The second phase of Ballpark Village got underway Thursday, and, at the heart of it all, will be a luxury apartment building. The St. Louis Cardinals and development partner, the Cordish Companies, are betting that people will pay top dollar to live at One Cardinal Way, at the corner of Clark Avenue and South Broadway.
A nearby office tower will be the first Class A office building constructed in downtown St. Louis since Metropolitan Square opened in 1989. At the groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III announced that PriceWaterhouseCoopers will be the lead tenant.
“The first new office building in Downtown St. Louis in 30 years. Thirty years is a long time,” said St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson after the event. “I think it will help us keep companies downtown who want that brand-new, spanking-new office space and I think it’ll be a real plus for us.”
A three-story, retail pavilion is also part of phase two. Onelife Fitness will occupy the anchor tenant position in that building.
The St. Louis Cardinals and the Cordish Companies expect the $260 million project to begin opening in 2019, with the office tower, and to be complete by 2020.
“It’s an incredible honor to partner with the Cardinals and the City of St. Louis on such an important development that not only has a great impact on world-class fans, but can be a catalyst and will be a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown,” said Cordish Companies Vice President Blake Cordish.
Ballpark Village Phase 2: At a glance
- 700,000-square-foot mixed use district
- 117,000-square-foot office space
- 29-story luxury apartment building
- 216-room convention hotel: Live By Loews
- 74,000-square-foot retail and entertainment space
With the two phases combined, DeWitt said Ballpark Village represents a total investment in new construction of more than $750 million since 2005. He said the second phase is more than seven times the scale of the first, which opened in 2014. Phase two is expected to provide 1,500 construction jobs and 1,000 permanent jobs, DeWitt said.
Officials remarked repeatedly that Ballpark Village will play a role in revitalizing downtown. Krewson stressed that an upscale urban lifestyle is increasingly attractive to residents. DeWitt said having more people Downtown, coupled with Ballpark Village security, will improve safety.
“A lot of what we’re doing is creating foot traffic and activity and all the things that people associate with safety in a big city,” he said. “I think when things get quiet and abandoned that’s when things can get dangerous.”
People who want that One Cardinal Way address can get in on the ground floor: Models are available to view online, and reservations are underway.
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