One of our 2018 favorite development proposals was the announcement of thirteen townhomes at 215-221 N. Sarah right at W. Pine in the Central West End Neighborhood just a block south of Lindell Boulevard.
The project is called Artizen Residences and will bring some uniquely designed luxury townhomes.
This one made the list first and foremost that no demolition of original homes is required. The development will take place on vacant lots and a ramshackle surface parking lot complete with chain link fence lining the alley, highly visible warts along N. Sarah.
The view from N. Sarah for pedestrians and commuters will be a massive improvement over the hideous wood fence that has long littered this stretch of a most urban city street.
N. Sarah is pretty well-traveled north/south street for us personally, we have a couple kids at a High School near here. Driving up Sarah from Forest Park Avenue is a joy. It has seen massive investment, blending in extremely well with the older buildings.
The New Market Hardware Store is a city gem, anchoring a corner in old-school coolness. The almost completed, handsomely designed and executed 4101 Laclede has sold 44 residences and only 10 remain. The retail space on N. Sarah will be beautiful. The West Pine Lofts are massive and bring hundreds of residents. 6 North Sarah is another gorgeous example of mixed use new urban construction. I covered and photographed all of the above mentioned in a post from February, 2018. Check it out.
Here are a few shots taken at publishing to show how far N. Sarah has come between Forest Park Avenue and Lindell Boulevard. Even the mid-Century mod building at N. Sarah/Lindell was renovated into a bank and apartments above.
Not only will N. Sarah benefit from this project, so will W. Pine, a gorgeous, tree-lined street that exemplifies Central West End living.
Homes along the 4100 Block of W. Pine
Unfortunately, W. Pine is closed so there is an unnecessary cul-de-sac, although one with a serene little seating area, complete with benches and a sculpture.
So what is the project going to look like? Well, there is a sign advertising the finished product, along the N. Sarah sidewalk.
And, they have a website with a couple renderings that look fantastic:
Some other things we love: the color of the brick and exterior finish is bold.
Now, I wouldn’t be maintaining this website for over ten years if I didn’t have an unabashed love for St. Louis red brick, but when it comes to new construction, it is variety that appeals to me. This and the blonde brick and glass of 4101 Laclede just down the street bring that variety and diversity I like, and the urban setbacks are respectable from the street and sidewalks.
Then, the rooftop living space! Oh man, this is one of the things I love about Chicago, how people utilize their flat-roof buildings for additional living space, a bike ride on the 606 will prove the point. This reminds me of the 606 rooftops, only maybe even nicer.
Build up not out!
These luxury townhomes are billed as a first for St. Louis:
“Unlike anything St. Louis has to offer. A collection of 13 artistic urban homes. A fusion of art, architecture and design. 3-stories, 4-levels, completely customized to, by and for you. Expansive outdoor terraces, rooftops and manicured green spaces.”
This project will be yet another boon for N. Sarah, moving the Central West End one more step toward being fully realized and densely populated with people and buildings. You know, a functioning city neighborhood.
I first learned of this project by reading a NextSTL article from May, 2018.
“The $6.95 million project will include units with individual two- and three-car garages accessed from the alley. Homes will range from 1,900 to 2,800 square feet and will be priced from the high $500s to over $900,000. Trivers Associates is the architect.
The project has requested a variance to allow it to have residential instead of commercial facing Sarah. The property is zoned Neighborhood Center Type I according to the neighborhood’s form-based code. No tax abatement is being requested.”
It will be a joy to watch this wood fence come down, the surface parking lot asphalt removed and some beautiful living spaces rising on this most awesome St. Louis street.
