ST. LOUIS & CLAYTON | Project Rundown

[OakAngeles]

Originally Posted by meh

They're taking forever but they're doing an amazing restoration job so I'll allow it.

I guess I can't complain about quality

Also, looks like this Cortex Apartment Project broke ground as of last Tuesday

https://www.cortexstl.org/newsroom/artic...partments-at-cortex-district-in-st-louis

Originally Posted by meh

[meh]

Another perspective on the under-construction Albion West End tower (30 floors, 335 ft):


https://urbanstl.com/kingshighway-and-lindell-albion-west-end-t10340-s1050.html

[meh]

Originally Posted by OakAngeles

Also, looks like this Cortex Apartment Project broke ground as of last Tuesday

https://www.cortexstl.org/newsroom/artic...partments-at-cortex-district-in-st-louis

CORTEX leadership has really dropped the ball on the residential component. Lots of land banking and demo but very little new construction to show for it so far. Glad this is finally getting underway, and hopefully it leads to more once the market improves... disappointing that the office component was scrapped though, as now it's surrounded by a sea of parking.

[OakAngeles]

Originally Posted by meh

CORTEX leadership has really dropped the ball on the residential component. Lots of land banking and demo but very little new construction to show for it so far. Glad this is finally getting underway, and hopefully it leads to more once the market improves... disappointing that the office component was scrapped though, as now it's surrounded by a sea of parking.

Hoping they don't just squat on the surrounding properties, but also optimistic that this could lead to a focus on residential moving forward. Considering the glut of available office space Downtown and their location near the train station, it would nice to see them build a larger scale residential neighborhood in the area but move some office operations to existing sites downtown. Having a "commuter community" within city limits could be the best of both worlds imo. With the recent residential developments near the City Foundry and Forest Park SE, it seems like the greater district is ripe for population growth overall

[OakAngeles]

In mixed news, the apartment project at the former Reliance Building in CWE is moving forward with projected construction dates starting in the summer, but will no longer include the 5 story addition. Glad to see some development that is so prominent within the 'Holy Corners Historic District' since the architectural merit of that corner is *chefs kiss* Definitely disappointing to see how much of a downsize happened, but considering the potential of that neighborhood to grow, it is nice to see something moving forward and for growth to be spreading out from the immediate boundaries of Forest Park

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/gove...1a35cc1-dad0-43c4-bf1c-78b13db5d444.html

[meh]

Originally Posted by OakAngeles

Considering the glut of available office space Downtown and their location near the train station, it would nice to see them build a larger scale residential neighborhood in the area but move some office operations to existing sites downtown.

i can't recall for sure but i think it was supposed to be office/lab space geared toward tech/science uses like several of the other recent builds in the CORTEX district—so stuff that doesn't really have a presence downtown and benefits from proximity to both SLU and WashU Med. CORTEX has been pretty successful in drawing startups and creating a focused science/tech district, so i don't think it should be shifted downtown. But filling it with residential would obviously help to make it a more mixed-use, 24-hour neighborhood.

[meh]

[meh]

"The Local" in the U City Loop:

[meh]

Developer plans 65 apartments in, around vacant Central West End hospital building

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news...lanned-4500-washington-ave-st-louis.html

Phase one would involve conversion of an existing historic building on the site into seven studio, nine one-bedroom and 13 two-bedroom apartments. Construction is expected to take roughly 12 to 14 months.
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The second phase of development would see construction of two residential buildings on vacant property at the site. Both buildings would have a combined total of 24 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom units.

