Grover wrote:^ the missing gables ruined it for you?
Actually, they are hips, not gables, correct?
In any case, they make the building look too suburban, like it belongs in Creve Coeur's new "downtown" or something. The photoshopped cornices are better. Now can someone get rid of the fake stone archways at street level? Why not run the stone all the way up vertically in that section, but keep rectangular windows?
Expat wrote:^The success of this building will put development pressure on the nearby underused property. For instance, fast-food restaurants could move into the first floor of similar mid-rise buildings. Let's hope.
Especially the Arby's - it doesn't have a drive-through.
Great point! The fast food along that stretch of Lindell is all 20+ years old anyway -- I'm sure the chains would like their franchisees to upgrade. Maybe a development like this will push them to build or move.
Regarding the issue of the hipped dormers and the phony rubble stone surrounds: I think that we will have to see a few buildings like this one built with such mistakes before we get stronger design ordinances. Much of city law surrounding design centers on historic rehab standrads, because when the laws were created (many originally in the 1970s or 1980s) most construction activity was rehab work. Bad rehab work led to good standards.
Today, we are getting more accustomed to new construction although there just isn't enough of it for aldermen and city officials to realize how crucial design standards are. They are always well behind the curve -- but perhaps as far behind as those of paying attention let them be. The more criticism of the details, the more likely it is that we can push for design and zoning code changes that will demand better design.
For now, I have to say that I think the form of this building is good but the details are cliche.
I dont' see the fast food places going anywhere anytime soon, especially if they per chance own the land they are sitting on which is common for many McDonalds. In fact, McDonald's largest asset is its real estate.
In NYC, McDonalds owns a few small townhouses where they house their restaurants and I'm sure they could sell each of those buildings for millions. But they are obviously making enough cash every day to justify the real estate taxes etc.
So your only hope is that McD's is renting and that the prices go high enough to force them out. But realisitically, for those prices to go so high it would mean a lot more developement which would also mean a LOT more potential customers so McD's might just stay put thank you very much.
So maybe your only REAL hope is to convince an Alderman to make McDonald's move out or to change appearance to better fit with the surrounding neighborhood.
Tax Guru wrote:I dont' see the fast food places going anywhere anytime soon, especially if they per chance own the land they are sitting on which is common for many McDonalds. In fact, McDonald's largest asset is its real estate.
4006 Lindell is owned by Franchise Realty Interstate Corp. of Oak Brook,IL.
This is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous! There are now people out of work because of these arsonistic, uncivil and unlawful anarchists.
I hope the perps get caught and put under the jail.
Developers need to start putting webcams/security on their construction sites, and unfortunately, this might raise the cost of doing development in St. Louis City.
These arsonists need to be found and killed. They have sucessfully destroyed Compton Gate, Mississippi Place (both rebuilt thank God), and this development without consequece. I have heard that a white truck was seen leaving the scene?
More likely than not, these are the same perps that hit other sites around the city. The intensity of the fire fits the same intensity as the South Grand condo fires it seems. It appears the perps want these projects burned down fast and furious.
If this is indeed ruled an arson, the city needs to call in the feds. I don't know what the ramifications would be, but this has stop.
A ruined $33-million investment in the city should not be taken lightly.
A friend who works in construction says the industry rumors are the arson is stemming from a union/scab conflict. I've no idea how legitimate that is, though.
Why not run the stone all the way up vertically in that section, but keep rectangular windows?
