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| Downtown News is a
bi-monthly newsletter published by the Downtown St.
Louis Partnership Community Improvement District for its
members, downtown property and business owners, the
downtown business and residential community and all
others interested in downtown revitalization. Send all
responses and inquiries to Shuntae' Shields Ryan,
Marketing & Public Relations Manager, via
e-mail or mail to: 906 Olive
Street Suite 200 St. Louis, MO 63101 |
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Downtown Living Tour to Feature 33
Properties |
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Downtown is
Alive. The Signs are Everywhere. This includes the
many colorful "lofts, condos and apartments
here" signs hanging from previously vacant buildings
that are now being converted to lofts. On June 2-3,
2007 from Noon to 5:00 pm, the Downtown St. Louis
Partnership and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage will be
partnering with downtown residential developers to
showcase the latest in luxury, affordable and convenient
living at the Spring Downtown Living Tour.
The downtown population has grown to 10,000
to date and is expected to grow to 15,000 by the end of
the decade. The public is invited to see why young urban
professionals, families, along with empty nesters are
calling downtown St. Louis home.
This year's tour will feature thirty-three downtown
living options, including: Park Pacific (Union Pacific
Building), The Syndicate, Skyhouse, Franklin School, The
Ford, The Arcade, The Avenida, and much more.
Registration and tour maps are available the day of
tour at two different locations-8th and
Locust or 22nd & Locust - also starting
points of the tour. Tours are self-guided and many
properties are within walking distance. However,
complimentary shuttle service is also available
throughout the day.
Tickets are $12
and will be available the day of the tour or advance
tickets can be purchased through Metrotix at all
Metrotix outlets, by phone at 534-1111 or at
metrotix.com. For more information, visit www.downtownstl.org.
 Sponsors for the tour include, Wells Fargo
Home Mortgage, St. Louis Association of Realtors,
Webster University, Home Builders Association and the
RFT.
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4th District Officers
Recognized |
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On Friday, March 30th over 300
attendees joined the Downtown St. Louis Partnership in
recognizing the outstanding efforts of several officers
at its Annual 4th District Police Awards
Luncheon. The luncheon, held at the Hilton St. Louis at
the Ballpark, honored those police officers that have
contributed above and beyond their normal call of duty
as a 4th District Police Officer during 2006.
An officer was recognized for each month of the year as
well as one presented with the "Officer of the Year"
award.
Several dignitaries shared
in the celebration including Jim Sondermann, Special
Assistant to Mayor Slay, City of St. Louis; Col. Joseph
Mokwa, Chief, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department;
Major Antoinette Filla, Deputy Commander, Bureau of
Criminal Investigations, St. Louis Metropolitan Police
Department; Captain Jerry Leyshock, Commander,
4th District, St. Louis Metropolitan Police
Department; and Senator Harry Kennedy. To download the
program and list of honorees from the event, click
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In 2003, the
Downtown St. Louis Partnership, City of St. Louis, SLDC
and others launched a retail strategy to attract
new storefront businesses to the downtown core. To date,
this effort has lead to the recruitment of over 70 new
high quality independent stores, restaurants and
galleries including Red Moon, Lucas Park Grille, Copia,
Mosaic, Kitchen K, Niche, City Grocers, Salt of the
Earth, Blend, Blue Boat Designs, MacroSun and many more.
Downtown Partnership
President Jim Cloar states, "The big jump in
retail activity this year is a clear demonstration that
the coordinated and strategic recruitment efforts of the
City, SLDC and the Downtown Partnership is paying
dividends. While only some of the new openings were a
direct result of the program, it now appears that a
secondary, ripple effect is now in play - and gaining
momentum."
At the start of the
Downtown Retail Strategy in 2003, 21,000 square feet of
retail space came online; in 2004, 45,100; 2005, 38,700;
and 2006, 66,600. In 2007 alone, we are proud to
announce the addition of another 100,000 square feet of
retail/restaurant space coming online within the next
few months.
"We continue to experience
a renaissance in St. Louis," said Mayor Slay. "I expect
these numbers to continue to grow in the coming
years."
The new list includes
a workout facility, home furnishing stores, restaurants
and much more. Click
here for the list of new establishments.
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Roseman & Associates, P.C. announced the
completion of the $10 million  Packard Lofts project located at 2100 Locust
Street.
Originally built in 1913 as the Packard Auto
Dealership, the building now has a colorful art deco
façade and 33 upscale lofts for purchase. The lofts
range in size from 765 to 1,240 square feet and prices
range from $156,000 to $229,000. Features of the spaces
include exposed concrete ceilings and columns, large
private balconies, private enclosed parking, 3 cm
standard granite countertops, private residential entry
with coded access and oversized windows.
