Developers behind a massive apartment overhaul near the former Glen Este High School are now floating a plan for a walkable, mixed-use “village center” along Glen Este-Withamsville Road in Union Township. The proposal covers three parcels and asks the township to reclassify several residential and commercial properties through the planned-development process so new shops and additional housing can sit right next to the fresh wave of apartments. St. Louis-based Briar Hill Development, led by Jon Hanks and David Baylis, is listed as the applicant, and the township’s zoning commission took up the request in late March. Township records show the filing pulls together scattered parcels into a single planned-development district.
Who’s behind the plan
According to Local 12, Briar Hill Development says it wants to build a walkable village center, not just another strip mall. The station reports that the mixed-use concept is meant to complement a master-planned multifamily redevelopment already underway on the adjacent former high school site.
Rezoning and parcels
Union Township’s March agenda packet for Case #2-26-Z outlines a request to shift several properties from PD, R-1, R-2, and R-3 into one consolidated PD Planned Development. Exhibit A in the packet lists parcel IDs and street addresses along Glen Este-Withamsville Road and names Briar Hill Development and Jon Hanks as applicants. The submission pitches the site as a mixed-use commercial and residential project and calls out pedestrian connections as a key design feature.
How this fits
The village-center proposal lands about six years after investors kicked off a large, master-planned redevelopment of the former Glen Este High School, Local 12 notes. That earlier phase included senior living villas and plans for hundreds of apartment units, and developers say the new village center is supposed to serve as the neighborhood amenity for those residents. Township staff told the commission they want sidewalks and pedestrian links tying everything together instead of isolated pockets of retail.
Public process and timeline
Union Township has posted a legal notice for the Union Township New Community Authority’s initial organizational meeting on May 4, and the same township news page links to a related JEDD public hearing set for May 12. The notice lists expected actions such as adopting bylaws, a budget, and a declaration of covenants, steps that typically come before public infrastructure or tax-sharing arrangements that can support development. The Zoning Commission and the Board of Trustees will both review the planned-development application before any approvals are granted or building permits are issued.
Why neighbors should pay attention
If the plan goes through, the village center would reshape traffic and commercial activity along Glen Este-Withamsville Road and add new spots for restaurants and shops geared toward the hundreds of nearby residents. Supporters say the walkable layout could cut down on short car trips within the neighborhood and bring everyday amenities closer to home. Critics, on the other hand, are likely to bring up traffic, school capacity, and utility strain at public hearings.
