Urban Land Institute on Redevelopment Opportunities along South Grand
South Grand Community Improvement District shares findings from the Urban Land Institute on redevelopment opportunities along South Grand Boulevard
The Urban Land Institute St. Louis has conducted a study to determine the best redevelopment opportunities for the neighborhood with recommendations including a potential event space, Market Hall and residential options for the neighborhood
ST. LOUIS (Feb. 27, 2023) – The South Grand Community Improvement District (the CID), which provides enhanced public safety, maintenance, building improvements and economic development beyond those supplied by St. Louis City, announces the recommendations from a recent Urban Land Institute – St. Louis (ULI St. Louis) technical assistance panel (TAP). ULI St. Louis was retained by the CID to study redevelopment opportunities for certain existing parking lots along Hartford and Juniata streets within the block east of South Grand Boulevard.
Through its TAP process, ULI St. Louis convened a panel of urban planning, architecture/design, and real estate professionals to study the parcels at hand, interview relevant stakeholders, and deliver a set of recommendations for future redevelopment at the study area.
Today, the six blocks of the South Grand Community Improvement District, from Arsenal Street on the north to Utah Street on the south, are home to a world of diverse cuisine, products and experiences, all of which are crafted and curated by business owners who primarily live in the area and love the neighborhood.
“The CID is a champion of the district’s businesses and business owners, providing support in the form of district programming, maintenance, and promotion,” says Natasha Bahrami, President of the South Grand CID. “The CID has developed a pocket park and owns a 95-space public parking that is largely underutilized. The parking lot sits on three-quarters of an acre and is tucked behind businesses lining South Grand on the east at Hartford Street. The CID, along with other property owners and stakeholders turned to ULI St. Louis for guidance as to the redevelopment of the parking lot and potentially nearby lots to see how we can better serve our neighborhood and the larger St. Louis community,”
Through this study, the ULI St. Louis TAP panel arrived at four potential development options for the study area. The options respected the parameters set by the CID, including supporting the community improvement goals of the district as well as facilitating participation in and/or benefit from the development by the surrounding businesses and institutions. The redevelopment opportunities posed by ULI St. Louis are outlined below:
Option A: Expansion of the Existing Environment for Jay’s International and Rooster South Grand. In this first recommendation, the CID parking lot, located at 3500 Hartford Street, is developed into residential and the parking lot owned by Rooster South Grand becomes an event venue for the restaurant. This would positively impact Jay’s International, allowing the business to expand to the north. The expanded footprint would facilitate additional grocery sales or could be leveraged as a kitchen for budding chefs and restaurant entrepreneurs to test their concepts in a space that is outfitted for their needs.
Option B: Build “Market Hall” at Grand/Hartford. In this second configuration, the property at the corner of Grand and Hartford streets becomes the primary point of redevelopment with an opportunity to build what is being called “Market Hall.” Market Hall will be a place to celebrate the diverse culture of South Grand. Local makers selling goods such as jewelry, soaps, candles, spices, sauces, breads and cheeses could sell their goods at Market Hall. St. Louisans would enjoy shopping these unique purveyors, all in one place, while also enjoying entertainment by artists who could perform both indoors and outdoors.
Option C: Build Market Hall + Expand Housing. This configuration incorporates a residential component into the redevelopment at the corner of Grand/Hartford. In addition to building Market Hall, there are apartments above and beyond to the east, bringing market-rate rental units to the neighborhood.
Option D: Expansion of Existing Environment + Hotel Development. In this recommendation, the development of a hotel was explored. At the corner of Grand/Hartford, a hotel would have nice visibility and could stand alone or be developed in partnership with the Market Hall on the site. This option could also provide an amenity deck which could connect to the Rooster South Grand event space and provide additional entertainment and venue options.
“The development considerations are exciting, and while this will be a project that takes careful time and consideration to be done well, it is one that can have a very large impact on the South Grand neighborhood and broader St. Louis community for years to come,” continues Bahrami.
“I have been very pleased with the Business Districts’ process by utilizing ULI and other professionals to try to determine what is best for the businesses, the neighborhood and residents. These options offer choices that add new vitality and diversity to the area. There’s still work to be done but I think we are on the right track,” Ann Auer, Tower Grove East resident.