Other downtown projects that Rosemann has
been involved in include Bogen Lofts, Alexa Lofts,
Ballpark Lofts 8, Ventana Lofts and Avenida Lofts. For
more information, visit www.packardlofts.com
or www.rosemann.com.
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Chicago's
Metropolitan Development Enterprises in conjunction with
St. Louis based, RileyWaldrop is planning to build a
22-story condo tower at 1400 Washington Avenue---the
present site of Erlich's Cleaners. The $67 million
project, called Skyhouse, will feature 166 one to three
bedroom condominiums ranging in size from 854 to 2,236
square feet with the top three floors being penthouse
units. Additional plans call for 13,000 square feet of
ground floor retail space, 224 parking spaces, rooftop
pool and fitness center.
Features for the
property include having a door attendant, wireless
internet service, secure, indoor parking, 3 energy
efficient, high speed elevators with elegant lobbies on
each floor, hardwood floor in living areas, 9' ceilings,
stainless  steel appliances, floor to ceiling windows
and balconies and storage lockers.
The Sales Center and
display are expected to be open Spring 2007. For more
information, visit www.skyhousestl.com.
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Syndicate Debuts 9th
Floor Model |
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The historic
Syndicate building, located at 10th &
Olive Streets, had the grand  opening of its fully furnished
9th floor display model in late February.
The impressive new Syndicate will host 102
condominiums and 70 apartments and artists' lofts,
21,000 square feet of street-level retail space and
6,000 square feet of exhibition space for Syndicate's
artists. Services and amenities include grocery delivery
from City Grocers, an innovative FlexCar program, a
theatre/media room, indoor parking, 24-hour fitness
center, multi-purpose/club room, rooftop patio and
business center. Condominiums on the 9th - 15th floors
include one or two bedrooms and range from 994 - 1,664
sq. ft. with all bedrooms boasting walk-in closets, and
honed marble and ceramic tile bathrooms. Penthouses on
the 16th and 17th floors range from 2,208 - 3,254 sq.
ft. Prices for all of the Syndicate residential spaces
range from $180,000 to $805,000. For  more information, visit the Syndicate
Sales Center at 1006 Olive Street or visit www.syndicateliving.com.
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Lumiére Place Taking
Shape |
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Pinnacle Entertainment has
named its new downtown entertainment, retail, and  residential district Lumiére Place Saint
Louis. The Lumiére Place redevelopment area encompasses
7.5 acres and will include a casino, nightclub,
restaurants, and hotel/spa property, with a gaming floor
of 75,000 square feet.
The project will feature
two hotels, including a luxury property and the Embassy
Suites at Lumiére Place. The new 24-story hotel tower
will include 200 guest rooms, a spa, two fine
restaurants, pool and rise nearly 300 feet into the St.
Louis skyline. Additional highlights of the project
include a business center, banquet facilities, retail
shops, nightclub, a secure underground pedestrian
connection to the Central Business District and much
more. The casino will feature 2,000 slot machines and
more than 40 gaming tables.
Construction on the Lumiére
Place project began in September 2005, with an
anticipated opening in the Fall of 2007, upon approval
from the Missouri Gaming Commission.
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Leather Trades Building
Underway |
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The Pyramid Companies
announced their most recent undertaking in downtown St.
Louis--The Leather Trades Lofts. The new condominium
project is located at 1600-10 Locust Street will be
complete in September of 2008.
The project,
originally designed by Albert Bartleton Groves, is an
historic renovation of an eight-story warehouse into 59
contemporary condominiums. The units range from 1,100 to
2,000 square feet with pricing starting at $180,000 to
just over $300,000. Interior parking, additional
storage, fitness room and a rooftop common deck are just
part of the outstanding amenity
package.
The building will
include two first-floor retail spaces containing
approximately 2,900 total square feet. Two
professionally-designed lobbies - one on the north side
of the building and the other on the southwest - will
enhance the retail entry and tenant's access to the
rooftop common space.
Owned by John
Steffen, Pyramid is the largest developer and builder of
housing in the City of St. Louis with $600 million of
projects either completed or in various  stages of development. For more information,
call 314.446.2900 or e-mail stirlingp@pyramidstl.com.
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Simply
Fondue*1627 Locust* Opening Spring 2007 |
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The Fitness Factory*1314 Washington
Avenue*314.241.2700 |
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McGowan Brothers Development will be opening
a brand new, 18,000 square foot, state-of-the-art fitness center and
tanning salon located in the old Goodman's clothing
store building. The Fitness Factory will be a full
service facility offering personal trainers, group
classes, cardio, spinning, pilates machines, "country
club" style wooden lockers, showers, steam rooms and
grooming areas plus free parking for members. Hours of
operation will be from 5 am - 11:30 pm.
