Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) refers to the investment that takes place at and around transit infrastructure. TOD is often a catalyst for economic growth – improving access to jobs, housing and amenities, and helping promote active lifestyles and a reduced dependence on automobiles.
Downtown Clayton is a popular regional destination that serves as a centrally located hub for businesses, a wide variety of restaurants and boutique shops. The City of Clayton wants visitors and residents to enjoy all the city has to offer at all times of the day so there is a renewed emphasis on residential projects in the city limits. New developments are being built near the Clayton MetroLink Station which is located at Forest Park Parkway between South Central Avenue and South Meramec Avenue.
Two Twelve Clayton was completed in July of 2017, just a block north of the Clayton MetroLink Station.
The Two Twelve Clayton includes 26 stories with ground floor retail and 250 luxury apartments. Apartments include one, two, and three-bedroom options, ranging in size from 592 to 1,366 square feet and in price from $1,706 to $4,415. The building also includes a rooftop amenity level that features a pool deck, lounge, chef’s kitchen, recreation room and fitness center. The project will bring more people within convenient walking distance of the Clayton MetroLink Station, making transit an attractive option for residents. It is the largest multi-family building to be constructed in Clayton in the last 30 years and the first building in Clayton to receive a Green Globes Certification.
Another notable development that is in the planning stages for downtown Clayton is the redevelopment of the former Clayton Police Headquarters at 227 South Central Avenue, adjacent to the parking garage by the Clayton MetroLink Station.
Montana-based developer HomeBase Partners, is partnering with local developer Keeley Companies, plans to develop the property with a 12 story hotel with 218 rooms, a rooftop bar and a ground-floor restaurant open to the public. The project will allow visitors to downtown Clayton to travel from the airport to their hotel, as well as reach destinations in downtown St. Louis and throughout the area, using MetroLink, removing the hassle of renting a car or catching a cab.
The project will also add to the walkability of Clayton by providing a more attractive environment for pedestrians and transit riders as they walk up Central Avenue to destinations throughout downtown Clayton. Additionally, it is proposed that up to 100 of the city’s parking spaces in the adjacent garage will be subleased to the company, cutting down on the developer’s costs and removing the need for additional parking.
The City of Clayton recognized the value of encouraging good TOD projects, and implemented a TOD Overlay Code for both the Forsyth and the Clayton MetroLink Stations. The TOD Overlay Code is an optional zoning code that encourages denser, mixed-use developments through mechanisms like no maximum building height, no minimum parking requirements, requiring linkage to the MetroLink Station, and streetscape and greenspace improvements. The Two Twelve Clayton project utilized this overlay code to allow for less parking and the 26-story height. The hotel proposed at the former Clayton Police Headquarters also plans to use the TOD Overlay Code to incorporate TOD elements into the project.
Project Details:
- Two Twelve Clayton
- Start Date: Early 2016
- Completion Date: July 2017
- Project cost: $75 million
- 250 unit, 26-story apartment building with 394,566 sf of space,
- Including a pool deck, lounge, chef’s kitchen, recreational room and fitness center
- 9,046 sf of ground floor retail
- 5 levels of parking with 215 spaces
- Project Partners: CA Ventures, White Oak Realty Partners, National Real Estate Advisors, and McHugh Construction
- AC Hotel by Marriot
- Start Date: TBD
- Completion Date: TBD
- Project Cost: $45 million
- 12-story hotel building with 218 rooms
- A rooftop bar and a ground floor restaurant open to the public
- 100 existing parking spots leased in the adjacent city parking garage
- Project Partners: HomeBase Partners and Keeley Companies