Historical November–December 2021 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
NEW 14-STORY BUILDING Opus Group, a commercial real estate development, construction, and design company headquartered in Minneapolis is proposing a 14-story building at the southeast corner of Delmar and Skinker (the former Church’s Fried Chicken lot).
The building is a student-oriented, U-Shaped, 14-story, 130-unit building that would contain 335 bedrooms.
The property is currently under contract.
The first floor would have just over 3,400 sf of retail space on the corner, six parking spaces along the alley, and an entrance on the Delmar side to parking on the second and third floors for residents, for a total of 69 parking spaces.
The configurations are 21 studio, 61 2-bedroom, and 39 4-bedroom furnished apartments. Amenities would include a rooftop pool, fitness center, and indoor bike storage and repair center. Opus is targeting completion of the project prior to the start of the fall 2024 school year.
The project was reviewed by the Historic District Review Committee, the Commercial District Committee, and the Community Development Committee, and all three committees recommended that the project be endorsed by the SDCC Community council with waivers for height restriction, density restrictions, and parking restrictions placed on buildings built on this property by the city of St. Louis.
A Zoom meeting was held with neighborhood residents in early November and many concerns were raised regarding the property and the neighbors requested that more time be allocated for public input before the endorsement vote be held by the Board.
The community council agreed and is planning more review and input meetings. NEW APARTMENT BUILDING A second project of note is a new apartment building being constructed on the northeast corner lot of Des Peres and McPherson by developer Brent Cowen.
It is a new three-story apartment
building that will have one four-bedroom unit on each floor and has been approved by the Preservation Board and Cultural Resources.
The Historic District Review Committee of the SDCC met with Mr. Cowen to review the plan. Mr. Cowen intends to live in the first-floor unit of the building and lease the additional two units above.
An update on universal design senior condos, a project proposed by neighbor Dan Schesch.
The project is being moved from the 6001-05 Westminster lot to the 521 Des Peres lot that was the planned home of the Walker Townhomes Project proposed by the Skinker DeBaliviere Housing Corporation. SDCHC is no longer proceeding with the construction of the Walker Townhomes.
Original photograph caption
Draft Opus proposal at Skinker and Delmar, street perspective.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, November–December 2021.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Source says one hundred thirty units, but listed twenty one studios plus sixty one two bedrooms plus thirty nine four bedrooms total one hundred twenty one. Counts retained, not reconciled by invention.
Original source: SD_Times2021_11.pdf, printed page(s) 1, 6; PDF page(s) 1, 6.
