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| Downtown News is a
bi-monthly newsletter published by the Downtown St.
Louis 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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Silverstone Development-Midwest Opens
Blu CitySpaces |
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On February 10th, Chicago-based
Silverstone Development-Midwest will have the Grand
Opening for their first development project in Missouri,
Blu CitySpaces, a 144 unit condominium development
located 210 N. 17th Street in downtown St.
Louis.
The 13-story Blu CitySpaces will offer homes
that range in size from 430 square feet to over 800
square feet with strong finishes and amenities.
European-style kitchens, stainless steel appliances and
granite countertops are standard elements at Blu
CitySpaces. Approximately half of all available homes
have private balconies. Building amenities will include
individual storage lockers, secured parking,
1st floor bike storage, 24 hour fitness
center, conference room and Wi-Fi lounge. Buyers can
choose from five floor plans. Price points will begin in
the $80's for studios, $120's for one bedrooms and
$150's for two bedrooms. In addition, Blu CitySpaces has
approximately 4400 square feet of retail and office
space and 3800 square feet of restaurant space
available. 
Silverstone Development-Midwest division
president, Steve Anrod, described the meaning behind the
naming of the building. "With the affordable price
points of these homes, buyers have a tremendous
opportunity to purchase their own piece of the city. Blu
CitySpaces is as much a name as an attitude about the
accessibility and vitality of downtown," Anrod
commented. For more information, call 314.241.3111 or
visit www.mybluspace.com. | |
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Former Days Inn Converted to
Apartments |
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Bruce Development Company is investing $14
million into converting the nine story historic Days Inn
Hotel to the Washington Avenue Apartments. The property,
located at 1133 Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis,
will undergo a complete interior and exterior facelift
and contain a mix of residential and retail space.
 Rental units will include 95 affordable
apartments to include studios, one-bedroom and two
bedroom units starting at $500 per month. Studios begin
at 400 square feet, and the two-bedroom units will go up
to 1,100 square feet. Rent will include free cable, high
speed internet and parking. Fitness center and community
room amenities are planned for the facility.
The 12th Street Diner, an upscale
diner with an exterior patio, will occupy 8,000 square
feet on the ground floor. Bruce Development is also an
investor in Copia Urban Winery at 1122 Washington
Avenue. | |
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In early January, the Downtown Partnership
was honored with the Distinguished Organization Award at
the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 2007 kickoff celebration
for the State of Missouri. The event, held at Harris
Stowe State University, included remarks by Dr. Henry
Givens, Jr., the Honorable WIliam Lacy Clay, Jr., the
Honorable Matt Blunt, the Honorable Robin Wright-Jones,
the Honorable Francis Slay, the Honorable Charlie Dooley
and many
more. | |
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Construction on I-64 is going to affect
almost every road in the St. Louis area with extra
traffic moving to other roads. Late last month MoDOT
shared with the  downtown business community their plans to
launch several tools to make the Highway 40 construction
project easier on motorists.
Those tools include a 511 phone number
available to the public by mid 2007. This phone number
is the nationally designated number for traffic
information and 28 states already have it in place. When
you call 511, you will hear a recorded message with
current traffic conditions, say which road you are
interested in and the recording will tell you what is
happening on that road including closures due to traffic
crashes and delay times from peak hour congestion. MoDOT
will also offer an origin and destination feature on its
website. The mapping information will reflect what is
open and closed with construction on I-64. It will be
available by mid 2007 as well.
This work is all part of a $420 million
freeway reconstruction contract awarded to Gateway
Constructors by the Missouri Highways and Transportation
Commission in December. The project will completely
reconstruct I-64 from west of Spoede Road to east of
Kingshighway Boulevard, a distance of about 10 miles. It
will create a freeway-to-freeway interchange at I-170;
rebuild all 12 interchanges. One lane will also be added
in each direction from west of Spoede Road to I-170.
During construction motorists are advised to consider
alternate routes, flex their working hours, carpool, and
ride MetroLink or Metro bus.
Information on 511 and the mapping function
will be available on MoDOT's traffic website,
www.gatewayguide.com or access it through the I-64
project site at www.thenewi64.org.
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Design Team for Gateway Mall
Master Plan Selected |
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Thomas Balsley and Associates and Urban
Strategies, Inc. have been selected as the team to
develop a plan to rejuvenate the 18-block Gateway Mall.
