Central Corridor

{rendering added 8/29 appears to depict an updated, more modern design}

Thirteen years after the Arena was demolished, the now-named Highlands site is nearly built out. The 137K sq ft "Highlands 4" office building, the fourth on the site, is planned and near groundbreaking. Now the developer has submitted an application to construct a $25M, five-story, 276-unit residential building named Cortona at Forest Park on the remaining 4.79 acres.

Designed by the new-to-St. Louis, but prolific architecture firm Humphreys & Partners Architects, the project would have a substantial impact on the city's Cheltenham neighborhood, a small enclave dominated by the St. Louis Community College - Forest Park Campus and the Highlands. The two loft buildings constructed early last decade added nearly 200 units and were responsible for the residential population increase from 480 to 620 over that decade. The area is physically an extension of the Clayton/Tamm neighborhood, commonly called Dogtown, to the west of Hampton Avenue.

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The 1.65 acres of vacant land at Euclid and West Pine in the city's Central West End neighborhood continues to inch toward development. The latest news is rather mundane, but sheds light on some important changes. The city's planning agency has recommended approval of a zoning change to "H" Area Commercial District, from a mixed "H" and "E" Multi-Family District. Why? Developer Bruce Mills is now proposing additional commercial space, totaling more than 30,000 sq ft., up from just 9,000 sq ft in 2009. 

The well-worn rumor is that the developer was seeking a Whole Foods Market for the space. The grocery retailer has been focused on introducing smaller stores of 35,000-50,000 sq ft in more urban locations. The nearest existing store at Brentwood Square is approximately 35,000 square feet. The hold up on any announcement may be that the City Walk retail space spans two stories, a rare model for Whole Foods. That may leave an opening for a Trader Joe's, as the specialty grocery chain's stores average 8,000-12,000 sq ft. The retail space is described in planning documents as "12,000 sq ft of grocery space on level one & 18,000 sq ft of related grocery space on the lower level".


{rendering of "Citywalk on Euclid" from 2009 proposal appears to reflect current design}

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202 units. 431 parking spaces.

The corner of Chouteau and Taylor Avenues is less than a half-mile from the busiest MetroLink station, and a major MetroBus transfer station. Developers of the Aventura are counting on a significant proportion of residents to be employed or studying at the medical campus less than one-third of a mile away. This is where transit-oriented development can happen. It's too early to know if residents of the development will request more parking, only the sewer pipes of phase I can be seen rising from the dirt, yet the developer is expecting more cars than residents.

As argued here on nextSTL, Aventura at Forest Park disappoints with its design, but remains an important development for the neighborhood. While the first phase is emerging from the ground, phase II of the Aventura has won support from the neighborhood development corporation. The first phase features 101 living units and 142 parking spaces. Like a bad sequel, phase II will add another 101 units and 229 parking spaces. Assume several two bedroom apartments will have a single occupant, and it's fair to estimate the development will have no more than 325 residents (and 431 parking spaces including 60 onstreet spaces). Even assuming every bedroom is full and not counting on-street parking, there will be 371 dedicated parking spaces for 358 beds.

So why so much parking?

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des·o·late    /ˈdesəlit/
Adjective: (of a place) Deserted of people and in a state of bleak and dismal emptiness.