[OakAngeles]

Glad to see a historic gem like that being saved and repurposed. Also, that 2nd Presbyterian Church looks amazing, can't believe it wasn't on my radar til now. St Louis really has some of the best examples of Romanesque architecture in the country

[meh]

Originally Posted by OakAngeles

Glad to see a historic gem like that being saved and repurposed. Also, that 2nd Presbyterian Church looks amazing, can't believe it wasn't on my radar til now. St Louis really has some of the best examples of Romanesque architecture in the country

We've lost a number of them, particularly in Midtown/Mill Creek Valley and North City. Here's a very short article on Romanesque Revival architecture in STL by one of our prolific local architectural historians:

https://www.stlmag.com/design/architecture/romanesque-revival/

My favorite lost RR church is probably Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic church in North City. It was built in 1899 by local firm Barnett, Haynes and Barnett (who also built our New Cathedral/Cathedral Basilica) and demolished in 1981 after a catastrophic fire:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnett,_Haynes_%26_Barnett


https://www.alamy.com/title-church-of-th...h-streets-circa-1890-image178666868.html

(The number of historic buildings we've lost and continue to lose to fire is fucking heartbreaking. I've said this before elsewhere, but it appears to me that no other city in the US loses so many historic buildings this way...)

[OakAngeles]

Thanks for the article link. I never thought about how the German influence in the city affected the architectural choices, but the city did seem to favor more imposing and commanding Romanesque styles vs the more 'delicate' gothic styles so that makes a lot of sense. I could never define exactly what made St. Louis architecture stand out SO much other than the mix of regional styles it has, but the monumental aspect of some of the designs might be it
And damn man, it is tragic learning about how many lost architectural masterpieces there have been in the city. It's bad enough that most places had an era of bulldozer happy politicians in the mid century, but STL had that and then a slow but steady trickle of demo by fire over the following decades too. I'm glad we have records of them at least but it would have been incredible to have experienced the city when it was totally intact

[meh]

Not a minute too soon. It's looking rough:





First of several new buildings expected to rise near the MLS stadium:




image source: https://nextstl.com/2024/01/ahm-downtown-west-proposal-moving-along/


image source: https://nextstl.com/2024/01/ahm-downtown-west-proposal-moving-along/

Context:

[sentinel]

I wanna see ALL of these infill projects all over St. Louis.

[meh]

You and me both. But I'm particularly hopeful for this area (DT West) because the bones, scale, and potential are incredible—perfect for these medium-scale infill projects—and it would reconnect DT to Midtown.

[OakAngeles]

The Edison Brothers Building, notable for its highly visible mural, is being renovated to include a Sheraton Hotel as well as 2 new restaurant spaces. Should be a good addition for the city considering its location near transit & the Enterprise Center.

https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/edison...owntown-st-louis-set-for-81m-renovation/

[OakAngeles]

Also, if anyone wants to check it out, some forumers from urbanSTL & myself have been working on an interactive map to visualize & compile some ideas that would serve as an "urbanist's guide" for the future of Downtown St. Louis. Here's the link for anyone who's interested

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer...61874298425313%2C-90.17734297514026&z=14

[meh]

Originally Posted by OakAngeles

The Edison Brothers Building, notable for its highly visible mural, is being renovated to include a Sheraton Hotel as well as 2 new restaurant spaces. Should be a good addition for the city considering its location near transit & the Enterprise Center.

https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/edison...owntown-st-louis-set-for-81m-renovation/

From Wikipedia:

In 1983, [Edison Brothers] commissioned muralist Richard Haas to paint a trompe-l'œil mural on three sides of the building that mimicked architectural stonework, using themes derived from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

image source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cityscapes/posts/2902376013287875/


image source: https://www.apartments.com/400-s-14th-st-st-louis-mo-unit-1208/wjyqf1l/

[ColDayMan]

That is excellent news.

[meh]

Albion West End as of May 2nd:



Photo by TheWayoftheArch_V2.0 at urbanstl.com: https://urbanstl.com/kingshighway-and-lindell-albion-west-end-t10340-s1050.html

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New SSM/SLU Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital as of May 1st:





Photos by matguy70 at urbanstl.com: https://urbanstl.com/ssm-slu-hospital-t8299-s350.html

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This one's an odd concept, and I'm never crazy about auto-oriented uses, but the building reno should look great: