Preservation Board to Review An Issue With Lafayette Walk

The agenda for Monday’s Preservation Board meeting is not yet published (due to a web issue I’m told) but I do know of one issue that will be heard: exposed gas meters in front of Orchard Development’s new Lafayette Walk project.

In January 2005 the Preservation Board approved the Lafayette Walk project (PDF review file) with staff noting:

The project is an important contribution at this neglected entrance to a significant City neighborhood. Because of its size and the manner in which it will dominate this entrance, it is very important that the details in project design as well as in project execution be well done. The success of the Lafayette Square Historic District, in large part, relies on the fine detail and historic character of its buildings and streets.

Some Lafayette Square residents are rightly upset that each unit has an exposed gas meter facing the public sidewalk. What is not known is how this happened or who is to blame. Was it a gas company requirement? The developer trying to save some money on installation of the gas service? Or simply an oversight on the part of the Cultural Resources staff? Whatever the reason it is most certainly unsightly.

You can only do so much with landscaping, especially in such small spaces. Yes, this is minor in the big scheme of things but these meters really stand out. The Preservation Board meetings are almost always interesting and this topic alone promises to make it a good one. The fun begins Monday 2/27/06 at 4pm at 1015 Locust, 12th floor.

– Steve

Lawrence Group Launches SSNB Website

Local Architecture firm turned developer, The Lawrence Group, has launched a stunning website for their development in the former Southside National Bank building at Grand & Gravois.

If the project is as cool as the website it will be a great project. This is certainly long overdue for the area. The project will also include new construction along Gravois as well as Grand. The Melba Theatre building across Grand will also be renovated into retail and apartments.

The Lawrence Group is planning a Grand Opening sales party for April. As a REALTOR® I would be more than happy to represent anyone interested in purchasing one of these condos.

– Steve

RIP: St. Louis Centre to become 600 Washington

Thankfully someone is doing the right thing with the near dead downtown indoor mall known since the early 80’s as St. Louis Centre. Pyramid is pulling the trigger and putting it out of its misery. It was a design failure from day one (see prior post).

From the BizJournal:

The $75 million redevelopment plan for St. Louis Centre, financed by National City Bank, includes 120 luxury condos priced between $155,000 and $800,000 or between $195 and $250 per square foot. The middle of the center will have the roof removed to expose a football field-sized open air atrium. Inward facing condos on the first floor will have terraces overlooking a swimming pool. A dog run and other amenities also will be included in the development.

On the ground floor, 80,000 square feet of retail will be available for between six and 12 stores or restaurants. Steffen said he has talked with several major national retailers about the space, including Whole Foods and Borders. “We’re looking at a lot of options,” he said. Pyramid Architects is the architect; Paric is the general contractor on the center redevelopment.

I’m not sure that a $155,000 condo qualifies as “luxury.” Typically condos in that price range qualify as “basic.” Sadly, even the larger units on the top end of the scale don’t meet my definition of luxury (commercial ranges, sub-zero fridges, steam showers with body sprays and rain shower heads, etc…).

I also like the “talking with” comment regarding Borders and Whole Foods, does that mean Pyramid keeps calling and they keep saying no? I’m not sure we have the density for either at this point but I’d love to see both. But, I think a large grocery store such as Whole Foods would do much better in the longer term near most of the residents and that is (or will be) west of Tucker. Rather than go with an outside chain store why not get a second location of City Grocers to open in the downtown area? Or another Straubs?

The only drawing I’ve seen of the proposal was a tiny one on the cover of the Journal’s print edition. Not much to go by but from what I can tell is looks OK. Nothing to write home about. It also appears a bit short. Here is what we do know:

St. Louis Centre will undergo a major facelift, including removing the green and white skin on the exterior and tearing down the skybridge that links the mall to the former Dillard’s building at 601 Washington Avenue.

Okay, what about the three other bridges? To the west is a bridge to the bank tower, to the east to a parking garage and another massive bridge to the soon to be Macy’s. The bridge over Washington Avenue is arguably the most important one to eliminate but the others are an issue as well.

The other thing is how the building is built over the sidewalk on three sides (north, west and south). Will this still be the case? What will be done to make the sidewalk less tunnel like?

And how do we get on-street parking around the building so the sidewalk is enjoyable for sidewalk dining? Seventh street on the west is only 3 lanes wide as it is. In fact, this is where cabbies wait before they pull up to America’s Center. Who will want to enjoy outdoor dining with a line of cabs idling?

