Holland Construction begins Mill Creek Flats in Midtown

Holland Construction Services has begun work on the new Mill Creek Flats Luxury Apartments in historic Midtown St. Louis.

The $25 million project is the third and final phase of the Steelcote Square development by Pier Property Group.

The six-story apartment building will include 105 apartments, a two-story structured parking garage, 10,000 SF of retail space and amenities such as a fitness center, pet spa, rooftop pool and green space. The project was designed by the architectural firm, Trivers.

According to Holland project manager, Clayton Herring, the structure will include 5 floors of wood-framing on top of a concrete podium which includes the garage and retail space. The building will also feature an exterior façade of corrugated metal, which will give the structure a distinct appearance that varies throughout the day.

“The development is unique for a lot of reasons but primarily because of the smart utilization of space in an urban area. We’re also constructing a brand new building which will sit adjacent to two historic ones and will tie the entire development together. We are very happy to be part of the collaborative effort between the developer, the architect and our team to ensure that this building will have some very exceptional features for its residents and commercial tenants while also being cost-effective,” Herring said.

This is the second multifamily project for the Pier Property Group - Holland Construction duo, who are also building the Flats at Dorsett Ridge. The new $45 million, 218-unit luxury apartment complex in Maryland Heights is expected to be complete later this year.

“Holland has unparalleled experience and expertise when it comes to multi-family and wood-frame structures, especially within the St. Louis area. Not only are they experts from a construction standpoint, they also have worked with the City of St. Louis and are very familiar with the codes and regulations,” said Michael Hamburg, owner of Pier Property Group.

The Mill Creek Flats Development is expected to be complete by Spring 2022. For more information about the project, you may visit www.millcreekflats-stl.com/.

$40 million affordable housing project heads to Central City

Building on continued momentum in St. Louis’ Central City, a groundbreaking new housing project will bring attainable housing through over 160 new units - over 80 of which will be workforce-targeted rents - to the Central City’s Forest Park Southeast neighborhood.

Union At The Grove, a $40 million multifamily development, is comprised of six individual buildings on Hunt, Vista and Norfolk Avenues, between Newstead and Taylor Avenues, just east of Kingshighway.

Green Street St. Louis developed the project with support from a consortium that includes Greater St. Louis, Inc., IFF, and Washington University Medical Center Redevelopment Corp. (WUMCRC), a partnership between BJC Healthcare and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

“As we focus on inclusive economic growth for our region, the project sends a strong signal about what is being done to begin a resurgence in the Central City in St. Louis,” said Valerie E. Patton, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for Greater St. Louis, Inc. and president of the Greater St. Louis Foundation.

In addition to Union, recent developments highlighting the resurgence in the Central City include the first fully protected bike and pedestrian infrastructure in the city that will connect the Tower Grove Park and the Shaw neighborhood to Forest Park Southeast and Cortex; continued significant development taking place in and around Cortex itself; the construction of the new NGA West headquarters, projected to open in 2025; and additional hundreds of millions of dollars of new and adaptive re-use real estate development underway in the City. As has been reported in recent years, more than $8 billion in development is underway, planned or has been recently completed in the City.

“Union At The Grove is a natural extension of Green Street’s continued commitment to the City of St. Louis and Midtown redevelopment through partnership and community revitalization,” said Joel Oliver, Green Street senior vice president for development.

Developing new workforce housing is critical to inclusive growth, and approximately 52 percent of the Union’s units will have attainable rents so that health care employees and medical school staff can live near where they work. The units with attainable rates will be blended throughout each of Union’s six unique buildings.

Amenities include private entrances, courtyards and walking paths; shared rooftop terraces, balconies, and barbecue areas; and bike storage, mail, and secure package areas. The properties are walking distance from Forest Park, Tower Grove Park, Cortex and the Washington University Medical Campus.

“Social, environmental and economic inequities are recognized as major contributors to health disparities,” says Richard Liekweg, BJC HealthCare president and CEO.

“This project demonstrates that health care organizations can play a part in strengthening our neighborhoods and communities. Having new, attractive and attainable housing adjacent to our academic campus where some 20,000 employees work will facilitate access to jobs, while also strengthening communities,” Liekweg said.

