The Delmar Loop Area Retail Plan & Development
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THE DELMAR LOOP AREA RETAIL PLAN & DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY PREPARED FOR: WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN SAINT LOUIS NOVEMBER 2011 VISION APPROACH The Loop Area will continue to grow The HR&A team set out to create a into a stable and thriving mixed-use visionary plan for the future of The district with a diversity of unique Loop Area, identifying opportunities retail, restaurant and additional for growth through comprehensive offerings. analysis. The heart of the area, The Loop (Delmar from the The HR&A team formally defined The Loop Area Lions to Hodiamont) is envisioned as a as the census block groups within approximately reinvigorated retail and cultural destination one-half mile of the proposed trolley route, which strengthened by an improved array of retail and will run from the Missouri History Museum in Forest restaurant offerings and an enhanced public Park north on DeBaliviere Avenue, turn west at realm. Growth in The Loop will also be driven by Delmar Boulevard, and continue west through the a greater diversity of uses, with denser mixed-use Delmar Loop to Delmar and Kingsland. This area development bringing a new level of vitality to the is roughly bounded by Olive Blvd. /Maple Ave. to area, particularly in the areas surrounding the the north, Union Blvd. to the east, Forest Park Delmar Loop MetroLink Station. Parkway to the south, and Midland Blvd./Wellesley Ave. to the west. The section of Delmar from Delmar Station to DeBaliviere and DeBaliviere to Kingsbury will be To create this plan, the project team first reinvented as a mixed-use neighborhood edge. conducted an in-depth analysis of existing Increased residential development and an conditions, including the local demographic and improved public realm will catalyze the success of real estate market, physical conditions, real estate future retail and provide a foundation for growth potential, and consumer preferences. community revitalization. Significant interventions Following the assessment of existing conditions, the at the future trolley barn and the existing Metro team organized a design charrette to evaluate a garage will be transformational for the area. series of development scenarios for The Loop Area. Based on the selected scenario, the team The area of DeBaliviere from Kingsbury to Forest created a set of retail, development, Park Parkway will become a node of transit- infrastructure, and public realm recommendations oriented development, with new mixed-use to bring the scenario to fruition. Finally, the team buildings and an improved array of retail catering prepared an implementation plan, consisting of a to both local residents and the large number of retail tenanting plan, a governance strategy, and commuters who use the station daily. a public realm interventions strategy. Throughout the process, the team met and consulted with the client group and with a group of key community stakeholders engaged in the project. DELMAR LOOP AREA RETAIL PLAN & DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 1 District 2, the East Delmar/DeBaliviere Neighborhood, has historically stuggled to grow in CONTEXT a balanced and sustainable manner due to an abudance of institutional uses, a poorly maintained The Loop Area is one of the most physical environment, and a lack of community development. To date, under-developed and visible destinations in the region for vacant parcels have blighted the area, but looking retail, entertainment, & culture. to the future, these same parcels present an However, challenges to growth have opportunity for large-scale and transformative redevelopment projects. Further, there is a nascent emerged due to economic conditions, community revitalization movement underway— particularly in areas where retail and young professionals and families have begun development have historically moving into the neighborhoods north of Delmar, improving the housing stock and reinvigorating the struggled. community. The Loop (from the Lions to Hodiamont), also Lastly, the Forest Park Station area, or District 3, referred to as District 1, is the anchor of The Loop presents another set of opportunities and Area and a vibrant center for shopping, dining, challenges. This area has developed with entertainment, and culture. Due to a distressed storefronts set back from the street and real estate market and local economy, however, surrounded by parking, which has limited its the strength of the retail in The Loop has faltered development as a walkable neighborhood in recent years. In 2006 retail rents were amenity. The large parcels surrounding Forest approximately $30 per square foot; by 2010 Park Station, however, present valuable they had dropped to about $21. Nevertheless, opportunities to introduce new development to the The Loop now has the opportunity to leverage area, which could attract additional residents, and strong and unique anchors, continued investment in support the retail demands of the dense infrastructure, and adjacency to a comparatively residential neighborhoods surrounding DeBaliviere wealthy residential consumer