Blog > Blog > Archive by tag 'Forest Park Southeast'

January 12, 2010 at 6:50 pm

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.

Link

September 29, 2009 at 10:43 am

Two years ago there were four Laclede Gas gasometers left in St. Louis. I was saddened to see the gasometer in Forest Park Southeast torn down a couple years back, but at least there was still one of these monstrosities in North City near Goodfellow and two more next to I-44 in Shrewsbury. Until now.

Read more

July 29, 2009 at 12:00 pm

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. Read more

March 6, 2009 at 6:59 pm

I’ve been tracking the progress of the green rehab at 4512 Manchester in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood for some time now, and I am happy to say it looks like it is nearly complete. Read more

January 15, 2009 at 6:43 pm

With a sluggish economy, talks of large-scale development projects often vanish from the local conversation. Considering this consistent trend, it was a safe bet that the proposed plans for two 16-story Drury Hotels in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood would end up in development limbo. According to the folks at Drury, however, this project could still be a “go”. Read more

November 10, 2008 at 2:06 pm

This past January the St. Louis area was braced for the worst. With the pending shutdown of Highway 40-61 (I-64 if you prefer) from 170 to 270, everyone was changing their driving habits in anticipation of the change. It turns out that the impact was less than expected. So much less that many people have reverted back to their old habits. Unfortunately, the exaggerated impact of the Phase 1 closure has most people ill prepared for what is to come with Phase 2. Read more

October 31, 2008 at 11:21 am

Last October a pair of big projects were announced for the northern section of the Forest Park Southeast (The Grove) neighborhood. One was to be developed by Jerry King of Citirama fame (Gaslight Square) and the other by Saaman. I was as excited as the next guy about these projects, but following the collapse of Saaman and the continual silence about the projects I just assumed they were dead like so many others. Turns out I was wrong. Read more

October 21, 2008 at 5:04 pm

I just came across a bit more information about the one of the projects in Forest Park Southeast (The Grove) that I spotlighted yesterday. It turns out that this building at 4212 Manchester is going to be a green development. Surprisingly, this would be the first green development in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood. Plans submitted to St. Louis City estimated that the project would cost $2.1 million.

I found that information on Forest Park Southeast’s website. While I was there, I also found another interesting bit of information about the neighboring parcels at 4542-44 Manchester. Here is what the site says is going on with the property:

Developer: Peter George, Blue Shutters Raineri
Description: Request the purchase of two vacant LRA lots to be developed as a 24,000-36,000 square foot retail/office building. The developers are assembling properties for the project.
Estimated Project Cost: $4.2 million
Development Committee Action: Supported request to purchase two vacant LRA lots.

If this project could actually get off the ground, there would be an impressive amount going on along this block. With Mia Rosa alread finished, and the Sitelines Project underway, this could add yet another pip to the collar.

October 20, 2008 at 9:40 pm

As with Benton Park, there are a lot of smaller sized projects going on in Forest Park Southeast (aka the Grove). While most of these projects are being worked on by Amy and Amrit Gill’s Restoration St. Louis, but there are other developers in play. I have spotlighted some of these projects in the past (see Update on activity in FPSE and 3 developments in FPSE), but some are new Read more

June 19, 2008 at 8:50 pm

I got a chance to drive by a few ongoing projects in the St. Louis City neighborhood of Forest Park Southeast (or “The Grove” if you prefer) recently and it looks like things are moving along nicely. What surprised me was that a stumbled across yet another large project that I hadn’t heard about. Then, just this morning, I got word that Commerce Bank is looking for proposals for a potential development at Vandeventer and Manchester. When it rains it pours. Read more

April 10, 2008 at 4:38 pm

Forest Park Southeast - ManchesterDriving through the Forest Park Southeast Neighborhood (aka. The Grove) earlier this week, I stumbled across three mixed-use development projects, which I had been unaware of. I guess the warm weather has brought the construction crews out of doors, shining some light on their efforts. I’ve been a big fan of what’s been going on in the neighborhood over the past couple of years Read more

December 17, 2007 at 10:44 pm

I wish something would happen with Cherokee Street between Jefferson & Gravois. The acquisition prices for buildings are still reasonable and the architecture is gorgeous. Can you imagine what a building like the old Cinderella movie theater (2735 Cherokee – left) would look like if it was redeveloped? Unfortunately this is going to be easier said than done.

No offense to Alderman Craig Schimd (20th Ward), but his stance on rejuvenating the commercial district along Cherokee is really off the mark. I am no expert on his methods, but I do know that he is doing everything in his power to make it impossible for restaurants and bars to move in. He seems so obsessed with keeping away the “brown baggers” that he is running away those that might go in for a more classy atmosphere. Whats wrong with a nice martini bar? Or a wine & cheese place? Nearby Park West Grille (just north off Jefferson) seems to be doing ok with this kind of environment.

