SLDC Seeks Small Arms Plant Proposals
Date Posted: October 12, 2023
Posted In: Projects,
The St. Louis Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority under the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) of is seeking proposals to redevelop the St. Louis Ordnance Plant and St. Louis Army Ammunition Plant, locally known as the “Small Arms Plant” at 4800 Goodfellow. The site overlooks I-70.
LCRA has determined that a retail-anchored development is most suitable for the property. Due to previous environmental issues the site is considered unsuitable for residential development.
The plant was maintained as a standby facility with only minor modifications after the war, but reactivated for production runs during the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. All but the projectile-manufacturing complex was sold as surplus property in the mid-1960s, reducing the complex to approximately a dozen buildings across 20 acres.
All equipment related to the artillery shell production facility was removed in 1989, and the site was completely vacant by 1998 and declared excess property by the US Army in 1999.
Multiple efforts have been made by the Army and various local and state agencies to complete the environmental remediation of the property to make it suitable for development. The Army completed several phases of remediation between 2000 and 2004, removing several remaining structures in the process. The EDA awarded SLDC a grant to facilitate additional abatement in 2002, and the property was entered into the Missouri Brownfields Cleanup program in 2006. Additional asbestos removal was completed and the final structures were demolished by early 2007, with final nonresidential environmental remediation completed in 2011.
Retail-Anchored Multiple-Use Development
The RFP States, “Given the Property’s visibility, size, and accessibility from across the region, a retail-anchored multiple-use development is most appropriate. More specifically, the site would be suitable for a big box retail store with additional complementary uses.” The RFP cites the lack of retail options in North St. Louis City.
The RFP suggests that the size of the site lends itself to multiple development configurations, including a big-box anchored retail center with multiple inline stores, or a large standalone home improvement store, possibly complemented by a second light industrial user. The site is zoned “H”-Area Commercial District.