A Look at City Foundry St. Louis…in August 2013
In August 2013 the vacant brake foundry in Midtown St. Louis, Vandeventer Ave. & Forest Park Ave., was an “eye sore” just south the main campus of Saint Louis University. IKEA’s announcement to build on the opposite side of Vandeventer was still a few months away. I visited the foundry site as best I could in my power wheelchair, taking 9 photos in a 20 minute period.
Before posting about the new City Foundry STL (with food hall, offices, retail space, and recently opened grocery store) I want to take you back to the afternoon of Saturday August 24, 2013:
![](http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/foundry.20130824.01.jpg)
![](http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/foundry.20130824.02.jpg)
![](http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/foundry.20130824.03.jpg)
![](http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/foundry.20130824.04.jpg)
![](http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/foundry.20130824.05.jpg)
![](http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/foundry.20130824.06.jpg)
![](http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/foundry.20130824.07.jpg)
![](http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/foundry.20130824-08.jpg)
![](http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/foundry.20130824.09.jpg)
![](http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/foundry.20130824.10.jpg)
![](http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/foundry.20150923-1.jpg)
Soon I’ll use these images to compare the foundry to the completely reimagined present. The single-story building along Vandeventer was razed, all other buildings remain today. See amazing before interior photos here.
— Steve Patterson