base to catalyze and the commuters that use Forest Park Station, new retail growth and real estate development. one of the highest trafficked stations in the system. The Loop East Delmar/ Forest Park Demographic Overview DeBaliviere Station West East Population 7,500 2,700 5,600 4,300 Households 3,600 1,300 2,500 2,500 Median HH Income $41,400 $29,700 $24,400 $40,300 Median Age 31 30 37 33 % with Bachelor's or Higher 65% 67% 26% 64% % that Rent 59% 60% 57% 66% DELMAR LOOP AREA RETAIL PLAN & DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2 POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH 1|Retail approximately 30,000 square feet of additional commercial office space. Unmet demand for retail in The Loop Area translates to total additional supportable retail It is anticipated that by 2018 the St. Louis region square footage of approximately 155,000. will add approximately 45,000 new jobs, many of them in the healthcare and professional services There is sufficient demand to support industries. Of this total, approximately 120 could approximately 30,000 square feet of general be attracted to The Loop Area. Using an industry and personal care merchandise, including a standard calculation of 250 square feet per office combination of local and national drug stores such worker, this translates to approximately 30,000 as Walgreen’s, local services, and other square feet of new office space convenience goods. The remaining demand for dry retail could support an additional 48,000 It is likely that office growth will manifest as small square feet in other categories such as apparel, tenants occupying space on the upper floors of electronics, hobbies, books, games, building existing and new mixed-use buildings in The Loop materials, and home furnishings. Area. It is possible that new, high-quality space might attract larger users, and that new There is also demand to support an additional developments could seek out larger tenants by 32,000 square feet of limited-service eating offering built-to-suit space in a new development. places, the equivalent of 8 to10 new venues. For full-service restaurants and drinking places, there 3|Residential is demand to support approximately 13,000 square feet of new vendors, which could bring Based on the success of a mixed-use residential between 2 and 4 new restaurants to the area. product in other parts of Saint Louis, there may be demand for a similar product that is competitively- Additionally, demand analysis of The Loop Area priced once economic conditions improve. shows support for a new grocery store of up to 32,000 square feet. This is the equivalent of one Based on residential real estate trends in the medium-sized grocery store, but could also be market, along with Loop Area demographic captured in the form of several smaller food trends, it is possible that a new mixed-use markets or specialized food purveyors. As a point apartment-style development in The Loop Area of reference, the Schnuck’s Culinaria on North 9th could capture regional demand for this type of Street in downtown St. Louis is 27,000 square feet. product. Young professionals would be attracted to the area by the easily accessible retail and 2|Office entertainment options. In addition, competitively- priced residential development projects that are Based on projections for employment growth in the oriented around transit infrastructure (mainly the St. Louis region between 2011 and 2018, it is two MetroLink stations) would attract those who expected that The Loop Area could support want convenient access to public transportation or are priced out of more expensive markets. DELMAR LOOP AREA RETAIL PLAN & DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 3 THE SELECTED SCENARIO District 1 District 2 Public Realm Improvements Retail Recruitment District 3 Infill Development Existing Buildings / Anchors Civic Center Neighborhood Development Institutional Development MetroLink / Gateway Assembly and Development Mixed-use Development Cultural Development Unknown Future The preferred scenario envisions The Loop Area as a thriving transit-oriented district with a vibrant retail and cultural arts corridor, a mixed-use neighborhood edge, and a smaller-scale transit-oriented node at Forest Park Station. This scenario provides the foundation for the specific recommendations of the retail plan and development strategy. In this scenario, The Loop Area is seen as three areas, each with a unique character and vision for the future. The preferred scenario establishes the development framework for each section, responding to the overall vision for The Loop Area and the guiding development principles of the planning team. DELMAR LOOP AREA RETAIL PLAN & DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 4 RECOMMENDATIONS District 1 | The Delmar Loop: West such as Blueberry Hill and Fitz’s by diversifying the existing mix to include a destination restaurant The recommendations for the West Loop are that will attract both regional residents looking for designed to strengthen the area as a premier a special meal out and professionals in search of a destination in the Saint Louis region for retail and high-quality lunch. Examples might include Franco entertainment.