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Groove Theory*212 N. 9th
Street*314.256.1995 |
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Groove Theory is a young,
unique, fluid, trend setting boutique. Groove Theory
 offers a high fashion look at great prices
and specializes in handbags, head scarves,
headbands, sunglasses, necklaces, bracelets, and soon
shoes. Hours: Monday - Friday 10:30 am to 6:00 pm,
Saturday Noon - 4:00 pm and closed
Sunday. | |
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J. Buck's Restaurant will be opening a 8,836
square foot downtown location in  June 2007. J. Buck's was established in 1999
and named after Jack, Joe, and Julie Buck, the
legendary broadcasting family. Features of the
restaurant include parking for patrons, two private
dining rooms that open to one large room, a bar that
will highlight the rich broadcasting history of the Buck
Family through a collage of photographs, dining area to
seat 150, patio, and roof deck that provides amazing
views-including a gaze into Busch Stadium.
This will be the sixth location for J.
Buck's Restaurants. Other locations include Clayton, Des
Peres (Westfield Shopping Town West County), Fairview
Heights, O'Fallon and
Springfield. | |
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The
Original Soup Man*612 North 11th
Street*314.621.6736 |
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Soups, fresh salads, sandwiches, fruit,
desserts and drinks will also be served  each day at the St. Louis franchise of The
Original Soup Man. Tracyi Brooks and Damiel Rhodes of
Kirkwood are the first franchise owners in St. Louis and
said they will serve 8-10 fresh soups daily at their new
downtown location.
Yeganeh, known as the Original SoupMan, is
the founder of Soup Kitchen International and the
inspiration for the infamous Seinfeld "Soup Nazi"
episode. In this episode, Yeganeh is fictionally
portrayed as an angry purveyor of his soups, making all
of his customers follow strict rules if they wish to
successfully procure a bowl of one of his more than 50
coveted liquid masterpieces. Many New Yorkers refer to
his Gourmet Soups as "liquid gold."
Al's original storefront in Manhattan is
closed, but you no longer have to visit New York to have
his delicious soups. There are more than 25 franchisees
open nationwide. Yeganeh's Soups have also been featured
on Oprah, David Letterman, and Time
Magazine. Hours are 10 am - 7pm, Monday - Saturday.
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Niche
Moving to New Location |
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In September 2004 Lawrence Group Colors, a
St. Louis-based interior design  firm, opened its new retail store Niche
(pronounced "neesh") at 922 Washington Avenue, near 10th
Street. Upon completion of their most recent project,
the Marquette Building, Niche will be moving to 300
North Broadway (at Broadway and Olive) in May.
Niche offers an extensive selection of
furniture and home accessories, with the option to order
custom pieces. The store also provides professional
interior design consultation.
Features of the new space will include an
increase in square footage to over 5,000 square feet, a
residential studio, a complete residential full service
lifestyle center in one location and the addition of a
new major national line called Baker which should prove
to be a nice draw into downtown St Louis. Niche will
also be converting the restored Boatman's Bank lobby 2
story art deco space into a showroom. For more
information, contact
314.621.8131. | |
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Celebrate St. Louis Announces Summer
Line-up |
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Fair Saint Louis...LIVE on the Levee and
local dignitaries came together April 10th to
announce the entertainment schedule for the FREE summer
festivities. The festivities will begin with Fair Saint
Louis July 3 & 4, 2007. The festivities will  kickoff on July 3rd at 6 pm with
Plain White Tees, Lifehouse and the Goo
Goo Dolls performing on the Budweiser main stage.
July 4th starts with the130th
Annual VP Parade at 10:00 am with festival grounds
opening at 11 am. Entertainment includes teen act
Everlife at 1 pm and Cyndi Lauper at 8 pm.
Daily activities on the festival grounds will include
the AmerenUE/Schnucks Family Fun Village and Enterprise
Rent-A-Car/US Bank fireworks at approximately 9:15 pm.
To view the Fair Saint Louis schedule of events, click
here.
LIVE on the Levee will bring FREE music and
fireworks to the Arch grounds for five consecutive
weekends in July and August-July 6 & 7, 13 & 14,
20 & 21, 27 & 28 and August 3 & 4. The
festival will open at 6 pm each night with the
AmerenUE/Schnucks Family Fun Village. The music will
start at 6:30 pm with a local act, followed by a
national entertainer at 8 pm, and the Enterprise
Rent-A-Car/US Bank fireworks at approximately 9:15 pm.
