CityScene STL is pleased to share with the St. Louis community the renderings for Collegiate Development's 3765 Lindell project in Grand Center.
The 7-story, 79-unit, 65 parking space project will sit on the site currently occupied by the 3-story Oddfellows Building. For those not entirely sure, it's where McPherson meets Lindell just East of the Moolah Theatre and just North of the St. Louis University campus. The new building will add a touch of modern to the strip and solidify a street wall that goes from Vandeventer to Spring Avenue on the North side of Lindell. It's a change of plans since the original plans were discovered in an August 2019 LCRA document. Those plans called for the redevelopment of the existing building.
Based on architectural documents, the building will stand roughly 85' tall. Facade materials will be brick, multi-colored metal paneling (depending on the location, paneling can be silver, gold, dark blue, dark green, and dark red), gray FCB lap siding, and simple concrete.
The new 3765 Lindell building is a step up from what's currently there but also has some downsides. First, the curbcut will remain but will be shifted to the Westside of the site instead of being on the East. Second, there is an apparent lack of retail space fronting Lindell. However, there will be some Lindell facing windows on the first floor on the Eastern half of the frontage.
The project will also feature a narrow courtyard area where residents can socialize. Since these apartments will be geared towards college students, the courtyard can become a nice study area for students. The building's commons areas will look out onto the courtyard area to further advance the community gathering space feel.
Two renderings of the courtyard are below.
Moving on to the interior, it's simple yet modern.
Wood and brick contrast with concrete and glass. Based on the renderings, it will appear bright and airy inside thanks to the large windows. There are plenty of spaces for residents to socialize in a private conference room style setting, booths and tables dotted throughout the commons areas. A generous fitness center is also included but it should be noted that 3765 Lindell will not include a pool area.
As the economy slows down due to the coronavirus, Collegiate is moving forward with this project with hopes to start construction this summer and a completion by August 1st, 2021 (per the City of St. Louis LCRA).
No formal building permit has been applied for at the time of this story. Instead, a zoning only permit was applied for on January 29th but has yet to be issued. Demolition bids have ended and current bids to build the new structure are currently out there. Brinkmann Construction is the general contractor on the project. Fayetteville Arkansas-based Modus Studio is the architect. As stated earlier on, the developer is Clayton (but soon to be Midtown) based Collegiate Development.
The project has a tax abatement worth 90% for 10 years pending in the Board of Aldermen. The LCRA moved the abatement request forward in February of this year. The project has an estimated cost of $20 Million.
Collegiate is currently redeveloping the Nash building at 3000 Locust into 26 loft-style apartment units and their new home offices. That project is expected to wrap up later this year. Elsewhere in Midtown-Grand Center, numerous apartment projects are popping up that will drastically alter the area. Just a block and a half North, at Olive and Vandeventer, an apartment building designed by Los Angeles-based starchitect, Michael Maltzan, is planned to be part of the Olive West project. South of the railroad tracks, Steelcote Square and Iron Hill will add hundreds of new apartments to the area known as Prospect Yards. Prospect Yards is the name given to a large chunk of the Midtown Redevelopment Area. 3765 Lindell is outside of the redevelopment area which is controlled jointly by St. Louis University and SSM Health through the Midtown Redevelopment Corporation (MRC).
More renderings of the new 3765 Lindell project are featured below as well as two photos of the existing Oddfellows building.
The existing building (including some context with neighboring buildings to the East).
Previous reporting on the project by CityScene STL...
August 2019: 3765 Lindell to Become Apartments