A proposal to build an 11-story building at the southwest corner of King Avenue and North High Street will be presented to the University Impact District Review Board (UIDRB) next week.
The mixed-use building would contain 289 apartment units, about 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail space and a parking garage with room for 278 cars. Three of the five buildings that currently occupy the site would be partially preserved, according to documents submitted to the city.
Of the 289 apartments, 150 of the units would be small studios, ranging in size from 351 to 418 square feet.
The latest proposal for the corner, from St. Louis developer Collegiate Development Group (CDG), represents a reduction in height from an initial concept that was presented to the zoning committee of the University Area Commission in April.
Representatives of CDG argued at the time that the height of the proposed building was necessary to make the economics of the project work, given the desire of the community to preserve some of the buildings on the site.
Clocking in at 120 feet tall, though, the latest proposal would still require a significant height variance. Zoning changes enacted by the city in 2017 – with input from the area commission and other neighborhood stakeholders – established a height limit of 72 feet for this section of North High Street.
CDG discussed the project a second time with the zoning committee in June, but it has not been brought before the full area commission.
The UIDRB will review the project conceptually – meaning no vote with be taken – at its meeting on July 25. A certificate of appropriateness from the board is required in order for the project to move forward.