Condos at Former Southside National Bank To Have Great Views

Last week The Lawrence Group gave me a personal tour of the former Southside National Bank at Grand & Gravois in South St. Louis. They are busy converting the tower into 13 condos (official website).

We started with the 2nd floor bank lobby. Uh, wow. How could Walgreen’s officials have looked at this building 6+ years ago and thought tearing it down made any sense at all. This lobby is absolutely stunning. Finding a new use for this space will be a challenge for architect/developer The Lawrence Group (TLG) since the bank teller divider must remain. It certainly seems suitable for a restaurant.

One of the best things about the project is the amount of street-level retail. Facades such as this one facing Grand will have additional windows and doors cut into it. This is good thing because this area needs as much street-level retail to help offset all the sprawl allowed in the area in the last 4-5 years (new White Castle surrounded by parking, Walgreen’s with excessive parking, proposed McDonald’s relocation a block away).

The fact TLG is willing to do this project, while surrounded by so much bad development, is a testament to their commitment. I just hope it will lead us toward a more urban context and away from drive-thru development.

I mentioned views right? Well, every unit has great views of the city but from the roof you can see far and wide. You can see downtown, the Arch, Clayton, JB Bridge, and the lovely street grid of the city. If you are one of the lucky purchasers of a condo here please keep me in mind if you have a roof-top party.

We walked through the display being constructed on the 6th floor. They are anticipating an opening next month which is realistic since the unit was already in drywall. I really like the layout on the 4-8th floors. The 3rd floor layout is different due to the issues of running plumbing through the stunning bank lobby seen above. The project manager is investigating to see if they can make the 3rd floor layout more like the others.

The 9th floor penthouse has windows in all four directions and will be quite an impressive space.

TLG is planning some new construction along both Grand & Gravois. This will do wonders to minimize the impact of the parking and make the sidewalk more urban. I had a few concerns and suggestions on the site planning, which I have shared with the team.

TLG is also doing the building across the street on Grand. I’ll get to that interesting project later this week.

– Steve

Possible Modern Streetcar Routes for St. Louis

It is no secret I want modern streetcars in St. Louis. For those not familiar with the concept of modern streetcars, they are new high-tech vehicles quite similar to light rail vehicles. They have a low-floor design which allows for easy entry/exit from a curb. Unlike light rail systems, the modern streetcar runs in “mixed-traffic” with cars. Where vintage trolley/streetcar systems are more nostalgic than functional, the modern streetcar is highly function for local transit while The only example in North America is in Portland although a number of cities, such as Tucson, are considering such a system.

I’ve been reading up on Porland’s system, now a few years old, and they’ve had an amazing amount of development around their line. This is largely due to development being the initial goal, the line was designed to connect two vacant (or nearly vacant) industrial brownfield sites. Zoning was changed to require minimum density. Developers have been able to get a good return on their investment. From the Development Report dated January 2006:

The Portland Development Commission (PDC) negotiated a Master Development Agreement with Hoyt Street Properties, owners of a 40-acre brownfield in the heart of the River District. The Agreement tied development densities to public improvements with the minimum required housing density increased incrementally from 15 to 87 units per acre when the Lovejoy Viaduct was deconstructed, to 109 units/acre when the streetcar construction commenced and 131 units/acre when the first neighborhood park was built. The developer has stated that without the Streetcar and the accessibility it provides, these densities would not have been possible. The agreement was a unique and essential piece of the public/private partnership that catalyzed development of the River District and serves as a model for the agreement established for in South Waterfront.

Those are some serious densities. The kind of density that makes a neighborhood vibrant and a transit system that is highly viable. With the idea of placing transit where it could be coupled with new development I have prepared a few possible modern streetcar routes. I have intentionally placed the routes so they intersect or come close to the existing MetroLink line.

Basic Assumptions for all Concepts:

Streetcar line would be modeled on the Portland Streetcar with modern low-floor vehicles (not “vintage” or “heritage” vehicles). Streetcars would operate in mixed-traffic but would be given signal preference over cross-street traffic. Lines would run in the outside travel lane (not center) and would stop at curb bulb outs every 1/5 of a mile or so.

