Somehow, in the stories about Centene’s $46M $50M buying spree in Clayton and the images of the planned corporate campus development, a little Clayton-owned parking lot escaped attention. Though a press release dated May 31, 2016 is posted of the city’s website, there doesn’t appear to be a mention of the sale in any reporting (ours, or other’s) on the project.
The 13-space lot sits on the northeast corner of Hanley Road and Carondelet Plaza. In images released June 6, the lot appears to remain as parking or vehicular access to the building, though the details are less than clear. The Clayton press release states the lot is part of Centene’s “planned utility relocation”.
The sale of the property apparently came with conditions, with Centene agreeing to:
- Pay for five new meter spaces in front of Crescent retail
- Dedicate 20 public spaces in their future parking garage, which is to be relocated within 750 feet of current lot east of Hanley
- Design the new Centene building to be set back from the south property line to allow view from Crescent balconies to the west
For those who really care about such things, 750 feet isn’t exactly right next door. And 20 spaces? The additional meter spaces (assume street parking?) should be welcome. Then the big deal, knowing there would be opposition from some residents of the Crescent, the minimum setback from Carondelet Plaza is set.
It’s all part of a long process of back-and-forth to determine the specifics of the expansive vision for the Centene Clayton campus. From the press release: “The sale kicks off an ongoing public development process for the Centene project…the public will have many public meetings and hearings over the next several months to learn more about the project and provide input.”
