St. Louis company to renovate three buildings into lofts

[WoodDraw]

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 126925.htm

The company is partnering with Michael Rainen to renovate two landmark warehouses in the Freight House District into housing, the 220,000-square-foot H.D. Lee Building at 20th and Wyandotte streets and a 165,000-square-foot building at 2117 Broadway. The two projects would add more than 240 lofts to the area.

The firm also plans to renovate the historic Argyle Building at 306 E. 12th St. into 100 market-rate apartments. Two restaurants are planned for the first floor of the 100-year-old building.

The article also says that they are looking at other properties now.  The ground level restaurants are good news and it sounds like they have a good reputation in St. Louis.  Any of our St. Louis members have comments on this company's work? 

[ComandanteCero]

if these McGowans are the same McGowans who have been working on Wash Av, then i think these buildings will be in very good hands.  They've done a lot of great work in St. Louis in terms of rehabbing great old buildings into nice lofts.

edit: ok, read the article, they are.  Sounds good!  Some really interesting quotes in this article (looks like we could have a separate thread for each project):

[quote]“In the next three years, McGowan & Walsh will probably build close to 2,000 units in downtown Kansas City alone,â€

[chrizow]

whoa, awesome! 

[JivecitySTL]

The McGowans are great.  There are like 5 brothers in the McGowan Bros. Development Group.  They moved to St. Louis from rural Texas (I think it was Texas) in the late '80s and have been aggressively buying up buildings downtown ever since.  They are genuine, progressive and they think outside the box.  KC is lucky to have their investment.

[dangerboy]

I hope they start on the Argyle Building soon.  They've already owned it for three years without doing a damn thing. 

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/s ... ily13.html

[ignatius]

If they are truely seeking 2M sq. feet of space, that will obviously help keep the downtown pace going for a while (a Sasaki priority).  There may not be much downtown office/warehouse space left at the rate conversions are going.  The Chicago-based Western Auto developers are considering a larger portfolio as well.

Is this the same McGowan doing other KC projects such as the conversion of the Plaza Park Lane apts to a boutique hotel?  I don't recall the Walsh name being associated to it.

It's also good to see that we also now have developers doing new residential construction - George Birt, Cordish.  Need another major player or two for new tower construction and the continuing downtown momentum will be set.  Crown Center Properties have talked about another residential hirise project earlier this year but we haven't heard a peep since.  I'd love to see KC's new tallest be a mixed-use residential/office/hotel hi-rise, slightly taller than KC One Place.  The momentum is clearly there to pull it off.

[dangerboy]

Is this the same McGowan doing other KC projects such as the conversion of the Plaza Park Lane apts to a boutique hotel?  I don't recall the Walsh name being associated to it.

Are you thinking of McCown, not McGowan?

http://mccowngordon.com

http://www.mcgowanwalsh.com

[ignatius]

Are you thinking of McCown, not McGowan?

Ah.

[chrizow]

this really is exciting news.  their projects in St. Louis are top-notch, and these buildings were just screaming for residential conversion.  a couple more restaurants added to the downtown scene doesn't hurt either. 

now, let's start filling in the gaps between Xroads and East Xroads.

[LenexatoKCMO]

If these are the two freighthouse buildings I am thinking of, they are two of the biggest down there.  That should definitiely add some people to the streets.  Any word in their on their timetable?

[ignatius]

^The article says the three biggest buildings are those two and Stuart Lofts.  The article states that the HD Lee building construction would begin next sping.

[tat2kc]

The Lee building at 20th and Wyandotte has been in the planning for lofts since at least 2002, if not earlier. Since they announced loft plans, the Stuart Hall building was converted, 1819 Baltimore was completed, the Hotel Monroe has started, and the Western Auto Building conversion began, and is now occupied, and the W lofts started and are nearing completion.  Its too bad it has taken someone from out of town to do this; at the same time, I'll belive it when I see the construction begin.  its damn frustrating to see Rainen talk about the conversion and then do nothing to get it started. Last year a big section of windows on one of the upper floorrs on the south side of the building fell in, letting all kinds of water inside. What do you want to bet that they'll ask for city financial assistance because the building has deteriorated?  

Sorry if I sound so negative about this building in particular, but I lived next to it for 3 years and listened to talk about the big plans, and nothing ever happened. And what parking they did have is now leased to Manny's.  

[scartva]

I certainly hope all of this development actually occurs.  Since these building are right next to my loft, it will be nice to have all the new neighbors and restaurants!!  I wonder if this development will include anything with the old PCB building location.  It would be great if the turn it into much needed park space.  However, I bet they will just build a parking garage…… 

[ignatius]

^I thought a garage was always planned for the PCB building spot.  Hopefully it will be surrounded by streetfront retail as all garages should be, especially if getting tax breaks.

[LenexatoKCMO]

I would be willing to bet that they may be one of the partys bidding on the PCB site.  It sounds like they are definitely going to have to build a garage somewhere and unless Mannys is willing to part with one of their umpteen surface lots I don't know where else they are going to put it.  It sounds like pressure is mounting for a garage there.  I know when we first looked at Stuart Hall they indicated that the tennants were all clamoring for covered parking and I would think the same would be true of Safeway as it goes condo.  

[chrizow]

Sorry if I sound so negative about this building in particular, but I lived next to it for 3 years and listened to talk about the big plans, and nothing ever happened. And what parking they did have is now leased to Manny's.  

i understand your skepticism, but i have faith in this company.  they have the capital and know-how to get it done.  i really don't think they would try to break into the booming KC market with two LARGE projects if they didn't have the capacity to pull it off.

[ComandanteCero]

not to get too far off topic, but is there a reason why the large surface lots west of the Freighthouse and south of many of these buildings doesn't get turned into a large parking garage?  It seems like it would be pefectly located and suited to meet just about everyone's parking needs.

[chrizow]

not to get too far off topic, but is there a reason why the large surface lots west of the Freighthouse and south of many of these buildings doesn't get turned into a large parking garage?  It seems like it would be pefectly located and suited to meet just about everyone's parking needs.

i like that idea.  i'd like to see a megalithic, 15-level underground/surface garage that has enough parking for everyone in the urban core without their own condo-specific space.  it could be in its own little corner of the loop area, and the foot traffic generated by that garage alone could probably sustain some businesses nearby.  that would be a lot better than a few small lots or garages.

[LenexatoKCMO]

not to get too far off topic, but is there a reason why the large surface lots west of the Freighthouse and south of many of these buildings doesn't get turned into a large parking garage?  It seems like it would be pefectly located and suited to meet just about everyone's parking needs.

I can think of at lest a couple of obstacles (not because I necessarily think it is a horrible idea): 1) I believe that the surface lot in question is owned by a parking lot company with no direct connection to any of the lofts nearby; and 2) I would imagine that all of the folks that are moving into the South facing sides of freighthouse flats and stuart hall might not be happy about having their high-$ views of Union Station and Liberty Memorial blocked by a parking garage. 

[Thrillcekr]

whoa, awesome! 

I'm with you on that one.  This sounds like really great news to me.  I know that some are still skeptical and normally I would be somewhat too because I'm a "wait and see" kind of guy.  However, if their activity in St. Louis is any indicator of their tendency to back up their mouths then I'd say you can take this one to the bank.