Either proposed project could easily bump St. Louis up a notch in terms of distribution capabilities.



Location of huge development depends upon interchange site

By Martin Van Der Werf

Of the Post-Dispatch

01/06/2005



Buried deep in the federal transportation bill now being discussed in Washington is the key to what is likely to be the single largest development in St. Louis area history.



Overland-based Clayco Construction Co. and Crestwood-based G.J. Grewe Inc. have proposed competing ventures in Illinois featuring light manufacturing and large distribution warehouses. Only one will be built, and it all comes down to where a new Interstate 255 interchange is located.



Clayco has lined up with Dupo, Grewe with Columbia. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., has encouraged the cities to compromise, or he will pick the winning site. He has planted $19 million in the bill to pay for one interchange.



Either site is easily the largest development the area has seen. Grewe envisions about 3,100 acres of development, mostly west of Illinois Route 3 and south of I-255.



Bob Clark, head of Clayco, plans to develop at least 4,000 acres, mostly between the Mississippi River and Dupo. He says he is open to retail, offices, warehouses, even housing, but doesn't want to commit yet to the mix.



"I might remind you that the original master plan for Earth City had massive amounts of residential" development, he said. No housing was built there.





Columbia Crossing

I agree with Earth City running out of development space, this is an awesome project. Good for the region.

A 4,000 acre industrial park? And isn't this area in a flood plain? Certainly I'm not the only person concerned about the continued sprawl and environmental impact a development like this would cause. And where are all the businesses in this "park" going to come from? I fear it will leach businesses from not just the city, but Fenton, Earth City, and North County, etc. Being a former city resident I especially hate seeing businesses moving to the suburbs, especially if tax breaks or other corporate welfare is doled out to these companies to relocate.



If a development like this was to come together I'd like to see it at the very least be near or adjacent to Mid-America airport, maybe a development like this would spur some kind of activity in that very underutilized airport.



CGP

This might be just me, but something about those large "high-tech" industrial plots creeps me out. With no residential, the place is like a suburban ghost town. It would be neat if they could integrate this development somehow with some housing, which I know the article says they're considering. It's almost like creating one huge industrial "downtown" without any city attached. There's something about that I just don't like.



Anyhow, I think the East Side development is wonderful, especially that of East St. Louis. But this project is good to see too.

I agree that the Dupo/Cahokia needs a lot of good-paying jobs. I grew up in Columbia and my family is originally from East St. Louis -- we know all about the bad job situation on the east side and people's stigma. I hate this new development's design, but have absolutely no reservations about its location. There needs to be a shift to the east. It's not fair that St. Louis abandoned the east side after it used its slaughterhouses, chemical plants, factories and other nuisance industries. It's not fair the the Metro East gets neglected in Illinois state politics due to Cook County's enormous weight. But there is a chance to make things better, and that means bringing jobs to Illinois.

I don't have the article, but my dad just told me that Dupo won the interchange... I am disappointed considering I am originally from Columbia and I thought the Fish Lake overpass would have been able to serve both areas much better... Hope Clayco and Dupo put up some quality development.



It amazes me how much money is spent on roads around chicagoland, and the metro east has the 255 beltway that is surrounded by largely undeveloped land, basically because you can't access it due to the exit choices... If Springfield wanted to see the east side grow, they would find a way to build both interchanges and connect them.....



Here is an old article about the annexation fight....





Massive developments at stake as cities fight over annexation



By ALAN J. ORTBALS



?? COLUMBIA/DUPO - Two developers are planning huge developments along Illinois 255 in the vicinity of the Jefferson Barracks Bridge in Monroe County, Ill. but arguments over annexation threaten both projects.



?? The city of Columbia has entered into a development agreement with G.J. Grewe Inc. to develop 4,000 acres surrounding the Fish Lake Road overpass over 255. The development agreement encompasses 2,500 acres south of 255 - all of which is in the city of Columbia - and 1,500 acres north of the interstate, most of which lies in unincorporated Monroe County.



