New downtown condos are all about the river
By Charlene Prost
Of the Post-Dispatch
05/31/2005
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Downtown St. Louis is about to get something it never has had before: a condominium
building overlooking the Mississippi River.
What's coming also will be the first new vertical residential building constructed
in downtown since Mansion House opened in 1966.
Rodgers Group LLC in Clayton intends to spend about $25 million to build the
10-level Port St. Louis. Developer Mark Rodgers said it will have 49 high-end
condos on seven floors, atop three levels of parking.
All the units will have balconies designed to take advantage of the river
views. The glass and brick building also will have a rooftop deck with a swimming
pool, entertainment area and other amenities
Because the land slopes
toward the river, the building will be seven stories on the west side, 10
stories on the east side. The 120 parking spaces, two for each condo and then
some, will be tucked into the slope.
Designing a building on top of sloping land was just part of the challenge
facing the developer and Shaughnessy Fickel and Scott Architects Inc. of Kansas
City.
The building will rise just west of a working railroad trestle that shares
the block. The site also is in a flood plain.
The solution for both problems: Put the condos above the parking.
"The first residential floor will be slightly above the trestle,"
Rodgers said. The trestle won't block views, he said, but "you will see
the top of trains go by. "
The building also will have sound-resistant windows to block noise from outside.
And it's being specially designed to withstand floods, earthquakes, vibration
from trains and anything else that comes its way.
"We will go to bedrock with our piers," Rodgers said. "Everybody's
best guess is 20 feet down ... so structurally, it will be a very sound building."
If flood waters do rise, the condos should be high and dry. "We know
some parking will at times be flooded," Rodgers said, "but we're
making sure the residential is above the flood plain."
He and his twin, John Rodgers, own the development firm that is planning its
first project downtown. They got involved after Jo Ann Keeney, a broker and
owner at Independent Brokers Network LLC, called to suggest that they take
a look at the undeveloped block in Laclede's Landing.
Keeney, a broker for Landing properties for years, said she was impressed
with the high quality of the Rodgers' Shaw Park Villas condo project in Clayton.
She said she wanted to see something similar in the Landing, now that the
market for it finally is there.
Mark Rodgers said he and his brother didn't take long to go for it once they
saw the vacant block. They own part of the land and have contracts to buy
the rest.
"The river is St. Louis' best asset. It has the best views," he
said. "We couldn't believe there wasn't something on that land."
Rodgers said construction should start later this year or in early 2006, as
soon as about half the condos are reserved. Construction will take about two
years.
As of this week, Rodgers said, 14 would-be buyers - from in town and out of
town - have signed on.
Among them is Mary Jean Russell, development director for the Wings of Hope
organization. She said she "can't wait" to move to Port St. Louis
from a duplex she owns in University City, now that her daughter has grown
up and moved away.
Russell, 50, said she looked at some renovated residential buildings downtown,
but none was a good match. Then she heard about Port St. Louis, checked out
the design and found what she was looking for.
"I'll have the history of St. Louis, the beauty of the river, the excitement
of the riverfront, all right there," she said. "I wanted to find
a place overlooking something beautiful. My unit will overlook the Eads Bridge,
the (Gateway) Arch ... and I'll even be able to see the bend in the Mississippi
to the north from my wrap-around balcony."
Rodgers Group LLC
Founded: 1988
by twins Mark and John Rodgers
Specialty:
Builds and renovates houses, mainly in west St. Louis County, Clayton and
University City. It currently is building Shaw Park Villas, a 12-unit luxury
condominium project at 50 and 60 Brighton Way in Clayton, and planning Port
St. Louis, a condominium project on Laclede's Landing in St. Louis.
Port St. Louis
Cost: About
$25 million.
Details: 49
condominiums on seven floors above three levels of parking.
Condo prices:
About $628,000 to $698,000 for units with 1,800 to 2,000 square feet, respectively.
Reporter Charlene Prost