Downtown Chesterfield takes a step toward progress with redevelopment plans in motion

The Downtown Chesterfield redevelopment project is advancing with the approval of its site development concept plan, even as the design of its centerpiece grand staircase undergoes further refinement. Chesterfield's City Council's decision on Dec. 2 allows the ambitious multi-phase development to move forward while addressing conditions for future municipal zoning approvals.

The mixed-use project, spearheaded by TSG Downtown Chesterfield Redevelopment LLC, aims to transform the south side of I-64, east of Chesterfield Pkwy., into a vibrant urban district. Plans include a high-rise office tower, a hotel, retail spaces, residential buildings, and a 3.3-acre central park. Once complete, the district will host a bustling community with hundreds of shops and restaurants, corporate headquarters, office spaces, and thousands of residents.

Key features of the site include a five-level above-ground parking garage relocated northwest of the central park. With entrances on Green Blvd. and Downtown Chesterfield Blvd., the garage is strategically positioned to serve park visitors and amphitheater patrons. A proposed grand staircase will enhance accessibility, providing a direct pedestrian link between the parking garage and the central park. Designed for both functionality and aesthetics, the staircase will feature a 20-foot width and integrated lighting for safety and visibility.

Street infrastructure plans emphasize walkability and connectivity. Sidewalks along primary streets will be wide enough to accommodate patio seating or open-space features, allowing developers flexibility. Landscaped islands, tree-lined streets with decorative grates, and thoughtfully placed furnishings such as benches, planters, and bike racks will enhance the pedestrian experience. Cohesive street lighting and decorative fountains will further unify the district's visual identity.

Two planned roundabouts—one at Clarkson Rd. on the eastern edge of the site and another along Chesterfield Pkwy. on the west—will improve traffic flow within the development. Four major intersections within the district will be elevated and adorned with decorative pavers arranged in herringbone or basketweave patterns, creating visual interest and a sense of place. Nearby sidewalks will feature complementary accent treatments, and pedestrian paths are also being considered to improve accessibility.

The City Council's approval came with the condition that a redesign of the grand staircase must be submitted and approved before the first municipal zoning approval (MZA) is granted. An MZA is a prerequisite for obtaining building permits from St. Louis County. This condition was initially recommended during the Planning and Public Works Committee of the Whole meeting on Nov. 21.

Downtown Chesterfield's phased development aims to create a dynamic environment where urban living, commerce, and recreation converge.

As plans progress, the project's careful attention to design and functionality is poised to redefine Chesterfield's landscape, offering a vibrant destination for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.

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Header image: Crews continue with the demolition of the Chesterfield Mall, making way for the mixed-use Downtown Chesterfield Development. Image courtesy of The Staenberg Group

Brinkmann completes Promise Christian Academy, Leonardo DRS

Brinkmann Constructors recently completed construction on a new school for Promise Christian Academy in Town and Country, Mo.

The 16,000 SF, special needs school includes eight classrooms, an occupational therapy room, speech therapy room, gym, teacher workspace and offices and a commercial kitchen. The space can accommodate up to 64 students.

Brinkmann worked closely with Promise to help design and manage the project to stay within the fundraising budget. Through constant communication and collaboration, the design-build team delivered a quality, alluring building, on schedule and within budget.

“The Brinkmann team used creative thinking to get this project under budget so the build could move forward. One of the biggest tactics implemented was the use of tilt-up construction. This eliminated exterior steel, metal stud framing and sheathing and a high dollar exterior façade, saving the client time and money. Working with ACI (Boland Architects), the new design provided a low-maintenance final product while keeping the desired curb appeal and exterior finishes,” said Wes French, Brinkmann project manager.

"Brinkmann Constructors not only employs the best of the best, but they also employ personnel who took the time to understand the special needs community and embrace our mission. This created top-notch teamwork that made the project flow seamlessly. Brinkmann Constructors has left a lasting impression on the hearts and minds of the Promise community. We will forever embrace them as a part of our family and a part of our story," said Meredith Heintz, head of school.

Promise Christian Academy is a private, faith-based school that takes a therapeutic approach to special education with specific programs designed to meet all of its students’ individual needs.

Brinkmann Constructors also recently wrapped up construction on a new 170,000 SF engineering development and light manufacturing facility in Bridgeton, Mo. for Leonardo DRS, a U.S.-based defense contractor.

This Leonardo DRS facility will be home to the business unit headquarters; housing leadership, management and a centralized back office functionality. The space will give the organization the flexibility to expand with minimal impact to the current workforce.

Brinkmann served as the GC and also provided interior build-out for the warehouse, including a best-in-class engineering, research and development laboratory and office space. Construction finished two weeks ahead of schedule and included a phased schedule to allow for DRS to begin installing furniture before the building was completed. The architect on the project was TR,i Architects.

CDC selects McCarthy as CM for biosafety lab

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has been chosen as the construction manager (CM) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a new High Containment Continuity Laboratory (HCCL) at the Roybal Campus in Atlanta, Ga.

The new facility, which is part of the CDC’s 2025 Masterplan, currently is in the pre-construction/design phase with construction planned to begin in early 2021. Post completion, the HCCL will be one of three facilities in the world designed and certified to facilitate diagnostic research on specific, select viruses.

The new 160,000 SF, multi-story research building will increase the CDC's research capacity to sustain its diagnostic mission and support its public health mission by helping communities prepare for, detect and respond to consequences of all public health hazards. The HCCL building will be a Biosafety Level-4 (BSL-4) facility, a designation reserved for the highest level of biological safety and it will accommodate approximately 80 laboratory researchers.

“For the past two decades, McCarthy has been the premier high containment laboratory builder in the nation and we are thrilled to have been chosen to build this new addition to the expanding CDC Roybal campus,” said Bobby Campbell, executive vice president of McCarthy in Atlanta.

As a BSL-4 laboratory, the new facility will feature high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered supply and exhaust air, air pressure resistant doors, pressure cascade zoning, effluent collection and treatment, and pressure decay tested coatings and penetrations, as well as high purity breathing air and chemical decontamination showers for research staff. In addition, there will be connections to the existing Roybal campus utility systems with below grade utility tunnels and a two-level bridge connection.

“McCarthy has constructed the majority of the BSL-4 laboratory space in the United States, including the completion of the BSL-4 Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory on this campus 15 years ago. We are looking forward to bringing our experience full circle back to the CDC to build an efficient, functional, and technologically advanced research laboratory,” Campbell said.

As a leader for the past two decades in constructing facilities that conduct research related to infectious diseases, biological agents, and other sensitive scientific and medical research facilities, McCarthy Building Companies has built more than 25 percent of the BSL-4 facilities in the United States, including more than 50 percent of the gross square feet.

In addition to the CDC, McCarthy’s biosafety projects have included Boston University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture locations in Ames, Iowa and Manhattan, Kan.

The CDC has selected Flad Architects, Page Southerland Page and WSP to plan, program and design the HCCL. Part of the project management team is from McCarthy’s St. Louis headquarters.

With extensive knowledge and experience in biosafety projects, both Flad and McCarthy are also currently working together on the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kans., the only BSL-4 large animal facility in the nation.