Even in the best of economic times, real estate developments fall through all the time. In a recession, this trend can become an epidemic. One seeming victim to this trend is the proposed Pelican Place project at 2232 and 2256 South Grand in the Compton Heights neighborhood.

The Planning & Urban Design Agency of the City of St. Louis published development details back in August of 2006. The former YMCA building at the site was to be torn down and replaced by a mixed-use development. The historic Pelican building at the corner of Shenandoah and Grand was to be restored to historic alignment, which would have seen the removal of the the ghastly 1-story addition to the north. The plans looked pretty great.

In 2007, demo began on the Pelican building and leasing signs for the finished project went up. Things looked like they were on the fast track. Unfortunately, over the following two years, nothing seemed to happen. Other than the grass at the site becoming overgrown.

In May 2009, the St. Louis Post Dispatch was reporting that the project was still moving forward with Snap Fitness as the anchoring tenant in the 37,000 Sq Ft project. Nearly one year later, the site remains untouched. The poor economy, as well as the sluggish sales at the nearby Compton Gate Condos seem to be the likely holdups.

Thankfully, the surrounding area has continued to improve in terms of residential development. Once things start top loosen up economically, this project seems to stand a good chance of actually coming together. In some form or another. South Grand between Arsenal and I-44 has become a pretty nice stretch, but a project like this could really push things over the edge. Hopefully something gels sooner rather than later. Here is a look at the current site.

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Tucked away, in the heart of the historic Shaw neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri is a vacant lot. An, unfortunately, common site in this city of ours. But if group of developers has there way, by the end of the year there might something a little different at 4136 Flad: a high efficiently, green home.

This project would be developed by a partnership between The Fit House developers and St. Margaret Housing Corporation in Shaw. The thing that really makes this project stand out, is it’s contemporary design and creative use of natural elements. In this age of technology we live in, people see to dismiss natural ways to control temperature and lighting in homes. This design doesn’t do that. It is laid out in such a way that it will use natural sunlight and thermals to increase the flow of air throughout the house. Not a groundbreaking concept, but a lost art. They also incorporated a green roof into the design to control temperatures.

They will also be incorporating other elements such as solar panels, a hydronic water handler, and lots of insulation to keep energy consumption to a minimum. The design looks pretty exciting too. Very open and modern. And very different from most of the other properties in Shaw. Of course, these differences could be a hurdle in and of themselves.

Approval of the design by the Cultural Resources Office is still a work in progress so changes could still be made. At the very least, the developer seems resigned to the fact that the facade is going to have to be brick to meet the historic standards of the area. Assuming that can be worked out quickly, construction would be started this summer.  When complete, the home would priced somewhere between $250,000 and $300,000.

As history has shown us, a conceptual design doesn’t always mean the finished product will ever see the light of day, but considering the quality of the plan and the private-public partnership, the chances of this coming together seem pretty good. I am told a few more bids and part of the financing for the project are still being worked out, but it looks like this are coming together. Hopefully we’ll be hearing more as summer draws near.

For more info and pics of this project, please visit thefithouse.com.

After years of dormancy, this project just popped up out of nowhere. In an message to students and faculty of Saint Louis University, the university’s President Lawrence Biondi revealed that a bridge over the railways between Chouteau Avenue and Interstate-64 on July 1, 2010.

Details are very sparse at this point, but it sounds like the bridge will be closed for a year in order to demolish the old bridge, and build the new bridge and Metrolink station. The last renderings for this bridge came out in 2006 so there is no telling what it will look like. But with the construction date to start so soon, you can expect we will be seeing much about this very soon.

I will post any new information that pops up in the next few days, but in the meantime, here is the direct copy of the message from Biondi. A big thanks to urbanstl.com user bk18 for posting this on the forums:

I want to update you on the latest news regarding the reconstruction of the Grand Boulevard Bridge planned by the City of St. Louis. City officials have notified us that the tentative start date is July 1st, 2010. We were also told that the bridge will be closed for about one year.

This $27 million project will completely replace the bridge as well as the Grand Boulevard MetroLink station. Although the closure will be inconvenient, it’s critical to remember that this important project will improve our Midtown neighborhood. Traveling across the bridge — either by foot or in a car — will be safer. The beautification of the bridge will compliment enhancements we are planning along Grand through our Medical Center. We applied for and received a federal grant, administered through the state, which will help fund new lighting, sidewalks, bike lanes and a landscaped, irrigated median along Grand between Chouteau and Park Avenues. A right-hand turn lane from Grand onto eastbound Chouteau also will be added.

