Washington University Exploring Options to Add Up-To 7-Story Student Housing to The Delmar Loop
The Loop may be the most vibrant strip in St. Louis, but it does have its holes. Developer Joe Edwards continues to fill some of these with Pin-Up Bowl, the Pageant and the Moonrise Hotel all adding density and activity to the East Loop. But there are holes in The Loop west of Skinker Boulevard as well.
Many ideas are being kicked around for these sites, a two-story CVS Pharmacy, mixed retail and added parking, and more, but one idea at least has been put on the drawing board: Washington University student housing. Student Life, Washington University's independent newspaper ran a story this past week stating that the school sent students a questionnaire gauging student interest in living in The Loop.
Student housing as well as rehabbed apartments and converted condos have become increasingly popular north of Delmar. There doesn't seem to be any reason why students would not like to live directly on Delmar, closer to school and all that The Loop has to offer. The only impediment may be cost.
From the Student Life story: “We’ve purchased a significant number of buildings off campus,” McLeod (Dean James McLeod, the vice cancellor for students) said. “This is part of a larger effort to have excellent housing for students on or near campus. It’s not just north of Delmar; it’s also south of Delmar. We are looking at all areas where we have property already.”
This means that the school is looking at more locations than just the site on Delmar shown in the rendering above. Other locations include "North Campus," a large triangle-shaped area bounded by Skinker Boulevard to the west, MetroLink tracks to the east and the Pageant and other businesses fronting Delmar to the south.
More from Student Life: But community members should not be worried, McLeod said, as the University values the character of the communities surrounding the University, and has no current plans to buy up large amounts of property. The community is “a real asset” for the University, he said, making good neighbor status a top priority... There is no aggressive buying plan right now. That doesn’t rule out lots of different ways we could…trade buildings, we could purchase buildings.”
Evaluating student housing needs is a constant and ongoing endeavor for Washington University and this story contains no surprises, other than that the school may be closer to formally considering development options for its vacant lots in The Loop.
Gentrification: "... welcome by some and feared and loathed by others, and even dreaded and welcomed at the same time by the same people." Lance Freeman's pursuit of this duality makes the book strong-he's willing to admit that gentrification is both a pleasure and a problem, rather than setting up camp on one side.
I think WU has the power and vision to really add to the Delmar Loop. With about 10,000 students in the area, this could be a GREAT university setting. The street is already great, but things like a CVS and a better food market could be added if there were more density. I say bring it on.
By the way, the corner in the rendering is the NW corner of Delmar and Eastgate.
Are students really going to voluntarily live in a dangerous area? And pay $1K's to do it? Maybe they're not as smart as they think they are.
It would be really great, but WashU has made promises in Forest Park Southeast that have yet to ripen. I'm cautiously skeptical, but it would really spruce up the strip.
@ Stephen O., I think it's pretty likely students are willing to live in the area--I know many grad students, at least, who live between Delmar and Vernon already. I lived in WashU-owned housing on Enright for a couple of years just north of the rendering above.
StephenO-- Have you been asleep for the last 15 years? Hundreds of students ALREADY live in The Loop, and in all neighborhoods surrounding it. The Loop is a great urban neighborhood. Occasionally shit happens (as it does in any large city), but crime does not define the area. By all accounts, The Loop is a very successful urban neighborhood where people WANT to live.
gasm and ryan are right. Most of the loop area north of delmar and directly on delmar is already students living in WU owned buildings (many are internationals). WU already owns 40-50% of the buildings in this area. This plan will only increase cost of living for students who already pay criminally high tuition, but what does WashU care? They want a monopoly on housing.
They really should just renovate the property they already own if they want to improve housing options. The location in the rendering is commercial and should be used for more shops / restaurants. Who else is for replacing the church's chicken at the corner of skinker and delmar? It's prime location since the recent east loop developments.