ALSO IN ATTENDANCE

Stephanie Karr, City Attorney Susan M. Istenes, AICP, Planning Director

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

CAROLYN GAIDIS – MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF 10/19/2020, AS AMENDED.

2 NEW BUSINESS

121 S. MERAMEC AVENUE – CONCEPTUAL REVIEW – NEW MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL APARTMENT AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Director Susan M. Istenes summarizes the following staff report: “The subject property is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of S. Meramec Avenue and Bemiston Avenue. The property is 38,995 square feet with a zoning designation of High Density Commercial (HDC) and is located within the Central Station Transit Oriented Overlay District. The south half of the site is developed with a commercial building that is currently vacant. Adjacent land uses include mixed use residential to the west, office/government to the east, and office to the north and south.

The project as proposed by the applicant will be a 13-story concrete structure mixed use project on the southwest section of the parcel and a 5 story wood frame apartment structure over a single story parking podium on the north section of the parcel. There will be approximately 12,000 square feet of commercial space and 250 apartment units for a total of 275,000 square feet of building area. There are currently 340 parking spaces proposed; 44 on site and the remainder located at the 8011 Bonhomme parking garage to the west. The retail space will be located along Bonhomme Avenue and flex space will front on Meramec Avenue.

The north/south alley to the rear will provide vehicular access to the parking garage. Access is also provided via Bonhomme Avenue.

The applicant proposes to use TPO window wall as the primary building material and GFRC composite panel, wood and fiber panels as a secondary material; white and grey in color. The applicant will be required to install city standard streetscape along all street frontages. If the existing alley is below city standards, they will be required to widen it to City standards.

The applicant will be seeking deviations from the zoning district standards through the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process. For those deviations, the applicant will be required to provide public benefits under the City’s PUD point system process. Additionally, the developer will be required to provide a traffic study and a parking study, which will be reviewed as part of the PUD application review process. Additional improvements may be required as a result of those studies.

STAFF CONSIDERATIONS

The proposed project will require a rezoning to Planned Unit Development (PUD), platting, site plan approval and architectural review board approval, prior to construction.

Staff recommends that the Plan Commission/Architectural Review Board consider the proposal and provide input. This is conceptual review only and therefore any comments made in this report or at the meeting, either by the applicant, staff, or the Board/Commission members, are non-binding. .

MARK RUBIN (MR) CHRIS CEDARGREEN (CC) JASON BRAIDWOOD (JB)

This is conceptual review only and therefore any comments made in this report or at the meeting, either by the applicant, staff, or the Board/Commission members, are non-binding. . MARK RUBIN (MR) CHRIS CEDARGREEN (CC) JASON BRAIDWOOD (JB)

3 CC – Explains the project in more depth than staff report.

Steve Lichtenfeld –Concerned about the corner of Bonhomme and Meramec not engaging the pedestrians on Meramec. Would there is a possibility to expand this project to the properties in grey?

MR – We would love to control the entire block but I don’t see that happening, that said if the phone rings, we are picking it up.

Steve Lichtenfeld – How does the parking work?

MR – The City owns it and it is very underused. We would be leasing it.

Steve Lichtenfeld – It looks like many if not all of the units have balconies – what is the square footage without the balconies, are they small units? From the second floor up I like the appearance. I like that it doesn’t look stacked and that the windows change. The addition of the greenery adds a lot of character and the wood detailing.

CC – The trends are changing. The average will be 750 and 45% one bedrooms and 30% two units.

Richard Lintz – Where you have the extending out over the property line, is that just the awning or the whole structure?

CC – That is to be a light structure and provide a shading for the space below and more deck area for the pool.

Richard Lintz – I like the wood but the building itself looks bone. There is no façade it just looks like exposed beams.

Carolyn Gaidis –I’d like to thank Steve for all his questions, he asked most of mine. Is there a reason to explain the balconies? Are they just ornamental? I think the building is nice. It will be nice to see the developed retail. What level is the pool at?

MR – There is no reason right now. It’s at Meramec street level and one level up on Bonhomme.

Robert Denlow – I like the building a lot, I like the wood. It looks like something that would be found in Denmark. You do have to work hard to keep the pedestrians engaged. Will you have a coffee shop, a restaurant?

MR – Yes, we would like a coffee shop, with a restaurant, next to the fitness center we just hope the market is there with us.

George Hettich – Thank you for the commercial space, like Rich, I do struggle with the boneyness. I do think I am seeing a lot of shadows which is making it difficult with the rendering but I think it is very well thought. Maybe throw some more wood throughout the building.

Helen DiFate – I like the boney look. I like the taller building more than the smaller building. There is something about the bones it could be the shadows but I like the taller building more.

BOARD DOES NOT VOTE AS IT IS CONCEPTUAL REVIEW