8801-8843 Ladue Road, Ladue/Clayton, MO 63124/63105
Site: 4.04 acres
Building: 65,869 SF
Completed: November 2013
Client: The DESCO Group
Contractor: Atlas Building Group
Structural Engineer: Al-Iman Group
Originally built in 1960 as Lammert Center. The neglected building suffered from significant deterioration and was ultimately purchased by The DESCO Group in September 2011. We assisted them with the planning and design of the renovation over the next year.
The development was considered blighted and therefore eligible for financial assistance as a Community Improvement District (CID). The CID funds helped to improve access to Colonial Marketplace from Ladue Avenue, expand the parking lot, create a new service road linking Colonial Marketplace to the supermarket-anchored Ladue Crossing and link the development to a local bike path.
This center is unique in that it is actually located in two of St. Louis County’s wealthiest municipalities, Ladue and Clayton. The dual Ladue-Clayton jurisdictions created challenges in maintaining a unified look while satisfying both city’s design requirements.
The colonial aesthetic brought balance to the elevation of the retail structure and was a significant factor in attracting upscale retailers. Key architectural enhancements incorporated:
The freestanding single tenant building was also renovated with a design that was intended to create a visual connection between The DESCO Group’s adjacent retail center Ladue Crossing and Colonial Marketplace. The aesthetics between the two centers are somewhat similar and some of the elements on the freestanding building were embellished to help in making that visual connection.
