St. Louis, MO: Adding to Rosemann’s portfolio of market rate and affordable housing developments is Preservation Square in St. Louis, Missouri, a multimillion-dollar reconstruction of the 1980’s 675-unit Preservation Square mixed-income community in the Near North Side neighborhood of Carr Square, just north of Downtown. Redevelopment and reinvestment in the Near North Side is much anticipated as the area experienced decades of decline and disinvestment. This project is set to improve housing conditions through partial demolition, renovation, and new construction, as well as advance community connectivity and safety through the restoration of the street grid and expanded community investment.
The City of St. Louis, in partnership with McCormack Baron Salazar, a leading developer of economically integrated urban neighborhoods, and Urban Strategies, Inc. a not-for-profit specializing in results informed human services development, planning, and strategy implementation as part of neighborhood revitalization, is utilizing a $29.5 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant, along with city and state monies, to lay the groundwork for the revitalization of Preservation Square and the surrounding Near North Side neighborhoods. The redevelopment activities will provide quality, mixed-income housing, economic opportunities, and supportive services for residents. The built environment at Preservation Square will consist of sustainable, diversified architecture – reflected through garden-style, townhome, and walk-up apartment units, in addition to the renovation of the existing management building into a new community center and construction of a new management office. Woven into the fabric of the site are green spaces, playgrounds, bicycle storage areas, and other amenities that will support the vision for a more connected, healthy, and safe neighborhood.
The first housing phase of the Preservation Square development consists of the renovation and new construction of 131 total units in 21 buildings spaced over 5.8 acres, designed to Enterprise Green Community certification standards. Supportive services offered on site aim to increase the economic stability of residents. 57 of the units are dedicated as market rate, enabling residents to continue to reside on the property even if they lose eligibility for housing assistance as their economic conditions improve. Estimated completion of Phase I is slated for mid 2022.
The second phase includes new construction of 22 multi-family buildings with 222 housing units, along with the renovation of the existing management building into a community center and the construction of the new management office. This phase, to be constructed across 14.6 acres and become a National Green Building Standards complying project, is expected to start construction in 2022 and take about 18 months to complete.
The third, fourth, and fifth phases will follow on-site, while the final phase will renovate another 140 mixed-income units at a nearby McCormack Baron Salazar property, The Brewery Apartments on North 20th Street.
Rosemann & Associates is making every effort to ensure that Preservation Square is designed to meet the individual needs of the families it supports, including diverse architectural design and several apartment layouts. These layouts include one, two, and three-bedroom garden units, and two- and three-bedroom townhome units. The various apartment layouts are combined in different ways to create many differing building plans, resulting in architectural variety. The renovated structures have undergone significant interior demolition and selective exterior demolition to allow interior upgrades and to also give new shape to the exteriors – tying these renovated structures into the overall planned development. At the completion of the full Preservation Square project, the vision is to have a neighborhood identity that draws the unique building designs together, while also acknowledging the contextual fabric of St. Louis City.
Project amenities further include a pool, fitness center, multi-purpose community space, common and private porches and Juliet balconies, in-unit laundry, and more. The environmentally conscious design also includes Energy-Star certified appliances for all tenants.
“It is gratifying to see the transformation of this area into stable new housing opportunities making a positive impact on many residents who live and work in the City of St. Louis. This is a prime example of great partnerships at work. We look forward to continuing our ongoing efforts to rejuvenate this City’s beautiful heritage and community,” said Rosemann’s Studio Design Director Jarrett Cooper.
Rosemann & Associates is excited to partner on this exciting initiative with the services and expertise of developer McCormack Baron Salazar; property manager McCormack Baron Management, Inc.; mechanical, electrical, plumbing engineer Custom Engineering, Inc.; civil engineer Grimes Consulting, Inc.; landscape engineer Landscape Technologies; structural engineer KH Engineering Group; envelope consultant G&W Engineering Corporation; accessibility consultant Zeffert & Associates, Inc.; urban design firm Urban Design Associates; owner’s representative consultant Efficio Group, LLC.; owner’s color consultant Colour Studio Inc.; and owner’s construction firm Altman Charter Company. 3D renderings created in partnership with Creative Media Illustrations, Inc.