grants and sponsorships. Its membership includes major St. Louis firms such as Cortex, Emerson Electric and Washington University. It also includes major technology firms, including Seattle-based Amazon and Round Rock, Texas-based Dell Technologies....
“That brand glow will be incredibly powerful,” Fiorello said. “This is developing a St. Louis brand as being on the edge for technology, on the edge for having an inclusion lens in everything we do, an ability to convene the best and the brightest and the ability to launch something because we see a problem and we’re not going to wait. That’s the brand we want and this kind of thing will develop that brand."
Cortex has a page discussing the initiative, but while it does list corporate partners neither Dell nor Amazon are included here: https://www.cortexstl.com/global-center ... ty-cortex/
Regardless of whether those two are active partners or not this is a fantastic thing, and very much needed.
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On the agenda for the TIF Commission next week-
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/d ... Packet.pdf
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/d ... Packet.pdf
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another 610 parking spaces. jfc. not even baby steps. never gonna get there.
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It would be a dream if she vetoed it and told them to lose the parkingjshank83 wrote:The mayor probably vetos this anyway doesn’t she?
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I expect an approach similar to the Foundry to be taken where Alderwoman Pihl tries to work out a deal with KDG for 10% of the TIF to go to Northside projects. I doubt we'll see any movement on parking minimums and what not here soon.SeattleNative wrote: ↑May 22, 2021It would be a dream if she vetoed it and told them to lose the parkingjshank83 wrote:The mayor probably vetos this anyway doesn’t she?
Lose the parking and the owners would lose most of their prospective tenants.
Gotta start somewhere, though. Why even go through the trouble and cost of building a new Link station there if we're just going to subsidize private vehicles?
This will eat up the remainder of the surface parking lot next to 4235 Clayton Ave, correct?
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Hopefully there's a solid discussion of the overall climate in Cortex as we're starting to emerge from a pandemic... was over there last week and it was rather ghostly, although I expect we'll see more folks returning to work in the near future. (Personally I think return to brick-n-mortar should be mandated for Cortex workers... we gotta get that Lion's Choice back open!) Anyway, I assume there is an anchor tenant for the office building; I can't believe they'd be moving forward without one. But what's the status of the sandcrawler project and heath of existing office? Also, what's up with the status on the mixed-use proposal on the Cortex One parking lot? The TIF hearing is coming at a illuminating time.
As for parking, there also should be a solid discussion on this crucial piece of the overall district. For one, whether Cortex is living up to its TIGER grant commitment to build less parking if it got the station... I don't believe there is any kind of clawback, but still. And beyond Cortex, I hope the city does away with parking minimums, and I believe Mayor Jones has mentioned interest in it. If a project can't get financing for a project that's one thing, but it shouldn't be a thing for the city itself to be a barrier to creating a more vibrant, sustainable, and less car-choked future.
As for parking, there also should be a solid discussion on this crucial piece of the overall district. For one, whether Cortex is living up to its TIGER grant commitment to build less parking if it got the station... I don't believe there is any kind of clawback, but still. And beyond Cortex, I hope the city does away with parking minimums, and I believe Mayor Jones has mentioned interest in it. If a project can't get financing for a project that's one thing, but it shouldn't be a thing for the city itself to be a barrier to creating a more vibrant, sustainable, and less car-choked future.