$7M Midtown Project Adding Apartments, 3 Restaurants Nears Opening
Date Posted: September 3, 2024
Posted In: News, Projects,
From St. Louis Business Journal: Midtown developer Jassen Johnson is wrapping a $7 million project that adds 45 apartments and several restaurants to the neighborhood.
Construction on the project, called Oakland, is in its final stages, with residents expected to begin moving into the apartments in October. The development has involved renovating the 42,000-square-foot building at 2801 Locust St.
The project, in addition to the apartments, features a 4,060-square-foot, ground-floor space that will be the new home for nonprofit community art organization and gallery Art Saint Louis and its Catalyst Coffee Bar, with the organization relocating from the Park Pacific building in Downtown West. Retail space on the ground floor also will include three restaurants: ST.L Slice Bar, Los Tres and The Sweet Creamery.
Johnson, through BHDTS Development LLC, acquired 2801 Locust in late 2023 for $2.75 million. The property previously housed the NEO on Locust event space and Midtown Church, which has secured a new space at 3035 Washington Ave. The building’s large size provided a chance to bring residential density to that portion of the Midtown Alley, the district where Johnson over the past two decades has rehabbed dozens of buildings along a mile-long corridor centered around Locust Street.
“When we wanted to bring density, we really brought density because we’re really packing it full with pretty small apartments in order to get as much residential as we can, and we’re packing it with all these restaurants,” Johnson said.