?? The proposed development would range from commercial uses including retail, hotels and restaurants to office and industrial. Grewe has submitted a conceptual development plan for a first phase of 600 acres around the Fish Lake Road overpass. The plan includes approximately 400 acres to the south of 255 and 200 acres to the north.



?? The village of Dupo has teamed up with Clayco Construction Co. in an effort to develop an industrial park on the north side of I-255, including much of the 1,500 acres covered in the Columbia-Grewe development agreement. Both the city and the village are seeking to annex the unincorporated area lying between them and have been trying to negotiate a boundary agreement for the past several months.



?? Approximately 200 acres north of I-255 are in the city of Columbia; the city recently annexed another 170 acres.



?? According to Lester Schneider, mayor of the city of Columbia, this recent annexation surrounds an additional 80 acres - making it impossible for Dupo to achieve the contiguity necessary for annexation.



?? G. J. Grewe Inc. is a commercial real estate developer based in Crestwood, Mo. Founded by Gerard J. Grewe in 1984, the firm has developed 14 shopping centers in several states but focuses on properties within a one-day drive of St. Louis.



?? Grewe's largest project, Gravois Bluffs in Fenton, Mo, includes 1.5 million square feet of retail tenants including Lowe's, Shop 'n Save, Target, Wal-Mart and Circuit City.



?? Gerard Grewe, president of G.J. Grewe Inc., envisions something like Gravois Bluffs for Columbia.



?? "If you like Gravois Bluffs, you'll like what we do in Columbia," he said.



?? Clayco Construction Co. is considered to be one of the largest general contractors in the St. Louis region. As a real estate developer, Clayco Real Estate has been involved in the development of more than 7.8 million square feet of office and industrial buildings over the past 10 years.



?? John Brancaglione, vice president of Peckham Guyton Albers & Viets Inc., development consultant to the city of Columbia, is excited by the prospective development.



?? "This will be the largest initiative undertaken since Gateway Commerce Center on that side of the (Mississippi) river," he said. "It will be comparable to the combination of Earth City, Corporate Woods and Riverport."



?? Terry Grewe of G.J. Grewe Inc. said he highly favors the location as well.



?? "We try to identify growth areas with great potential and then focus on making it happen," he said. "We looked at all that is going on in South County and decided the next boom area was going to be across the river."



?? Both sides agree that the combination of the projects is extremely important, not only to Dupo and Columbia but to the entire region.



?? Mayor Ron Dell of Dupo said thousands of jobs could be created and the projects could draw business from nearby south St. Louis County.



?? Key to both projects is the construction of a new interstate interchange. Both cities have approached U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Illinois) about including funding for an interchange in the transportation reauthorization bill known as the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003 or TEA-21. After multiple deadline extensions, the bill remains under Congressional consideration in Washington.



?? Costello said he has advised both municipalities that there will be funding for only one interchange, and that they need to agree on the location. This has been a further point of confrontation between the two cities.



?? Schneider said he is pushing for an interchange at Fish Lake Road, approximately one mile east of the Jefferson Barracks Bridge. He said this interchange locale was specified in the original plans for I-255 back in 1978, but that the proposed interchange was later eliminated to reduce costs.



?? And, he said, Fish Lake Road is the only location that will be able to service the entire area.



?? The projected cost of the interchange is $19 million, with 80 percent of the funds to come from federal transportation dollars.



?? But Schneider is worried that Columbia may not get its long-awaited interchange.



?? "Unfortunately, politics is sticking its big nose into this situation," Schneider said. "And it's quite possible that the $19 million that Jerry Costello says is earmarked in the transportation bill might very well go to the Davis Street Ferry or the Imbs Station location (in Dupo). This would be a terrible mistake. An interchange in that location would only serve half of a circle," he added.



?? Costello said politics has nothing to do with it.



?? "Both municipalities are fighting for their communities, which is understandable," he said. "I have encouraged both of them to work out an agreement. If they do not, my decision will be based solely on which location is best for the entire area/region - as opposed to what is best for one community over the other."