It still amazes me how a $95 million dollar project could become virtually worthless 20 years later. It really shows the folly of thinking some big project is going to save downtown. The truth is it takes many smaller scale projects to build a neighborhood.

– Steve

Where Is Our New Zoning Code?

Over a year ago St. Louis adopted a much heralded new Strategic Land Use Plan that was going to pave the way for future development in the City of St. Louis. It does a great job of organizing the city into various areas and giving brief descriptions setting out a vision for each. However, our 1947-era zoning codes are still the law. These codes give us the suburban model as standard practice and require special efforts to build what we should be building.

St. Louis is hot right now. We’ve got buildings being renovated all over the city and new construction is popping up in many neighborhoods. If things go well we will continue over the next 5-10 years to see more and more new construction.

But what will this new construction look like?

Will it be the suburban model of generic building surrounded by parking lots or will it be the type of sensitive scale mixed use buildings that we are seeing in areas like Lafayette Square? Lafayette Square, you will note, doesn’t rely solely on the zoning code because they have their own historic district standards which mandate urban design. They have no worries about a drive-thru lane.

But what about the rest of the city?

We were quite dense and urban at one point in our history. Those of us that consider ourselves urbanists want — no demand — that we put ourselves on a course to become much more urban in the near future. The Slay administration is doing so only in small doses — mostly downtown.

Sorry Francis, that just isn’t enough.

Get the zoning code updated — NOW!

– Steve

PS added @ 8:30am. The new code should be form based zoning.

The McDonald’s Saga Continues

This morning’s hearing on the proposed McDonald’s at 3708 S. Grand was interesting to say the least. On one side we had folks from Pyramid, a McDonald’s rep, the McDonald’s franchise owner and Alderman Jennifer Florida. On the other side you me, a number of nearby residents and Alderman Craig Schmid.

Here is a brief summary:

The part after the meeting was better than the meeting. I watched as residents had words with Ald. Florida (I always like a free show). Myself and others opposing the project are getting organized for the bigger fight on remaining hearings on the project. Look for the campaign to kick off in the near future!

Earlier today I was finally able to get a copy of the site plan for the project. OMG, It is worse than I had expected.

The plan is also interesting in what it does not include. The “F” Neighborhood Commercial District requires a number of things before permitting a conditional use when adjacent to a residential district. One item is:

f. Parking areas shall be screened at all property line with a 10-foot landscaped strip contiguous with or directly across an alley or public or private easement, other than a public street, from any existing residential use or dwelling district. Parking area screens shall consist of a minimum 2-foot high berm and a masonry or wood barrier that is at least 70 percent opaque and not less than 6 feet in height and shall be maintained in good order.

In this case they show 15 parking spaces along the eastern edge of the site which is across an alley from a residential district. But the plan conveniently omits the required 10-foot landscaped strip along the alley. Out front we’ve got another issue:

g. A landscape strip not less than 3 feet in width shall be provided along all public streets and shall contain 2-foot high solid landscaping or a masonry wall not less than 2 feet in height except that these elements shall not be required in approved driveways. Street trees shall be installed in the tree lawn, between the public sidewalk and public street, when the tree lawn has sufficient width, or street trees with gates shall be installed in public sidewalks where the sidewalk has sufficient width and is on an earth base with a minimum of 25 feet between trees not including driveways. A minimum of 15% of the lot area shall be landscaped, including screening areas.

Looks like they might have 3 feet of landscaping at one point out front but barely. No landscaping is indicated on the drawings other than to indicate a few areas as landscaped. Lots of asphalt though!

The building occupies only 10% of the total site. 10%!!! Sorry, you can’t get any more suburban than that!

Ald. Florida said the project was “pedestrian-friendly” yet I see no evidence of such. At no point is a sidewalk provided for pedestrians to walk from the public sidewalk to the entrance of the establishment. If you are coming from the neighborhood to the east your only means of entering the site is through the 30-foot wide in/out drive and then walking through the drive area to the front corner of the building. If you are on Grand and wish to enter the restaurant you have the same situation, you must enter the site through the automobile entrance & exit areas. And if you are in a wheelchair you must wheel about 85 feet as if you are heading toward the drive-thru lane before you get to the one ADA ramp. Yeah right, pedestrian friendly my…

No bicycle parking is indicated either. From the looks of things this does not appear to be any different than a McDonald’s they’d build along a suburban highway exit ramp.

Once I get the document in PDF format I’ll do another post so everyone can see for themselves.