The City, Saint Louis University Hospital and SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center are assisting us with this project. Look for more details about these improvements in future messages.

In anticipation of the closure of the bridge, we have been working on plans to minimize the impact on our operations. I will share those plans with you as we draw closer to construction.

With the area having just finished up with the I-64 project and the similar Jefferson Avenue Bridge project, I would image people would be used to the reroutes. Should be interesting.

Although they have been leasing units since November, I just now got a chance to take a look at the recently completed Courtyard Lofts at Polar Wave project. Located at 2222 Gravois Ave in the St. Louis, neighborhood of Benton Park, the 14-townhome project is located in the same building as Shock City Studios and Bittersweet Bakery among other businesses.

When driving by the complex along Gravois, you might miss the residential component to the project entirely. That’s because the vehicle access to the courtyard is in the rear, via Sidney Street. There is a gate-entry along Gravois, but any tenant coming to the complex in a car would come around back. From that angle, they can access the underground garage for the project, which provides 2 parking spots per tenant as well as a bike rack.

Most of the units are 2 bed, 2 bath, but there are a few that are 1 bed due to handicap access and site restrictions. Finish levels seen to be of a very nice quality with concrete floors on the first level and carpeting upstairs. The picture gallery below does more just than I can put to words. Overall, I would say the the project is very impressive. I really didn’t notice anything that I didn’t like during my visit. It looks like the commercial and residential additions provided by the Polar Wave project are going to be a great long-term addition to the fabric of Benton Park.

Prices run from $850 for a 1 bed, 1 bath unit to $1495 for the oversized 2 bed, 2 bath. The units are currently be leased by Julia Mittelstadt of Prudential Alliance Realtors. For more on the units currently available, please click here: available townhomes.

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There is no doubt that Grand Boulevard has been on the upswing in recent years. To the north, Grand Center continues to be  a focal point of activity for the arts and education. To the south, Grand South Grand has increasingly become a South City alternative to the Delmar Loop. Tower Grove Park and SLU have really added to the mix as well. However, one of the greatest failures along the street has been the area between Gravois and Chippewa.

To be more precise, the area south of Utah and north of Osage. Discounting North St. Louis (that is a whole other story), this section of the street is the farthest behind in tapping it’s potential. Populated by a variety of suburban-styled fast food establishments, the most rundown Schnuck’s in South City, a former grocery store turned office, cookie-cutter stripmalls, a recent yet uninspired retired-housing project, and a plethora of vacant and underused properties; it doesn’t take a urban renewal specialist to realize the area isn’t all it can be.

I began considering this issue when sitting at a stoplight on Grand at Chippewa. Following the buyout of  long-time flower-shop destination Nettie’s at 3801 S Grand, by Walter Knoll florists last year, the companies former home at Their former home, which is at the intersection of S Grand and Chippewa had been vacant for about a year. I’m not sure when they moved in, but I struck by the new use of this former mainstay: a cellphone selling, convenience store. A step in the wrong direction if I have ever seen one.

A few years ago, things were looking up in the area when the Lawrence Group was working on the South Side Tower and had put forth a development plan for the Melba and Farmers & Merchants buildings at Grand and Gravois. But with the recession, the project came to a halt with no signs of revival. And while Grand South Grand (Grand from Arsenal to Utah) gets street-art and an upcoming streetscape project, this section of the street moves in the opposite direction.

There is no doubt that it is going to take time, money and a lot of effort from a  lot of people to make a big change along this stretch, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look towards the future. A good start would be to include this section of Grand in the 3-lane reconfiguration of the streetscape that is being put in place north of Utah. As it stands, Grand will be three lanes from Arsenal to Utah, five lanes from Utah to Chippewa, the back to 3 lanes for the rest of the route southward.  This back and forth hurts the flow of traffic and prevents this struggling section of South Grands from receiving the benefits of a more pedestrian-friendly layout like the neighboring sections. Lets start there so when the next development boom hits, companies like the Lawrence Group will be able to offer a better product.

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Things have been a little quite on the development front in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood of St. Louis this year. With Amy & Amrit Gill’s Restoration St. Louis starting no high-profile projects in 2009, changes have been slow compared the previous two years. Things might be changing to 2010.

The Post Dispatch ran a full article yesterday on the Gill’s rumored green project along Manchester. Details are similar to those previously reported, with 24 new apartments and about 10,000 of street-level commercial proposed for th vacant lots at 4190 and 4556 Manchester.

