It was an exciting year for the west side of St. Louis including the Skinker DeBaliviere and DeBaliviere Place Neighborhoods. Four separate projects made our list of 2018 favorites.
There is a lot going on in Skinker DeBaliviere, with handsome new homes popping up on at Pershing and Des Peres.
New homes at Pershing and Des Peres
Des Peres terminates in a cul-de-sac near Delmar Boulevard. Skinker DeBaliviere remains a puzzling series of closed streets in an attempt to slow traffic.
Seems like access to Delmar would be most welcomed and convenient instead of having to drive all around to get to other east-west arteries. Seems like a speed hump would accomplish both traffic calming and better access.
These townhomes are going to be just south of Washington Boulevard on a long-vacant lot.
When I was researching the project, it turns out it was announced back in 2015 per a NextSTL story. I didn’t even remember it until reading another NextSTL piece published in June, 2018 announcing that the project was moving forward. So, I’m okay having this on the 2018 list…these things take time.
“The development of the long vacant site near the Delmar Metrolink Station carries out the vision of the Skinker DeBaliviere Neighborhood Plan which calls for new development on the three empty lots on the west side of Des Peres and makes a short term priority of promoting new housing choices and topologies. The project secured a variance and approval by the Preservation Review Board. The developer is the Skinker DeBaliviere Community Housing Corporation (SDCHC), the architect is Design Alliance, located a block away on Delmar, and the contractor is Reicon Construction.”
One of the things that appeals is there will be garage access from an alley, so it will look good from Des Peres, with no curb cuts.
The homes along Washington Boulevard and other street perpendicular to Des Peres are beautiful and big.
This will bring Skinker DeBaliviere one more step closer to being “built out”, with less vacant lots and even higher density.
The modern look of the townhomes will be most welcomed and will likely look really good next to the old brick beauties.
Image source - walkertownhomes.com
Per the listing, these are being offered at well over $400K, with one already “under agreement”.
Per walkertownhomes.com, the project is the first new construction for the neighborhood in over 20 years. The rooftop and second story balconies are much welcomed and will afford nice views of the Loop and points east.
There is a mowed area with trees directly east of Des Peres, it would be great to see some intelligent landscaping and storm water retention plantings that would make the space more welcoming, usable by the neighbors and environmentally sound.
This location is incredible, with Forest Park, Washington University, Metrolink, the Loop Trolley, Greg Freeman Park, Ruth Porter Park and St. Vincent Greenway/bike path, the East Loop entertainment and restaurant district within a short walk.
It’s great to see infill taking shape in Skinker DeBaliviere.
