Am I just now noticing that the DAYS INN vertical sign on the NE corner has been, uh, removed? I kind of always thought that the name was always on there, but I saw differently the other day. Seems like there's more pressing matters to get to, but at least it's a start.
I wish that whole damn building would be removed. They have had small crews cleaning out a lot of crap in the building lately but other than that no progress has been made to make the outside look better.
I just hope they release renderings soon because that is what I will be looking at when I look out the window of my loft.
I just hope they release renderings soon because that is what I will be looking at when I look out the window of my loft.
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St.Louis UAB alumni wrote:I just hope they release renderings soon because that is what I will be looking at when I look out the window of my loft.
I was told the renderings would most likely be released soon.
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St.Louis UAB alumni wrote:I wish that whole damn building would be removed.
If you saw a picture of the building that was torn down to make room for that abomination, it would make you cry.
No kidding. With this building, it's like playing that kid's game, "Which One Doesn't Belong".
I don't care what it's named, or if they remodel the whole thing, or destroy it outright...Just so long as what's on that site when they're finished with it looks substantially different than what's there now.
I don't care what it's named, or if they remodel the whole thing, or destroy it outright...Just so long as what's on that site when they're finished with it looks substantially different than what's there now.
I agree with the sentiments here so far. That buidling is just plain gross. It makes me sad, and in some cases...yes Scrutinizer, I do weep. With such an amazing piece of Real Estate, and perhaps the ugliest building in all of downtown exists there.
Katty corner is going to be a new and attractive building and captures the neighborhood quite well. Across Tucker is the Bogen, which is just a glorious building. Across Wash Ave, there's the Meridian, another beautiful building.
They better have a plan that changes just about everything but the concrete foundation of that building.
Katty corner is going to be a new and attractive building and captures the neighborhood quite well. Across Tucker is the Bogen, which is just a glorious building. Across Wash Ave, there's the Meridian, another beautiful building.
They better have a plan that changes just about everything but the concrete foundation of that building.
Just to answer: that sign (well, the actual lettering panels) has been down for at least a year, I'm fairly sure. I barely remember what it looked like.ChrisInDownTown wrote:Am I just now noticing that the DAYS INN vertical sign on the NE corner has been, uh, removed?
I was just thinking this morning that this is on target to be the only eyesore left on Washington within a year. The market is not yet mature enough to merit tearing down a sound structure and I have no confidence that any replacement would be that much better. So, let's not cry too loudly for it to be torn down, lest we find ourselves with a surface lot or a less-dated-but-still-ugly replacement.
Anything that's "new" and sustainable will be an improvement.
Got the new Downtown progress report in the PD this morning. There's actually a small rendering of this project (page 19) - the first one I 've seen. It doesn't look too different from what's there now, but I guess anything's an improvement.
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Does anyone know how long ago the Days Inn closed? Any new developments on this site?
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What sort of timeline for the construction of these apts has been established?
Reading this thread for the first time and late at night.......man, I'm getting hungry!!!
What's the 411 for other retail developments in the Wash Ave area? For some reason, I'm overly interested/concerned with the retail developments taking place!
Reading this thread for the first time and late at night.......man, I'm getting hungry!!!
What's the 411 for other retail developments in the Wash Ave area? For some reason, I'm overly interested/concerned with the retail developments taking place!
I don't know that a timeline has been released. We're all just glad to see that they're actually working on it!
This thread isn't specific to Washington Ave, but has retail developments all over the city. http://www.urbanstl.com/viewforum.php?f=11
This thread isn't specific to Washington Ave, but has retail developments all over the city. http://www.urbanstl.com/viewforum.php?f=11
It looks like one guy is spending about a day each week working on interior demolition here. At this rate, we'll have visible progress on this property sometime after Baron's lake and Nat & Kevin's tower have been built and we've moved on to discussing how much better they could have been.
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Now that there is new construction going on catty-corner to this building, I wonder if any developers have their eyes on this joint as a tear down?