The selection of these teams was a
result of a process that began with Mayor Francis Slay
requesting the Gateway Foundation''s assistance in
developing a master plan for the green space. The
Gateway Foundation and Mayor Slay then moved forward by
selecting a steering to committee to select a consulting
team. The Steering Committee is comprised of: Gary Bess,
the City's Director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry;
Rollin Stanley, the City's Director of Planning and
Urban Design; David Fischer, Executive Director of Great
Rivers Greenway; Jim Cloar, President of the Downtown
Partnership; and Christy B. Fox, Director of the Gateway
Foundation.
The Gateway Foundation will fund the
project and will contract with the selected team. The
Steering Committee and the City will guide the planning
process and outcomes. The process will include a variety
of opportunities for public participation. The planning
process is expected to commence in February 2007 and to
be completed in June of 2007.
The Gateway Mall extends from the Old
Courthouse to 22nd Street and was a part of
the grand "Civic Plaza" plan originally conceived by the
City's Civic Plaza Commission, chaired by noted
landscape architect Harland Bartholomew in the early
1920s.
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First Bank Opens Downtown
Branch |
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First Bank has invested $600,000 into the
opening of their new 2,400 square foot branch on the
ground floor of the city-owned parking garage at
7th & Olive. The  branch, located at 710 Olive, is a full
service banking facility and a commercial banking
service center. It has four walk-up teller stations, an
outdoor walk-up ATM, an after hours depository, two
15-minute parking spaces in front of the banking center
and much more. With the addition of the First Bank
retail space in this structure is now 100% leased. First
Bank will have their Grand Opening celebration Tuesday,
February 13, 2007 from 3 - 7 pm with a ribbon cutting at
4 pm. Speakers at the ribbon cutting include Mayor
Francis Slay, Alderwoman Phyllis Young and Downtown
Partnership President Jim Cloar. For more information,
call
314.436.2085. | |
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| Matt Burghoff, developer
of the $11 million Bee Hat Building at 1021 Washington, is
planning to convert the Ford Apartments building to condos.
The 14 story building, located at 14th and Pine
Streets, will feature 26 condos ranging in size from 1,793 to
1,818 square feet and are priced from $403,425 to $454,500.
Amenities for the property will include first floor parking, a
rooftop pool, two elevators and much more. |
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Mr. Office Space Launches on
Downtown Website |
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Former Radisson Downtown Gets New Look
& Name |
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At the end of 2006, the former Radisson
Suites Hotel in downtown St. Louis celebrated the
kickoff of their $6 million renovation project with a
new brand change-becoming the Crowne Plaza St.
Louis - Downtown.
Over the next 24 months, visitors to the
hotel can expect to see many  enhancements to the property including, new
public corridor carpeting on all guestroom floors, a
fully renovated exterior entrance with stamped brick and
marble porte cache, an improved and upgraded fitness
room with state of the art equipment, a new automated
gift shop and additional business center, new guestroom
bath stone tile, Crowne bath amenities, crescent curved
shower rod and massage shower heads, custom designed
plush white bedding and triple sheeting with luxurious
300 thread count sheets and sleep amenities famously
created by the Crowne Plaza brand. For more
information, call
314.621.8200. | |
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Christopher Stevens Salon* 2020 Washington
Avenue-
Suite
105*314.241.8900 |
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Halo Salon & Spa*905 Locust
Avenue*314.241.3131 |
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Halo Salon & Spa is located on the lower
level of the newly renovated Roberts Lofts Building. The
salon offers art and style for hair and nails, along
with massages to ease away the stress and tension. Owner
& operator, Hope Lynn Stevenson promises Halo will
make you feel like you are in an underwater loft with an
ambience of open ceilings, ocean blue walls, and sandy
stained floors. Services include a signature halo
massage, hot stone pedicures, hair coloring,  waxing, facials, makeup application and  more. Hours of operation are Tuesday and
Wednesday, 9 am - 3 pm, Thursday and Friday, 9 am - 6
pm, Saturdays 8 am - 6 pm and appointments only on
Sunday. For more information, visit www.halosalonstl.com.
