I have lived in Fox Park for 13 years, we pretty much raised our family here. It is home, at least the home the kids will remember. I assumed that when we bought here the vacant / nearly abandoned or minimally utilized warehouses on the south east part of the neighborhood would remain underutilized or would fall to the arson bugs or collapse, as a former warehouse did near Victor and Ohio (where Rung for Women is now).
Well, I’m here to share that this part of the neighborhood is seeing massive investment in the form of residential and mixed use conversions that will greatly benefit our neighborhood, as well as our city and our history and sense of place.
These investments will bring the neighborhood and St. Louis the things it needs most: more quality, dignified housing and people. We need to keep our existing businesses open, we need more eyes on the streets and sidewalks, we need more vibrancy in this neck of the woods. We need more residents.
Not gonna lie, I’m super excited about these latest developments, a continuum of change that I’ve experienced here.
So let’s go over some of the exciting projects that I read about on NextSTL/UrbanSTL and walked by today to check on the progress.
Let’s start with 2311 Texas Avenue, a beautiful former warehouse / manufacturing facility. Per my research, this part of the neighborhood was residential, up to approximately the 1920s. There was a two story home with this same address with six rooms dating back to at least 1887 (earliest newspapers.com clipping I could find).
The former warehouse space was vacant for years, decades.
Now it is going to be converted to mixed. It is branded as “Excelsior Leader Lofts”.
Image - Manor Real Estate
There were workers on site today, and the place is pretty much emptied out on the inside…a clean slate.
If they put in the windows (per the rendering) with a nod to the original need for light, this will be a stunning transformation. The street-level view and curb appeal will be much enhanced and the doors need to be classy. This will be a big upgrade. Street trees please! Bury the utilities, keep the fire escape and we have a beauty for another generation…at least.
Next, there is the much further along development at 2528 Texas Avenue. This gem was once part of the Koken Barber Supply warehouses and offices, dating back to 1912. It was also part of the International Harvest Hat Company in the 1930s timeframe.
St. Louis Globe Democrat - 1934
The windows are looking wonderful and the tear downs of the “keep-out fortifications” reveal some of the former jewels.
The vision or rendering is as follows:
Image - Blackline Development
This one is going to be called The Koken.
We’re not done kids, there’s and even bigger project, this one probably fimiliar to many as this building has been in use well after the Koken Barber Supply, later Koken Art Factory days. The Koken building at 2500 Ohio Avenue used to have a coffee shop called Shameless Grounds, a winter farmer’s market (from TGFM) and artist space. There were also some big parties here that some may know about.
While I have some great memories from the inside, the outside view to a passerby was less than inspiring, even if it had ghost signs of its days as a Panda Paint factory. It had that “see ya” vibe that so much of our past has. The post-industrial hangover vibe. A vibe that is not in short supply in St. Louis and the scads of other rust belt cities in America.
I’ve read that Blackline Development is also developing this property and it will be a good place for us as neighbors, with a nod to its past uses.
“The project will bring new life to one of the most treasured buildings of the Fox Park Neighborhood. It will feature 65 amazing residences, of which over 50% will be affordable for those making under 80% AMI so that those who work in the area can afford to live here as well! Additionally, we want to keep the building’s more recent history as a home for local artists alive by incorporating 13 private studio spaces into the project. Amenities will include gated parking, community room, elevator, business center, fitness center, tenant storage spaces, automated package concierge, “smart home” feature in the units, and an out-of-this-world courtyard where residents can gather, relax, and enjoy! ”
Again, never thought I’d see this in my lifetime. So, very happy.
Another development I noticed is what appears to be a future parking lot. I could be wrong, but the curb cut suggests it.
I’ll end with a little icing on the cake, Rung for Women, a noble not for profit rooted in getting women metal, physical, childcare support and networked into careers, is expanding along Sidney Street between Ohio and California Avenues.
Looking good in Fox Park these days.