Eminent domain (or even threat) should not be used to assemble land for development within streetcar zone.

Form-bsaed zoning overlay should be enacted for the area served by the streetcar (three city blocks on each side of line). Zoning overlay should set out minimum units per acre (gradually increasing at certain benchmarks) and maximum parking spaces.

… Continue Reading

ULI Competition Finalists Selected, Posted Online

ULI has announced the finalists in their national competition. Here is a look at each of the four final teams:

Columbia

Jury Summary:
Team 2105’s proposal introduces a skywalk system that connects Saint Louis University’s Frost campus with its health sciences center. The skywalk allows pedestrians to move from one end of the university campus to the other without interfering with vehicular and freight traffic, and draws student activities into the project area, where they can be shared by the academic and medical communities. At the landscape level, environmental strategies create open and green spaces, and site edges blend discreetly into the surrounding community.

I had to check my calendar after seeing this project, making sure it was not 1960. I also had recollections of the tragic I.M. Pei plan to “modernize” my hometown of Oklahoma City — razing old buildings, creating large “super blocks” and putting pedestrians in underground tunnels or in tubes over the sidewalks. In short, everything a city is not.

If pedestrians cannot walk along the street then change the conditions of the street. Safety must be a concern and removing people from the watchful eye of others is just foolish. The SLU campus already creates a situation where outsiders are not welcomed, we don’t need to create more of that. The Columbia project serves best as an example of what we should not do to this area. How it got to be a finalist is beyond me.

Harvard #1015

Jury Summary:
“Bridging Innovation at Grand Crossing” leverages the east-west intracity connections made possible by Chouteau Greenway by creating a north-south “academic spine” along Grand Boulevard bridge. An urban northern edge and a biotech-oriented southern edge unites the Saint Louis University campus around a mixed-use node where academics, biotechnology, transit, recreation, commercial, and residential activities can concentrate.

Like so many of the proposals, this concept shortens the length of the Grand viaduct and adds buildings up to the sidewalk. Who was it that suggested this a month ago? Oh yeah, that would be me. It is nice to see others came to the same conclusion I did about the importance of urbanizing Grand.

This team left the Del Taco & Union Council Plaza buildings with a note, “streetscape to be improved.” I don’t think enough patterned sidewalk or landscaping will make this area urban enough. I’ve been known to spin through Del Taco’s drive-thru late at night (ok, early morning) but I think it needs to go.

Harvard #4110

Jury Summary:
“Aurora” creates a biotech research, development, and entrepreneurial center that represents Saint Louis University’s interface with the local biotech industry. It accepts the commercial corridors of Grand Boulevard, Chouteau Avenue, and Forest Park Boulevard, fills the interior of the blocks with appropriate uses, and establishes a symbiotic relationship with the Greenway.

This is a very nice proposal, with Grand getting a shorter bridge and urban makeover. This concept includes an intersection at Papin (the block north of Chouteau), as well as a new intersection, called Campus Drive, just south of the highway. A new bridge at Theresa Street will help connect areas on each side of the valley.

On the negative side their building massing is rather blocky. I would have liked to have seen more street grid between Grand and Spring on both the north & south areas. They also seemed to simply delete on & off ramps from I-64, something I wouldn’t mind so much but in realty not very practical.

But, I love that Grand from Chouteau to Forest Park is faced with a variety of buildings.

UC Berkeley

Jury Summary:
“Weave” proposes an urban prototype for St. Louis that rejects the creation of a specific-use redevelopment district and instead introduces explicit north-south connections throughout the site that weaves it into the communities to its north and south. While the Greenway is the major east-west cross-weave, smaller strips of green space weave through the site, eventually connecting with the Greenway. Reinforcing the vision of a community developed around transit and other urban amenities is a magnet school in close proximity to SLU and the Armory, redeveloped as a performing arts center.

