Trivers, in collaboration with associate architect HOK, general contractor Brinkmann Constructors, and interior designer RD Jones, was commissioned by Tegethoff Development to transform the area northwest of the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Transit Center into a transit-oriented, multi-family development in St. Louis’ historic Skinker-DeBaliviere Neighborhood.
Sited at the convergence of the MetroLink Red and Blue Lines and designed to enhance access to the St. Louis region’s Metro Transit system and the St. Vincent Greenway, Expo at Forest Park includes two multi-family buildings with 287 apartments, parking, extensive amenities and 30,000 square feet of retail space.
“Since even before the 1904 World’s Fair, the Skinker-DeBaliviere Neighborhood developed as a dense, diverse residential community along the former Wabash rail line,” said Trivers Principal Joel Fuoss, AIA, LEED AP. “This new transit-oriented development designed to accommodate nearly every mode of modern transportation will help create an active node of energy at the convergence of these transport pathways.”
While the north building, which will soon feature a ground-level, full-service grocery store, began welcoming residents in August 2022, the seven-story south building opened in November. It features an extensive vegetation amenity deck with bocce ball, a pool, fitness center and lounges that overlook the Missouri History Museum. Many of its top-floor units are two stories and include private patios and expansive views of Forest Park and beyond.
Trivers engaged in conversations with Bi-State Development (operator of Metro Transit) and the area’s residents throughout the planning process to ensure the development would be a welcomed addition to the community. The firm designed the Expo’s entrance to keep streets private and created walk-up style townhome units and stepping of the massing to help the development better nestle into the single-family homes surrounding it.
“The Expo is visionary and transformative, not only as a development, but also for transit in our region,” said Taulby Roach, Bi-State Development president and CEO. “The impact here is dramatic. It will be exciting in the coming years to see how this project demonstrates transit-oriented development’s vibrancy and function on a daily basis.”
With groundbreaking occurring in 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire project team overcame health and safety issues as well as supply chain snarls and material shortages to complete the Expo project.
“Brinkmann, the design teams and subcontractors worked very hard to overcome obstacles and adversities, which were far from what anyone had expected, and were committed to the success of this project,” said Jeremy Dotson, project director for Brinkmann Constructors.