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Masulla*1301 Washington
Avenue*www.masulla.com |
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Marcia Masulla, downtown resident of two
years, is opening Masulla, a women's fashion boutique,
on Wednesday, February 13, 2007. Marcia describes the
new 800 square foot shop as more of a lifestyle type of
boutique carrying eclectic women's fashions and lines
such as Sofaba, House of Dereon, Frankie B, Callixta and
Yoana Baraschi. Hours of operation will be
Tuesday-Thursday, 11 am - 6 pm, Friday and Saturday 11
am - 8 pm and Sunday 12 - 4 pm.  | |
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St. Patrick's Day
Celebrations |
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The AT&T Annual St.
Patrick's Day Parade will take place in downtown St.
Louis Saturday, March 17, 2007. The parade, also known
as St. Louis' "Rite of Spring," will feature giant cartoon character
helium-filled balloons, over 100 units, including 17
bands, and over 5,000 marchers. In the past with good
weather, more than 350,000 spectators have gathered
along Market Street to watch the elaborate floats,
marching bands, marching units, dance groups, animal
units, novelty units, and motorized units.
The AT&T parade
participants step off at noon from 20th and Market
Streets and proceed east on Market to Broadway where it
will end in front of the Hilton St. Louis at the
Ballpark, the official hotel of the parade. This will be
the first year that the Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade
in St. Louis has marched from west to east of Market
Street. "The parade committee decided to reverse the
parade route to keep more people downtown to enjoy the
post-parade activities at the AT&T Irish Village at
Kiener Plaza and at the Hilton St. Louis at the
Ballpark, our official hotel," said Kerry McDonough,
parade chairman.
Leading the 38th annual
parade will be parade founder and St. Louis Irish Consul
Joseph McGlynn, Jr.; Parade Committee Chairperson Kerry
McDonough; an Irish Dignitary; Mayor Francis Slay; and
other dignitaries.
Due to the change in parade
direction from west to east, Market Street will be
closed at 7:30 a.m. from Compton to 20th Street for
staging of parade units and from 20th Street east to
Broadway for the parade. For more information on the
parade, run and the attendant activities, call
314.241.PATS or visit www.irishparade.org. | |
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February
2007
January 22-March 2, 2007 City As Art
- Art Saint Louis 917 Locust Street
3rd Floor - www.artstlouis.org
6-11 St. Louis Boat
& Sports Show - Edward Jones
Dome
17 Mardi Gras Grand
Parade - www.mardigrasinc.com
17 Grand Slam of
Motorsports - America's Center
20 Fat Tuesday
"Light Up the Night" Parade - www.mardigrasinc.com
22-25 Spring Home
& Garden Show - America's Center
23-25 Professional
Bullriding Cup - Scottrade Center
26 Mid States
Hockey Tournament - Scottrade Center
March 2007
1-4 Missouri Valley
Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
Scottrade Center - www.mvc-sports.com
2 First Friday
Gallery Walk - www.downtowngallerywalk.com
3 THQ Supercross
GP - America's Center
14-18 Disney on
Ice - Scottrade Center
17 St. Patrick's
Day Run and Parade with Irish Village @ Kiener
Plaza www.irishparade.org
17 St. Patrick's
Day Celebration @ Union Station - www.stloisunionstation.com
17 St. Patrick's
Day Party on the Landing - www.lacledeslanding.org
17-18 World
Cheerleading Association Regional Championships
- America's Center
23 & 25 NCAA
Division 1 Men's Basketball Championship
Midwest Regional Edward Jones Dome
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www.downtownstl.org
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property information with aerial views and
maps as well as specific leasing information on
individual spaces that are available. All downtown
multi-tenant Class A and B buildings are included. For
an additional fee, building owners/managers/brokers have
the opportunity to upgrade their listing with virtual
tours, photos and additional information. The site is
also part of a national database that is accessed
through the MrOfficeSpace.com website. All participating
properties will be contacted on a monthly basis to keep
info current and accurate. This service is free to all
participants and is funded by the Downtown CID. For more
information, visit 
everyone. The parade takes place in downtown
St. Louis ending in Kiener Plaza. It will assemble at
11th and Market, proceed east on Market to
7th Street, north on 7th and
disband at Pine. For more information on other Mardi
Gras events, contact 
distribution of 75,000. Saucemagazine.com is
St. Louis' premier source for information on the local
dining scene, from restaurant reviews to culinary
tidbits to up-to-the-minute news on the latest hotspots,
chefs and nightlife. As an added convenience,
saucemagazine.com also offers Sauce Gift Certificates,
accepted at more than 40 restaurants in the area. For
more information, visit 