Lately, it feels like everywhere we turn, there’s a construction update on one of the big projects happening around town. First, we were drooling over renderings of the new conservatory inside the much-anticipated Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Next in our inbox, the announcement of the Lou Fusz Plaza, part of the still-to-come Centene Stadium, which hopes to be a destination for soccer watch parties when CITY SC kicks off next year. Then came the announcement of some of the planned features at the Saint Louis Zoo’s WildCare Park. Safaris? Glamping? Giraffe feedings? We’re quaking. If you’re like us and keep a running list of St. Louis’ coming-soons, you’ll want to turn your attention to these nine projects.
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The Saint Louis Zoo’s new safari experience—expected to begin sometime in 2027—will give visitors the chance to interact with giraffes, adventure through woodlands, and even camp out in the wild. Conservationists will maintain the existing ecosystems on the 425-acre North County campus, and researchers will use the facility to study endangered species.
A new mixed-use district wedged between the Streets of St. Charles and Bangert Island could bring an additional 4,000 jobs to the historic river town once completed. Riverpointe will feature retail, restaurants, and entertainment facilities such as Chicken N Pickle, a pickleball facility and restaurant expected to attract 700,000 visitors annually.
3. St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum Expansion
The museum has been a place for Holocaust survivors to tell their stories to visitors since 1995. A new $21 million facility set to open November 2 will be four times larger than the previous museum, with more space to host student groups and workshops. Its Impact Lab will offer interactive sessions on bias, stereotyping, prejudice, and genocide present in today’s world, rooted in lessons from the Holocaust.
Greenways have attracted billions of dollars in new developments in other cities, and hopes are high for Great Rivers Greenways’ Brickline Greenway, 10-plus miles connecting Forest Park, Fairground Park, and Gateway Arch National Park, as well as 14 city neighborhoods. Of special note: A portion of the project will feature installations by Damon Davis that tell the story of Mill Creek Valley.
5. Next NGA West
The move-in date for the new intelligence facility Next NGA West—the largest federal investment project in St. Louis’ history—is still years away, in 2026. The $1.7 billion complex will eventually host more than 3,000 employees on its nearly 100-acre campus in the historic St. Louis Place neighborhood.
6. 39 North
Creve Coeur’s 600-acre agriculture technology innovation district anchored by the Danforth Center just celebrated its five-year anniversary. Over $60 million has been invested in the district’s infrastructure. But there’s more to come: Mixed-use developments are also planned for 39 North.
Midtown’s Armory building was once a military training facility, a music venue, and a tennis club. Now, real estate firm Green Street is turning the 260,000-square-foot building into an entertainment space and its surroundings into a new district. In the works right now is a second location of Rec Hall, a drinks and yard games destination.
8. Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center at Missouri Botanical Garden
Inside the new $100 million visitor center—slated to open August 27—visitors will be immersed in the garden’s flora. The accessible and sustainable facility adorned with expansive glass windows will include a revamped Sassafras Café, a larger gift shop featuring an outdoor nursery, a conservatory, and an auditorium.
Construction crews have placed the final steel beam in the new 22,500-seat soccer stadium just in time for St. Louis CITY SC’s 2023 kickoff. The stadium will sit within a one-of-a-kind campus that also features the team’s headquarters and practice facilities. A soccer-themed bar and new apartments are following the team to Downtown West.