Beginning in 1996, WUMCRC has purchased properties in the neighborhood with the long-term goal of attracting developers with strong records in redeveloping and supporting mixed-income, diverse communities. Union At The Grove is the final segment of this effort to improve the quality of life for residents in neighborhoods that border the Medical Campus. WUMCRC also has supported neighborhood investments in safety, jobs, education and the development of The Grove, the entertainment and commercial district along Manchester Road.

“In recent years the market has done a great job supplying high quality market rate and we have been able to find resources to build and maintain low-income housing units in the neighborhood. This project fills in the missing middle – those who earn too much to qualify for subsidized housing and too little to afford market housing,” said Hank Webber, Washington University’s executive vice chancellor and chair of the WUMCRC board.

Construction is slated to start February 1, 2020 with an official groundbreaking ceremony targeted for spring of this year. The project did not make use of federal or state tax credits or incentives and is applying all funds from the 10-year tax abatement it received into the newly formed Newstead West Community Improvement District for the purpose of making infrastructure improvements that would otherwise not be completed. These improvements include:

• Resurfacing of streets and alleys

• Rebuilding sidewalks and curbs

• Installing new streetlights

• Helping heal the City’s grid by reopening the cul-de-sacs on Vista and Norfolk at Taylor

“This development checks a couple of important boxes for our community. It adds density to support our efforts for more environmentally sustainable development and less car dependency. It also has a workforce housing component to assure our neighborhoods remain economically diverse. Both are core values of the 17th Ward,” said 17th Ward Alderman Joe Roddy.

Development of Union is being led by Green Street, which has advanced approximately $100 million worth of other projects in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood. Green Street Building Group is managing project construction with said construction financing provided by Colliers International, arranged by Kyle Howerton of George Smith Partners.

IFF provided Newstead West Community Improvement District a bridge loan to provide upfront funding for infrastructure improvements that would have otherwise been available spread out over a decade.

CentralCitySTL is an initiative of the newly formed economic development organization Greater St. Louis, Inc. that combines the work of Arch to Park and Design Downtown STL. The Arch to Park Equity Fund made a patient capital investment to help make this major development possible.

New multifamily development lands in Central West End

After delivering two multifamily complexes in 2018 -The Euclid and Chroma- KDG is adding another 1.4-acre property to their multifamily portfolio, this time in St. Louis’ upscale Central West End neighborhood.

Sitework began last month at 4545 Laclede Avenue on the seven-story, ground-up, multifamily residential building. Featuring 205 apartments above a secure parking garage, unit floor plans range from studios to two-bedrooms, with plans to introduce “micro-units” to the St. Louis market.

“We had the opportunity to design our interiors while significant cultural changes reshaped how folks live and work. We created micro-units in the 400 square-foot range, and then complemented them with a mezzanine floor of flex office space. The result is functional yet affordable spaces for those seeking a Class A product in the Central West End,” said KDG president, Jason Braidwood.

KDG is partnering with L. Keeley Construction to bring this development to life. Part of the Keeley Companies, KDG and L. Keeley previously partnered on construction of The Euclid’s second floor conversion to apartments and amenity spaces, which was completed in August. KDG plans to partner with L. Keeley on upcoming developments, including Olive Crossing and Cortex K.

“This is what I love to call the ‘Power of One.’ Our construction company and development company coming together to create an amazing project for one of our favorite neighborhoods,” said Rusty Keeley, CEO of Keeley Companies.

Local architect Chris Cedergreen led the design effort with Lamar Johnson Collaborative serving as architect of record and interior designer.

Inspired by the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, the architecture is classical with a modern aesthetic and eclectic spirit. The building’s façade incorporates painted brick masonry with custom wrought iron, filigree, and wood elements. The building form and materials reinforce the context of the surrounding neighborhood and scales down to street-level with European garden-style landscaping in a lush courtyard at the entrance.

The interiors will reflect the same authenticity and timelessness as the exterior design. Bold colors, patterning, and sculptural fittings will add richness and texture, marked by graphics and artwork that evoke curiosity, whimsy and interest.

