TOWN AND COUNTRY 鈥 A major homebuilder has submitted a new proposal to redevelop an old shopping plaza here after officials rejected a prior plan over concerns the density would spoil the suburb鈥檚 country character.
McBride Homes is proposing to build 14 condominium buildings and a multi-unit commercial building with a patio, situated around about 6 acres of greenspace. The development would replace the near-vacant Woods Mill Center, a 11.6-acre dilapidated strip mall southwest of Interstate 64 and Highway 141.
The new proposal comes months after McBride abandoned a plan to turn Woods Mill into a subdivision of 68-single family homes, anchored by a restaurant and public green space. The new neighborhood would have been the highest density residential development in the affluent west St. Louis County suburb of about 11,500 people, known for its mansions built on lots of 1 acre or more.
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The plan needed a supermajority of 6 out of 8 aldermen voting in favor of the project for it to pass. After the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-3 to recommend aldermen reject the proposal because of its density. McBride pulled the plan in July.
The new proposal calls for 14 condominiums, each four stories tall and comprised of eight three-bedroom residential units, and a 12,000-square-foot building for businesses, with a patio overlooking an artificial lake.
McBride Homes spokeswoman Erin Hardebeck declined comment.
The Town and Country Planning and Zoning Commission is expected to review the plan Wednesday.
The city has long sought to redevelop the shopping plaza, which was built in 1977 and accounts for just 1% of the suburb鈥檚 total retail sales. Past proposals to redevelop the site failed amid opposition from residents and city officials concerned about density, traffic and changes to the suburb鈥檚 country aesthetic.
McBride is under contract to purchase the strip mall from Gershman Commercial Real Estate.