The University of California at Berkeley project impresses me on multiple levels. In addition to making Grand a proper urban street they are seeking to “weave” areas together with four additional north-south bridges over Mill Creek Valley! More street grid is a good thing, especially in this case.

Like other finalists, this team created an intersection south of I-64. Unlike other teams, this one provided on & off ramps at Grand. Between the shorter bridge and Chouteau this team has two intersections.

Their proposal includes a large variety of building sizes, including a number of small scale buildings unseen on other proposals. This is especially important along Grand where they are using a number of smaller buildings to create an intimate walking environment.

I liked part of the text from their presentation on the urban form:

“Create strong north-south connections, explicitly rejecting current redevelopment plans (CORTEX EAST) in order to use bio-tech/university influx as a catalyst for weaving and knitting communities.“

This is one smart team, rejecting the big CORTEX generic redevelopment plan and creating a pedestrian-friendly street grid. For my money this team from Berkeley should get first place.

Seven teams received honorable mentions. A team from Texas included a streetcar line along Grand to connect the theatre district near the Fox to the SLU medical campus — a good idea that can be expanded north and south. I also liked some of the housing they showed on their proposal.

Representatives from each of the four finalists will be in town on the 10th to actually view the site, they will be given a chance to revise their proposals. The winner will be announced on March 31st. I’m rooting for the team from Berkeley.

– Steve

Truman Parkway To Continute to 18th Street

Truman Parkway

Originally uploaded by urbanreviewstl.com.

Major traffic from I-44 & I-55 going to and from downtown used to take 14th & Tucker. But in 2003 work began on the Truman Parkway, where Grattan Street once existed.

Currently the parkway is short — from Lafayette on the south to Chouteau on the North. Phase II, completed last year, was the reconfiguration of the I-55 on and off ramps.

Phase III will see the Parkway continue to 18th street, cutting across existing open lots at a slight angle. For those coming and going to Union Station and other places in west downtown this will be quite helpful by avoiding the 18th & Chouteau intersection a stones throw to the west.

But once completed, everyone will avoid the 18th & Chouteau intersection. Why? It will be eliminated.

Yes, if you are on 18th Street heading south from downtown it will bend and morph into the Truman Parkway in front of AmerenUE’s offices.

When I am bicycling or scootering I often take Mississippi Street through Lafayette Square and then take Chouteau briefly before turning onto 18th to go downtown. Upon completion of this project my easy cut through will be erased.

This will force me onto an arguably higher speed road or to change my route. My choices for crossing Mill Creek Valley are Jefferson to the west (a much worse alternative) or going over to 14th. The 14th Street route is fine unless I’m head to places west such as the Tap Room at 21st & Locust.

Lafayette Square residents have had 18th blocked on the south side of Chouteau for a number of years. Understandably, they didn’t like their neighborhood used as a high-speed access route to the highways. Still, I rather like the arrangement of buildings at 18th — following the curve of the street. The neighborhood has plans for this area which may include some small park space but it will mostly be parking for adjacent businesses.

One more interesting urban setting lost due to the car.

– Steve

Oh Yeah, We Are a River City

River View

Originally uploaded by urbanreviewstl.com.

Sometimes I think it is easy for us to forget that St. Louis is a river city. I seldom see the river except for a few glimpses from I-55.

Today I was returning home from my real estate office on South Broadway and decided to take a few minute break in Bellerive Park. The view, as always, is spectacular.

The river seems very low with lots of sand being exposed on the Illinois side. A very old barge is barely visible in the sand directly across from the park. Upstream I spotted a barge no longer in the water — just sitting on top of the bank.

In this day and age of costly bio-tech office parks it is important to remember our industrial & river roots. The Jefferson Memorial erased all traces downtown and with the bright casino lights at Laclede’s Landing it is hard to picture industry there. But if you follow the river north or south of downtown you get a much better idea of the importance of the river in the past and how much it is still used. The number of barges still amazes me.

Next time you are near the river take a few minutes and check it out.

– Steve