BARcelona, one of several Clayton restaurants that will be affected by the proposed development
At least five Clayton restaurants—Nami Ramen, Vincent Van Doughnut, BARcelona, Imo’s Pizza, and House of Wong—received notice today that developer HBE Corporation had purchased the half-block on which they sit and that their existing leases would not be renewed. They must vacate by early next year.
According to the St. Louis Business-Journal, HBE Corporation founder/CEO Fred Kummer is planning a $270 million mixed-use project on the site, including luxury condos and a hotel, in partnership with the Lawrence Group's Steve Smith, Gladys Manion's Stafford Manion, and Husch Blackwell's Gary Feder.
"At this time, approximately 50 percent of the development site is covered by surface parking," noted a press release from HBE. "Commercially zoned for decades, the half-block area currently includes a mix of tenants and tenant vacancies, including a prime storefront that was a former pharmacy."
Construction on the privately financed development is slated to begin within a year.
The restaurants—located within the area formed by Maryland, Central, and Bemiston avenues and the mid-block alley between Central and Bemiston—were operating under one-year leases from Gershman Commercial Real Estate, who owned the majority of the parcels. (St. Louis Kolache, which closed in December, received notice as well.) John P. Fields' building was not owned by Gershman, and its fate remains unknown.
Other affected area businesses include Jon’s Pipe Shop, Cobbler’s Corner Shoe Repair, and the Clayton License Bureau. The leases stipulated that for reasons of redevelopment, the tenants must accept one year’s notice to vacate without prejudice.
BARcelona’s Frank Schmitz says he “plans to relocate, hopefully somewhere else in Clayton.” Dave Glore, franchisee for Imo’s Pizza, has similar plans. Nami Ramen's Jason Jan says he knew what was coming—just not when. He plans to relocate and has been scouting potential sites. A representative from House of Wong (which moved from Central Ave. to Bemiston four years ago, making room for Nami Ramen), said the restaurant plans to move elsewhere in Clayton. Brian Marsden, owner of Vincent Van Doughnut, has no plans to relocate in Clayton. The owner of John P. Fields was not available for comment.
Editor's Note: This article has been updated from an earlier version.