The biggest news, however, is that they intend for this project to be no only green, but totally “off the grid.” That’s right, no connection with Ameren UE at all, by using things like geothermal heat, solar panels and wind turbines. Of course, at $3.6 million per 18,000 sq ft building, this project wouldn’t be cheap. And with as much as $250,000 of the projects funds potentially coming from federal stimulus money and $400,000 from federal tax credits, those costs will partially subsidized as well.

One has to wonder if a totally “off the grid” project is really a smart option with the current financial market and limited battery technologies, but one thing is for sure At least the Gill’s can’t be accused of lacking ambition.

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With the success of the 3-lane configuration test on South Grand, the powers that be decided to leave the bollards and concrete dividers creating the effect in place. The idea was that it would help people get used to the new layout, which is looming. The only problem is that those chunks of concrete are ugly.Enter the Saint Louis art community.

Since those bollards will be around for awhile (who knows how long it will be until the streetscape is actually redone), it seems that some people couldn’t stand to leave things status-quo for the winter. Over the last week or so, nearly all the bollards have been painted. There seems to have been at least three different artists who contributed. Judging by the art styles at least. Its pretty obvious in the pics below.  One of them appears to be Peat “The Eye Guy” Wollinger (http://www.flickr.com/photos/stensoul/) The long concrete divider at the northwest corner of Grand and Arsenal has also been painted, but I couldn’t take a good picture with all the traffic.

Overall, it adds a nice flair to the neighborhood. Even if you don’t like them, its nice to see businesses and residents being proactive in the area. That’s more than can be said of others. Make sure you keep an eye out for them the next time you pass through. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

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Gut rehabs of LRA (Land Reutilization Authority) have been few and far between in the past eighteen months, with construction financing has been virtually nonexistent in this economic climate. So you can count me surprised when I got a call from a friend saying that this 4,932 sq ft monster in Marine Villa was going to be turned into a single family home.

Originally a bakery on the first floor and a boarding house on the second and third, this 1902 property is undergoing demo as I write this. For those unfamiliar with it, the property is at the southeast corner of the intersection of Illinois and Potomac, just south of the Cherokee Antique District. Being developed by Tiger Lily Development by Clover Leaf General Contracting, the projected is being targeted for a June completion. That might seem a tad long, but considering the current condition of the property, such a timetable would be quite impressive.

To put it mildly, this place is a wreck. The garage addition on the rear needs to be totally ripped out, the roof is shot, the structure needs to be jacked up, all the floors are caving in… you get the idea. The picture gallery below is eyeopening to say the least. Due to budget restraints some improvements the developers wanted to tackle won’t be happening, but the rehab will be historic (they are using Missouri Historic Tax Credits) and green. Here are a few bullet points on the finished project:

• Spray foam insulation to maximize energy efficiency
• Geothermal heating and cooling system
• 4 bedrooms with one being on the first floor
• Third floor is a large loft area, which will be finished
• Storefront will be restored to the original glass
• Large 2-car carport int he rear

That is just a taste of what they will be doing. Quite impressive on such a limited budget. Its certainly great to see such grandiose projects still taking place in Marine Villa and Benton Park, which is just a block north. Expect more as the project progress.

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The Post Dispatch is reporting that Cardinals President Bill Dewitt III has informed them not to expect any changes in the 2010 lineup at the future Ballpark Village project location. Citing uncertain market conditions and financing concerns, it seems that 2011 is the earliest we can expect to hear anything. Obviously this site will eventually be developed since it is arguably the most developable infill location in the City of St. Louis, but this wait is a little trying.

On one hand I want to see the best development possible so if that means waiting for things to get better in the real estate market, so be it. On the other hand, I just can’t believe that they can’t get this thing off the ground considering St. Louis’ love affair with all thing Cardinals baseball. If other projects Downtown can get off the ground in less desirable locations I have no doubt that demand at Ballpark Village would be enough to get the first phase of this project off the ground at least. Hopefully the wait is worth it in the end and they don’t just plop a cookie-cutter project down. Too bad it will be so long until we find out.Enjoy playing softball and parking close to the stadium.

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After being under construction for years (literally), the commercial storefront at 3182 Morganford appears to be nearly ready for business. So what’s going to open up in this long vacant space at Morganford and Connecticut? A restaurant called Plaza Cafe & Grill.

