An $8M building permit application has been submitted for multi-family conversion of 2528 Texas at Sidney in the Fox Park neighborhood. Blackline has the building under contract and plans to convert it into 78 apartments. They are seeking historic tax credits.
The building is in the Koken Barbers Supply Company Historic District (Application [PDF]).
Across the street from the Quonset hut, this five-story and basement building was constructed in 1912 by the Koken Co. for manufacturing, with offices and showrooms on the second floor. The factory fronts eight bays (approximately 135 feet) on Texas and six bays (117 feet) on Sidney. It features fireproof construction of flat slab, reinforced concrete using the Turner “mushroom” system, with 12-inch brick curtain walls. All elevations are articulated with large windows headed with soldier course brick lintels; metal sills are employed, except on second story windows on the west (primary) and south elevations which display terra cotta sills. All windows (except basement) are now filled with glass blocks above small, pivoting windows with metal frames; building permits indicate the window alterations occurred between 1955- 1961; basement windows are boarded. The large, primary entrance on Texas (now covered with a canvas canopy) opens to a small vestibule and stairway, both clad with original marble wainscoting; steps with marble treads lead to second story offices at the southwest comer of the building. The offices still retain original, ornamental wood partitions with decorative leaded glass. On the north elevation, canopied loading docks and an entry to a freight elevator open to a loading/shipping area of vacant land originally associated with Koken activities and still used as such. The cornice of the building is copper.
Section 7, page 2
In 1928 Koken sold the five-story building at 2528 Texas to International Hat Co. which retained ownership until 1990. The current (2006) owner, Victory Investors Inc., manufactures restaurant furniture.
Section 8, page 8
A plan for Brick City Makes. a hub for small scale manufactures, was announced in 2017 by a partnership of DeSales Community Development and St. Louis Makes didn’t come to fruition.
Nextstl – 2017 – Hub For Small, Growing Manufacturers Planned For 87K SF Fox Park Warehouse
