Developer hopes to bring urbanites Downtown
Photo by Eric Keith / St. Joseph News-Press
James Phelps carries off one of the old windows recently replaced at the former Mead building. A flurry of workers are installing drywall, windows, electrical plumbing and everything that the market-rate apartments will need when the first apartments are opened to the public in about two months.
Only about six weeks remain before the former MeadWestvaco factory begins its new life as the Mitchell Park Plaza.
The factory that formerly produced the Big Chief paper tablet shut down in late 2004. Developer Steve Foutch is close to completing the first of 258 loft apartments in the building, which he hopes also will include restaurants, a coffee shop and banquet hall.
Mr. Foutch’s other notable St. Joseph project, Lofts@415, at Third and Jules streets Downtown, remains St. Joseph’s only large-scale, market-rate Downtown apartments.
“They thought it was too high-priced and no one would live Downtown,” Mr. Foutch said, “and it’s full.”
Mr. Foutch is confident that the one-of-a-kind product and amenities will again attract new urbanites to an area that many people would write off.
“We haven’t seen anything in this area that you won’t see in the rest of town,” Mr. Foutch said.
Rents will vary from $700-a-month one-bedroom lofts to $1,200 corporate-stay units. The building will include 111 one-bedroom, 111 two-bedroom and 36 three-bedroom apartments, many of which will have some original exposed concrete floors, pillars and brick.
The rents might seem steep for St. Joseph at first glance, but Mr. Foutch said they’re very competitive once people factor out the $200-plus monthly value of free services.
All units will include free cable, high-speed Internet and wireless Internet; free access to the recreation center, indoor track and swimming pool; underground parking; a rooftop deck; and free washers and dryers. The building also will have concierge service, and Mr. Foutch said residents can use free grocery delivery from Hy-Vee.
“It’s just one of those amenities we’re trying to give people,” Mr. Foutch said. “We’re going to have 700 people living here. That’s a small town right there.”
About 90 apartments could be complete by the end of August or September, Mr. Foutch said. People interested in signing up on a waiting list should send an e-mail to nancy@bionicllc.com.
The Mitchell Park Plaza, at 11th Street and Mitchell Avenue, is near the Pony Express and Patee House museums. Mr. Foutch had originally considered naming the building in honor of the old paper factory, but he said Mead wouldn’t allow it. He said the new name better reflects the neighborhood and the large multi-use feel of the building.
Joe Blumberg can be reached at joeblumberg@npgco.com.
- More Headlines
- Recently Discussed
Content © 2008, NPG Newspapers Inc, St. Joseph News-Press
Services: Privacy Policy / Subscribe / Forms / Contacts / Feedback / Contacts / Profiles / Careers / Newsstands
Affiliates: St. Joe Live / St. Joe Now / NIE / Atchison Daily Globe / Hiawatha Daily World / Green Acres
V I S I O N............ a much needed commodity here. does anyone even know what a concierge is? hahahahahahaha. just kidding!!!!!!
Posted by dalearch on July 12, 2008 at 8:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)Steve Foutch certainly has bigger kahonas than me. I sure wouldn’t invest that kind of money in that part of town. You have to hand it to him though…it appears to be working downtown.
Posted by RJW on July 12, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)Fantastic. A developer with a vision, and it's paying off!! Downtown St. Jospeh is the epitome of a "diamond in the rough". A riverfront with loads of historic buildings in need of rehab that can be bought on the cheap? A business no brainer.
In ten years, Mr. Foutch could be descibed as "the man that saw what no one else did".
Posted by apmastrangelo on July 12, 2008 at 10:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)For all the naysayers about the inability of downtown Saint Joseph, to become viable, you are seeing yet another example of why you are wrong. This entire area will soon flourish in ways never expected and I anticipate there will be many a sad face from those that watched the train leave the station.
Posted by ajm on July 12, 2008 at 7:01 p.m.As with everything in life there are those that do nothing but tell you why something can not happen and those that will make things happen. The differences are profound as are the results along the way.
Congratulations Mr. Foutch.
This comment was removed by the site staff.
Posted by wildwest on July 13, 2008 at 4:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)The Meade project has become an excellent one for re-birth of what can be done with these structures. I commend Mr. Fouch for all the efforts with this, and in time when the entire project is completed, I will love to see all those units filled up to capacity. This is what progression foward is all about.
Posted by jlpatel on July 14, 2008 at 11:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)We just moved to north Kansas City in January, but I work in St. Joe. I wish I would have know about something like this or this new loft space would have been available when we were looking. We love Kansas City, but with rising gas prices we are looking into moving to St. Joe when are lease is up. I'm glad someone is bringing some new apartments to the area.
Posted by wickedtruth on July 14, 2008 at 11:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)jlpatel-you better get your name on the waiting list! It sounds to be pretty awesome.
Posted by Mr_America on July 14, 2008 at 2:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)Downtown has alot of potnetial. It has improved since I moved downtown 3 years ago. You really can get more for your money. I hope it keeps moving in the right direction.
Posted by gladimgone on July 14, 2008 at 2:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)Color me cynical, but so many attempts to revitalize downtown have gone ka-boom. I am hopeful for a change (that is NOT meant in a presidential candidate kind of way!). All that is needed is one super-successful project to take off and then a Renaissance can truly begin take shape. Good luck and thank you, Mr. Fouch.
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them.
Rules: We don't allow comments that degrade others on the basis of gender, race, class, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability. Epithets, abusive language and obscene comments will not be tolerated... nor will defamation.Robust, even heated debate we like. Straying off-topic or flaming, we don't. Please read our user agreement.
Requires free stjoenews.net registration.