Delmar, between Euclid and Walton, is about to get even more lively. Earlier this year, the Solire Apartments were unveiled for the vacant lot just East of the Lofts@Euclid. Yesterday, a Field's Foods Store was announced for the remaining retail space in the Lofts@Euclid Building. Now comes another announcement, this time in the form of coworking office space. the old Union-Sarah Economic Development Corporation Building, at 4731 Delmar, is now planned to be coworking office space under the name "Elevation Space". It is part of a new development company named "Kingsway Development, LLC". The company plans to use this development as a catalyst to restore other buildings along Delmar and in the Kingsway East/Fountain Park neighborhood. The plan is to also begin to demolish the Delmar Divide that has long divided St. Louis.
According to a video released by Elevation, they say, "St. Louis is bursting with growth and innovation" (which is true) and, "The elevation project is the catalyst component of the Kingsway Development Plan. Elevation aims to create the most dynamic and community engagement project around". It is all an optimistic plan to drive the unprecedented growth of Central West End Northward and would be seen as one of the first developments to bust through the Delmar Divide. The other major projects are: Delmar Divine and Jim McKelvey's TechShop like project. Both of those are further West on Delmar. In this particular location however, this project should and will give hope to the neighborhood surrounding it as Elevation plans to be a place where the underprivileged part of St. Louis meets innovation and growth through education and innovation.
The project plans to get underway fairly soon as Elevation hopes to have the coworking space available in the Summer of 2019. There will also be an events hall on the first floor. The building is close to 30,500 Square Feet of space, so while small, it will do wonders for improving the aesthetics of this neighborhood. This project could also symbolize that buildings directly across the street will be renovated and turned into something creative (even though Bob Saur’s Solire plan includes demolishing those structures). The significant amount of investment on this stretch of Delmar is what's needed to strengthen and connect communities together and move the new St. Louis story into new parts of St. Louis City.
KAI is the architect for the project, and as stated, this project should be completed by the Summer of 2019.
Crushing the Delmar Divide
There is still lots of work to be done along Delmar, and North of it, till St. Louisans can say that the Delmar Divide is "no more". But lets not get down, we are off to a great start. In recent history, these projects have been announced to try to bridge the Divide... - Jim McKelvey's TechShop - Delmar Divine - Solire Apartments - Field's Foods Recently Completed... - 3rd Degree Glass Factory - Interstate Blood Bank - Art Gallery - Project at Delmar and Debaliviere