Ah, and how poetic is it that the bank is named "Heartland"?
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JivecitySTL wrote:Today's West End Word reports that the obsolete historic district standards have been upheld by the courts and that no highrises shall be built in the CWE historic district.
I agree with your view but I think it is a stretch to say that no highrises will be built. The adjacent buildings, such as the President, are more likely considered mid-rise but still reasonably tall. Once this new bank fails we can finally raze that horrible building and get something decent on the corner.
Once OPUS revised the base of their proposed tower I thought it was OK. I personally would be fine in a city with nothing over 8 floors, provided much of the city was 2-5 stories in height.
Sad to hear, but this just reinforces my belief that St. Louis needs to rewrite its historic district standards because many fail to allow for the evolution of neighborhoods over time. The core of the CWE cannot and should not be held to the same museum like standards found in the Lafayette Square or residential portions of the CWE. Mid-rise and high-rise towers along streets such as Lindell should be allowed.
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While I am *EXTREMELY* pissed that this didn't work out, I think we should remember the fact that Opus' Park East Tower and lofts have done extremely well thusfar. I look forward to hearing a new proposal. Loved this one and it will sting for a while, but I don't think Opus will throw in the hat. There's still much profit to be had.
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JivecitySTL wrote: Today's West End Word reports that the obsolete historic district standards have been upheld by the courts and that no highrises shall be built in the CWE historic district.
I'm confused. The Preservation Board granted a preliminary variance to this project. Don't the standards empower the Board to grant variances on a case by case basis?
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^ I'd like to know more about this as well.
So the plans for this tower are officially dead? And Heartland Bank is going to swoop in and move into the AHA building?
Looks like the CWE NIMBY forces have struck again. I just don't get it.
Quick! I need to find something fun to do this weekend. I need to remind myself about the many reasons why I love Saint Louis, because I have really become frustrated with our city's leaders lately.
So the plans for this tower are officially dead? And Heartland Bank is going to swoop in and move into the AHA building?
Looks like the CWE NIMBY forces have struck again. I just don't get it.
Quick! I need to find something fun to do this weekend. I need to remind myself about the many reasons why I love Saint Louis, because I have really become frustrated with our city's leaders lately.
^I doubt it has anything to do with the Preservation Board. Maybe PE will be nice enough to fill us in.
I have a lot of unanswered questions about this.
I have a lot of unanswered questions about this.
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Wow, a bank next to a bank.
We are WAY overbanked in this town.
We are WAY overbanked in this town.
newstl2020 wrote:Sorry Matt, PE?
Public Eye- AKA Richard Callow
From the Market in General Thread in the south city forum.
mcarril wrote:Thought I'd post these to rather negative articles from the post:
Housing crisis casts a wide economic net
And
Heartland closing wholesale mortgage division
The second one particularly hits home for me because I am one of the 30 St. Louis employees losing their jobs. And although the article say they were "loan processing jobs" the entire wholesale division - sales, management, marketing, etc, were cut.
Also in a side note I would say any plans for Heartland to build on the site they own in the CWE are probably on the back burner. I would look for them to significantly scale back from the breakneck expansion they had been on. Mr. Williams, the CEO, has blamed the market, subprime loans, foreclosures, etc on the shutdown, certainly understandable - it was not like we had been performing to the level we were in '04 or '05 before they bought us, but it has just as much to do with Fed Capital requirements that are seriously weighing them down. Shuttering the wholesale division will free up significant capital for the bank but I wouldn't expect to see them continue at the pace they had been on.
No hard feelings, it's an understandable business decision, but that what is really going on.
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Why not change the district boundaries instead to the alley between Maryland and Lindell? I'm thinking Lindell is presently the southern boundary of the local historic district. Hard to tell in this map. If so, at least the Koplar parking lots can still be redeveloped into high-rises.
This can still be mid-rise as well. Not what it should be, but better than two stories.
I am no lawyer, but couldn't this ruling be be rendered moot by altering the wording in the standards? Even if altered subtly, the case would have to be retried. Another question: Does the ruling prohibit all variances? It seems to me that if the courts ruled that the variance was in opposition to the standards and thus illegal, ALL variances will be illegal. A variance is, by definition, in opposition to the standards. duh. Editorial time. I think that a dense historic neighborhood, punctuated by tastefully designed towers is a beautiful, functional, and progressive model for any city. Especially when the towers are being built as highest and best use infill and not destroying historic infrastructure.
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MattnSTL wrote:newstl2020 wrote:Sorry Matt, PE?
Public Eye- AKA Richard Callow
Thanks!
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It is really pathetic that the corner of Lindell and Euclid has an empty building sitting on it and an under-utilized parcel of land in this prime area of the CWE.
Leave it to people like Allison Ferring to bankrole this lawsuit to stop Opus from building a building to add more density to the city. Lyda Krewson was on board with the change in design and once again progress is squashed. It must be nice to sit in an ivory tower (4545) and throw money out to get what you and a few other people want.
Leave it to people like Allison Ferring to bankrole this lawsuit to stop Opus from building a building to add more density to the city. Lyda Krewson was on board with the change in design and once again progress is squashed. It must be nice to sit in an ivory tower (4545) and throw money out to get what you and a few other people want.
LOLOL!steve wrote:Ah, and how poetic is it that the bank is named "Heartland"?
How sad. This is one reason, I believe, why major national developers have stayed away from St. Louis. Hopefully, Opus will take a risk and build downtown. It's time.
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Can anyone please tell me if the old St. Louis Heart Association building still standing at 4643 Lindell Blvd.? I worked for SLHA 35 years ago - the building shows up on Google Earth and Maps, so I presume it's still there, but I keep reading about plans for its demolition - thank you.
Also, does anyone know who presently occupies this building? If anyone is in the area and can take a few photos to send me, I would be very grateful - thank you!
Also, does anyone know who presently occupies this building? If anyone is in the area and can take a few photos to send me, I would be very grateful - thank you!
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Thanks, Moorlander - yes, I had seen these posts from December, 2007 indicating the failure of the OPUS project, but was still wondering if anything else had taken place with regard to the property at 4643 Lindell since then.
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Your best bet on this forum is to post that question within the thread on that topic you wish to discuss.
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former_res don't run away - some of us are nicer than Moorlander on this forum! 
The buidling's just sitting there. The portion of Euclid south of Lindell is set to get a multi-million dollar makeover and a nearly block-long new building on the northwest corner of Forest Park Parkway and Euclid. Unfortunately that still leaves vacant lots at Forest Park Parkway/Euclid, West Pine/Euclid, TWO at Lindell and Euclid (with the dentist office on another) and that's not to mention all the vacant area on the block defined by Lindell/Kingshighway/West Pine/Euclid . . .
The buidling's just sitting there. The portion of Euclid south of Lindell is set to get a multi-million dollar makeover and a nearly block-long new building on the northwest corner of Forest Park Parkway and Euclid. Unfortunately that still leaves vacant lots at Forest Park Parkway/Euclid, West Pine/Euclid, TWO at Lindell and Euclid (with the dentist office on another) and that's not to mention all the vacant area on the block defined by Lindell/Kingshighway/West Pine/Euclid . . .