?? Schneider said that if the Fish Lake Road interchange is funded in TEA-21, construction would probably take three to five years to complete. While the project would be much harder to complete without federal funds, he said Columbia's agreement with Grewe is that the city will pursue other federal, state and local sources and programs so that it can jointly finance the project with Grewe.



?? "The only way to have a true regional development area is through the Fish Lake overpass," Schneider said. "Any other location is strictly based on a political decision."

?

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright ? 2005 ? All rights reserved. ? Illinois Business Journal Inc ? P.O. Box 1070 ? Alton, IL 62002

At least this development is farther inland than Earth City and it's workers will not be able to live in St. Charles or Jeff. Co.



I say the second part in reference that Earth City employs thousands who do not live closer than eight from it. Due to the location of Earth City workers choose to live even farther away than those who commute to Downtown STL, and will live in O'Fallon, Wentzville, Normandy, Jennings, (May call center and warehouse), and the owners commute from Chesterfield and surrounding wealthyburbs.



Therefore, workers who will work in either the Dupo or Cahokia industrial park will encourage more development, recentering of the region, and benefit the location of the MetroEast. Did I mention less prone to flooding?

I'm glad Dupo won also. Closer to Downtown. The East Side is really taking off these days, and I agree with all of you who see this Eastern growth as restoring Downtown St. Louis to its place as the true center of the region. This is a good thing. I believe that the Western growth has just about reached its limit. I mean come on, there's just so much more available land on the East Side, much closer to Downtown, and cheaper too.



I do worry about the flood plain issue, though. I really hate levees and the environment havoc they create.

I think Columbia will do alright without this interchange since it is close to South County. This will help Dupo much more.



BTW the wording in the new bill is to'Construct interchange on Interstate 255/Davis Ferry Road, Dupo'. It also received a $17.5 million earmark.

I hope that both are built and I am really excited for both cities. Many residents in Columbia were pulling for this commercial development and now this portion of Monroe Co will be booming if it all happens... The sites will basically be connected, someone said earlier that dupo was better due to it's proximity to downtown, in reality there is only a 3 mile difference between Columbia and Dupo, and as a former columbia resident (now in college) i always hated all the undeveloped land around the 2 towns along 255.....



good news.

Maybe another bridge across the Mississippi betweem South St. Louis and Illinois maybe an extension of Chippewa?

Industrial center announced for Dupo

By Tavia Evans

Of the Post-Dispatch

08/03/2005



The sleepy railroad town of Dupo, Ill., population 4,100, will soon become a regional industrial and manufacturing hub.



Dupo and Clayco Construction Co. announced plans Wednesday to develop Discovery Business Park, a $1 billion mixed-use retail and light industrial business park along the Interstate 255 corridor. The development will span the borders of Monroe and St. Clair County.



Clayco Vice President Tom Hutfless said the park will be built in two phases; a mixed use retail and light industrial component would come first, followed by warehouse and manufacturing facilities in a second phase. Hutfless estimates the two-phase project is slightly over $1 billion in development and would create 20,000 jobs for the region. Total buildout of the project could take up to 20 years.



Dupo Mayor Ronnie C. Dell said the development would be the most significant growth for the small Metro East city since Union-Pacific Railroad planned a route there in 1907.

Any more news on this?

hmm ....

If I remember my horror movies correctly, building on indians mounds is never a good idea. ..... will we never learn?

I live in the middle of the "First Phase" in the Discovery Business Park project. My home, family, and I will be effected by this project. There have been a lot of Roads and Bridges crew around the area but I havn't been hearing anything new.



If anyone has information on where these two projects are in the development or what, where, and when - please share.



All the articles I read refer to the area as farm land, I can tell you there are families in the area as well.





Thank you

Jim Little

This project will destroy or cause the decline of the Westport Industrial District, and prevent more Industrial from being in St. Charles County which is a good thing since St. Peters wants industrial on Busch owned wetlands.