Almost 250 years ago Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau founded the city of St Louis several miles below the confluence. On the west bank of the Mississippi on a bluff they found a place safe from flooding on which they decided to build. On February 14, 1764 Chouteau, who was only 14 years old, led a crew of men and as legend has it began to build the village on the grounds where the Arch now stands.

Building out of the flood plain, turns out to be a pretty good idea. And now 250 years later St Louis residents have the opportunity to live along the mighty Mississippi again, far above the threats of the water.

Mississippi Bluffs has been a long time coming, but it is here. I went out this morning to take some pictures. In light of the recent flooding I thought it would be a good idea to highlight what a 14 year old boy knew instinctively.

Below is a site plan. The Mississippi is at the top and Broadway is at the bottom. There will be 4 buildings. Two buildings will have 8 units, two will have nine. There will be 3 different floor plans, each with three balconies from which to view the Mississippi.

The site plan includes a 6-acre park and pool area complete with scenic overlook and fire pit.

I hung out awhile to enjoy the scenery and watch the river. I also took a few shots of the construction. The first building is up and has a total of 8 units. Three are already three under contract. I was standing in the 6-acre park when I took this photo.

Here’s another from a different angle. This is the eastern elevation. I was standing on an old platform that was used for a cannon. The steps are new and the old platform will be another over look/common space for residents.

View of the Mississippi from the cannon over look.

There are a total of 34 units. There are 16 A-units (1870 interior sq. ft), 10 B-units (2187 interior sq. ft.) and 8 C-units(2396 interior sq. ft). Both B & C have the option of adding a private elevator. For the first building A units are being offered at $429K with prices going up to $459K for the second building. B units are $499K increasing to $529K and C-units are currently $599K with an increase to $609K for the next phase. The display should be open by end of April, beginning of May but feel free to go out on weekends to visit the site in the meantime. Or call our office or me directly for more details.

Check out my new listing at 1412 Hebert. It is gorgeous. This is the view from the front door into the living room and through to the dining room. My favorite part about this room, next to the great natural light and the gleaming hardwood floors are the built-in bookshelves. This is just one of the thoughtful treatments done during the renovation of this home.

This photo looks into the dining room from the kitchen. The stairs featured lead to the second floor. The open floor plan is ideal for entertaining.

This kitchen is one of the smartest layouts I have seen. Notice the opening between the dining room and kitchen and how neatly the dishwasher fits there. Also notice that the space doesn’t feel cramped or dark. It is the cut out in the doorway that doubles as extra counter space that makes this arrangement possible. It doesn’t seem like anything special until you realize that most homes would have either lost the space for the dishwasher or closed in the opening, losing the view and the light. The cabinets in this kitchen are solid wood, hand-made and over sized, meaning that they utilize all the storage space offered with these high ceilings. The counter-top is stile stone meaning that you can actually use it and there is under cabinet lighting as well as upgrade stainless appliances. I could go on about the kitchen, but there are some other unique features about this home that deserve a quick highlight.

The second floor deck complete with ceiling fan and view of the arch may very well be my favorite part of the home.

But the extra deep with yard with artisan fence is a close second.

SOOOOOOO much has been going on in ONSL just in the last 12 months. It is refreshing to see what a group of dedicated citizens and a well run community-based non-profit organization can do in the way of revitalization. Progress is being made on so many levels. The 14th Street Mall, is in the midst of its 30+million dollar redevelopment. And on a smaller scale there are many single building rehabs already finished or in the process of complete renovation/restoration.

1412 Hebert, in my very humble opinion, is going to sell fast. I am not saying that there are not thoughtful and thorough renovations done in other parts of the city. But you’d be hard pressed to find this kind of attention detail 200K. 1412 Hebert sits on one of the best blocks in ONSL where the homes are stately and owner occupied. It is walkable to the 14th Street Mall and not to far from the New Roots Urban Farm