Brick City Makes to Add Production Space in St. Louis

By Adina Marcut

2528 Texas Ave. in south St. Louis

St. Louis—Two private, non-profit organizations, DeSales Community Development and St. Louis Makes, have teamed up to transform a historic industrial building into a center for growing manufacturers. Plans for Brick City Makes: The Hub for Growing Manufacturers include renovating a six-level, 87,000-square-foot, 105-year-old manufacturing building located at 2528 Texas Ave. in south St. Louis, creating production space for small to mid-sized manufacturers. Brick City Makes will also offer business development support services and a collaborative environment to help these companies thrive. Unlike other similar business development entities, the $11 million Brick City Makes will be privately owned.

“Brick City Makes will create a one-of-a-kind concept: two acres, under roof, in the city, completely dedicated to helping manufacturers succeed…this is a private-sector solution for growing the region’s economy. We will serve manufacturers that need affordable space that can grow with them”, St. Louis Makes Executive Director Marc Bowers said in a statement.

Renovations for the new building will include a new, automatic 5,000-pound-capacity freight elevator, updated electrical and mechanical systems, two dock-high overhead doors, dock upgrades enabling service for 53-foot truck trailers, 24-hour secure access, a parking lot for tenants and visitors, and the addition of a community room available to tenants for meetings and events.

The proposed plan creates up to 37 rentable units ranging from a 1,300-square-foot suite to an entire 12,000-square-foot floor. Each unit will feature natural light and offer individually metered electric service. Each floor will have new common restrooms and an industrial sink.

Initial occupancy is projected for January 2018.

Image via Google Street View