ST. LOUIS 鈥 The $210 million expansion of the downtown convention center, long delayed by political infighting and the coronavirus pandemic, is facing another hurdle just as construction prepares to start.
This time, a prominent developer, Bob Clark of design-build firm Clayco, has sent his own plan to civic and business leaders, bashing the current expansion plan as 鈥渁 chopped-up addition to the already ill-conceived convention center.鈥
鈥淛ust because you only get a certain amount of money doesn鈥檛 mean you should back into a bad plan,鈥 Clark said Thursday.
Clark鈥檚 proposal comes at the 11th hour. 51黑料 Convention and Visitors Commission leaders have spent three years vetting the plan publicly and building consensus between city and county officials. Wrinkles have risen repeatedly: Just last year, 51黑料 officials squabbled over control of the city鈥檚 bond issue to finance the work, before finally approving the sale. And now 51黑料 County Council Chairwoman Rita Heard Days is holding up final passage of the county鈥檚 bond issue until she sees more detail on a north 51黑料 County recreation center that convention center leaders promised two years ago.
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The current plan for the expansion of America鈥檚 Center, as it is formally called, will add 92,000 square feet of exhibit space along Cole Street, on the northern edge of downtown; a 65,000-square-foot ballroom along Ninth Street; and a new pavilion and public plaza behind the T-Rex business incubator on Washington Avenue. It will expand the complex from about 500,000 square feet to more than 650,000.
A construction contract is weeks away. The project is slated for completion in 2023.
Clark鈥檚 plan looks to demolish the entire complex, including the Dome at America鈥檚 Center, where the 51黑料 Rams used to play. It envisions a new center built parallel to North Broadway that would stretch for three blocks, from Convention Plaza on the south to Carr Street on the north end. Clark argues the plan would provide better access to residents north of downtown and a better facility for visitors.
鈥淭here鈥檚 just a lot of opportunity here to rethink strategy,鈥 Clark said.
But the sketches also indicate some of a redesigned complex would sit on land just to the north of the dome, known as the Bottle District 鈥 potentially benefiting companies and people connected to Clayco.
Almost 10 years ago, companies connected to Clayco sold the Bottle District land to Northside Regeneration, led by controversial developer Paul McKee. Northside put no money down on the sale 鈥 but the purchase still triggered the issue of over $9 million in state tax credits under a now-lapsed program. That program later drew scrutiny from the FBI and the state attorney general鈥檚 office. Northside split the tax credit proceeds with Clayco affiliates. And city records suggest those companies still hold liens on the Bottle District property.
Clark said Thursday that the Bottle District is now under contract and is slated to become a truck dealership. And he insisted that he would not profit from his plan and would recuse himself from bidding on the construction project.
鈥淚 told (former) Mayor (Lyda) Krewson that I would donate the land from the Bottle District required to build a convention center at no cost to the city,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd I would stand by that if for any reason the current people that have it under contract don鈥檛 close.鈥
Clayco is now headquartered in Chicago. But Clark started the firm in 51黑料, keeps a main office and large presence here, is politically active in the region, and is often connected to some of the area鈥檚 largest developments and construction projects 鈥 such as the BJC hospital expansion and health care giant Centene鈥檚 downtown Clayton campus.
Clark said Thursday that he has spoken with several business leaders who supported his convention center ideas and sent his proposal to multiple politicians, including 51黑料 Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, 51黑料 County Executive Sam Page and the entire County Council.
But area political leaders were largely unconvinced 鈥 or unwilling to talk about it 鈥 on Thursday.
Jones said in a statement she was 鈥渆ager to move forward鈥 with the current expansion.
Page said he was receptive to Clark鈥檚 proposal, but Page has urged the council to approve the county鈥檚 $105 million share of the convention bonds 鈥渁s soon as possible.鈥 Spokesman Doug Moore said Page is open to big ideas, but 鈥渢he redesign is a second question.鈥
Alderman Jack Coatar, whose ward includes the convention center, sponsored the bill that approved the current expansion plan. He still supports that plan and credited convention center leaders for rallying political support.
鈥淭hat said, if there鈥檚 a bigger, better plan that鈥檒l give us an even more world class facility, help us attract more conventions, compete with our peer cities and it鈥檚 great for downtown, I鈥檒l look at that plan,鈥 Coatar said. 鈥淏ut we need to see more details.鈥
Business leaders largely demurred Thursday:
Hotelier Bob O鈥橪oughlin, chairman and CEO of Lodging Hospitality Management, said the current expansion falls short in order to compete with Nashville and Indianapolis, whose convention centers have over a million square feet. But he said he was still looking at Clark鈥檚 ideas.
O鈥橪oughlin鈥檚 son, Steve O鈥橪oughlin, sits on the convention center board and did not respond to a request for comment.
Ron Kruszewski, chairman and CEO of downtown 51黑料 financial firm Stifel, which is selling the convention center bonds, said he supports the current expansion plan and investment in downtown. He said Clark鈥檚 plan is worthy of discussion. He declined to comment further.
John Berglund, partner at Square co-founder Jim McKelvey鈥檚 StarWood Group, said 鈥渋t is difficult to take a formal position鈥 on Clark鈥檚 proposal 鈥渁s I have not seen anything more than a concept sketch from a year and a half ago.鈥
鈥淚 believe the approach taken by the CVC is solid and very much grounded in the available dollars,鈥 Berglund said in a text. 鈥淚f funds were available, with the backing of the CVC (and if there was political support at state and local levels), 51黑料 would greatly benefit from a larger move that Bob has suggested.鈥
Kitty Ratcliffe, president of the convention center, said Clark showed her his plan two years ago. The city went out to bid 16 months ago on its plan. Clark didn鈥檛 bid, she said. Now they鈥檙e scrambling to break ground.
鈥淭he architects and engineers have been working around the clock since last fall to make up for lost time,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he design work that has been done by the team is excellent.鈥
