Box and Won Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 According to the Business Journal this morning, SLU is partnering with McCormack Baron to develop the vacant lot at the northeast corner of Grand and Lindell (former home of Bullfeathers, R.I.P.). Here are the details: - $100 million, 400,000 sf total - 100 condos, 155,000 sf of retail space, 100,000 sf of office space - McCormack Baron will be moving its hq to occupy about half of the office space in 2009 - Part of the retail component includes a mult-screen movie theater - Not sure whether SLU will own the project or if the state office building will be demolished or incorporated (I hope it's demolished) - Condos qualify for SLU's forgiveable loan program which gives down payment assistance to SLU employees This is great news for the Grand Center/Midtown area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 For those who are intrested. http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/sto...3348800^1483895 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westy03 Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Great for the City of St. Louis and also the SLU athletic programs. You would think that this will only help reel in recruits for every sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikan Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 This project has been in the works for some time and it is a tribute to SLU and Father Biondi, among others, that another significant project, in the CITY, will be built. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bauman Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 ...but, but, but, Billikan, I am really confused. I thought Fr. B was an arrogant-ego centric-know nothing manager, described by one local P-D "writer" as a busybody, and by another as the incompetent boss of CL & DY, which made them both SOBs. How could that same person do all this good for mid-town STL and the University, itself? I know it is cute for P-D writers to call for Fr. B to name himself AD, but I think he really has more to do with his time. By the way, Fr. B. thanks for all the upgrades to the MBB program, including a state-of-the-art arena and the biggest-name coach in the history of Billiken basketball. Sometimes, achievers have to rub some people the wrong way to get things done. (see August B. III, C. Knight & Ed Whitacre-none of whom were universally loved by subordinates, but were tremendously effective as leaders of local companies and as community leaders) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 C'mon we all know Biondo is really trying to find another livery stable to knock down. Alas there were none in this area, just a State Office building. I understand his true passion is trying to get more children to smoke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Hitler built the autobahn and Mussolini got the trains to run on time. Look, Biondi isn't Mussolini and he isn't Hitler, but the man has his faults. The man could definitely learn how to better treat people. Pardon me and a few other people on here if we don't want to give Biondi a free ride for some of the cr*p he has pulled and the 20 years it took him to figure out how to properly run the basketball program. The ends justify the means attitude is getting pretty bad on this board. The people that take that attitude better not ***** at all about Huggins, Sampson, and schools cheating to get ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 "Sometimes, achievers have to rub some people the wrong way to get things done.' No doubt, but in Biondi's case it appears to be the vast majority of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
provos528 Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Fr. B got faults but for what I have seen it had benefitted the majority with all his moves.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Many many University Presidents and Chancelors and leaders out there have accomplished many great things in their tenure. Typical SLU tunnel vision by many. Many simply haven't been anywhere else to know better, and/or just don't have the info to compare. Typical Biondi free pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 provo said, "Fr. B got faults but for what I have seen it had benefitted the majority with all his moves" we will never know how badly his pr f'ups have hurt this program. but all the backstabs and face slaps in just the last couple of months surely have cost the program oodles of goodwill and opportunities galore. when we end up with a crappy schedule, i will always wonder what bcs program head decided to "back" the good hearted brad soderberg or the classy cheryl levick rather than play slu? when a television commentator gets a chance to ram it to slu on a highlight reel, one would have to wonder were they ramming slu or father biondi? when a prospective donor decides that slu hasnt shown a very jesuit attitude because of the happenings over the last two months, and we end up a couple of million short causing next year's "mandatory gift" to go even higher i will always wonder, "what if we had done the whole thing a little different?" yes on the surface we got majerus and 4 seventeen year old kids are so thrilled they have promised to come to school at slu in about 14 months. but couldnt we have done that without spitting in so many faces too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 courtside, i am enjoying being on the same side for once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
provos528 Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 That's the thing about it Roy, we could not please everybody on our every move especially major ones. I am confident that the result would be positive for the school and the city of St. Louis in the long run. I am sure Fr. B has pondered, asked for advice on the decisions leading to this day. He may also have the approval of the Head Jesuit in charge of all Jesuit schools in the US or even their Superior General who may love basketball and sports, we will never know. It may really look cold hearted and quick as what we read in the media, but I know there is more to it.. Our perspective on the whole thing really reflects on what wefinished as our major or our perspective on how to live in this complicated world. Somebody invite Fr. Kavanaugh in this discussion board..=) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 please everybody? no one is asking for a different result, just a little courtesy and respect for folks that willingly served and were employees of saint louis university that did nothing to deserve the way things went. as to father biondi asking for advice, i have to wonder who in the world would have given him the advice to act the way he has over the last two months? vince mcmahon maybe? i seriously doubt he asked for any jesuit advice. not with the events unfolding as they have. i would love to hear father kavanough's views on the what if's of billiken world since april. i dont think there is more to it. biondi has shown in the past he is a hard driving get what i want guy that when he is focused in gets things done no matter what. it is a tough double edged sword. i love the look of saint louis university. i love the fact we are a first class medical school and building a internationally respected medical research facility. i love the fact that we now have probably one of the ten best active college coaches in all the land. i am not necessarily proud of the means we got there. and it will be tough to argue about program integrity for awhile imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 I agree that there are better ways to do things then perhaps Biondi has or usually does them. But, it is just exactly the fact that he ultimately gets things done that others might not have accomplished that makes his such an infuriating leader. He is just one of the guys that people are going to have a love/hate relationship with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 College leaders across the country are accomplishing great things. It is really hard to screw it up right now with the ever increasing number of applicants across the the country and the huge group of baby boomer graduates now entering into their prime donating years. It is not hard to get things done at a university right now. What makes Biondi infuriating is he has a habit of acting like a jerk when he doesn't have to, not the fact that he gets things done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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