KDG chose the Central West End for its new, highly amenitized community due to the neighborhood's multiple places to work, exercise, gather, relax and entertain. The development will complement the neighborhood by offering a full suite of amenities; including a hearth room, curated gallery wall, club lounge, pool terrace, outdoor grilling island, fitness studio, yoga studio, golfing green and a first-of-its-kind, flex-office mezzanine. The space will feature individual and collaborative workspaces and “Zoom” meeting spaces for residents to create and produce outside of their residence.

“We were seeing this trend well before COVID. Our residents require flexible work-from-home environments as secure as they are collaborative and communal. The property will be industry-leading in this regard,” said Braidwood.

Along with developing the property, KDG will lease the building through its in-house property management team. The team’s property management portfolio includes The Euclid, Clayton on the Park, Chroma and Hue - set to open in late 2020.

“Our team was best-in-class upon opening The Euclid and Chroma three years ago, but the culture and systems implemented through the Keeley-Koman merger have made us that much stronger. Combine that with this building’s location and amenities and you have what I think will be the premier residential community in St. Louis,” Braidwood said.

The Barclay condos 'top out' in Kirkwood

Kadean Construction Company recently celebrated the topping out of The Barclay, a $12 million luxury condominium project currently under construction at 204 N. Clay Street in downtown Kirkwood, Mo.

The final roof truss of the four-story structure, developed by Savoy Investments, LLC., was hoisted into place by Cheltenham Construction Services, one of Kadean’s subcontractors, signifying that the structure has reached its maximum height.

“The entire project team has done a great job of keeping this job site safe for workers while responding to the site’s logistical limitations. I credit the collaboration of everyone involved for keeping this moving towards a successful outcome," said Mike Eveler, president of Kadean Construction.

The 40,000 SF building will feature fourteen luxury condominiums with underground parking and other luxury amenities.

“We are so gratified that this project has remained on schedule during the COVID-19 public health pandemic, which has adversely affected the progress of many other construction projects across the St. Louis region,” said John Pennington, partner and co-owner at Savoy Investments.

Construction began in November 2019 and is scheduled for completion in early 2021. Other partners on the project include Core 10 Architecture and KPFF Consulting Engineers.

This is the second new condominium construction project for the Savoy Investments and Kadean duo to build on the same block in downtown Kirkwood. In 2018, Kadean completed construction of The Madison Condominiums at 110 W. Madison Avenue.

Mission Rock Residential rolls into Soulard

Hamilton Zanze, a San Francisco-based real estate investment firm and new owner of Soulard Icehouse and Steelyard Apartments, has named Mission Rock Residential as the new property manager of the two communities --now jointly operating as Steelyard Apartments.

“Steelyard and IceHouse provided an attractive opportunity to buy a new property in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Soulard. The property features a robust amenities package, prime location near downtown St. Louis and offers residents the quality of life provided by the city’s energetic urban core," said David Nelson, Hamilton Zanze’s managing director of acquisitions.

Developed by Lux Living, the now combined Class-A, mid-rise community offers a mix of luxury studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom units averaging 784 SF in size. Amenities include, Nest thermostats, keyless entry locks and package delivery lockers.

Shared community amenities include a rooftop deck, a saltwater pool with sun deck, a pet park and spa, a karaoke lounge, two state-of-the-art fitness centers and more - all located in close proximity to the Mississippi River, providing views of the river and the famed Gateway Arch.

“By combining these two apartment communities under one consistent name, Mission Rock hopes to establish cohesiveness and a strong sense of community with its residents between the two buildings. The impressive amenities and historic roots make us confident that current and future residents will continue to experience tremendous benefits in this already-desirable neighborhood in St. Louis," said Patricia Hutchison, president of Mission Rock Residential.

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About Soulard: One of the oldest communities in the city, Soulard today is a largely residential neighborhood with many businesses including restaurants, bars and the North American headquarters of Anheuser-Busch.

In a recent Brookings Institution study of 70 older industrial cities, St. Louis ranked among the strongest economies that are making progress on the road toward renewal and reinvention.

New construction has also expanded steadily in the market thanks to the continued growth of the region’s remote workforce.