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phobia wrote:It looks like one guy is spending about a day each week working on interior demolition here. At this rate, we'll have visible progress on this property sometime after Baron's lake and Nat & Kevin's tower have been built and we've moved on to discussing how much better they could have been.
Great observation! Looks like another instance where the developer is out of his depth. I'm afraid what this project ends up as, won't be any better than it is now. Looks like the developers are shooting for fed money in the form of "workforce" housing. When is there ever enough of that?
phobia wrote:It looks like one guy is spending about a day each week working on interior demolition here.
Maybe this guy "works for himself", if you know what I mean?
I just can't imagine how this could actually be a place that anyone would want to live. It's ghastly, and there's only so much you can do with such an ugly structure, built around the hotel standard. Just give up, sell it, tear it down, and build something cool.
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OK - I like the building, a lot. Can't we have just one example of 60's mass architecture be resused. It seems that this is the standard for "tear it down, it sucks" renewal-minded folk. Certainly there is someone creative enough to put this building to use. Twenty years from now I wouldn't want all downtown buildings to be from 1880-1920 or post 2000. Let's keep a healthy mix. I wish I had the Day Inn as a project. People had to think outside the box to use some of the 'historic' wearhouses/other buildings downtown - so let's do it again (or at least not dismiss buildings out-of-hand). Hopefully reuse will always be the first option.
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Ihnen wrote:OK - I like the building, a lot. Can't we have just one example of 60's mass architecture be resused. It seems that this is the standard for "tear it down, it sucks"....
Modern buildings can coexist with older ones very well -- if the newer one is good period design. Days Inn is close to the footprint of many of its neighbors, but it is a bad example of '50s modern curtain wall style, and it's location at the corner of Tucker & Washington makes it all the more painful to look at because it is so out of context with everything else around it. Kwame co. is proposing a modern buidling across the street, but unlike D.I. this one seems to fit in with it's older neighbors.
The D.I. corner is really important. Downtown redevelopment should be far enough along to expect something better for that spot than a basic renovation as low-income rental. But I doubt anything the owners plan to do to the facade of D.I. will make it fit into its neighborhood any better than it does now. It allways has been a square peg, and this one isn't going to look any better 50 years from now. I would like to see it come down and be replaced with something better, but that's just not going to happen.
^I certainly would not want low income housing on that corner! But, I think it is OK to have a plain modern building as long as it is well maintained. If it is well maintained (which it isn't right now), has a nice appearance at street level (which it doesn't right now), with a handsome entrance/awning, etc., it can be OK. Especially if they put the right kind of retail on the first floor.
I'm not for tearing down any mid-era building, since there are some very cool stuff built in that middle era of St. Louis, and some that will stand up to time very well. But this is a former hotel. The only thing that could remotely save this building is to gut it completely. But my fear (and I think it's very valid based upon the progress that we have seen) is that it will be a so-so rehab done, with new (crappy looking) windows, and maybe some expanded rooms.
Anything is possible, particularly since we've seen cool renderings of the St. Louis Centre possibilities. But I'd rather that building just go away. I don't want to see a half ass job.
Anything is possible, particularly since we've seen cool renderings of the St. Louis Centre possibilities. But I'd rather that building just go away. I don't want to see a half ass job.
For whatever it's worth, I don't see much redeeming value in this building either. If they tear it down, you won't see me shedding a tear. If they do leave it up, I might depending on what's done with it....
I look at this building everyday from my window. I have seen seem interesting rehabs of similar buildings in KC and in a few magazines that would do wonders to this structure. However, I see the biggest drawback to be the existing 8' ceilings. Fairly large drawback in comparing to the other downtown developments. I guess there is something that could be done, but I won't be laying down on Tucker to prevent it from coming down either.
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I'm assuming the 8' ceilings are the drop panel height. Anyway, I like the peachy panels. I think it lends variety and I doubt that many buildings of this design will survive the next twenty years. Hopefully a couple will find new life and stick around.