The area of Cherokee that goes through his ward, which runs from Ohio to Louisiana, is pretty dead in terms of positive development. The Benton Park West and Gravois Park Neighborhoods surrounding the district are in the same boat. I just don’t understand the die-hard opposition. Look at all the neighborhoods that have come back to life because of the influx of traffic caused by the opening of recreational establishments: the Central West End, Downtown, Lafayette Square, Soulard, Benton Park and even Forest Park Southeast (The Grove).

If you build interesting commercial venues, people are willing to come even if the area isn’t the greatest. Just look at Manchester in Forest Park Southeast. If you would have told me five years ago, that it would be a great nightlife destination, I would have laughed in your face. Today, the commercial district is home to places such as:

  • White Flag Art Gallery
  • FIVE
  • Sweetie Pie’s
  • The Kentucky Club
  • After
  • Atomic Cowboy
  • Big Wheel Ad Agency
  • Church Key
  • R-Bar
  • Novaks
  • Freddies
  • Newstead Tower Pub
  • Agave Tequileria
  • AMP
  • Gramophone (coming soon)
  • Everest Coffee (coming soon)

Thats a lot of growth really fast! And as this commercial sector has taken root, rental rates have skyrocketed and interest in residential development has gone through the roof. Now developers are fighting over vacant lots for infill and existing buildings for rehabs.

Since this method has worked so well for other neighborhoods, why not try it along Cherokee? Come on Mr. Schimd, lets forget our personal feelings towards alcohol and realize that thats how restaurants make money! If you let them build it, more commercial establishments will come. And so will the residents.

Fortunately there is some hope as a small portion of the district runs through Ken Ortmann’s
9th Ward. His section (running only two blocks from Ohio to Jefferson) is being targeted for a large new restaurant/bar called Foam. Details are scarce at this point, but it will supposedly be divided into a bar, a restaurant and coffee house. An interesting concept and one I hope works out. If this establishment would prove successful it could help promote the rest of the district. There are a lot of great buildings available in the area and something needs to get things moving. What do you think is the answer to getting this area moving?

* NOTE – If you live or own property in the 20th Ward, I encourage you to talk with Alderman Schmid about this problem. If the area would improve, anyone owning property in the vicinity would have have a nice payday. For info on how to contact the alderman, visit this website: http://stlcin.missouri.org/alderman/alderman.cfm?Ward=20. For more information about the commercial district check out there website:http://www.cherokeestation.com/

November 14, 2007 at 4:48 pm

*NOTE – This article was originally written in July of 2006 for the newsletter. The gasometer has since been wrecked down.

You might not know what its called or what its for, but chances are, you have seen it before. The Laclede Gas Gasometer has been a St. Louis landmark for over 100 years. Since the natural gas storage tank was retired a few years ago, the site has grown increasingly attractive to developers.

With the recent resurgence of the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood, many developers are salivating at the opportunity to acquire the site, located near the intersection of Newstead and Choteau. Early last month, the St. Louis Post Dispatch revealed that developers Jerry King and Stephen Trampe have been trying to acquire the 3.5 acre site from Laclede Gas for years. Details are sketchy, but the plan seems to lean toward leveling the area and installing new residential housing. The plan, which would infuse life into the generally industrial area of the neighborhood, has been generally well received.

Not surprisingly, with the recent attention drawn to the area, some developers and preservationists are calling for a creative reuse project rather than a raze and rebuild. They site the Gasometer project in Vienna, Austria as an example.

After being retired in 1984, Vienna’s four brick gasometers were in danger of being razed to make way for a new development. However, city officials realized the reuse potential of the storage tanks, and in 1995 called upon architects to submit their ideas on how to utilize the structures.

The mixed-use development was completed in 2001, based off the designs of four different architects. Each individual gasometer was handled by a different firm. Today, these facilites house a music hall, movie theater, student dormitory, municipal archive and over 800 apartments.

Although the Vienna Gasometers feature a more attractive design, a similar reuse attempt in St. Louis would likely be possible. One suggested design would feature a glass façade surrounding the metal frame with a large atrium in the center.

At this point, however, this plan is merely conceptual and has not been officially proposed. Additionally, Laclede Gas has thus far been reluctant to part with this former storage site. But with as development continues in Forest Park Southeast, they will likely give way to pressure to sell. The question is whether the site will remade with new infill housing or be home to a renewed St. Louis icon: the Gasometer.

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