Plaza Pastries & Donuts on the Connecticut side of the building finally opened at the end of this summer, but the main storefront has been sitting, nearly complete, for some time.  An “Opening Soon” sign has been up for over a month now, but the actual signs for the business are now in place so hopefully that means the opening is eminent. Another boon to Morganford and the Tower Grove South neighborhood as a whole. Aren’t we supposed to be in a  recession?

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The Magnolia Place condo development, under construction for more than a year at 4101 Magnolia in the Shaw neighborhood, is finally coming online. Units in the first phase, on the west end of the property, are now coming available and look to be quite nice. The development website is now up and running with pics and unit details. Prices are starting at $89,900.

Check out the project website for more details.

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This time last year, the commercial space at 2730 McNair appeared to be set to house a restaurant called Koronaz. Neighborhood support for the project, however, was not forthcoming and it fell apart. While that was a setback, the good news is that the wait for something to open in the space appears to be over.The larger commercial space on the corner of McNair and Lynch was converted into an apartment after the Koronaz plan fell through, but the smaller commercial space immediately north of the intersection on McNair will soon be home to Ernesto’s Wine Bar.

The establishment will reportedly be owned by developer Phoenix Redevelopment Group and will feature a wide selection of wine and food.  This news has been floating out there for a while now, but it appears that the opening of the establishment is just around the corner. A look through the windows shows tables and chairs in place, as well as most of the decorations. In the rear patio area, stacks of metal chairs are already waiting to handle patrons.

With the relative lack of activity in Benton Park on this western end of Lynch, this wine bar could do a lot to help bring attention to the street. One would hope that if they are successful, they might someday consider expanding into the larger apartment-converted section immediately to the south. Welcome to Benton Park. Check out the exterior pics in the gallery below.

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It seems like the “powers that be” in Jefferson City are at least playing lip-service  in the effort to help revitalize St. Louis City. With their help the long discussed, sometimes pipe-dream of a project, known as the Chouteau Greenway (or Chouteau Lake District), might just be back on the table. Apparently, Governor Jay Nixon has sent an official letter to the National Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, seeking assistance with the project. Unfortunately, as great as that might sound, even if money would find its way here, this is a huge project that would take years and cost a lot of money.

Be that as it may, if any project in St. Louis is worth this kind of investment, it is this one. Current plans would replace the industrial wasteland of railroad tracks just south of Highway 40 (I-64) with a beautiful lake (which was a naturally occurring body of water before it was drained in the 1850’s), create a new business park on the southern border of Downtown, as well as connect the Mississippi Riverfront with the rest of the park system. In short, it would truely transform St. Louis as we know it.

There is a long battle ahead if this project is to ever happen, but getting State support is an essential componanant. If Governor Nixon can convince Washington to lend a hand in moving the current railroad systems, it might actually be possible to make this happen some day. Here’s to hoping.

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While the controversial subdivision development in the eastern half of the Botanical Heights neighborhood (formerly McRee Town) has received more fanfare, the commercial corridor along Tower Grove has been quietly gaining momentum.

At McRee and Tower Grove, which is visible from Interstate 44, Hoffman Brothers Heating and Air Conditioning and Urban Improvement Construction (UIC) have each rehabbed a building on the corners of this intersection in the past few years. Earlier this year, UIC also began to work on the mixed-use building on the NE corner. In the past few months, this shell of a building has been completely rehabbed. The pics in the photo gallery below will give you an idea of what it looks like as the UIC offices.

There is no word on potential occupants at this point, but there are “For Lease” signs in the windows, so hopefully they will find somebody soon. With this project, the corner is really starting to have a good vibe, and one would hope this energy will continue to spread north and south along the commercial corridor on Tower Grove. With Forest Park Southeast (aka The Grove) continuing it’s rapid improvements directly to the north, and Shaw doing the same to the south,  such development in Botanical Heights could prove to be a great bridge between the areas. If only the residential sections between the new subdivison and Tower Grove would see more improvements, this neighborhood could really be something.

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Judging by the amount of frustrated comments I received on the previous story I ran on the Carondelet Rec Center, I imagine this news isn’t going to please a lot of people. While nobody will question that this recreation facility is very nice, the fees and management arrangements for running the facility are proving contentious.

When the facility opens this November it will be run by the YMCA. Originally, it seemed that the Y would simply handle the logistics of the operation, but it now appears the the facility will be a YMCA in all but name. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch

Membership rates for city residents will be similar to a YMCA membership. An adult membership will run $46 a month. A household membership will run $69. Seniors will pay a slightly reduced rate of $41.50. The fees will also include membership at the South City YMCA.

