~The Mercantile Exchange District gets all charged up~
A new e-car charging station comes to downtown St. Louis
If you are among the growing number of St. Louisans who owns an electronic car, or if you’re thinking about purchasing an e-car but worry about the availability factor of charging such a device, worry no more.
Developer and president of Spinnaker St. Louis, Amos Harris, has installed the area’s first e-car charging station. Located in the heart of the Mercantile Exchange district, at the corner of Seventh and Lucas and adjacent to the Laurel Apartments (also owned by Harris), the station will be open to the public and offer 24/7 driver support.
Amos Harris, president of Spinnaker St. Louis and the Mercantile Exchange district developer
The Laurel will not profit from the new fixture, but Harris points out that it is a valuable amenity for area residents.
Known as the Coulomb ChargePoint Network EV, was installed by Microgrid Energy at a cost of $14,000. This cost included a 30 percent federal tax credit.
Mercantile Exchange will also be the new home to a Nissan LEAF Vehicle, provided by St. Louis-based WeCar, a green arm of Enterprise Holdings. The Nissan LEAF will rent for $8 an hour, has a charge life of 80 to 100 miles and will cost $3 to fully charge.
The Nissan LEAF
According to a statement, Harris contends that, “Every major auto manufacturer is preparing to offer an [e-car]… So building an infrastructure to support environmentally friendly vehicles is critical.”
The Mercantile Exchange development is a $250 million plan that includes luxury apartments at the Laurel, a 23,000 square foot National Blues Museum, a $3 million movie theater and will be the home of future tenants, Robust Wine Bar and Pi Pizzeria.
~Saint Louis University Law School makes a move~
The St. Louis University School of Law is the latest in a list of St. Louis-based entities that are choosing to grace the downtown landscape.
The school will move from its current campus, located on Grand Avenue, to the 11-story building formerly occupied by AT&T. It is ideally situated next to the Civil Courts Building, across the street from St. Louis City Hall and within walking distance to the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse.
The former AT&T building is the future home of the SLU Law School.
The high rise was donated by Joe and Loretta Scott. Joe Scott is the owner and founder of Scott Properties, whose portfolio includes over 2 million square feet of medical, office warehouse and retail space.
According to Annette Clark, Dean of SLU Law School, the off-campus model follows a trend among such prestigious law schools as Georgetown University, Loyola Marymount and Boston College.
“What is so exciting about our new building is that the interior is essentially a blank canvas,” Clark said in an announcement to students. “This will allow us to develop the flexible, multipurpose, technology-centric spaces we need right now to support how legal education is delivered today.”
The target completion date is August 2012, in time for the start of the 2012-2013 academic school year.
The building will be named the Joe and Loretta Scott Law Center. It will house an auditorium and an enclosed parking structure.
~A new Siteman Cancer Center comes to South County~
Construction has begun on the new Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center. The $27.5 million project is a joint venture between Washington University School of Medicine and BJC Healthcare and is located on the southeast corner of Butler Hill Road and I-55 in South County.
A rendering of the newest Siteman Center in St. Louis County.
The 36,674 square foot facility will offer outpatient care and will provide chemotherapy and radiation services along with clinical trials. The one-story, brick veneer structure will contain a covered patient drop-off bay and the property will offer 166 parking spaces.
Construction is anticipated to be complete by early 2013.
Last year, BJC’s reported revenue was $3.6 billion with operating earnings of $200 million.
Photos courtesy of Google Images