About four dozen members and supporters of the St. Louis chapter of the International Facilities Managers Association (IFMA) recently braved rain and chilly winds to enjoy a tour of the City Foundry project on Forest Park Avenue in St. Louis City.
City Foundry STL general manager Rob Soete led the group through parts of the sprawling property - some not yet accessible to the public - including the space being built out for a two-story, 27,000-SF PuttShack mini-golf facility slated to open before the end of this year.
The property was originally an actual foundry — the Federal-Mogul Corporation of brake rotors called it home for several decades. It was vacant for about ten years before its current incarnation.
A previous owner was going to raze the property and turn it into a strip mall before City Foundry took it over. Converting to the current use involved about two years of environmental cleanup, including brownfield mitigation tax credits.
“We’ve kept as many of the industrial elements as possible,” Soete said. “Anything over three inches stayed in place.”
Those aspects include exposed pipes, brick, stone and wood; an overhead indoor crane in what will be the mini-golf area; even some graffiti.
The renovation work included transforming the former basement into the current first floor. A green wall is in place, framing information about current food vendors.
In honor of the former use of the site, City Foundry also mounted a framed, oversize photo of Federal Mogul employees and invited those who could be reached to an event at the site last summer. One employee made miniature versions of the company’s products that are part of the display.
The property is 85 percent leased, with the first urban location of the Fresh Thyme grocery store already open and a food hall that will include 21 vendors (many already in place) - three of which have been named to a local food critic’s Top 100 list: Sureste, Chicken Scratch and Chez Ali.
Future plans include 272 apartments and a five-level garage (in addition to the current parking facility); the first new mass timber construction building in St. Louis in many years; an event space with seating for 350; exciting anchor clients such as Alamo Drafthouse - a movie theater and food facility that will be new to St. Louis, and True Fusion, the second area location of the Clayton-owned business; and a walking and biking Brickline Trail pathway that will go from City Foundry west to Forest Park and east across Highway 40 to tie into the Chouteau Greenway.
To learn more about City Foundry, including CRE opportunities, go to www.cityfoundrystl.com.
Feature photo credit: MWM STL