Endless Electronics, a locally owned computer, tablet and smartphone repair business, has been selected to fill the final retail space at The Lofts of Washington University on the Delmar Loop, an $80 million residential and retail project.
Henry S. Webber, executive vice chancellor for administration at Washington University in St. Louis, said Endless Electronics is a great addition to the Loop.
Endless Electronics is operated by cousins Benjamin Auton and Tom Nowlin. The business provides a full range of services, from replacing cracked iPhone and iPad screens to fixing broken PCs and PlayStation game consoles. Technicians complete most jobs within hours. Business hours will be 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
“We know students are busy and they need their devices to be running right,” Nowlin said. “We provide quick, reliable service so they can get back to work.”
Founded in 2010, Endless Electronics operated in the south St. Louis County incubator of STLVentureWorks, which provides below-market rent, support and mentorship to St. Louis startups. Nowlin is proud to graduate from incubator to retail storefront.
“We have been a mail-in business, but to talk to the customer and build a level of trust in the community is something we’ve always wanted,” Nowlin said. “To tell someone you can save their wedding photos or their term paper is really satisfying.”
The Lofts debuted in August 2014 and feature 167 fully furnished apartments for Washington University undergraduate students. The project has earned LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Other tenants are:
- United Provisions, a 15,000 square-foot, full-service grocery store and restaurant. United Provisions is operated by the Prapaisilp family, owners of Jay’s International Food on South Grand and Global Foods in Kirkwood as well as three restaurants.
- Peacock Loop Diner, a 5,000-square-foot, 24-hour diner. Peacock Loop Diner is owned by Loop entrepreneur Joe Edwards, operator of Blueberry Hill, Moonrise Hotel, the Pageant and other Loop attractions.
Breaking ground with a model of the trolley on Limit, where the City of St. Louis and University City meet, were dignitaries and folks from throughout the region. Pictured are: Susan Trautman, Great Rivers Greenway; Mayor Francis Slay, City of St. Louis; Mokhtee Ahmad, Region 7 Director of the Federal Transit Authority which is providing $32 million in funding for the project; Joe Edwards; University City Mayor Shelley Welsch; John Nations, president and CEO of Bi-State Development Agency. Also participating was Les Sterman, President of the Loop Trolley Co.
“Without a doubt, the Loop Trolley will be a real economic and tourism boon to the St. Louis region,” said Edwards. “The Loop Trolley will connect communities east and west, and also north and south, with clean, electric transportation and encourage pedestrian friendly neighborhoods and development.”
Construction of the Loop Trolley system is set to begin in March 2015 according to Chris Poehler, administrator of the Loop Trolley Transportation Development District (TDD). Construction will start in March with the installation of a permanent roundabout near the Lion Gates in University City (Trinity and Delmar Blvd.) to increase safety, improve traffic flow and create an attractive, landscaped entrance to the Delmar Loop.
The trolley track construction is expected to begin in late May 2015, starting on Delmar Blvd. near Kingsland. Traffic will continue to flow through The Loop business district during construction.
Contractors include KCI Construction Company for track and civil infrastructure; Wissehr Electrical Contractors for the trolley overhead contact system and lighting; and KCI Construction Company for rehab of the maintenance/storage facility. Kwame Building Group is the construction manager for the project.
The 2.2-mile fixed-track electrical trolley system will run along Delmar Blvd. and DeBaliviere Ave. connecting The Loop restaurant, shopping, and arts & entertainment district to Forest Park, with a stop at the Missouri History Museum. The Loop derived its nickname from the streetcar system that serviced the area until 1966.
The project includes construction of the roundabout, the trolley tracks, an overhead contact system, 10 station stops, a maintenance/storage facility, and rehab of vintage trolley vehicles.
On the eastern end of the trolley route, the Loop Trolley TDD is working with Great Rivers Greenway to extend the St. Vincent Greenway from Delmar along DeBaliviere Ave. south to Forest Park Blvd., with new landscaping and multi-use paths. The trolley will run adjacent to the greenway.
The Loop Trolley construction is scheduled for completion in mid-2016 and is expected to begin service in late 2016 to allow for testing and training.
For more information and construction updates, join the email list at www.looptrolley.com, email info@looptrolley.com and follow facebook.com/looptrolley and twitter.com/looptrolley.