Some deal huh? While they might not have a pool, there are plenty of for-profit facilities around town that cost less than that. Since the construction of this facility was funded by a special 1/8 cent sales tax, these dues will be paying for management and upkeep of the facility only. That is what has me scratching my head. If this is a subsidized project that the public is paying for, why are the fees nearly identical to the Y’s normal fees? The Y who has to build their rec centers with their own money? In reality, it seems like the public was pretty much duped into footing the entire bill for a true-blue YMCA.

This is a big deal as the public outcry from this situation is likely going to affect construction of the second rec center due to be constructed in O’Fallon Park (in North City) and the potential for other such public projects in the future. Something just isn’t adding up here, which is causing a project that should be a celebration to be met with criticism.

Does anyone have any special insight into this situation?

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Some interesting news in South St. Louis this morning. It seems that the former coke facility in Carondelet, officially known as the Carondelet Coke Plant, is going to become a business park. More details will be unveiled later today, but the site is the largest parcel city-owned property at 42 acres, and is currently highly polluted.

New details, following the official announcement, seem to indicate that the project could actually pick up 12 additional acres, to  make it 54 acres in all. Cleanup should begin very soon and the project will play directly off the new roads being built for the new casino in Lemay.

There will be plenty of issues to manage for this project, but if this property can be turned from one of the city’s worst to an actual benefit, this could be huge for Carondelet and the City. Currently, even businesses that want to stay in the City are forced to move out to the County due  lack of developable commercial land. This project could go a long way towards mitigating that issue.

If you are interested in details about the site, the is a great writeup at Ecology of Absence.

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The mixed-use property on the SE corner of Morgan Ford and Connecticut is an example of one of those buildings that seems to be in a perpetual state of construction. In the early part of the summer of 2008 it looked like the place was nearly finished, but it has sat relatively idle since then. Until now that is.

Plaza Pastries & Donuts, located on the Connecticut facing side of the 3182 Morgan Ford building, is now open for business. No word yet on the quality of their product, but with coffee, health food, and brunch already covered in the Tower Grove South neighborhood, this place should find a niche. At the current rate of progress, in a  year or two there will be no more vacant commercial space on Morgan Ford north of Utah.

Looks like Benton Park is seeing yet another addition to it’s business line-up. Bittersweet Bakery will soon be opening in the Polar Wave Ice & Fuel Company building at 2200 Gravois. This is the same building that houses Shock City Studios.

Official information has been hard to come by, but word has it that in addition to baked goods, the store will also sell ice cream when it opens around October 1st. Yet another victory for the continually improving business community along Gravois and Jefferson in the Benton Park/McKinley Heights area.

Following the completion of Citygarden in Downtown St. Louis, there seems to be renewed interest in the long-troubled Gateway Mall. This renewed interest, as well as the fact that things are probably pretty slow for architects right now, led St. Louis-based HOK’s Planning Group to brainstorm this idea for Kiener Plaza. Nothing can ever truely make up for all the great buildings that were destroyed to make way for this project, but it is nice to see that something noteworthy might grow out of this after-all.

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Since the last progress update, the new Walgreen’s in the Georgian Square development has progressed nicely. Located between the LaSalle and Lafayette Square neighborhoods in an area know as Bohemian Hill, the building is the first to go up on the much-disputed development site.

No word on when the store will open, but the exterior seems to be getting close to completion. While still a bit suburban for a such a location, the design seems to make an attempt to recognize the fact the the building is in the heart of an urban area. It will be interesting to see how this Lafayette Avenue location one turns out as it could be an indicator of what the rest of the project will eventually look like.  With the relative lack of pharmacies in the immediate are, as well as the fact the the Georgian residential community (former City Hospital) is right across the street, one would think business would be brisk.

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I have been admiring the LEED-certified green projects of Ecourban Homes for a couple of years now, but their new stuff shows even more promise. Continuing to add sensible contemporary elements into their projects, this new lineup of bungalows is all just great.Check out the renderings and specs on these great properties.

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UPDATE – That Sauce article was a typo. The store will only be 1,200 sq ft. –The media controls my life way too much. With the opening of the new Schnuck’s-owned grocery store, Culinaria, in Downtown, I completely missed the fact that a 12,000 sq ft grocery store is opening  just a few blocks away from me. Starting the week of August 17th, Benton Park will welcome Pointer’s Market at 2901 Salena.

