ArtHouse and the Grand Center Inn
January 12, 2010Visiting the Rabbit in Strauss Park yesterday reminded me of a couple other projects in Grand Center that I was curious about. The first was ArtHouse.
Art House Site
I first saw this advertised on Washington at least a year and a half ago (news broke over 2 years ago judging from this post on Ecology of Absence) and still haven’t seen any work done on the actual site.
From ArtHouseStl.com
This map makes the area look pretty busy (Grand Center does have a lot to offer but the map still seems misleading), but I noticed two of the dots right next to ArtHouse (9 and 25) are listed on the key as “Planned/Proposed” – fairly exciting. Green dot number 9 is listed as “Grand Center Performance Park (proposed/planned)” but I found no other credible references to this project. It’ll be interesting to see if it ever materializes and I really hope it does. The spot at Grandell Square and Spring could really use something.
Future site of a Performance Park?
Green Dot number 25 on the ArtHouse map is a spot that I have already seen put to good use in The Light Project. It is the shell of the Church of God in Christ and is listed on the map key as “Spring Church and Garden (planned).” This project is also referenced as “benefit[ing] from the Grand Center, Inc. Revolving Loan Fund” on Grand Center’s Website (under “Neighborhood Assistance Program”) where it is refered to as the “Church of God In Christ/Urban Garden.” Last time I got a good photo here it looked like it was very much a part of the “Urban Garden” that makes up far too much of St. Louis City.
Urban Garden
Although I haven’t noticed any work on either of these two parks, a very exciting new addition has made it to this corner. The Grand Center Inn, located in the renovated Meriwether Mansion, has finally opened beating out several other planned hotels in the area (Metropolitan building before Pyramid folded, Old Missouri Theater Building, Grand and Lindell, New SLU Hotel, etc). Despite the fact that the building appears to have no sign identifying it, it has earned a couple of positive reviews and has a pretty good looking website.
Grand Center Inn
Grandell Square is a great street and I am thrilled to see progress made and hear about possibilities that lie ahead. The Sun Theater just up the street would be incredible to see renovated but it a treasure even in its current condition and sports some impressive ghost signs.
Eastern Facing Ghost Signs on the Sun
On Grand at Grandell Square is the Grand Public Art Plaza, a cool project which has had a couple of set-ups. The current one is pretty cool with propellers and mirrors.
Grand Center Public Art
Grand Center is a very cool place and its Northern end around Grandell Square is really starting to look good. I’m excited to see more progress.
From an UrbanSTL Forum:
[...] Hotel projects that never made it much farther than the planning stage (except for the very small Grand Center Inn). Midtown is a pretty major destination in St. Louis with assets such as SLU, The Fox, Powell [...]