最新杏吧原创

Lawrence Group officials led an invitation-only crowd Thursday on a tour of their mixed-use project in the 3700 block of Forest Park Avenue. For now, the task is removing environmental hazards at the site, formerly a Federal-Mogul foundry.

City Foundry鈥檚 $134.2 million first phase, planned to open in two years, is focused on renovation of the old foundry, unused since 2007. Lawrence Group intends to redo much of the main building as a 鈥渇ood hall鈥� with stalls for nonchain restaurants and 20,000 square feet of seating. The building also would get 78,000 square feet of office space.

The Byco Building at the northeast corner of the site is intended as a 30,000-square-foot single-tenant retail space, plus 30,000 square feet of offices. A 500-car parking garage also is planned.

Renovation of foundry buildings would be followed quickly by construction of a 24-story apartment tower on Forest Park Avenue and, later, by construction of office buildings on the nearly 17-acre site. If fully built, City Foundry鈥檚 cost could reach $340 million.

On Wednesday, the city鈥檚 Tax Increment Financing Commission recommended $19.4 million in TIF aid for City Foundry鈥檚 first phase. The commission鈥檚 favorable vote sent the matter to the Board of Aldermen for final approval.

The TIF is among local, state and federal incentives that make up 56 percent of the project鈥檚 first-phase cost. The developer has $51 million in project financing. TIF help would cover 14.5 percent of the project鈥檚 initial costs, which is in line with the city鈥檚 policy of covering less than 15 percent of project costs with TIF.

Steve Smith, Lawrence Group鈥檚 chief executive, said in an interview before the tour Thursday he is pleased City Foundry is making progress in getting TIF help. He said he hopes to announce in about six weeks the 鈥渓ead tenant lineup鈥� for the project鈥檚 first phase.

Coming into greater focus is how City Foundry would accommodate a hiking and biking trail planned by Great Rivers Greenway, the region鈥檚 public trail district.

Great Rivers and Lawrence Group officials plan to incorporate into Chouteau Greenway the unused rail trestle that curves through the City Foundry site.

Chouteau Greenway is planned as a link between Forest Park and the 最新杏吧原创 riverfront. The first section, between Boyle and Sarah avenues, will be built alongside the Cortex MetroLink station scheduled to be completed in 2018.

The latest City Foundry renderings show the trestle as a main feature of the redevelopment project. Smith noted that City Foundry is among big projects in the area near 最新杏吧原创 University, the Cortex Innovation District, the Washington University medical complex and the planned redevelopment of the vacant Armory building just south of City Foundry.

鈥淎nd tying them all together, quite frankly, is Great Rivers Greenway,鈥� he said.

Also under discussion are plans for a pedestrian connection between City Foundry and the Armory, which Green Street Properties plans to redo as an entertainment destination. The walkway would be along South Spring Avenue, in the same location as one that passed beneath the elevated lanes of westbound Highway 40 (Interstate 64) before it was removed years ago.

Smith said the project, which he refers to as the Innovation Bridge, has no funding as yet but is a joint desire of his company, Green Street and Great Rivers.

Green Street officials did not respond to calls seeking comment. Emma Klues, the greenway district鈥檚 communications director, said her agency is in 鈥渆xploratory talks鈥� with Lawrence Group on the proposal.

鈥淲e love anything that improves connectivity,鈥� she said.

Further along are plans to piece the unused Norfolk Southern rail trestle into the Chouteau Greenway. Klues said Lawrence Group designers are mindful of how the trestle fits within Great Rivers鈥� system of bikeways.

鈥淭heir project falls very much within our master plan,鈥� she said.