This building has been under construction for some time, and there has been a sign on the front of it to mark that a grocer was moving in. What I didn’t realize is that the entire building seems to be housing the business. Who knew the place was whopping 12,000 sq ft? With a full-service grocer moving into the heart of the neighborhood, this is great news for Benton Park as well as surrounding neighborhoods such as Benton Park West, Soulard, McKinley Heights and Fox Park. I can hear the property values in the surrounding blocks going up already.

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Today marks the beginning of an interesting new experiment in Downtown St. Louis:  St. Louis grocery-mainstay Schnuck’s opened the doors of their new Downtown store, Culinaria, today. This 20,000+ sq ft store is located at the intersection of 9th and Olive will operate near City Grocers, which has been open since 2004. Downtown has made some great strides in recent years, swelling to over 11,000 in population, but the level of business these stores receive will be a good barometer for things to come.

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Following the ridiculously low $5 million purchase of Plaza Square Apartments in the western section of Downtown St. Louis earlier this week, the new owner is putting money back into the building.Turning over managment of the property to Mills Properties, owner Natixis Real Estate Capital Inc. has their work cut out for them. This 936-unit apartment complex, spread out over 5 buildings, is currently a mess.

The potential is there to really make something out the place though. A complete overhaul would do wonders for the buildings and the area as a whole, but even a cleanup would be a big improvement.  The buildings are probably most recognizable because the sixth building (not included in this deal) was converted into the Blu Cityspaces Condo Development, which have been advertised heavily across town.

Check out the full article at the St. Louis Post Dispatch for further details. Photo courtesy of the Landmarks Association of St. Louis.

Don’t know how I missed this one, but it seems that Amy and Amrit Gill, of Restoration St. Louis fame, have a whooper of a project on the horizon. Over 37 residential and 11 commercial units over 67,000 square feet along Manchester to be exact. Dubbed the Green Grove, project would be a mix of infill and renovated space and would mark the single largest project in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood in a very long time.

Check out Saint Louis Urban Workshop for a more detailed breakdown.

The battle over the fate of the San Luis building in the Central West End is over. It’s coming down. Or more accurately, it is down. What great new development will be taking it’s place? A parking lot.

Whether you cared about preserving the building or not, there is no denying that a surface parking lot is a true loss for the area. You can thank the St. Louis Archdioceses for that. For a detailed rundown of the history of this battle, check out the Friends of San Luis website.

For years, a major eyesore along the rejuvenating strip of Manchester in Forest Park Southeast (The Grove), this prominent mixed-use property has received a major face-lift.It seems that the property’s owner, Rothschild Development, was having a bit of trouble leasing the space at $15/sf over the past couple of years, so they spruced it up. No word on the new lease rate, but there is no doubt that the new look for this property at 4301 Manchester does wonders for the intersection of Manchester and Tower Grove.

Formerly home to one of the revived Grove’s first establishments, El Mundo Latino, the property is currently for lease by Red Brick Management (314-361-7067).

*NOTE – The property just behind this one at 1069 Tower Grove just sold (by yours truely) last week as well. It will be getting a few upgrades too, so hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

Love it or hate it, the three infill homes at 2650-58 Michigan in Tower Grove East are now complete. They could do well with a bit less siding, but overall, the project looks to be a nice addition to the area.

The homes, developed by Chesterfield-based, The Meyer Company, are are now listed for $157,000 each by Tina White of JF Realty. The homes are all 3 bed, 1.5 bath over 1,235 sq ft. The MLS shows that the building at 2658 is currently pending. Best of luck on the sale. The more owner-occupants in these area, the better off we all are.Tower Grove East is looking better and better every day.

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With all the talk about Downtown and the grand schemes and failures of it’s developers, its good to hear about a more sensible approach finding success. Midtown really is coming around nicely; albeit with less fanfare. Link

It has been over five months since construction started on the highly visible condo project at 4101 Magnolia, but in that time it does not seem like much has been completed.In February, when construction first began, progress seemed to be pretty rapid with the property being demoed in a matter of weeks. Looking through the window openings it also appears that quite a bit of interior stud work has been completed. They even started putting windows in.

The trouble is, this rebuilding process has been restricted only to the far west wing of the building. For the rest of the project, they tore out the windows, opened the building up to the elements and then quit. Although the old windows weren’t going to win an awards for aesthetics, at least they protected the building from the weather and gave it some curb appeal.

On a quick drive-by this afternoon, there didn’t seem to be much activity on the site either. The development website has also remained untouched since it was originally put up last year. Hopefully, whatever issues have been holding the project up are soon remedied as this project is really important for the Shaw neighborhood. We’ll see what the rest of the Summer brings.

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