Major New Housing-Retail-Commercial Development

Groundbreaking was held May 10, 2006 for a major new housing, retail, and commercial development in Bellefointain Neighbors. The story is on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website and is reprinted below.

Ground is broken for new housing

By Norm Parish
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Wednesday, May. 10 2006

BELLEFONTAINE NEIGHBORS

In the next five years, Bellefontaine Neighbors is expected to have its biggest
housing development in more than two decades: 250 houses, plus retail and
commercial projects.

Last week, Kaplan Development and T.R. Hughes ceremonially broke ground on the
first phase of the Landings at Lewis and Clark, which will be at a 192-acre
area south of Interstate 270 and west of Highway 367. The development site is
now mostly vacant or wooded.

The project will include not only houses but perhaps a hotel, a restaurant and
a medical building, said Mayor Marty Rudloff. The commercial and retail portion
of the project includes a 20-year tax abatement, he added.

"We are very excited to see this come to Bellefontaine Neighbors," Rudloff
said. "We have been a little stagnant."

Collande Meadows, a subdivision of about 25 houses near Chambers and Lochiel
roads, is the last housing development built in this community of about 11,000
people.

Now, officials such as Alderman Shirley Paro believe the development will spark
other projects.

"This will really be a big plus for Bellefontaine Neighbors," Paro said.

Rudloff said several firms were interested in the site.

The area is in demand because it is close to parks, shopping centers and
highways, said Mike Egelhoff, vice president of T.R. Hughes.

"It also is only 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis," Egelhoff said. "We think
this is going to be a great area for development."

The development's first phase will include 35 houses with three or four
bedrooms that will range from 1,200 square feet to 1,750 square feet, Egelhoff
said.

Prices for the ranch-style and two-story houses will range from $160,000 to
$200,000. After the first phase is completed, in August, other houses will be
built. Those houses will be about same size, Egelhoff said.

Both the housing and the retail and commercial portions of the project should
be completed in five years, Egelhoff said.

nparish@post-dispatch.com
314-372-8505