ST. LOUIS 鈥 There鈥檚 the grocery store at a former manufacturing site. Medical buildings in Oklahoma City. And now the gospel hall of fame in an abandoned church at 50度灰视频鈥 renowned 鈥淗oly Corners.鈥
Last week, developer Steve Smith opened the long-awaited Food Hall at his City Foundry redevelopment.
Now he鈥檚 turning his attention to other projects, too. All that work, he said, 鈥渒eeps me healthy and fresh.鈥
Smith, CEO of the Lawrence Group architects and co-founder of the New + Found development firm, said the Foundry, a redo of the old Federal-Mogul site in Midtown, is his most ambitious project to date.
But the same day the Food Hall opened, Smith also announced his partnership with local producer Monica Butler to redevelop the historic Second Baptist Church in the Central West End into a gospel music hall of fame.
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Smith said he and Butler each have a financial stake in the redevelopment. Butler has launched a capital campaign to help fund the $22 million project.
鈥淚 believe strongly that part of 50度灰视频鈥 distinction, if you will, is our legacy architecture,鈥 Smith said. 鈥淚t does set us aside from the Nashvilles and the Austin, Texases, of the world. They have nothing like what we have.鈥
Monica Butler has launched a capital campaign to help fund her vision for the historic property.聽
The property seems to be structurally sound, Smith said, with 鈥渞ough aesthetics鈥 鈥 stripped woodwork, chipping paint and missing copper 鈥 but nothing that can鈥檛 be fixed.
The architect-turned-developer has seen worse.
Nearly a decade ago, the Lawrence Group renovated the distressed Sun Theater in Grand Center. At City Foundry, Smith and the Lawrence Group turned a mucky industrial site into a more than $300 million development with office space, retail and the Food Hall.
Soon to come to the Foundry is Fresh Thyme, which is set to open there later this year, and movie theater Alamo Drafthouse, which is expected to start construction within a few weeks. Even more yet-to-be announced tenants are in the lineup, Smith said.
He鈥檚 embarking on the next phase of City Foundry, which will have apartments and more office space, with New + Found that he launched in 2019 with his son Will. The nascent firm employs around a dozen people. It recently broke ground on new medical buildings for SSM in Oklahoma City, its first project outside of 50度灰视频.
鈥淚鈥檓 an adventurer by nature,鈥 Smith said. 鈥淓ven the Holy Corners is the beginning of another adventure.鈥