Musical acts scheduled to perform include Emmylou
Harris, Ani DiFranco, and Musiq
Soulchild. Saturday nights will feature The Sauce
Café, an on-site, outdoor tablecloth dining experience
featuring a new restaurant each week of the event.
For the Live on the Levee schedule, click
here.
For more information, visit www.celebratestlouis.org.
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For the second year in a row, the Annie
Malone Children and Family Service Center has officially
scheduled the 2007 May Day Parade in downtown St. Louis.
The 2007 May Day activities will begin with
a Kickoff Barbecue Friday, April 27, 2007 at Keiner
Plaza and conclude with the parade on Sunday, May 20,
2007, taking the route along Market Street between
Jefferson and Broadway in downtown St. Louis.
The May Day Parade has been a popular event
for St. Louisans for over a century. The Parade features
marching bands, dance teams, floats and motorcades.
Other Annie Malone events include a Barbecue &
Community Fair in the historic Ville neighborhood,
Saturday, May 5, 2007, The Soiree, an awards banquet
honoring persons who have given significant service to
children, on Friday, May 18, 2007 and The Gospel
Celebration on Saturday, May 19, 2007. For more
information on May Day activities and for volunteering
opportunities, contact Annie Malone at  (314)
531-0120. | |
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"Be a
Tourist in Your Own Town" Event |
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The St. Louis Convention & Visitors
Commission is inviting the public to Be a Tourist in
Their Own town on Wednesday, May 9th. The
festive, outdoor tradeshow, "Be a Tourist in Your
Own Town," will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at
2 p.m., at Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis. This
event is just one of many celebrations during National
Tourism Week, May 12-20, 2007 which recognizes the
important contribution the hospitality industry makes to
the economy.
During the event locals can take advantage
of the wide variety of things to see and do in the
metropolitan area as well as walk away with a variety of
great ideas on how to explore St. Louis like a tourist.
For additional information, contact Donna Andrews at dandrews@explorestlouis.com.
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Gateway Arch
Riverfront Debuts New Website |
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Earlier this year the Gateway Arch Riverfront
launched a newly designed website  featuring a new, more contemporary design,
improved usability and improved e-Commerce
capabilities.
The new website was designed by RTP
Interactive, an award-winning web design and development
firm.
Visited by millions of visitors each year,
The Gateway Arch Riverfront is one of America's most
popular destination attractions, offering a variety of
activities, educational programs and event services for
daily visitors, group functions, special events, and
corporate functions. In addition to the famous Arch, the
Gateway Arch Riverfront has a variety of things to do
and see, including the famous Tram Ride to the Top of
the Arch, the Historic Old Courthouse, the Museum of
Westward Expansion, the award-winning documentary,
"Monument to the Dream," bike rides, and helicopter
tours. For more information, visit www.gatewayarch.com.
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Downtown
Dining Guides Available |
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Metro's
New Destination Deal$ Program |
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Lofts. It will offer a classic cuisine with
a new twist. The menu boasts a wide array of tender
meats, and fresh seafood and four savory cooking styles
and signature sauces. Simply Fondue also offers healthy
options to fill the stomach and not the waistline
including vegetarian selections and fondue bases with
light, herbal-blended broths and cholesterol-free oils.
There's also some "un-fondue" selections including
shrimp cocktails and dim sum. Of course, it wouldn't be
fondue without dessert. Simply Fondue offers thirteen
sinfully delicious chocolate desserts as well as
designer drinks and an interesting selection of
wines.
across from St. Louis Union Station between
Market and Olive and 19th and 23rd Streets. Gypsy
Caravan is one of the Midwest's largest antique, craft
and flea markets and will feature 350 vendor booths from
over 20 states. Over 30,000 people are expected to
attend. Hours will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., rain or
shine. For additional info, call 314-286-4452 or visit
The 2007 Downtown Dining Guide features over
170 restaurants, bars and grills in the downtown area in
a full-color, ten-panel foldout, pocket friendly
brochure. Additionally, the Downtown Dining Guide has a
map of the downtown area with many of the downtown
restaurant locations easily identified on it.
Conservation and local elected officials
announced the No MOre Trash! Bash being held during the
month of April. The effort calls for citizens of the
state of Missouri to pitch in and do their part to clean
up Missouri and work toward a litter-free state. MoDOT
wants to do more than just pick up trash by getting
Missouri residents and tourists to stop littering,
realize it is unhealthy and understand that it is
against the law. Thousands of volunteers participated in
last year's bash collecting more than 78,000 bags of
litter and numerous truckloads of larger items that
wouldn't fit into trash bags. Volunteers who report
their activity will be recognized for their efforts with
a lapel pin. For more information, visit