Economy & Business

City Foundry Transformation Underway Along I-64 In St. Louis

St. Louis Public Radio | By Wayne Pratt

Published July 3, 2019 at 4:55 AM CDT

The City Foundry STL redevelopment will include a dining hall, grocery store and movie theatre in its $220 million first phase.

A massive redevelopment project at a high-profile site in St. Louis’ Midtown area is on track to open next year. The first phase of City Foundry STL will include a large dining hall featuring local eateries. Plans also call for a grocery store, movie theater and office space.

The roughly $220 million redevelopment across from IKEA is on the site of the former Century Electric Company, which made motors and generators. The property was sold a few times over the years, but production at the 15-acre location continued until the mid-2000s.

The site was vacant for a few years until Steve Smith, Lawrence Group chief executive officer, acquired it. His vision for a large, mixed-use development that he says will attract people from all over follows some other high-profile projects in the St. Louis region, including the Angad Arts Hotel in Grand Center and the Park Pacific Apartments downtown. Smith recently took St. Louis Public Radio on a tour of the site that could eventually have around 800 workers.

Heavy equipment has been lowered into one of the many pits found on the property during the massive redevelopment project.

Developers of City Foundry STL are trying to keep as much of the original steel beams and brick as possible as they work on the roughly $220 million project. — Developers of City Foundry STL are trying to keep as much of the original steel beams and brick as possible as they work on the roughly $220 million dollar project.

There is still plenty of work to be done at the property beside I-64 in midtown St. Louis, but developers are confident the first phase will open in 2020.

The old rail trestle on the City Foundry STL site will become part of the Chouteau Greenway trail system.

Lawrence Group CEO Steve Smith talks with St. Louis Public Radio's Wayne Pratt about his vision for City Foundry STL.

Follow Wayne on Twitter: @WayneRadio

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