urbanSTL

BellaVilla wrote: ↑

Apr 28, 2021

Wait, this is becoming a paved lot? That's news to me

Yes, it was news to everyone, albeit not entirely unexpected. They are combining those parcels with the surface lot to the south, for a giant square of striped asphalt nirvana, easily findable and accessible from Forest Park Ave.

I'm sure they'll build something there someday.  But then that begs the question: which inconvenient gems of our architectural legacy will they tear down so those construction workers have a place to park within a leisurely 90 second stroll to the job site...

GC, tough not to be cynical that this is just one large land bank action of bringing property down to lowest cost factor by the owner in hopes that something happens.  Or worst yet, CORTEX waiting on the day that MO politics will change from MS model (with MO state senate voting down funds for medicaid expansion as well) to at least an NC model.   It is amazing how much investment is plowing into NC with Google announcing a big huge investment into Research Triangle.  Heck, even in the Bay area their is still plenty of dollars going into life and bio science investment with Bayer announcing another big expansion of its Berkeley Facility as well as few other bay area projects.    

Hope I'm wrong and CORTEX is on the verge of next round of building and investment.     

gone corporate wrote: ↑

Apr 29, 2021

^Drove by earlier and was thinking the same thing... 
With one big property owner all along that crucial block, how reasonable is it to anticipate that we could see new buildings going in that complement the look of Cortex One? With that forward leaning façade, potentially stretching all the way from Newstead to Boyle? Sure would be impressive  and define the borders of Cortex as a neighborhood and assert itself as an innovation district. 

I think this is a pretty solid clue as to what the next major Cortex investment by WUMC will be:
SLBJ: Washington University pumps millions into Cortex building, as another rises nearby

"The university last summer completed renovations to the McDonnell Genome Institute and Genome Technology Access Center, both at 4444 Forest Park Ave. And more work, including to a genome engineering center and mass spectrometer laboratory in the building, is to be done by summer 2021."
...
"But there are also plans to connect the neuroscience building with 4444 Forest Park, Rockwell-Hopkins said. That's part of a 10-year capital plan but hasn't yet been funded, she said. The pedestrian link could come in 2027."

The CORTEX master plan shows a new building on the parking lot west of Newstead, attached to the Genome Center, although I'm not sure that is technically part of Cortex.  And, it's perfectly situated to connect and extend the all-important Habitrail, which will be directly across the street once the Neuroscience Center is completed. Plus, they'll have this huge parking lot conveniently located right next door for construction staging/parking...

The master plan also shows construction on the IKEA parking lots. 

I think the hope was that more of the Ikea parking would be under the building. It didn't turn out that way.

From 2013 - Some Design Advice for IKEA
https://nextstl.com/2013/12/some-design ... -for-ikea/

The Ikea parking lot is frequently near capacity which surprises the hell out of me considering the shear size of the lot and the amount of parking beneath the building. It serves an enormous area.

quincunx wrote: ↑

Apr 30, 2021

^^^Are there usually that many empty parking spaces?

I'm by there all the time on weekdays and, although I haven't made a point to notice every day, my general feeling is that it's usually about that empty.  My hunch is that it's for Crescent building workers and that most are probably still pretty much WFH.  I've been in and around Cortex before and during most of the pandemic.  Cortex has been noticeably (and understandably) much less crowded since the beginning of the pandemic.  Frequently ghost-town-like at times and this is during weekdays.

quincunx wrote: ↑

Apr 30, 2021

^^^Are there usually that many empty parking spaces?

You can see that lot over the last several months on the OxBlue - WU Neuroscience Research Bldg. construction cam.  It is only ever about half full. But the lot behind Cortex I, where 4343 Duncan will soon rise (hopefully) is increasingly full. Judging by all the white pickup trucks, it seems to be a lot of Neuroscience building construction workers parking there.

Meant to post this about a month ago when it was coming down and I happened to be walking by.  This little "Arcadia" building was always one of my favorites.  RIP.  Maybe someday something of proper merit will replace these.

OnTheEdge wrote: ↑

Jun 06, 2021

Maybe someday something of proper merit will replace these.

Like many, many construction trailers?



Still not sure if these are all for the Neuroscience building, or if some of them are just WU/Cortex anticipating future construction to the east and west.

Happened to walk by today and two rows of trees have been planted at the top of the little hill basically about where the front of the buildings were.